Costco really should give out numbers at their tire center.
You pick a number when you go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and you also pick a number at Economical’s deli department so you’ll know when it’s your turn to be served. It makes everything nice and efficient; there’s no rushing to get a place in line because you have your number.
Your number holds your spot; unless you go off somewhere to another isle for a jar of Blue Plate mayonnaise, let’s say, and you don’t hear your number being called. After they call “13, 13, anybody got number 13?”, and you don’t speak up, you’ll miss your turn and the lady with number 14 will get her prosciutto before you get your sliced ham.
As I was saying, Costco should have numbers.
David, Eileen, and I got to Costco early – before the doors opened. I made a visual inspection of the entrance way and everyone waiting. I didn’t want to cut in line, nor did I want anyone cutting in front of me.
At Costco waiting for the doors to open.
The weather had turned nasty and it was the big rush for everyone to get their winter tires.
Blowing snow at the tire center parking area.
Finally the garage doors opened and we all scurried inside. It wasn’t anything like Black Friday. We were all very civilized.
I thought only a couple of people were ahead of me until I saw the line at the tire counter. Jokingly, I speculated that customers had slept in the store overnight to get a good spot in line.
“No”, I was told.
They came in through the tire bays on the side of the building.
This is where my idea for numbers comes in. Instead of people sneaking in from all over, if Costco installs one of those self serve number machines for tire service, I can avoid the tough decision I’ll have to make in the future – which is the smartest place to enter the store when I need to get winter tires – the front door or the garage?
Obviously, Costco was expecting a crowd. They cajoled us with coffee, pizza, and chocolate chip cookies as we waited in line about a half an hour to reach the counter where the patient tire guy told us, “It will be about a 4 hour wait for your tires.”
Eileen samples the cookies.
Okay, now we had time to kill.
First it was off to the camera department. I try to avoid looking at the prices because I am afraid to see a price drop on my Canon T2i. But, I can tell you firsthand that Costco is really swell about refunding the difference if you see a sale price on an item that you paid more for. Just don’t wait forever to return it. Do it promptly.
Eileen plays with the cameras.
Next, we went over to the computers and tried on a pair of really nice earphones and listened to some music. I danced a bit with Eileen, but I looked silly, so I’m not sharing a picture here.
As we made our way to the bakery, we stopped for assorted samples. Nothing particularly tasty that day.
I was hoping for pumpkin pie samples. It was cinnamon rolls instead.
Mmm, cakes and pies.
After making the rounds at Costco, we walked over to Lowe’s which is right next door. Eileen and I walked fast because the fine snow was blowing into our faces. Horizontal snow is the worst kind.
Eileen and I walk to Lowe’s
The lawn mowers and barbecue grills, that used to be sold outside near the entrance of Lowe’s, have been replaced with snowblowers.
It would be really cool to replace the snow shovel with one of these.
It was warm and toasty indoors, but as you can see, the garden center was starting to look like the North Pole.
Lowe’s garden center.
Moving on…I find it extremely annoying and greedy that retailers cannot wait until after Thanksgiving to put out the Christmas junk.
We stopped to look at the holiday decorations.
For those who do not want to keep Christ in Christmas with a traditional nativity under the tree, Lowe’s offers this ridiculously priced 65th Anniversary holiday decoration.
Lowe’s Anniversary Holiday Set
David was along, so we had to look at the tools and some other boring guy stuff. I didn’t mind looking at the toilets, though. He told Eileen his American Standard story and how the lower the toilet, the easier the evacuation. Something about sitting on a toilet with higher knees helps bowels move better.
The toilets on the right will make you feel better.
The “I wonder if they still manufacture in America,” question arose.
I looked it up. American Standard still manufactures a few models of toilets in Colorado.
After warming our hands by the fireplace,
Ah, this feels good.
and chuckling near the magazine rack at the thought of homes for people who dream small,
Dream big unless you want the universe to deliver small.
it was back to Costco.
After 4 hours of big box bliss and a slice of free pizza for the road, we ended our BIG TIRE ADVENTURE by riding home in the snow on some brand new winter tires.
Marlene
