It's noon on a Saturday, I've just finished volunteering for AIDSWalk SF, which means I've been up since 5:45AM and am starting to feel it and could use a little caffeine pick me up. Normally I eschew caffeine as I gave it up several years ago (and my kidneys and bladder have been ecstatic about it ever since) but this day I can feel a little throb in my temple and some Diet Mountain Dew will hit the spot. I see a Walgreens across the street and stride on it. I grab my soda and approach the register. There is one person already there and, well, she is somewhere between the ages of 70 and still alive. I can tell that this is going to take awhile. She's got a handkerchief covering her head and is wearing pink polyester shorts, flip flops and a short bathrobe. At her feet is her basket with two small frozen entrees and a couple of Pepsi colas. Her head is slightly lowered as if she is mesmerized by the candy beneath the counter when the sales clerk, Craig, asks if she is ready to check out. Without saying a word she bends down and takes things out of her basket---one by one--and places them on the counter. I look at Craig and he gives me one of those what can I do shoulder shrugs. I let out a little sigh, my head throbs more and two more people join the line.
Craig gets on the speaker and says IC3, which is Walgreens code for three people in line. Sadly no one seems to be answering his call. He rings up the women and tells her the total is $2.98. She seems to contemplate this a moment before finally reaching for her handbag and pulling out a small pink change purse, which she proceeds to open and then dump her change on the counter. I roll my eyes as another stereotype comes true (SHE'S PAYING WITH ALL COINS!) and Craig is on the speaker again--IC7! The woman slowly begins counting out the right amount and after another five minutes has past, a Walgreens employee finally arrives and says loudly "Where's Sherri?" Craig says "I don't know. Can you help?" With an audible sigh she logs into a register and says "Next in line!" (By which time there are IC10!) The woman behind me tries to make a move for the register but I cut her off while giving her one of my best 'I don't think so bitch!' looks.
I hand the woman my soda, she rings it up, it's $1.78, I give her my $2.00, get my .22 cents back and start heading for the door. Meanwhile at register one, as I pass by, I hear Craig say, "ma'am that's only $2.80 you need .18 more cents." I stop, feeling the change in my hand, turn around and slap my .22 cents on the counter. Craig and the woman stare at me with equal looks of "What?" I say "keep the change and have a nice day,"(with the utmost of sincerity and a bit too loudly--I think--kind of--sort of--okay probably not which is why everyone seems to be staring at me) before turning around and heading out the door. When I hit the sidewalk I open my Dew and feel the cool citrus fizziness wash down my throat...mmmmm....like manna from heaven. And while I realize it's probably a little psychosomatic, I almost instantly feel the throbbing in my head subsiding. Suddenly I feel a rumbling in my stomach and can hear an audible growl that causes little dogs to cower. Oh crap! Now I'm hungry. I take another swig of soda and head back inside to get a snack---and get back in line.
Answer to previous posts trivia question: F. Nephi and Golden Grigg--the founders of Ore-Ida
This post trivia question: In what state did Mountain Dew originate?
Craig gets on the speaker and says IC3, which is Walgreens code for three people in line. Sadly no one seems to be answering his call. He rings up the women and tells her the total is $2.98. She seems to contemplate this a moment before finally reaching for her handbag and pulling out a small pink change purse, which she proceeds to open and then dump her change on the counter. I roll my eyes as another stereotype comes true (SHE'S PAYING WITH ALL COINS!) and Craig is on the speaker again--IC7! The woman slowly begins counting out the right amount and after another five minutes has past, a Walgreens employee finally arrives and says loudly "Where's Sherri?" Craig says "I don't know. Can you help?" With an audible sigh she logs into a register and says "Next in line!" (By which time there are IC10!) The woman behind me tries to make a move for the register but I cut her off while giving her one of my best 'I don't think so bitch!' looks.
I hand the woman my soda, she rings it up, it's $1.78, I give her my $2.00, get my .22 cents back and start heading for the door. Meanwhile at register one, as I pass by, I hear Craig say, "ma'am that's only $2.80 you need .18 more cents." I stop, feeling the change in my hand, turn around and slap my .22 cents on the counter. Craig and the woman stare at me with equal looks of "What?" I say "keep the change and have a nice day,"(with the utmost of sincerity and a bit too loudly--I think--kind of--sort of--okay probably not which is why everyone seems to be staring at me) before turning around and heading out the door. When I hit the sidewalk I open my Dew and feel the cool citrus fizziness wash down my throat...mmmmm....like manna from heaven. And while I realize it's probably a little psychosomatic, I almost instantly feel the throbbing in my head subsiding. Suddenly I feel a rumbling in my stomach and can hear an audible growl that causes little dogs to cower. Oh crap! Now I'm hungry. I take another swig of soda and head back inside to get a snack---and get back in line.
TASTE THE FRESHNESS!
Answer to previous posts trivia question: F. Nephi and Golden Grigg--the founders of Ore-Ida
This post trivia question: In what state did Mountain Dew originate?
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