Walgreens Knows Me, Blame The Photos!

I spent my life at Walgreens!  They know me!  It was the photos.  

And the fact that I kept returning.  

Here's a caution, don't photo procrastinate.

What's that saying?  "Start at the beginning."  Well...

At the beginning of that Friday, Darling Hubby, a school bus driver, had a 2 hr. delay so we left at the same time. I knew Walgreens opened at 8.  With my notes, phone, and money I went there to download pictures from cellphone to kiosk.  I'd print off a few.  Then, I'd be back by 11 to prepare him lunch. Pshaw!

I misjudged. 

There were pictures on that cellphone from 2017!!!!   Over 5 years worth!!!

3 kiosks, 2 lady helpers, a manager, new cords, and a phone call to son Ian later, and finally I found a 3-way combo solution ... switch cords, switch kiosks, reset my phone.  "TA - DA" downloaded.   2 hours later!  One thousand three hundred nighty six pictures!!!!!!!!  Would you like to see that visually in numbers?  1,396!

I've since learned that isn't as bad as a friend who has 2,500 and a cousin who has 4,000.  Don't go there.  To me this was a mountain I wasn't up to moving.  My back was already getting a crick in it!

You know, when you're flipping through your phone, it doesn't seem like that many.  

I reduced my selections to 704.  Hey, that's almost half!  That made me feel good.  My back didn't though, it was complaining something fierce.

The kiosk displayed a 45 minute wait.  

Helpful Manager all decked out in black, fine-boned, short, young thing, wringing her hands said, "Longer than that."  I didn't believe her.  I believed the kiosk, silly me.

Time to kill.  I went to Walmart bought necessities.  Walmart's self-help machine couldn't accept my big bill.  Who knew.  I should've knew.  I should've known it was a harbinger of what was to come.

Back to Walgreens.  

Cringing.  Why?  'Cause the first thing I saw was two employees changing printer fluids.  "Only 385 pics done", they said.  I stepped forward staring at the dropping out photos making sure the skin tones were appropriate.  They looked at me like, "What's she doing?"

So, I shopped their clearance, fuzzy socks for the daughter-in-laws at $1, yay!  Price checked other potential purchases but they're a couple dollars higher on everything.  

Back to photo counter, "It'll be a while, yet," said the older, gray haired woman. 

I stepped through their swinging gates, just a foot beyond, and squinted at the machine's counter.  Yep, it'll be awhile.

So, I got the truck washed, got an iced tea from Panera Bread, and answered a text from daughter-in-law, "Can you baby sit at 4?"  

"Sure, it's only noon."

Hungry, I opened the bag of chips next to me, divying out the appropriate amount 'cause I'm trying to loose weight.  But still hungry I go back inside and purchased a single serving size packet of peanuts.  That's a healthy solution when all you see is Easter candy!

Back to photos.  The cashier's line of customers was backed up so I shopped Easter cards.  Do you know you can't find a religious Easter card at Walgreens??  

Line dwindled. 

I went back to the photo lady,  "We're sorry we've ran out of paper."  Are you kidding me?

Employee called her manager.  Manger came wringing her hands, "The supply truck doesn't come until tomorrow."

"Well, I've come a long way and don't want to have to spend the gas to leave and come back."  This was my way of saying, "Can't you dig deep and find another solution."  I had seen them trying to switch machines, and knew they had other sizes of paper on hand.

She leaves.  She returns, "We've called around, the paper won't come AT LEAST for another hour.  I'm so sorry."  

New employee clocks in.  This one squints at the machine counter 'cause she's nearsighted.  So I step in, right up to the machine.  By now, they're used to my presence and my being in forbidden space and have quit giving me "looks".

At only 150 left, after paying my left leg for the whole shebang, I had to leave to babysit.  It was 3 o'clock.  Just in case anything else crazy happened, I took what was printed, home.

Well, toddlers came too soon.  I only had an hour to myself.  Then I and the kids pretended "Who ate my ice cream?" and played "I want what sissy has" add in "We're hungry.  What have you got?"  and "Here's ALL the balls!"  Throw, toss, boing, bounce!  times 6!  

Their Mom and Dad were all excited about their evening of test driving trucks.  We quizzed, "Did they negotiate?"  We oohed and ahhed, "Such low miles", and "Good, you'll appreciate that back up feature for an 8 foot bed."  And they finally noticed, "Is it that late!?"                          

I slept good!  Next morning, "Is the sun up yet?"  Walgreens is calling.

They'd better be! 

"And since I've been a long-time customer, wink-wink, can we negotiate -- I'd like my leg back."