Frys Food Stores

I have an on-going love-hate relationship with Fry's Food Stores.
Mostly, I only write about them when some ridiculous or outrageous thing occurs when I go there.
Just one, eensy teensy tiney example would be yesterday when I was walking out of the store and the dreaded alarm goes off.
It happens to me frequently anymore. I do not appreciate it, either. I have been going to Fry's since I was 10 years old, meaning I am a 35 year shopper at their stores. I do not recall ever stealing anything from them, even as a teenager, but certainly I do NOT steal items from them now, neither will I ever do so.

I am not that kind of preson, I still have morals and a conscience. That alarm going off is not only annoying, it is also at least somewhat humiliating. It announces to the Fry's shopping world that: "Hey, looky there, that guy is a thief, he is trying to steal something, tackle him to the floor" - or certainly that's the feeling one gets when that very LOUD thing goes off and then some dude standing there starts raising his voice at you and chasing you out the door, demanding to see your receipt.

I refuse to stop anymore. I don't even acknowledge that they are saying anything to me, or if I do, it's not anything that would be deemed nice or amenable. Nowadays, the store I shop at has a police officer standing out front. They are off-duty cops doing store security. Although I mean no disrespect to the officer, I will also ignore them as well. If they want to tackle me to the ground and arrest me, the City of Tempe and Fry's Food Stores will be slapped with a lawsuit so fast you'll wonder how I even had time to get home to call the lawyer to file the complaint.

Seriously. Dead serious. I am SICK of that damned alarm and yes, I did call Fry's corporate headquarters yesterday - and not surprisingly, I am definitely not the first person to call and complain about it. I have stood there and watched - for years now - that alarm going off on the elderly, young couples, all kinds of people who freeze in their tracks at the loudness of the sound going off and look around wondering what the bleep to do next. I am going to start making a big issue out of this until they change their modus operandi. I have seen those kinds of alarms all over the place at all kinds of different stores, I have NEVER seen them going off even close to as much as they go off at Fry's.

I will give Fry's one round of kudos today. I was in there waiting in an obscenely long line - there were only 2 full service registers going and the self-service registers were also backed up. The lady from the Service Department counter came up to me and said as long as I don't have anything that needs weighed - like veggies and such - she could help me over there. For as long as the wait would have been, I would have dumped anything that would need to be weighed just to get out of there. It's hardly set up for doing groceries - making her job even more difficult - but she did it cheefully and I was amazed at how long it was taking for the line I was originally in to get the one grouping of people that were first in line done with.

It never ceases to amaze me that a person forgets something, so - they leave the line, walk to the other side of the store - get what they want and come strolling back as if there was nothing else going on. Notwithstanding the fact that the line is being held up for everyone else that is waiting. This is another thing I have never understood why these stores allow to happen. There were 5 ladies that were buying something like 20 pies, 10 bags of potatoes and some other things that decided that they needed more pies - and had no qualms taking their sweet old time going to get them. The pies were half a store away from where they were.

Another thing that gets me are the people that apparently think all of this stuff they are buying is free. They MUST think that, because they don't even begin to get out their wallet until AFTER - EVERYTHING - is scanned, the total is rung up and the cashier is standing there, looking at the person blankly while asking for payment. I am guessing they aren't allowed to say anything negative to these people, that's no problem, I have no qualms identifying the fact that it's pretty much a sure thing that, if they get into line and all of this stuff is scanned and added up with tax, that they are probably going to have to pay for it.

Yes, I've pissed more than a few people off with my statements - and this should bother me? "Excuse me, miss, did you think you were going to get all of this stuff for free?" - and other little points that I like to make. They usually look at me funny at first and then realize what I am saying - and get mad of course. I am no less put off by their lack of action, ESPECIALLY those that are getting out checkbooks. If you are writing a check for your purchase, PLEASE GET IT OUT AT THE TIME THE CASHIER STARTS TO RING UP THE GOODS, not AFTER she/he is done with everything.

When this cashier was done and I paid for everything and was leaving - these people were STILL there, holding up the line. I can assure you right now that if I had had to stand there and wait for all of this nonsense, choice words would have been expressed at my displeasure - they had made at least 2 trips to get more pies.

Unbelievable.

Saturday

I did not get my paycheck yesterday. I'm not sure which is more unbelievable - that I forgot to ask for it or that my manager forgot to give it to me. Not the end of the world, it just dawned on me that my mortgage payment is still sitting at work. The mortgage company sent me a PILE of papers to read and sign. Ridiculous. I've ALREADY read, signed and sent more paperwork than it should take to buy 50 homes. Well, this paperwork is worth signing since it reduces my interest rate by 1.5 percentage - doesn't sound like much but when it comes to a loan that big, the savings both monthly and over the life of the loan are substantial.

Well, 2 days off. Non-paying tenant - paid last night. I have 2 weekly renters in here. I have no idea why this guy couldn't pay last week, but at least he communicated with me about it. I can deal with that - as long as there is an intended date to pay it up. The other weekly renter doesn't come "home" until - well today or tomorrow usually. He'll hand over $100. That's $275 total and some of that is going to Christmas presents.

I have a bunch of stuff to do around here - but I'm not even thinking of getting it all done this weekend. Just on-going projects and such. More walls in the house needed painted and I need to continue on with the drip system which was put on the back-burner while I was doing other stuff. I'm thinking of having my neighbor's son install a new condensor in my car - save a ton of money doing it that way versus having a shop do it - and then take it into a shop to have the system vacuumed and then recharged with freon.

Ummm, so today I think what I'm really going to focus on is trying to get my son's present. An iPod. A used one, and no, I'm not shelling out the money for an iPod touch. An amazing electronic gadget, yes, but - it's way too much money. No, he said he would be happy with one of the older models. Craigslist here I come, basically, see what I can find and if I can make deal today.

I would really, though, like to spend some time outside today working around the plants and yard. I have put all of that on back burner as well trying to get other stuff done. I am only having to water plants maybe every 4 days now. The ground stays moist and that's all it needs. I can't imagine how much lower my next water bill will be, but I'm sure it will be a pleasant surprise.

Umm, just rambling, really. I haven't read the news yet today, I'm sure there is some entertainment to be found there. Instead of getting mad at the stupidity - especially what our elected politicans are doing - I find ways to look at through humor. The health care bill - nothing humorous about it, but the way these people are acting is quite entertaininig. Like a bunch of kinder-garteners falling all over themselves, trying to all get their names out there so they can go down in history as part of "The Group" that will get this thing passed.

I wonder, however, how favorably history will actually look back at them. They will undoubtedly get this thing shoved through and I fear the financial chaos that will ensue. I have nowhere to go. People talking about leaving this country because of everything going on. Well, nice, but wherever you go, you are going to find problems - maybe different sets of them, but never-the-less, problems. Maybe go live in Somalia........lol.

I'm done - for now. Going to get started on getting things done around here plus have to go shopping.

Have a great day : )

ben