Your link to Northwest Indiana. tm
Your link to Northwest Indiana. tm |
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Power Shopping First, notice that I am typing this article on 9-11. Please join Thomas in a moment of silence as we remember and honor those that perished in that most tragic American event. ………………………………………………………… Thank you. Now on to something more pleasurable…like…SHOPPING! The past 3 weeks, Thomas has been in some of the longest lines he has ever experienced. NO, not the checkout lines at his favorite stores, but the lines at the GAS STATION! One day, I waited in line for 35 minutes, only to have the price change 4 times before I ever got to pump. What is up with that? Please repeat after me, “PRICE GOUGING”. And, I think I spotted Auntie Martha Stewart in the car behind me. Finally, she had that ‘tacky’ ankle bracelet removed! Poor thing..having to pump her own gasoline like the rest of us. Didn’t she make millions while incarcerated? Maybe she has to take a ‘cut-in-pay’ now that she is among the ‘free’. I know, I will send her a prepaid ‘gas card’ to help her during this rough transition period. Thomas, always the ‘giver’! Thomas has a ‘little’ confession to make. When he goes to a hospital to visit a sick friend, he spends about 2 minutes ‘comforting’ the patient and 30 minutes ‘comforting’ himself in the …hospital gift shop! THERE, I am coming clean…Thomas is a hospital gift shop junkie! I know, I know…most of the items in a hospital gift shop are cards, candy, flowers, stuffed animals, or religious artifacts. And they are usually way overpriced (I mean, really, $2.00 for a Hershey’s candy bar?) But, there are some interesting items in many hospital gift shops, and sometimes at a bargain. Take for instance, the gift shop at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Crown Point, IN. I went to visit a friend who was going ‘under-the-knife’ at 6:00pm. I arrived at 5:45pm and found his wife (Aquanetta, one of my shopping buddies…remember her?) She told me that he was being wheeled in at that moment. Now, a ‘compassionate friend’ would have invited Aquanetta for coffee in the cafeteria, right? Thomas, being that ‘compassionate friend’ invited her for coffee and something to eat in the hospital cafeteria. On the way to the cafeteria, Thomas ‘wondered’ by the gift shop. Thomas looked at Aquanetta and stated, “Food or shopping…pick one”. Since Aquanetta is a diehard shopper, like Thomas, she chose shopping. “After all, my husband will be ‘in surgery’ for at least 2 hours”, she proclaimed. So we shopped the gift shop and found a wonderful teapot for her collection at a very good price. The gift shop volunteer announced that they were getting ready to close. Aquanetta then stated, “Let’s get something to eat….at the mall”! “Aquanetta”, I shouted! “The mall is 20 minutes away”, I continued. Aquanetta calmly said, “Oh, my husband won’t even know we will be gone”. So we went. That Aquanetta, she can be so ‘cold’. Thomas is sooo proud! And then there was that ‘incident’ involving Ginger (you remember Ginger, don’t you). Ginger’s mother was rushed to Northwestern Hospital in Chicago after having a massive stroke. A few days after she was stabilized, Thomas ventured into Chicago to ‘comfort’ Ginger. I parked in the hospital parking garage and entered the building on the 2nd floor. Thomas was “shocked” to find a hospital lobby resembling a 5-star hotel lobby! I signed in and was given a visitors pass. I was walking to the elevator, when it dawned on me…with a hospital this fancy, they have to have a 5-star gift shop! OK, Ginger didn’t know I was there yet, so I decided to visit the gift shop first. Tucked in between designer stores, restaurants, and hair salons, was the gift shop. Not just ‘any’ gift shop, mind you. We are talking designer silk scarves, jewelry, one-of-a-kind purses, china, Waterford crystal, and imported children’s toys. I made a few purchases. Figuring it would be rude to ‘show up’ with gift bags, I decided to run them to my car before ‘arriving’ at the patient’s room. I casually wondered into Ginger’s mother’s room, and said hello to Ginger. Her mother was sleeping. Now, what was that I said about being a ‘compassionate’ friend? Yes, I offered to take Ginger for coffee and dinner. Ginger (pardon me if I get misty eyed) states, “Let’s get out of here and go to Filene’s Basement and Bloomingdales”. “Ginger, what about your mother?”, I proclaimed. “Thomas”, Ginger snapped (no pun intended), we will be back before she wakes up”! Two hours later, Ginger and Thomas arrive back at the hospital room. Her mother was just waking up as we walked in…never the wiser to our ‘shopping madness’. Visit a hospital gift shop. You might just become a hospital gift shop ‘junkie’ too! And now… DON’T DOUBT THOMAS! THINK USB JUMPDRIVES! OfficeMax [nationwide] is offering a 512MB USB JumpDrive Secure, by Lexar< for $19.99 after $40 in rebates. Store, transfer, and carry data anywhere. THINK 5-PIECE DINETTE FURNITURE! Harlem Furniture [nationwide] has extended their Labor Day sale. Included in the sale is a 5-piece dinette set for $499, regularly $699.94. Featured is the Rose Avenue Dinette, which comes with a 54” round table in cherry veneer and 4 Parsons style chairs in neutral microfiber fabric. The chairs are also available in black leather-like fabric. THINK POWER PRESSURE WASHER! Meijer [various locations in the Midwest of USA] is offering a 1600 PSI Power Pressure Washer for $99.96, a savings of $50.03. THINK DVD/VCR COMBINATION PLAYER! Target [nationwide] has a DVD/VCR space-saving combination player, by Samsung, for $99.99. It has a progressive-scan DVD player with component-video output and 4-head hi-fi stereo VCR. It also includes a remote control. THINK FREE COMPUTER PAPER! Most of the office supplies stores; Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, and a host of others, are offering FREE HP copy paper with purchase of any 2 HP inks cartridges. THINK BOOKCASES! Value City Department Stores [nationwide] has a 2-shelf bookcase, by Sauder, on sale for $19.99 (compared to $35.00). 3-shelf units are $29.99 and 5-shelf units are $39.99. Choose from oak, cherry, or black finishes. I am off to the hospital to visit the gift shop…I mean, a sick friend! Thomas |
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