Einstein Is Alive and Well......

......and working at JC Penney here in Waco.

As many Americans do after Christmas, I hit the stores to make a few returns yesterday morning.

I headed out to JC Penney armed with the items to return and the appropriate receipts. I found a service desk and dutifully waited in line. My turn came and I reported to the register and explained my reasons for being there so bright and early, "My wife asked me to return these. She decided that she didn't want them! Here are the receipts for them. Oh, my daughter changed her mind on this also!"

I gave the clerk 3 fleece throws for $7.99 each and a box of perfume for $19.99 and the receipts for all items. The clerk scanned the first receipt and started to scan the items. I noticed that she seemed to be having some difficulties. My first clue was when she started muttering to herself saying that the computer said I had already returned one of the items.

I thought to myself, "How did I do that? I have it right here with me."

The clerk tried a few more key strokes confident that she could solve the dilemma. No luck.

Next thing I knew she had the PA in hand and I heard, "I need the MOD at the home department register."

The MOD reported promptly and took one look at the register and announced, "You've already taken this back. That's what the computer says."

I said, "I don't think so. I have it here and here's the receipt."

MOD, "Well maybe your wife changed her mind earlier and exchanged it with this receipt for something different!"

I thought to myself, "Then why do I still have the same exact item in my posession that the computer says I've already taken back? If she did that I wouldn't have that item anymore."

The MOD then tells me, "I can return the other items and credit your charge card but you'll need to look for the correct receipt for the other item."

"OK," and the MOD began to credit the returns to my charge card for each item for $7.99 each; which by the way, is the price listed on the receipt. (This fact is very important later on.) I then asked the MOD what I needed to do if I couldn't find the receipt.

He said, "If you can't find the receipt we can credit your charge card for $7.99."

I thought to myself, "Isn't that what I've been trying to do but you won't let me since I don't have the correct receipt?"

Then, being the bold person that I am I asked, "Instead of looking for the receipt at home could you go ahead and credit my account now for $7.99?" I did this while thinking to myself, "Which is what I paid for it earlier, as plainly indicated on the receipt that you have been looking at lo these several minutes!"

The MOD responded, "Sure, as soon as I finish this return!"

HUH!!!

© 2009 Barry T Horst


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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Please visit the Giveaway of the Day near the bottom of the left sidebar for free software downloads daily.

American Living--American????

I took Chris to JC Penney the other day. While she shopped, I looked around. I noticed that they have a new line that they have been pushing. It is called "American Living." Here is a commercial for you to see.

I started looking at some of the products. I picked up a shirt that looked nice. "I might want to get one," I thought. I looked to see where it was made and it said, "Made in Jordan."

WHAT???

MADE IN JORDAN??? American living in Jordan. Okay!?!?

I started looking at other products. I needed an atlas. I felt like I was taking a world tour. I saw Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Philippines, and China. There were tags from Pakistan, Honduras, India, Taiwan, and Macau. Other tags said Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Thailand. I even saw a tag on a sweater that said the shell was knitted in Taiwan and finished in China. I didn't even know that Taiwan and China were getting along; much less doing business with each other.

Nothing from America.

Wait, there was a tag that said Northern Mariana Islands.

Say, aren't they a commonwealth in political union with the United States? "They sure are," according to the CIA Fact Book.

Wait a minute.

A closer look at the tag says that the fabric was imported. So It was made in the Northern Mariana Islands (USA) of imported fabric.

Oh well. You can't win 'em all.

While I was still looking at the American Living products in Penney's I began to look at the Arizona products to see if any were made in Arizona.

Nope!

Let's try being made in China, Hong Kong, Pakistan, India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Mexico. Nothing from Arizona.

One day I may try to figure out where St. John's Bay is.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Please visit the Giveaway of the Day at the bottom of the page for free software downloads daily.

Picture Day Monday, February 18

The above is a Christmas card that my parents made. I can remember my parents converting the kitchen into a dark room and cranking these things out each Christmas when I was in elementary school. I don't remember it after we moved to the house on Windsor. I'm not sure of the year but I know it was from the mid 1960's. My sister, Michal Ann is on the left. My brother, Lance is on the right. I am the happy chap in the middle.

This is another picture of Michal. This is probably when she was at Sam Houston State College. The college changed it's name to Sam Houston State University the year she graduated. Because of the name changed she received two diplomas; one with the name of each school on it. For more history on SHSU click here: SHSU HISTORY.

The pictures above are a few pictures from the mid 1980's. The picture on the left is Janna, Kari, and Meredith playing a game. Jana and Kari are the daughters of Lance and Pam Horst. Meredith is Michal's daughter. In the middle picture Meredith and Scott are sitting on my mother's lap. The picture on the right shows Meredith playing with Scott.

Here is a picture taken in Dickinson. I don't recall the occasion, but it was taken in the early to mid 1990's. Starting from the right we have Scott, Kari, Julie, Meredith, Janna, and my "Big Dogs" back. I don't know what that is on the left. Perhaps a UFO? Perhaps a thumb? I don't really know.

This is Jerry. I don't know who he is related to.

Actually, Jerry was a mannequin that my Mother picked up somewhere. Chris just told me that he came from a JC Penney that was remodeling. Maybe that explains the name, Jerry. She would sit it in her house and take it on trips in her car to make it look like she had someone in the car with her. No, not so she could drive in the HOV lane. After my father passed away my mother didn't like to take trips to Houston and other cities and have people think she might be by herself. All the grandkids liked to play with Jerry. Especially when his head fell off. Just imagine dancing with a headless Jerry.

Hmm!

No thanks!

© 2008 Barry T Horst


This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.