Tomorrow Never Dies

(I notice the store is running low on the particular retaining wall stones we are using, partly because a couple of pallets are stacked with these stones and have ‘SOLD’ signs on them. I approach an employee.)

Me: “Can I buy these ones and come pick them up later?”

Employee: “Can’t you just take it all in one load?”

Me: “Yes, I am planning to come back for the rest later.”

Employee: “Well, can’t you just take it all now?”

Me: “That would seriously overload our trailer, so that won’t work. Anyway, you can just keep it and we’ll come back for it.”

Employee: “Well, when can you be back?”

Me: “I am not sure, but probably tomorrow.”

Employee: “Well, when you get home, call and let me know if you can come back later today.”

Me: “I was told it was fine to leave it here for a day or two and we have other plans for the afternoon.”

Employee: “But that’s a lot of work to leave it so long. You need to call me when you get home so I know if you are coming back today or not.”

Me: “No, I don’t think we can come back today, so just put it aside for tomorrow.”

Employee: “But when you get home I need you to call me to let me know if you can come back later.”

Me: “I am telling you now that we cannot come back until tomorrow!”

Employee: “But it is a lot of work to keep it for days.”

Me: “I see pallets all over with SOLD signs on them. How is that so much work?”

Employee: *rolling his eyes and acting exasperated* “FINE!” *talking to other employee* “Go get the paperwork!”

(The ‘paperwork’ was the size of a name badge and just required me to put my name and phone number on it, after which it was slapped on one of the stones in the stack. When we came back the next day, the pallet with our things had been stored outside of the fenced-in garden center area where anyone could have stolen the contents. All the other pallets I had seen with SOLD signs on them were stored inside the fence.)