Hi.-

Just stopping to say a quick "hi" to all you out there.  I am sure if I thought hard enough I could come up with some sort of witty thing to say, but I don't want to.  So there.  The last couple of days have been, uh, interesting, we shall say.  Oh, nothing extraordinary has happened.  Just a lot of frustrating things that all add up to AHHHHHH!

For instance, the only place I have been since Sunday is a quick trip to town on Monday night after supper.  After Libby was born, the sweet ladies in our church had a baby shower for her.  We were given a lot of really great stuff - such as baby wash, wipes, and lots of diapers.  So much, in fact that we just bought our first "batch" of wipes last week.  I probably won't need to buy baby soap for the rest of the year (keeping in mind that I use the same stuff for all three of the kids) - that's how much we have!  Anyway, we were also given a lot of diapers.  It was such a blessing - not having to buy any for Libby thus far.  But, she was getting low and the only packages I had left were the wrong size - too small.  So, I had the wonderful idea to just take them back to the store and exchange them for the correct size (and the brand we like to use - hehe!). So off to the store we went.  Since it was just going to be a quick trip, Matt stayed in the car with the kids and I ran in really fast - or so I thought!

Oh, first of all I must take a step back and explain something.  I wrote on Saturday about how I had been sick, but was feeling much better - which I still was on Monday.  But, there was one thing - I woke up on Sunday morning with barely any voice.  What little voice I had was sorta high pitch and squeaky.  And of course, I was supposed to teach Sunday school that morning!  So anyway, on Monday my voice was not much better.  Okay, back to the story.

So I run in "really fast" to Atlantic Superstore to return two packages of diapers (each containing 72 diapers in it.)  I headed straight to customer service, tried to explain what I wanted through all my squeaking and rasping.  The guy finally understood me and told me to go get what I wanted and he would do the exchange.  So, I went back to the diapers, grabbed two packages of the size and brand I wanted, happily patting my pocket that contained a coupon that would get me even more of a discount so I would only have to pay maybe three to four dollars for all those diapers.

I reached the service desk, and he began the exchange.  All was going great when he suddenly says,  "Uh, are you sure you want to exchange these?" I look at him, probably with a "Duh!" look on my face and say, "Yes.  That's why I'm here."  "Well, these diapers that you want to return are currently on sale for 50% off, so I can only give you the price they would sell for today."  "Well, how much would that equal out to?" I asked, getting a little worried.  "$12.64."  "$12 for each package?  That's fine.  I will just pay the extra."  "No.  $12 for both packages.  Together.  $6 each.  I feel bad about doing this exchange.  I feel like I would be ripping you off!"

I appreciated his honesty, but I was a little irritated.  After further discussion, we realized that the reason they were on sale was because the company has changed its packaging and I had the old packaging instead of the new one.  Now, we all know that if it is in the old package, it is definitely not the same quality as the new packaging. (Do you sense my sarcasm here?).  Well that wouldn't work.  $12 wouldn't even pay for one package of the cheapest diapers they had, let alone two!  I wasn't about to do that, so I took my original packages back.  He told me to wait a week or so when the sale was off and to try it again.  I thought I would try that, so I left and went to the parking lot to find Matt, who was quite surprised to see that I was returning with the same thing I left with, plus I had forgotten to get a gallon of milk!

I got in the car and explained to him what happened when he said, "Em, if they changed the packaging, then the price won't go back up.  You will probably never get the higher price again."  Hmmm... good point.  "Well, I was confused and irritated so I just left.  We can go back tomorrow."  I told him.  We then headed to Wal-mart because I had another package of diapers to return there.  These were the wrong size - Libby definitely won't fit into a size 1.  So they are essentially useless to me.  So, we did the same thing again, Matt stayed in the car and I ran in (did I mention that while I was in Superstore Libby threw a royal fit?  She really does NOT like to be in her car seat!)

I went in to Wal-mart, chatted with the friendly greeter who sent me right to the service desk (without giving me one of those little stickers since the girl at the service desk saw me walk in) and I explained to the girl that I wanted to exchange them for the correct size.  "Sure!" she says.  I think she was in training because there was another girl right behind her helping her.  "Lets see how much they are."  She picked up her scanner and scanned the bar code.  The computer made an annoying beeping noise and displayed some error message.  She scanned it again, and the same annoying beeping noise sounded.  "Oh.  The girl at the counter said.  These diapers aren't from here."  "Oh, ya."  The girl behind here said,  "Parents Choice is from Superstore, I think."

I looked at both these girls (who were both younger than me, not that it makes a difference), really getting irritated.  "Uh, I don't think so.  Teddy's Choice is Superstore.  Parent's Choice is Walmart."  They both gave me this look like I was an idiot.  Didn't I realize that they worked there and would know what brand Walmart had?  "This was a gift.  How am I supposed to know what Walmart they came from?"  No answer, so I grabbed my package of useless diapers, went back to the greeter to get a sticker so I could go back and get a package of diapers that would fit Libby and get the milk.  As I was back in the diapers, I looked and - lo and behold - there it was!  Parent's Choice!  "I knew I was right" I said - out loud!  Ha!  Good thing no one was around at that time!  I had the silly thought of grabbing a package of Parent's Choice off the shelf to go to the girl at the front and prove to her that they DO carry Parent's Choice!  Then I realized that it was Parent's Choice - only the packaging was different.  Oh, you gotta be kidding me!  This is just really, really great!  Why is everyone changing everything!  What's wrong with yellow packaging?  Why is white and purple better?

So, I went on to get the diapers I needed, only, they were on a high shelf and were pushed way back so I could not reach them!  I walked around looking for an employee - with none to be found.  Then I tried to climb a little on the shelves, then realized that wouldn't work either.  I then thought of Matt in the car with our three kids, probably wondering where in the world I was.  So I just settled for another kind and went to get the milk and left.

When I got back in the car - with my purchases and the same package of diapers I went in with, I got the strangest look from Matt.  "They said the don't carry them here, but they do.  I guess the packaging is different.  I don't know.  It's all so dumb.  I had to pay full price for the diapers and still have all these that I can't use..."  Matt let me go on my rant for a while.  We headed home.  I was so irritated.  Matt asked me if I was sure those Parent's Choice were bought in Canada.  Maybe they were bought in the states in Houlton, Maine.  Lots of people go over there to shop.  "No.  I thought of that and I checked the packaging.  Everything is in two languages - French and English.  They had to have been bought here because the states doesn't package things that way."

So we went home, and I eventually cooled off.  I know, it's dumb.  Maybe it was because I was still getting over being sick (still am - have a cough now), and the lack of sleep.  But it certainly was a frustrating experience for me.  There have been a few other irritating things since then, but I won't bore you with any more details.  Lets just say that I hope tomorrow is a frustration-free day.  And even if it isn't, maybe I will get a good night's sleep and I will handle it better!

Well, I guess that is all I will bore you with for now.  Sorry I have not posted pics in a while.  I need to charge our camera battery but can't find the charger.  Plus, out camera is starting to act funny.  We are soon in the market for a new one, but will have to wait till we save up the money.  This time we want to buy a nice one that will hopefully last us a while. So far we have just had more bottom-end cameras that only last a year or so.

Have a great night!
Until next time...

p.s.  Matt looked at the Parent's Choice diapers package today and saw that, yes, it was written in two languages - English and Spansih!  HA!  Guess them were bought in the states!  That would explain the difference in color of the package! :-)