Going to a "Name Brand Sale"

I saw an advertisement in the paper for a "Name Brand Sale".  They had Barbies, Cars, Fisher Price, Mattel, Disney, etc.  They had me at "Barbie"!  It was kind of far away, but right near the train line, so I decided to go.  I was getting conflicting information when I put the name of the building into the mass transit journey planner, so I decided to believe what had been printed in the ad.  Good thing I did, because the Journey Planner was showing me a different "Atrium" building that was at least 2 train stops away.

The train ride was a bit like going from Chicago to Geneva.  You start out in the city, underground.  Then you rise above ground, and keep going and going.  There are still tall buildings, but there is much more green space.  My stop was not the last stop, but it was close to the end of the line.  And, when I got off, there was a beautiful shopping area there.

When I got off the train, I found a very nice mall concierge that directed me to the building of the sale.  He told me that it was a 15 minute walk, but it was really only 5-7 minutes away.  When I got there, the place was packed.  The "Barbies" were right inside the door, and apparently I was not the only Barbie lover there!  I proceeded to grab a huge stack of Barbies that I needed for myself, and other young Barbie lovers that I know.  The problem arose when I tried to figure out how to get my stack around the room.  I noticed that other people had put their purchases into boxes that they had emptied of their contents, so I followed suit.  Even with my Barbies in a box, I was having trouble moving around the room.  I kept seeing people with really cool Fisher Price toys, but I couldn't find them!  I got into the check out line, but decided to try to find certain Fisher Price toys again.  By the time I returned to the checkout line, it had grown by 7 people!

Because I had so many Barbies and accessories, I was really riding the struggle bus on my way to the counter.  People who had paid kept going through the line in front of me, and invariably knocking into my precariously stacked pile.  No matter how well I stacked it, someone would come by, and their bag would catch a corner of a box, and things would go tumbling down.  It should have been a warning!

As I got closer to the front of the line, I noticed a sign that said that the credit card machines were down.  I had about $80 in cash, so I figured that it meant I would have to put many of my treasures back.  Rich would be so happy!  However, they could take atm/nets payments, just not credit cards.  Right!  They just didn't want to pay the credit card fee!

The people at the checkout loaded my purchases into 4 large bags.  I told the bagger that I was taking the train, and asked him if he could put some plastic string handles on them.  He put longer handles on two bags, so I could put them over my shoulders.  He also told me to come back on Sunday, the last day of the sale.  I'm thinking I bought enough!  The bags were large, but they weren't too heavy as there is so much packaging that goes into a Barbie box.  But, when the train came, it was surprisingly full, especially considering that it was close to the end of the line, and in the middle of the day.  A younger woman kindly gave me her seat, so that I wasn't falling all over the train with my 4 large bags. (I did stumble into my seat as the train lurched forward, so good thing I had a seat!)  People on the train asked me about my purchases.  I showed the woman who gave me her seat the ad I had seen.  She said she would like to go there to get some things for her niece.  I told her to keep the ad.  She asked me if I was not going back.  I told her I was not, and even if I did, I now knew the way.

When I got off the train at my stop, I did everything wrong to just make my journey home a little longer and more difficult.  That is not something you want to do with 4 large bags in the afternoon heat.  I was sweaty, hungry, and tired by the time I entered my apartment, but the trip had been worth it.  Time for the pool!

My place in line.  Checkout is at the red queue.

The craziness of the sale.