Slave No Longer

I have an Announcement to Make.

After a few short weeks of making a confession that I actually shop at Walmart despite my frequent proclamations that they are run by the Devil himself, they have gone back on my Crapper List.

The reason for this is that they have made themselves decidedly inconvenient by selling crap products. Who knew?

Actually, I did know, I just didn't know to what extent.

I got sidetracked from homework quite a bit last week when one day I went shopping at the devil store itself and saw a TV stand that looked perfect for what I needed it for. I recently bought a flat screen LCD TV and I really didn't like the entertainment center it was currently on. This entertainment center looked perfect for what I needed. I literally stood there staring at it for probably fifteen minutes debating in my head whether or not I should get it. After careful consideration, the fact that I own Ferrets made up my mind and I put the thing in my cart and took it to the front.

This specific stand actually looks pretty nice for a Wal Mart Product. It also has a piece where you mount your flat screen from for more space, and right now I needed a little more space.

The screen however, came with no screws to screw the TV into the stand. The instructions insist that these screws come with your TV.

No, the TV instructions insist that these screws are provided by the stand! TVs don't come with a wall mount, the wall mount provides the screws.

So I went to Walmart to figure out if they sold these screws. Procede with the Wild Goose Chase. When I went to the Hardware department, they sent me to the freakin' place that sold me the TV! From there, it was confirmed that the mount provides the screws, so I had to find out what kind of screws these were so I could go to an actual hardware store and get them. But low and behold, the screws don't fit quite as well as they should into the back of the mount, so I had to get a Washer as well.

I spent probably a good five hours putting together a stand and running around town trying to get the parts when I could have been using this valuable time working on homework! And WalMart was completely unhelpful.

Despite the fact that Walmart is about a one minute car drive away, I have decided that I will be a slave to conveniance no longer. If I want something, I'll actually drive five minutes to get it instead.

Slave to Conveniance

I admit, I must make a confession. It pains me to say this, as I have sworn a blood oath to defy this in all ways I can muster. But I gave in and must admit to being a slave to my own petty needs.

I shop at Walmart.

Its not that I actually go out of my way to shop at Walmart either, its just that, well, its so freakin' conveniant! Walmart is about a half mile from my house so if I need something and I need it now, its easier for me to hop in my car and drive to Walmart to get whatever as opposed to driving three times the distance to get to, say, Fred Meyer.

There are some things that if its specific, I'll shop at another location. Like, say, Food items, I tend to go to Safeway or Rosaurs, and anything for the Ferrets usually brings me to Petco. Computers, TV, any kind of electronics brings me to Best Buy and if I want movies I tend to go to Hastings. But if I have a hoj-poj of items that I need and I don't want to be driving all over town (last I checked, Gas was still expensive) I tend to go to Walmart, and sometimes I pick up a few things there I would usually buy elsewhere.

I guess I will still say that Walmart is in its own way evil, and if I can resist the urge I will try not to shop there, but lets face it. Sometimes you are a slave to your own conveniances and I don't think I will completely write off any store as a shopping experience.

I mean, I did go back and get a cell through T-Mobile after swearing blood vengeance, didn't I? And I still use Microsoft products despite cursing the company to have the fleas of a thousand camels rest in their armpits.

I'm a slave to conveniance. Like any other red blooded american. I need it, and I want it now.

I wonder if Walmart has it?