Friday, September 18, 2009

Preparing for the long day

I finished the boys pants last night, and found a pair of Dickies Workpant for Boys at WalMart in Matthew's size! Woo-Hoo! I've never seen that brand in boy's sizes there, but I came around the outside aisle near the boys clothes and my eyes wandered over and bingo, there they were on a hanging rack :o). LOL...not all lit up in a glow or anything like that, but still, The Lord knew it would help having something for Matthew instead of my making some :o)

The zipper was split apart, and missing some "teeth"at the bottom, but they were the right size and I hadn't planned on looking for pants at all. I found the manager over the store (he was coming around the other end of the aisle no less) and asked if he could discount them, being damaged like that.

I got the pants, normal tag said $14, for $5 :o). I'm happy. Jennifer fed the zipper back together in under a minute and I stitched the zipper across that area to form a new 'stop' for it. It was barely half an inch from the bottom anyway, so they will easily open enough to get Matthew's skinny hips into :o)

And my girls saw that
1) damaged isn't always a bad thing, there are usually ways it can be fixed -- think creatively! I was running the idea of just putting in a couple buttonholes in case the zipper wouldn't cooperate!

2) Don't be shy about finding someone with the ability to give you a real answer and ask about discounts when you find things not up to par. That's practically bartering, a very good skill to cultivate!

I don't know that WalMart likes to 'barter' persay, but I figured the pants were not marketable in their condition, so they had already lost the money on them, and honestly, at $5 I no doubt still made them money on those things :o). They made a sale on something someone else would have avoided, and they didn't have to do whatever they do with damaged unsold goods.

We're getting breakfast done and making some sandwiches for the trip. We will head out for chores in a short bit, then get ready to head to Memphis. It's just under 2 hours, so not too bad, but we'll be there most of the day. Her appointment is just after lunch/dinner (whichever you call that midday meal).

I've made up meatballs and sweet/sour sauce and it's in the crockpot. I'm probably one of the few folks who rarely use a crockpot. I worry about it whacking out and heating too much or not enough, about just not working period, etc. I worry about not being here to tend my cooking food :o( I know, I'm just cut from a different cloth.

The recipe is simple, and all over the 'net -- you can use frozen meatballs, about 80 of them; then mix together a small (12-16 oz) jar grape jelly and a bottle of Heinze 57 Chili Sauce. That's it. Stir it up, plop em in the crockpot and let 'em do their thing all day. We'll serve ours over rice tonight.

Keep a pray for Dewey. There are some lay-offs coming today and he's probably one of them. Bothers him far more than itdoes me, so I'm asking for prayers (and I'm not happy dancin' around him). He's getting paid a higher wage than some of them on this job, because of his 'title' from the other job, and well, higher paid nobodies do tend to be first on the short list, you know.

We had hoped that by now he would have heard about a job-end/finish bonus on that Arkansas job, but they aren't talking. It's been over long enough, all paperwork and loose ends tied up and turned in. If they were holding to their history of bonuses on the multi-million dollar jobs, he'd have heard something by now. They did it on the last hospital jobs they had, they're just getting tight on this one. News going around the Contractor pools are that maybe they are playing the clock just to finish this last job and then close the doors. That's not a good rumor to have about your company if you're out there putting in bids on big jobs. But, no one is denying the gossip, or confirming it...in words, anyway. Actions speak volumes, though.

Still, a year on a major hospital out of state, the headaches and hassles of being The Man in Charge kind of stuff...pretty low to keep the bonus to yourself instead of sharing it with those who actually did the work and made it happen.

I'm just saying.

4 comments:

FRUGAL DAYCARE MOM said...

Great job on asking for that discount! I do that quite often. I always figure that the worst they can do is say no. The big key is to do what you did, and ask for a manager because they are usually the only ones who can do that. Great score! I wish I knew how to deal with zippers. My mom hated dealing with them, and always said if the zipper went bad, it was time to replace the item. She was a great seamstress, but did not do zippers.

DianeLynn said...

Great find on the pants...congrats. Your hubby have been on my prayer list as well as the rest of the family. Hope your trip will be good and get home safely.
Blessings

Plainlady's Ponderings said...

I have found out that it never hurts to ask for a discount(barter). They can either accept, or not. Then you, the buyer, can either accept, or not!!! Good deals are worth a try!

Leigh-Ann said...

Hope your trip up here to the city went well.
Blessings,
Leigh-Ann

Jer.6:16

Jeremiah 6:16
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

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