Being 'Greens

I used to joke that if you ever looked at my bank statement it would be all Kroger, Sonic and Walgreens.  It's not that far off.

What to Consider Before You Dash Into Cash
Dolla, dolla bill y'all.

In my last two jobs, I have been a stone's throw from Walgreens, and as these things go, they're handy.  Drugs, toiletries, cosmetics, snacks, beverages, greeting cards, gift cards, small hardware, office supplies and magazines.  Plus holiday treats, and photo processing as needed.

I'd say I go to Walgreens at least three times a week.  And I really go to basically two Walgreens for all my needs.  That means that the same small handful of cashiers see me a lot.

The morning cashier at the Walgreens near my office is a nice enough guy, though I haven't ruled out that he may in fact, be a Vampire.  Yes, yes - that should mean he's working nights, but let's just assume he gets off at 8:30 AM.  We'll call him Petrov - not his real name, but work with me.

He looks nothing like this, except for a similar skin tone.


This afternoon, I went in on my lunch break to get Q-Tips and toothpaste.  I decided to get a Cherry Coke Zero and, an eye pencil in a lovely violet shade - why the hell not? 

Well, as I was checking out, I saw Petrov in his usual position, but he was checking someone out, and the woman at the other register, who we'll call Girlene seemed to be close to finishing with her customer, so I laid all my stuff out on Girlene's counter, and she pointed to Petrov and said, "He's available over there if you'd like". 

So I awkwardly scooped up my stuff and transferred it over to his counter.  He rang me up, and said, "Second time today, huh?"  It wasn't.  I was there yesterday morning, and I said so.  He said, "That's funny, I though that was this morning."  He was fairly insistent about it.  I actually second guessed it, but then I remembered, no, I stopped for gas this AM - I didn't go to Walgreens.  I said, "Well the days all start to run together."  The woman behind me, who we'll call Breelynda, said, "Ain't that the truth", and sighed deeply. 

So, here's the thing, Petrov.  Yes, I know I come to Walgreens a lot.  Last time I was there, which was yesterday morning, you mentioned how quickly I was in and this morning.  Now I'm self-conscious about how much time I spend in Walgreens, and how often.  Is this really something you want to do to a loyal customer?  Yes, I think it's lovely that you remember me from one day to the next.
But let me Walgreens incognito.

I'm going to get a little TMI, but similarly... in my younger days, I was planning an evening with a gentleman, and went to the drugstore to buy a certain type of contraceptive that was popular at the time, and became more so when they pulled it off shelves and Elaine Benes began hoarding them on Seinfeld.  Then I got skittish about using said contraceptive, and decided to go with a more conventional purchase.  Back to the same drug store.  The cashier asked hadn't I just been there earlier?  Well, yeah.  But can I just get my condoms, take them home and stash them next to my sponges and can you just give me my damn change?

There was a period where I was going to frequently to Bishop's Meat & Three that they greeted me as a regular.  My father, in his day, was so commonly at The Skillet for breakfast that water and coffee appeared on the table as he sat down.  For awhile, I was there just as often with him, and I got water and V-8.  I knew then that I needed to get my shit together and find a job, quickly.  Honestly, though - that was one of those "best of times/worst of times" periods in my life.  I loved going to breakfast with Dad.  I love going to breakfast.  I loved spending time with Dad.

Anyway, it's nice to be noticed, I guess.  But I might need to cut back on Walgreens.

And Sonic.

And Kroger.

And spending money in general.

ae




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