Boxed Lunches, Cheaper?

Dscn0416
Originally uploaded by Suzy Snow.

I'm going away for a few days to get some needed rest. I'm officially on a one week vacation and my friend Debbie and I are going to Wasaga Beach to relax by the waters edge and hopefully have a bit of fun.

Debbie has decided to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to join me so I will have a night or two on my own (I'm going up on Tuesday). I think most of my friends know that I have worked a lot of overtime this summer. I feel as though I have had no life, because basically it has been work and sleep, work and sleep. We had a huge project at work and I knew that would require a lot of my focus this summer so I decided that I would hold my vacation until after it was over and in that way I would be able to really enjoy it.

Wasaga Beach, although touted as a "four seasons getaway", basically shuts down after the labour day holiday in and around the "main drag" area which is where we have chosen to stay. Our motel is located right on the water and looks to be a nice spot. I am not disappointed that I will have to pay less for my room because I waited until after the prime holiday times, nor am I disappointed that I won't have to jockey for a piece of the sand. It suits me perfectly. I plan on taking pleasure in some solitary walks that I'm sure will remind me of my life there four years ago.

One of the downsides to working late every night and working every Saturday is that you don't have time to do your regular things that you need to do, like housekeeping projects you had in mind, shopping, or getting your car tuned up. My attention was reverted to my car the other morning when I backed out of my parking spot and noticed that I was short one headlamp. I am not the most observant person on earth, so it really does make me wonder how long I had been driving around like that. I remember thinking that the road was particularly dark one night last week when I came home really late.

Now that I have been released from work for a week, I feel as though I’ve been injected with a refreshed frame of mind and a new rejuvenated energy. I decided to look after this little detail immediately yesterday morning after I dropped my daughter off at her work. No time like the present to take care of this type of thing, was my mantra as I started to drive towards home on auto pilot.

It worked. Rather than continuing on Cawthra, I turned left on the Queensway and navigated my car to the Canadian Tire at Mavis and Dundas. There was hardly a soul in the store other than the people that work there and I smiled smugly to myself at the good idea. After all it is a long weekend and most people are away enjoying the last of summer before the kids head back to school on Tuesday.

I walked up to the Service Counter and told the young fellow that I would like an oil change and I had a headlamp that needed to be replaced. He asked me if I would like the "seasonal" oil change ($29.95) or just the regular. I asked what the difference was and he informed me that the "seasonal" oil change included a check of fluids, brakes, wheels etc. Considering that my car maintenance was severely overdue I opted for the more thorough check and decided to walk around the store to see if there was any shopping I needed to do while I waited.

An hour later, after purchasing a new lunch bag (which will encourage me to make my lunch everyday), I returned to check on the progress of my car. I noticed it was still in it’s original parking spot so I took a seat in the waiting area. A man pulled my car into the bay shortly after and within minutes, it seemed, I was looking at a worksheet that showed that my car needed two front rotors, brake pads, cleaning and adjustment of rear brakes and deglazing of the rear drums. On top of the oil change and headlamp replacement.

The total cost would be $515.00. Did I want them to continue? My car is on a hoist, I knew the brakes were spongy because I have been babying them for quite some time, I am about to take a little bit of a road trip and even though I had not counted on this extra expense, how could I possibly say "no, just do the oil change"?

So as I’m sure they knew that I would, I told them to fix the car. The fellow asked me if I was going to go home or would I be waiting in the store because it would be another two hours or so. I asked if they had a convenience vehicle to drive customers home and he shook his head with a smirk and said "Nooooooo, not today."

"Ok, then I’ll be staying. I can’t get home when my car is on the hoist."

"You might want to walk across the road to Loblaws, they have a little restaurant there where you could get something to eat while you wait."

"That sounds good. Thanks."

I left the store trying to ignore the pit that was forming in my stomach and consoled myself that at least I was being responsible and getting my car fixed, especially the brakes was very important.

Loblaws is my favourite grocery store. It’s reputation is one of high prices but I can’t help it. I have fun shopping at Loblaws. I want to spend money when I’m at Loblaws, like no other grocery store. Even if I’m not hungry, I can find plenty of things that I have to have when I’m shopping at Loblaws. The opposite is true when I grocery shop at Dominion, Food Basics or No Thrills (No Frills), I could be starving to death and walk out empty handed because my appetite leaves the moment I enter those stores. It’s all about marketing. Loblaws knows how to present a store and get your hand into your wallet. The other stores have no clue or don’t care because they depend on people that have no alternative but to shop there to keep them in business.

So off to Loblaws I headed while Canadian Tire played with my car. It was just as well, it was already 10:30 am and I had left home without a breakfast at 8:45 to take my daughter to work. I was ready for a snack. After a great breakfast bagel (fried egg, tomato, cheese, bacon, lettuce and mayo), I decided to look around the store. I was not grocery shopping, just browsing.

Sixty-five dollars later, I decided to return to Canadian Tire to see if my car was ready. The sixty five dollars was spent on essentials that I remembered I needed when I was looking around (moisturiser, face wash, a good book to read, thank you cards, and a new razor).

The Canadian Tire store looked completely different this time around. The once barren parking lot was full of cars, many people were driving around looking for spots, and customers teamed in and out of the doors. Not a good sign. Maybe my car wouldn’t be finished. I prayed that it was when I went inside.

The counter help were all busy with other customers. The manager stood expressionless while a white trash female yelled at him loudly about god knows what. I missed the beginning of the story, but no matter how loud she yelled or how she near she was teetering on tears, in the end I did see her paying her bill.

The other guy, that had initially taken my keys from me was quoting a price for an Asian man on some new tires and rims. The Asian man argued with him about a previous quote that was different. An Indian Clerk was scurrying around behind the counter moving bits of paper from one spot to another and although he knew I was there to pick up my car, he preferred that I wait for the clerk dealing with the Asian man. He told me it would only be a minute then left the area altogether.

I had to wait while the clerk went to talk to the stone faced manager about the Asian man’s complaint. I stood patiently while the clerk told him there was nothing he could do about the incorrect quote that was given earlier and then listen to him go over each and every charge in detail over and over and over again. I looked at the back of the head of the Asian man and fought with myself not to take my purse and smash him.

The Indian guy reappeared finally and started to shuffle paper bits again, while I stared at him constantly until he finally acknowledged that yes I was STILL standing there and young clerk was STILL arguing with the Asian man. He picked up my paperwork and proceeded to ring me out.

"Cash or Credit card?"

"I’ll use my Debit card."

He rings the purchase through and I punch in my pin number and then the unthinkable happens. A message flashes across the screen "Exceeded Limit, refer to branch".

Fuck. Damn. I KNEW this would happen. A few months ago, my bank called to tell me that I had used my debit card at a gas station that was under surveillance for fraud. I had to have my card replaced and at that time the teller talked me into lowering my limits, advising me that I would be responsible for any charges that incurred fraudulently until after it was proven (arrests, court etc) which could take years. I agreed to lowering them but I was hesitant because I have become one of those people that never has cash in their wallets…why carry cash when you have your debit card?

The Indian clerk didn’t read the message but continued to swipe my card again and suggested that I had input the wrong pin. I told him that I knew what the problem was and luckily I had another debit card from another bank and all we needed to do was put part of it on one and part of it on another. I was very relieved when it said approved.

Slightly embarrassed, I grabbed my invoice and keys and hurried to my car. Once inside, I decided to look at the invoice in more detail.

Under the oil change section it read: CI Hydro Box Lunch $9.99 each Cost 0 (because it was under the seasonal oil change charge of $29.95.

I went back inside to the counter to find out what it was and Indian clerk had disappeared again but original guy was there without the aggravating Asian man. I stepped in front of a line (there was no way I was lining up again) and asked him what that meant. He said, "well that’s the free lunch bag you are entitled to, didn’t we give it to you?"

"No, you didn’t."

He made a half hearted look behind the counter but was unable to find any lunch boxes.

I stood silently watching him, waiting for him to tell me that they didn’t have any and then try to dismiss me.

I must add that he was alone at the counter with a line up and stone faced manager and all other help had disappeared.

He looked at me sheepishly and told me that although they didn’t have any behind the counter, there were more on the proper aisle in the store and if I could just go over to customer service, they would tell me where they were and then I could get one myself, bring it back to him and that would be it.

I did just that gladly, rather than the alternative, which I knew would entail another long, long wait.

In the end, I got a better lunch bag then the one I had originally purchased at the beginning of the story and now I have absolutely no reason not to take my lunch (all for the low price of $515.00), because I can forget one in the car or at work and I’ll have a second option waiting at home.

I feel so much better about starting my little holiday now that I have taken care of the burnt out headlight and the oil change.