Making Life Better...One Door At A Time

We are fans of the Walmart Pick Up Shopping. If you haven't tried it (and you're a Walmart shopper...) you should. You go on-line, complete the order, and if it's more than $30 worth of goods, you don't pay for their service.

It's saved us a lot of time over the months and years.

At our local store, they set up the Pick Up location behind the store. It was very convenient, but a little strange. We had to drive to the back of the store to a place where there were no windows--just a door.

So, when Walmart changed their pick up location, it was an upgrade--an upgrade for the customers, not so much for the Walmart employees. They moved the pick up area to the front of the store, but the door where the goods existed the store was the same place, which meant, the employees had to haul everything the length of the store to the waiting cars, trucks, and minivans.

We really didn't see a solution for the employees. There was only one door and it was on the other side of the building.

Looks like changes are a' coming!

This morning as I waited for the Walmart employee to make the long walk north, I saw a cement truck pull up and stop. When the employee brought over our stuff I asked what was happening. She said they're putting in a door on the same side of the building as the Pick Up parking. She said the employees would still need to make the walk, but it would now be inside, away from the elements and the cars driving by. Hopefully, it'll make life better, one door at a time.

When You Think You See Stephen King At The Walmart Grocery Pick-Up...

I have one of those work schedules that allows me a three-day weekend every week. I put in my forty hours between Monday and Thursday so on Fridays, I am able to run errands and do things many people can only do Saturday or Sunday. That's how I came to find myself at our local Walmart store between the hours of 9am and 10am MDT this morning.

We participate in Walmart's Pick Up service. You get on-line and fill out your order. If it's over a certain amount (I believe $35...), you don't pay extra for this service. And since we have six people, two dogs and two cats living under our roof, we could almost spend $35 a day at that store. We've used the service for several months--it saves us time and we're generally very pleased with the results.

So, this morning--like every other time I've arrived at the pick up location--I parked the car and waited for the person to come out and ask the name on the order. Kyle was that person this morning, very pleasant and very prompt--two things I like in a server.

As he brought out our groceries, a blue Chevy parked next to me. I thought nothing of it--cars come and go all the time. We loaded up my car, I thanked Kyle for his pleasantness and promptness and hopped in the driver's seat of my car to get home. That's when I glanced over at the driver in the blue Chevy...

That's Stephen King, I thought to myself.

Now, when you think you spot someone famous, several thoughts go through your mind, the biggest is, "what in the world would Stephen King be doing at a Walmart grocery pick up in Utah on a warm July morning?"

Of course the answer is, he wouldn't. I guess there's a one in seven-and-a-half billion chance it would actually be him. Just to make sure, I took a second look (but not in a creepy way...) and it wasn't Stephen King, just another pick up customer who looked similar to the famous writer.

As I drove home, I wondered just what would I do if Stephen King pulled up beside me in a blue Chevy (or any car, really...) at the Walmart Pick Up. I'd probably not do much, maybe nod or say, "hi." I mean, the man most likely wouldn't want to be bothered while sitting in a blue Chevy.

Then again, if he ever found himself sitting in a blue Chevy at a Walmart grocery store pick up in Utah in July, he just might ask the next person he saw just what the hell he was doing there. If that happened, I'm not sure I'd know what to tell him, because that's an excellent question.

Thank You Local Grocery Stores...You're Saving Me--And Giving Me--Time!

First, there was one store. We were a little apprehensive about trying out their new service. Imagine, you go online and choose what you want to buy--what you'd spend time hunting down and putting in your cart yourself if you did it.

But you don't have to.

Because they do it for you.

The first store in our area to do this was Walmart. We've been taking advantage of this Grocery Pick Up service for several months and it's been fantastic! The times we've gotten our complete order greatly surpasses the times when one or two or four items have not been available.

Because of our family's diet, we shop at two stores, the before-mentioned Walmart and our local Harmons Grocery Store. If you're local, you most likely have heard about Harmons. It's a wonderful store. Since about December, I've been doing most of the shopping. Before December, I would go shopping occasionally. I mean, I knew where the ice cream was, the dairy, the potato chips, the already-made sandwiches. But when it came to canned clams, or pineapple chunks, or baby bok choy, almost every trip I had to text my wife and ask (many times with an accompanying picture...), "Is this the right one?" I got faster, but it still ended me taking over an hour to find everything.

Then that glorious day appeared when Harmons decided to implement a pick up service of their own. And there was much rejoicing.

We've been using their service for the last month and we love it. With both of the grocery stores we use having this service, I finished my grocery store shopping in less than thirty minutes, literally saving me several hours. That's two-three hours each week that's been given back, time I now have again.

I know there's things I'd not like someone else to fetch for me, but as far as our groceries, just like the BYU football team a few years ago, we're fully invested.