Birthday curse episode 27, grief and sadness, and a new road

So we continue today our series on the birthday curse. For those who haven't been here my birthday is hexxed, I have been supremely dissappointed on almost every one of them I can remember, but people keep telling me "congrats", that's called irony. So this year in a bit of wonderful gift giving the Lord gave me the day off. I didn't drive (last year I wrecked my car), go to work (one year I got stranded in rural kansas in the snow), or go out and see people (that's just because I'm hateful, and it's my day dammit.)
So that was great..... I went to work on tuesday as my birthday was on a monday... We trained in Stroud that week so I decided to drive my truck. Fortunately nothing went wrong with THEM(the company).... it was all my truck.
My 96 F250 is a workhorse. I drive it all over, haul stuff, etc. But it doesn't like the highway.... so that caused bad things to happen this week... well that and that it was the week of my birthday.
I lost a battery.... blew TWO tires both because they weren't balanced (drivers side rear both times, same day)..... so that's the update. I don't fucking care... it's just the way it is.

These next two things are strung together, because all things are. My 94 year old granddad passed away Thursday 2/19/2015. I also got a new job. I'm getting emotional, let me break for a bit and we'll talk more.

Death of an industry

I have a substantial amount of frustration....... and today's punching bag is the sad state of retail.

In a way retail could learn quite a bit from the denominational church. I recently began attending a local Episcopal church and was floored by the reception I received. As we walked in the door on the cold morning I saw Boy Scouts, it was scout Sunday. As an old scout there is no way to bring warmth to my heart more than to see boys still in the program. I was greeted warmly and GENUINELY(something lacking from non denoms). As we went into the sanctuary we were settled in and slowly but surely we greeted those around us. Overall I was given a feeling of belonging, wholeness and completion from the experience.

Now I know retail isn't about worship, but it is about satisfying our base needs. Which comes to one of mine: quality electronics and parts. I live in a mid sized city and we have four places you can buy computers: Best Buy (ugh), Office Depot (ick), Staples (nah) and Walmart (don't get me started). Best Buy is the only one I'm aware of that sells extended accessories like memory and internal hard drives.

It just typifies my reaction to retail "that's nice, when you feel like stocking product marketed towards me I'll be over here with my money." Which is why money and me have a hit and miss relationship. It isn't that I can't be marketed to, just today I found an amazing find: a vintage rolling toolbox with slide out drawers. It's red, rustic, in a word... beautiful. I just saw it and.... I'd been wanting one for awhile and this one fit the need. So I bought it, even though I had to negotiate with the guy... which wasn't thrilling.

How is this too much to grasp? If I wanted cheap, poorly made carbon copies I would order online. Yet my voice seems unheard... The day will come, soon I hope, that I will have nothing I even desire to buy. Currently there are many things I require, but in addition to collecting the money for them I also need the strength to put up with retail. The remaining stores have staff that knows less about their product than I do. I would get as much trying to explain my needs to a rock.

I hope the economy dodges this blockage, but I think that people my age will continue to be unimpressed. New cars with mass recalls don't hold much appeal. Retail stores with junk on the shelves and idiots who cannot help the customer tell between the trash and treasure.