Sunday, December 19, 2010

With My Thanks to WalMart:

I'm wondering whether to wax eloquent about the fiasco adventure of finding a digital kitchen scale. But blogging is all about telling, so here goes! Y'know, I've been doing a little dab of "PR" blogging for an online group of stores, CSN.  Nice folks, and I've enjoyed working with them.  After my first promotional blogging for them, I used their generous promotional gift code, to buy a comfy kitchen mat, if you recall.

Anyway, as I was contemplating this whole soap-making venture, the one major expense (by "major," I mean more than $10) was a digital kitchen scale. The end results of the soap are much more certain if the ingredients are measured precisely.  Well, I'd just gotten another promotional offer from CSN, so I decided to use the gift money from them this time, to buy a scale!  Perfect solution:  they have dozens to choose from, at the right price.

But ...

I placed my order. They told me when it was likely to ship.  Then, much later they told me it wouldn't ship then; it would ship on Dec. 15.  Then, the night before, I get an email saying the scale I'd ordered was no longer being made.

No longer being made? And they didn't know this before?

At this point, I was a bit frantic. I'd borrowed a scale from my friend twice, but was ready to have my own. My first batch of soap was almost gone, and I wanted to make more. Argh!!!

In a fit of frustration, I drove all over town, looking for a digital kitchen scale, which I considered to be a rather specialized item. I went to Belk. And Sears. And Penney's. And other stores that carried kitchen stuff. No luck!

Finally, my mind wondered a strange thought.  What about WalMart?  Why wouldn't they carry a kitchen scale?

WalMart?  You mean the store we love to despise? The store where all things are made to break within 3 months? I would find this thing there?

And, of course, I did. For 1/2 the price of the other one. And it works just fine.
So, this is a post for WalMart, for all the times I've disparaged you and criticized you.  This time, I'm very thankful you had exactly what I needed, so convenient, so cheap. Thank you :)

My soap is drying nicely.

3 comments:

LeroyLime said...

Where's the LIKE button?! :) Glad you found yourself an early Christmas present, that's the best!!

Andrea said...

If you ever need a scale again, King Arthur Flour has a great mail order site. With any luck, this scale will last forever!

M.K. said...

Thanks, Andrea! We use their flour. (It's the best you can at ... wait for it ... Wally's!) Dawn - I think it will be a present this year, but I'll be using it early :)