Herbergers, Good Will and Lucille Ball

What do Herbergers, Good Will and Lucille Ball have to do with each other?  You wouldn't believe it!

First off, I hate shopping.  Most of the clothes I wear were purchased from JCPenney ONLINE!  Very rarely do I step foot into a store unless I am looking for a specific item.  And I really have to be desperate to step into the store.  Shopping just doesn't ring my bell.

Two days before leaving on vacation, however, I realized I needed sandals and maybe some new summer tops.  I'd waited too long so couldn't fall back on http://www.jcpenney.com/.  So off to Herbergers I went but, first, I'd read an ad that a customer could bring in clothing items to donate to Good Will.

"At last!  That purple and gold winter coat that has been floating around the laundry room floor for two months can go bye bye."  With glee I grabbed that jacket and headed off to Herbergers.

And what deals I found that night!  It almost made me say that I actually enjoyed shopping.  Almost.

At the cash register I gladly handed over that winter coat and got my 20 percent discount.  Only to be told that I could bring in another item the next day to give me even more of a discount on my "bill".   Yes, I spent a lot!

The next evening, I had just 15 minutes to search out another clothing item to donate as I needed to drop Kidlet Three and The Husband off at baseball tryouts while I scurried to Herbergers to get money off from my "bill".  In my frantic quick-we-have-to-go search, I mentioned what I was doing to The Husband and that I had gotten rid of that obnoxious coat in the laundry room.  There was a slight gasp from The Husband as he states "that coat belonged to JZ."  JZ being a friend of Kidlet Three's.  Mouth gaping open I am stunned.  "You mean that wasn't the Minnesota Vikings jacket that Kidlet Three doesn't want to wear anymore?" 

"No.  You just gave away a coat that belong's to your son's friend."

Another reason to never go shopping.  You could accidentally give away clothing that never belonged to you!

I called Herbergers and explained my dilemna.  I was the third person that day that needed to track down a clothing item.  One person left their cell phone in a coat they'd donated.  Another person had keys to their house they'd left in a clothing item.   All of us were told the same thing:  you are more than welcome to dig through the SEMI that is parked in back of the store.

Driving very nearly the speed limit, I got Kidlet and The Husband to baseball tryouts and I drove nearly the speed limit to Herbergers.  And I was escorted to the SEMI parked in the back of the store.  A rickety ladder was set up for me and the door to the SEMI swung open.

Did you catch the fact this was a SEMI!

All clothing items that had been donated had been thrown into the back of the semi.  JZ's coat was somewhere in that SEMI.

Wouldn't Lucille Ball have done the same thing?  Climbed as quickly as she could into that semi and start throwing clothing around, trying to stand up straight because she was actually standing on clothing!  Trying to make a dent in one small area of that packed semi only to have to move the clothing she'd just tossed out of the way to dig through another area of the SEMI.

Oh yes...I did it.  I spent nearly an hour in that SEMI.  Looking for that purple and gold coat that I never should have given away.  Did I mention that I carried the "true" Minnesota Viking's coat that we really did have hanging in our front closet back to the store so I could donate it? 

After an hour I gave up.  The SEMI was just too full and I was slipping and sliding on shirts, dresses, shoes, candles (!), placemats, coats and lingerie. 

If Ethel had been with me I know she would've tried to cheer me up.  Ethel always tried to cheer up Lucy. 

Not wanting to start the vacation with JZ's parents upset with me, I didn't call them.  But I knew that I would.  And I was trying to figure out how I'd replace this coat with another just like it.  It was a "special" coat that JZ had been given.  Great...just my luck.

Would you believe JZ ended up hanging out with Kidlet Three yesterday.  When I caught up with them at the park, I knew it was confession time and I needed to be honest and tell JZ that his special coat was in some Good Will store in the United States.  I'd tried to get it back...I really did try.  Gulp.  I felt sick but our conversation started like this:

Me:  "JZ, are you still missing your purple and gold winter coat?"

JZ:  "Oh, the one I left at your house?"

Me:  "Yes, that one.  The one I'm told you were given as a special gift."

JZ:  "I was wondering where that was."

You'd better sit down as you read the rest of this.  Seriously. 

Me:  "JZ, I didn't know that was your coat and I gave it away.  I feel really, really bad about it and I will replace the coat because what I did was wrong but it was an accident.  I'm really sorry and would like to ask you to forgive me."

JZ:  "Oh no, you don't have to replace that coat.  It didn't fit me that good anymore and my mom already had told me she was going to donate it to....Good Will."

Barump bump (that would be the drum thing a comic has at the end of a joke).

Lucille Ball ALWAYS got out of her dilemmas.  I never dreamed I'd get out of this one without having to go.....SHOPPING!

Herbergers, I love your store.
Good Will, I hope a really neat boy gets that purple and gold jacket next winter.
Lucille Ball:  Thanks for the memories