09:03 – It was 42.4F (6C) when I took Colin out around 0730 this morning, but the temperature has already fallen. We’re expecting cooler weather to move in today, followed by another warm period. Barbara just left for the gym. This afternoon she’s headed down to Winston to run errands and stay with her sister overnight. She’ll be back mid-afternoon tomorrow.
Yesterday, Sears made official what everyone has known for at least a couple of years. They’re going out of business. That’s bad news for them, of course, but it’s also bad news for every shopping mall that has a Sears.
I’ll always remember Sears fondly. I got my first chemistry set from them, back in the early 60’s. I also bought my first firearm there, in the summer of 1967. It was a .22 rifle, and things were a lot simpler then. I’d picked out what I wanted from their catalog and accumulated enough money to buy it.
I walked downtown and up to the sporting goods counter at Sears. I told the guy what I wanted to look at, and he passed it over the counter to me. I told him I’d take it. He asked if it was okay with my parents. I told him it was. He went to the back room and got another that was still boxed up. I handed him the money for the rifle and a brick of 500 rounds of .22 LR. He made change, and I walked out the door with my new rifle. I made a detour on the way home and walked along the railroad tracks, shooting cans and other targets of opportunity.
So now Sears is gone, and Walmart is trying hard to avoid the same fate. At least they’re smart enough to realize that the retail environment has undergone a sea change and that on-line has become critical. They’re trying hard, but they’re going to have to do better.
In the continuing saga of the order I placed with Walmart on March 15, I found out yesterday that my order had been delivered. The only problem is that it was delivered to someone in Greenfield, Indiana. Ordinarily, I’d just drive over and pick it up, but that would be a 1,600 mile round trip. So now I have to figure out how to let Walmart know about the problem. They don’t make that easy. There are several checkboxes on their problem report form, but none of them for “you shipped my order to someone else.” Herewith the whole sad story.
Delivered
Shipping Activity
Mar 21
11:33 AM
DELIVERED GREENFIELD, IN
Mar 21
4:38 AM
OUT FOR DELIVERY INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Mar 20
9:06 PM
ARRIVAL SCAN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Mar 20
8:44 PM
DEPARTURE SCAN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Mar 20
12:20 PM
ARRIVAL SCAN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Mar 20
8:31 AM
DAMAGE TO PACKAGE CONTENTS WAS REPORTED. WE WILL NOTIFY THE SENDER. / WE’RE INVESTIGATING THE DAMAGE CLAIM. WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 20
1:50 AM
DEPARTURE SCAN GREENSBORO, NC
Mar 17
10:14 PM
ARRIVAL SCAN GREENSBORO, NC
Mar 17
8:44 PM
DEPARTURE SCAN WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
7:50 PM
YOUR PACKAGE WAS DAMAGED IN TRANSIT. WE WILL NOTIFY THE SENDER WITH DETAILS. / DAMAGED MERCHANDISE DISCARDED, BALANCE BEING RETURNED. UPS WILL NOTIFY THE SENDER WITH THE DETAILS WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
7:50 PM
YOUR PACKAGE WAS DAMAGED IN TRANSIT. WE WILL NOTIFY THE SENDER WITH DETAILS. WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
7:50 PM
SERVICE DISRUPTION OCCURRED / THE PACKAGE WILL BE RETURNED TO THE SENDER. WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
11:08 AM
THE RECEIVER DOES NOT WANT THE PRODUCT AND REFUSED THE DELIVERY. WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
6:23 AM
DESTINATION SCAN WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
4:55 AM
ARRIVAL SCAN WILKESBORO, NC
Mar 17
3:31 AM
DEPARTURE SCAN WINSTON SALEM, NC
Mar 16
7:02 PM
ARRIVAL SCAN WINSTON SALEM, NC
Mar 16
6:17 PM
DEPARTURE SCAN GREENSBORO, NC
Mar 16
11:53 AM
ARRIVAL SCAN GREENSBORO, NC
Mar 15
11:31 PM
DEPARTURE SCAN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Mar 15
2:44 PM
ORIGIN SCAN INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Mar 15
11:25 AM
BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED
ups
Tracking Number
1ZY756Y60316819114
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