Since Christmas of 2000, I have collected the plush Christmas collectable toy that Sears sells. Money from the toys goes to helping Boys and Girls Clubs around Canada so I think it is also a worthy cause! Here are the ones I have collected thus far!
Oh, and since Nora and Levi were born, I have also bought one of these toys for each of them each Christmas. But I had not been able to get to Sears yet this year, but thought, "Hey, no problem! They always have some of these toys still even into February!"
So, I went tonight, by bus, to St. Vital Mall here in Winnipeg, which is the closest mall to my house. I walked around, and around, and around inside of Sears looking for this year's toy - a raccoon named Reginald. Couldn't find any, so decided to ask.
"Sorry, we're all sold out already."
So much for extras in February for them! :-(
Okay, so, now what? The clerk I was speaking with suggested I ask at the main customer service desk on the second floor, they may have a few still hanging around, or know where more are. So, I did!
"Sorry, we're all sold out already. Actually we sold out last week!"
Asked if they knew of any other Sears that might have them (side note: Stacy had called me last night asking me if I had picked up these collectable toys yet because there was a display of them at the Sears she was at.)
"I know that the Kildonan Place Mall location had some a couple of hours ago."
Okay, I know that there is a bus that goes right past St. Vital Mall and goes to Kildonan Place Mall (much further north and east of St. Vital Mall, and my place as well). So, start walking through the mall to get to the closest exit to the bus stop, and then walked across the very packed parking lot to the street.
Then I looked over just to make sure that the bus was not coming.
But it was!
I started running! In my winter boots! On a light dusting of snow!
I got to the street that I had to cross in order to get to the bus stop, which the bus was now at.
RED Light!
Bus is still sitting there! Okay, no traffic for this way, I can get across! Oh no, now traffic can go, I'm on the median, half way to the bus stop. Is it pulling away? Nope, nope, still there.
GREEN Light! RUN!!
The bus driver was nice enough to wait for me, which was wonderful because the next bus was due to come by in 30 minutes!
So, enjoy a nice warm ride to the other mall, get to the other mall, find the Sears store (before tonight I had never stepped foot inside the Sears in that mall), start looking for a display of my "treasure".
"RACCOONS!!!"
Looked the display of collectable plush toys over and chose the best three I found (and no, I did not have to look through the entire display).
Uh oh, the sales clerk is looking at me a little strangely. Looked at her straight in the eye and said, "I've been collecting the toys from each year for 10 years now, and the first Sears I went to tonight was sold out of them!"
A look of understanding came across her face, but she still looked at me a little strangely! Guess I need to be a little less excited when I find what I have been searching for and have had to go through "so much" to find! ;-)
So, waste a little time waiting for the next bus to come to take me back to my area of the city. Pretty uneventful ride, but am trying to find out from the Telebus service which of the two possible stops for my connecting bus, which goes past MY place, I need to get off at. Turns out you need to know the actual bus stop number because that line is completely automated! So, decide to get off at the stop that had three possibilities:
1/ My connecting bus is immediately at the stop;
2/ My connecting bus is on the alternate route and a two block walk will let me get on that bus;
3/ I walk home
Well, the first possibility did not happen, it was going to be a 20 minute wait, so start walking to see when I can connect with the next bus coming the other way. I'm half a block from the stop, and there comes that bus. So, I start running, but the driver does not see me and drives away.
So I walked. Took me 20 minutes to walk all the way home, so in the end the choice of stop was best because if I chose the other stop I had three possibilities;
1/ My connecting bus is immediately at the stop;
2/ My connecting bus had just gone past and would need to wait for 20-30 minutes;
3/ I walk home, which from that stop would have taken 45 minutes.
Oh, and for those of you still tuned in to this novella, here is a picture of this year's collectable Christmas toy that I have in my collection, and one for Nora, and one for Levi!!!
PS - I also STILL don't have all my shopping done! *sigh*
PSS - But isn't he just soooo cute!!!!
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