It was probably the little cockroach that I saw crawling across my rug earlier. I've lived here 5 years. This is the SECOND COCKROACH EVER in this house. Plenty of spiders...but cockroaches? Nope. Blech. I'd better get re-used to it...I'm moving away to the Roach Capital of the USA. I jumped on it. Damn thing didn't die. It just ran in a circle so I jumped on it again. I can still see one of its legs wiggling. Whatever. It hyped me out and now I'm awake. So I decided to BLOG AGAIN, but this time about my little excursion today.

So you guys all know that I'm moving. Being the cheapskate frugal person that I am, I went to several storage places today in search of cheap boxes. HA. I say HA! and HA! again. There is no such thing as cheap boxes. Now - I remembered one storage place that was advertising moving boxes at .25 cents each. BONUS! So I went over to that storage place. I walked into the place...and the fight was on.

First - I asked for used boxes...do they sell them? Well - apparently, this little question pissed the lady right off, and also apparently - she was the OWNER of the joint. "We don't sell USED boxes." she stated. She looked like someone was holding a turd under her nose while she said this. I said - "Fine! What about the boxes that you were advertising on TV for 25 cents?" "Well - we DO have those...but there is a limit of 3 per person."

That frickin' commercial on TV said NOTHING about only 3 per person but...ok - I was there, I'd get my boxes. "That's fine. I'll take three" "Ok - where's your coupon?" "My coupon?! What coupon?!" I watched the lady. She rolled her eyes. Counted to 3, felt that 3 wasn't high enough and counted again. Then she sighed, like this: *SSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHH!!!* and informed me that I could find the coupons in the back of the telephone book. "Your commercial didn't say ANYTHING about a required coupon, OR a limit of 3 per person." I stated flatly. "Well - that's the rules and that's the way we do things around here."

So fine. I'll play her little game. I went home, and found the stupid coupon in the phone book. I also found a coupon for packing tape in a "2 rolls for $1" special, and TWO coupons for the three box special. Then I went to my parents house and raided their phone books for additional coupons. You see....there are three of these specific storage places in town, and the coupon BLATANTLY said - "Good at any location".

And a' shopping I did go. I figured I'd save her location for last.

But alas...luck was NOT on my side. First - I had my eldest daughter, Ashy with me. I like to call her the Informer. We walked into the first storage store, and picked up our three moving boxes, and two rolls of tape. The grand total of this purchase was $1.89. COOL! I tried to convince the guy behind the counter to let me use more than one coupon, but he said: "Noooooo....my mom's kinda strict about the one coupon per customer thing." (DING DING DING...bells are going off in my head.) "Your mother?" I asked "Yeah..she runs the one over on Western. I run this one, and my sister runs the one on Hardy." "Hey mommy!! That means his mom is that grouchy lady at the other store!!" chirped Ashy. "Ummm...yeah - I think I met your Mom." I said. "Oh. And she was grouchy?" he asked. "Well - yeah. I didn't have a coupon". "Oh - that's bad news," he shook his head solemnly. "She's BIG into coupons...." "Oh! Well - thanks for the boxes bye!" and we left.

We went to the storage place on Hardy, but apparently Sis was out to lunch. So we went back across town to the original storage place where I'd been shooed out boxless. But THIS time, I had my coupon. I bopped into the shop, where MAMA met me head-on. "You already got your three boxes for today, so you'll just have to leave. You can't get any more." "WHAT?! " I yelled, "This does NOT say only 3 PER DAY. It says 3 per CUSTOMER, and I'm just now walking in." "Yes well, it's PER DAY, and I know that you already got three boxes. You'll just have to go." And she smiled at me all smug as if she knew she'd won or something. Which she did NOT.

Instead of going off on her, and telling her what I REALLY think...because my child was standing there...I looked at Ashy, smiled and said "My!! She really IS a grouchy old lady, huh? Let's go sweetie!" and we left.

But I'm not done!! You see...I have friends!! And Family! And they were all ready to play my game!

I explained the whole situation to them, and passed out my little coupons. Some of them even went and clipped their OWN coupons out of their own phone books. My dad went first. He's retired, so this was a lot of fun for him. According to him, he walked in, and selected three boxes, then handed over his coupon and paid for them. Then he looked at the lady as she wished him a good day, and said "You know what? I heard you were GROUCHY!" and then he left. Then my best friend went over about 3 hours later. She got some boxes, handed over her coupon and told the lady that she'd heard she was GROUCHY. Meanwhile, my sister-in-law was the OTHER storage place buying boxes, and informed the guy there that she'd heard his mother was GROUCHY! My mom went to visit the sister, who'd not been involved in the original discussion - but was told that her mother was grouchy as well.

We had so much fun. I've got 27 BOXES in my garage...that cost me 25 cents each. And TOMORROW? I'm going to go in and ever so sweetly ask for my 3 boxes since it's a different day......