Stick with me on this one. Just pretend you're listening to me tell a story on the radio. That's what this will be like...
Playing softball for My Office Bar and Grill we needed to get numbers put onto the uniform shirts. I am the manager of the team so that kind of stuff falls on my head. I got the uniform shirts the day we needed them. So I called Shirt Shack in Pullman. I got a price to get the numbers put on the shirt plus a turn around time. Then I called TriState.
As much as I would like to do business in Pullman I cannot justify the extra expense. Now, you might think that the time and gas I spend driving to Moscow make up the difference. But not in this case. TriState charged $.80 per number to have them put on the shirt. We also got the shirts the same day. ShirtShack was going to cost me around $45.00 to get the numbers on the shirt, at TriState it cost me about $10.00. To me that $35.00 is not a justifiable write off. In fact I have to ask why ShirtShack is SO expensive on the numbering AND why the long turn around time compared to TriState.
So as I made my way to the cash register I was thinking about the fact the owner of TriState is not a big fan of the things we have going here in Whitman County. I am supporting his business, but only because of the laws of economics. He is the cheapest that I know of. He is by far the cheapest. So he earns my money, plus he has the quicker turn around. Another thing that earned my business.
So, getting back to the stroll to the cash register [I told you this was like the radio show...] I was thinking about the above and wishing I didn't have to do business with him, but I am about my bottom line. I got into line and saw a sign where the store was advertising all the money it donates to local groups. It showed more than $65,000 in charity give aways. I scanned the list and saw Alternatives to Violence, the Kenworthy Performing Arts Theatre, as well as other places. It was in alphabetical order, so I thought I would see if any "Pullman" things were supported.
I was surprised to see the Pullman Chamber of Commerce was listed as one of the groups receiving money from TriState. I am walking out of TriState thinking about the fact I was going to write the above story about ShirtShack and TriState and the pricing differences. I figured the money give away was interesting so I thought I would include that.
I was going through some thoughts of what I was going to write. It was raining outside and I was making a quick trip to my vehicle. I heard a voice with a southern drawl call out "Excuse Me." I looked over and saw an elderly lady in a pickup truck with a fifth-wheel travel trailer hitch in the back of the truck. She said "Is there a WalMart in this town?" I affirmed there was.
My mind started to race about the irony of the fact that a lady is sitting in the TriState parking lot asking for directions to WalMart. She told me she is from Missouri. I smiled, not because of the thought of taking business from TriState, but because I am a nice guy and I wanted to let her know I was happy to stay in the rain and help her find her way. I thought I could find out what she was looking for and suggest a local store, or I could simply give her directions to WalMart.
I chose to give her directions to WalMart. I told her to get on the Pullman Road and drive through a couple traffic lights. Look for Warbonnet Drive and take a right. WalMart was at the top of the hill.
Just like my radio show, I am getting to the end of the story and there is really no wrap up, just the end of a story that really had no point.
And now the favorite of The PES... The Reverend, Reverend Horton Heat.... *fade to music*
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