Tree Loss

Yesterday I went to a local store to buy a gift. The person I was buying it for had registered at that store, so I visited the registry online before I left the house. I knew exactly what I wanted to buy so I just jotted myself a sticky note to take with me. No need to print the whole registry, right?

WRONG.

Within a few short minutes, I was in the check-out line. The lady at the register asked if this was a registry item. I said, "Yes."

She then asked for my phone number. I mistakenly gave her my zip code -- but I got that figured out! As she was keying it in to her machine, I thought to myself, "Now I wonder how that gets me connected to the registry?" After completing that task, she turned back and said, "No registry?" Confused, I replied that yes it was a registry item as I had already told her. She said, "Well, where is your registry?"

HUH?

Seems like, I had to have the paper copy in order for her to complete the transaction so that this purchase would be noted in the ELECTRONIC registry that it had been bought.

I had to go over to the registry desk, wait my turn, and then wait some more while their S-L-O-W printer spit out the six or seven sheets of paper. Then, and only then, could the clerk complete the transaction.

The kicker at the end was the final question. She asked, "Would you like the copy of the registry?" Now, I've just bought stuff from this registry. And I can view it online. Why in the world would I need a paper copy? Multiply this transaction times all the people who file through that store and all the BabiesRUs stores nationwide.

Every day.


I'm surprised that there are even any Redwoods left.

So in thinking back, I could have taken the BIG GAMBLE. I could have NOT had the gift keyed into the registry and then taken the chance of it being duplicated by some other gift-giver. Oh horrors! And the gift would have to be returned. Just like the old days.

Okay, I'll climb down off the soapbox now before I get a nosebleed.

What gets your underwear in a knot?