We were each running separate errands prior to the purchase, so we rendezvoused at the store parking lot.  I arrived a little early and decided to observe some behavior of consumers who were likely about to go shopping.  I sat on a curb with my transistor radio, listening to the A-team on WEEI, and observed the facial expressions of drivers in their cars as they drove past me on their way to the store.  One of the store employees who saw me sitting on the ground asked if I was sick; I responded "no" as that is what I believed.  I was impressed with his concern for my well being and I don't believe that I could have had an experience like that online (chalk one up for the dirt world).  Anyway, I'm not suggesting anything scientific by my observations; I was just passing some time and I was not recording notes (yeah, it's ok to call me a nerd).  Forty four cars passed my position on the curb.  In five of these cars, the driver had a smile on his or her face.  In four of these cases, more than one person was in the car.  The drivers of the thirty nine other cars that I observed had facial expressions that struck me as listless.  I'm not suggesting anything by this (smile).

Amy entered Ann & Hope while I waited by the loading dock to do my thing; I kind of felt like a UPS delivery person (earlier, while I was waiting for Amy to arrive, I observed a Poland Spring trucker doing his thing, e.g., loading empty water containers, putting away his dolly -- I felt a kinship).  She made her purchase, and handed over to me the slips that would release the items from the loading dock.  The assistants at the dock were friendly and told me that it would be a few minutes as they went off to fetch the items from another part of the warehouse.

The step up slide came to the dock first.  The box was huge.  It would not fit in the trunk of my 1989 Mazda 929 (with over 200,000 miles on it).  I took the step and slide out of the box and then I was able to get them into the trunk.  I did bump my head once on the slide while putting it in the trunk and I uttered a less than pleasant term as the plastic was very hard and the impact hurt.  I broke the box down and placed it on the top of my car in order to protect it from the pool, which was going to be placed on the roof.

The assistants carried the pool to my car and helped me place it on the roof of the car.  The pool came with four holes on its side -- one on each corner -- for the purpose of passing rope through them as part of the process of securing it to the roof -- good thinking Step 2.  One of the assistants was very helpful and assisted me with the process of securing the pool to the roof of the car.  He asked me if I had rope (I did); then he pointed out the holes in the corners of the pool; then he helped me pass the rope through the holes and secure the pool to the roof of the car.  He provided good service.  I was in shock.  Does this kind of stuff go on regularly in stores these days?  A Brucie to the dock assistant at Ann & Hope in Watertown, Massachusetts.

I made my way home with pool on car roof and unloaded it when we got to our house.  Let me tell you something, it is easily worth $5-$10 to have someone lug stuff to your house.  Now, I have not only more respect for those in the delivery business, but also increased curiosity about order fulfillment.  Maybe this is what I will investigate next?  After this experience, I must admit that I am also a little curious about what is going on in stores these days.  Perhaps in my next study, I'll shop exclusively in bricks-and-mortar stores and not use the Internet for anything other than maintaining my diary?  (I don't know how I would be able to take it; I'd go crazy.)

Incidentally, the large box which contained the step and slide will be used for returning a hammock to L.L. Bean.  We purchased this hammock about five years ago and it came totally undone about one month ago.

The BabyGap order, that was placed on June 10, arrived today.  Not bad, not bad at all.  I placed an order with Homeruns.