And now, here is what really happened (hey Rocky, watch me pull a lion out of my hat).  When I had placed the package of ice cream sandwiches in my cart on July 27, it was in stock.  When I returned on July 28 to complete my shopping, however, it was out of stock.  So, when I placed my order, the ice cream sandwiches were not part of it.  The detail listed in the first paragraph of this diary entry was simply a product of my imagination.  The bottom line, however, was not conjured up.  The ice cream sandwiches were stocked out when I wanted to place my order.  I knew this before I had placed my order because I had noticed the change of inventory conditions in my shopping cart (i.e., I was allowed to order "0" packages of ice cream sandwiches).  I replaced the ice cream sandwiches with Dole frozen fruit juice bars.

One's shopping bags are not actually filled until one places an order.  It is unusual for an item to be held aside in reality just because one has placed it in a virtual shopping cart.  Can you imagine if this were the case -- eegads.  Many companies do their best to keep their online "in stock" reporting consistent with their actual inventory conditions.  At times, however, this can be difficult to do in literally real time as conditions can change between the time that you place an item in your cart and the time that you place your order by clicking on the "send order" icon. 

For example, suppose that one package of ice cream sandwiches is in stock at GrandSlams (a fictitious online grocery store).  Both you and Betty Lou -- who happens to live around the corner from you and joins you for a friendly game of bridge every Wednesday evening -- are both shopping at GrandSlams at the same time in your own homes and on your own computers.  You each place a package of ice cream sandwiches in your cart.  The system will absolutely let you do this as you are only loading up the cart, not placing an order.  Betty Lou submits her order about one minute before you.  Technically, the ice cream sandwiches would be out of stock when you placed your order as Betty Lou would have been allocated the final package of ice cream sandwiches (assuming that GrandSlams allocates items on a first-come-first-served basis).  It is entirely possible that the system would not have indicated to you that the ice cream sandwiches were out of stock prior to you placing your order.  A couple of reasons, among many, would be that a) one minute is not enough time to update the inventory database and then report it to online shoppers who have not placed an order, or b) you may have been engaged in the checkout process when the ice cream sandwiches became out of stock and hence unable to observe changes in inventory conditions (i.e., it's kind of like waiting in line for Rosie O'Donnell tickets -- having been told that some were available when you entered the line -- and finding out that the no more seats are available when you get to the front of the line).
 

Luis Castillo RBI Watch (Through July 28, 2000)

Number of Hits......Batting Average......Number of RBI......Runs Scored
......119.......................368............................7........................71

The other night the Florida Marlins scored twelve runs and Luis had zero rbi; tonight the Marlins lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 and Luis got the sole rbi for the team.  I'm happy for Luis, I guess.  I would love, however, for him to set the lowest rbi record.  Every rbi he gets reduces the likelihood that he will do this -- I still do not know the record for fewest rbi by a full-time player; he must be close to the record.

As an aside, Curt Schilling was on the mound in his first start with the Diamondbacks -- having been acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies.  Gee, the Diamondbacks are not looking good with Randy Johnson and Schilling in their rotation.