Radicalism

Well, I guess this post may ruffle some feathers, but I must fly in the face of convention and do some bitchin.

Here's the deal: I know that Michael's is probably not the most progressive-thinking institution. I realize that, by contributing to their continued growth, I am probably offending some of my own, cherished, philosophies. But I will say that I order materials online, from lovely places such as skybluepink, and californiapapergoods, and mantofev, as often as I can. But when I get a 50% coupon off of liquitex gel medium, or storage boxes for $1.50, or polymer clay half off, or paper at 20 cents a sheet, or open-back wood frames for my canvases for $5.00, it's very difficult for me to pass up the chance to go the three blocks I have to go to stock up, you know, for when the old-growth forests are all gone and I have to collage the walls of my garage because I don't have any more paper.

And recently, because of the impending holidays or whatever, Michael's has had some uncommonly useful deals for one such as myself, who is new to this process and has been gathering up the materials she needs for exploring a vast variety of creative techniques and pathways, so that I can enter Michelle Ward's Street Team Crusade 11 times this month. So, sure. I went to the Michael's polymer clay sale. And yes, I went to the Michael's acrylic paints sale. And, yes, I got myself a couple of frames for the canvases I already have. And, sure, for my birthday recently, I received a very generous Michael's gift certificate, because a good friend realizes that I must economize here and there in order to then suffer for my art. So, I recently got a big, extravagant, rubber stamp that was already discounted, and some paints and paper and stickers and a Staz-on inkpad I would never otherwise purchase because it's $9.00 and it's only ink.

So, I went over to my local Michael's today to take advantage of their 50% off coupon to use for getting the gel medium which is NEVER on sale, and which I love DEARLY, and need DESPERATELY. And the place was packed. They are having a gonzo sale, items marked down to prices that would normally be the actual profit-making prices, had they not already marked them up exorbitantly during non-sale days. And, because it's a bogus holiday (Columbus who?), there were a few million people in there. So, they had to bring up three clerks I'd never seen before to check us all out at the registers.

And I had some credit left on my Michael's gift card, so I gave the clerk the gel medium, the coupon, and my gift card, and she rang me up, and she said, 'you only owe 4 cents.'

And I looked at her and said, '4 cents?'
And she said, yes.
And I said, 'I'm sorry, but I don’t have any change.'
And she looked at me.

Now, if Cynde. or any of the other clerks who had seen me 12 times in the past 8 days, and who knew me and politely giggled at my stupid jokes, had not been slammed with their own customers, I would have hollered three registers over,

‘Hey, Cynde, can I borrow 4 cents? They won’t let me have the $2,000th dollar worth of merchandise I've purchased this week until I give them 4 cents, so I need FOUR CENTS.'

But, instead, I just looked at the clerk for two seconds, while she held on to my plastic bag, and then I went out to the car and got 4 pennies from our change tray. No, not a nickel. 4 pennies.

I swear, if it weren’t for the 40%-off coupon remaining this week, they’d have to wait 7 days to see my ass in there again.