Joys of Anonymous Online Shopping and Shipping

Since Olney doesn't have a mall, online shopping can be blessing. As a surprise, my husband ordered me a pair black dress pumps from Nordstrom. Unsure of my size, he snooped around in our closet and guestimated what size to order. 

A week later I opened the package, delighted to find the new pumps ...  which were a half size too small. The package had free return shipping, so all I needed to do was repack the shoes, attach the enclosed prepaid, pre-addressed UPS form and drop it off at the UPS store by Rite Aid here in Olney.

"You don't have to do that," my husband said. "I can return them to Nordstorm at Montgomery Mall on my way to work."

"No, that's okay -- the UPS store is convenient here in town," I replied.

My husband thought for a moment and then nodded. "True. Plus what would salespeople think about a middle-aged man returning a pair of ladies' evening pumps?"

"Just tell them that the shoes were too small," I laughed. "They can guess too small for whom."

Silent, not Social Giant

Last September, I wrote about how social Olney's Giant is. No matter what time of day or night I go there, at least a few cars are parked outside with some customers and employees inside. I feel secure seeing others shopping there, especially before storms (stocking up on food), during sewage issues (buying bottled drinking water) and after blizzards (restocking food after being dug out).

One morning last spring, after plodding through school drop-off and Route 108 rush hour traffic, I entered Giant's parking lot ... and saw NO cars. Puzzled by the empty lot, I checked for emergency vehicles, which to my relief were absent. Still, the scene was eerie. Where was everyone? Was Giant closed at 7:30am? Have I entered The Twilight Zone?

I crept into the store and spied two people at the customer service desk. Relieved that I hadn't walked into a crime scene, I quickly picked up a few items and headed toward self-checkout. Just then another person cautiously tiptoed into the store.

"Is there anyone else here?" the customer peered about. "Oh good, another shopper!" She too had wondered if the store was closed or if something sinister was going on when she saw the deserted parking lot.

For once, the Social Giant was a more silent than social!