A RUN TO FLAGSTAFF

Whenever the folks who reside here at the Grand Canyon need anything more than the basics, a drive into Williams or Flagstaff is necessary. Williams is a small town with one large grocery store (Safeway), but no big boxes like WalMart or Costco. Flagstaff on the other hand, is Northern Arizona's largest city with 2 WalMarts, and a Sam's Club. My destination yesterday was one of the Wally Worlds, and Sam's big clubhouse.

Route 66 is now Business I40 through Flagstaff.

Among other claims to fame, Flagstaff is home to a portion of Route 66. When the Mother Road was completed in the 1920's, it's path through Northern Arizona was the catalyst for growth in many communities like Flagstaff. Today, cities where Route 66 was once the main highway through the land, have begun to embrace the historical significance, and renewed interest in this iconic highway. Flagstaff certainly is one of those cities.


How many times have you wondered if the scanners at grocery stores are completely accurate? When purchasing dozens of items, trying to remember all of the prices, and quickly reconciling that information with what is quickly flashed on the checkout screen, is next to impossible. I suspect the vast majority of folks simply accept that the totals are correct, and go on about their business.

I've gotten into the habit of at least taking a quick look at the receipt before leaving the store, and I'm not surprised anymore, when I find an error. Yesterday was an example of the price on the shelf being way different than what the machine scanned. It's not so much the dollars and cents involved, it's more about the fact that you're quietly being ripped off.

While I was walking toward the door, and looking at the receipt, a $27.68 charge jumped out at me as not being accurate. In double checking the shelf price of the item at $22.53, I confirmed my suspicion that the checkout scanner was incorrect. When customer service refunded me $5.15, I claimed a small victory in the man versus machine conflict.

Today, it's back to work on a six day stretch. This weekend, we're transitioning to the summer schedule where my days off will be Wednesday and Thursday.