March 3, 2016
Everything you’ve heard about life in the south moving at a slower pace is true.  That combined with the warmer temperatures people seem happier and more relaxed.
Southern Customer Service can be exceptionally friendly and helpful.  Sometimes to the point of being entertaining.
I recently had a very enjoyable shopping experience at a Tallahassee, Florida CVS.   Thanks to Vahoolaree, Vahoo for short!   Yes, by the time I left the store, we were on a nickname basis. I was calling her Vahoo and she was calling me Honey!
Vahoo was the one woman show performing exclusively at the CVS  front check out/photo center.  She had a small plastic stool, that had an old sofa cushion balancing on it, setting in front of the  check out candy display.  This was so she could set down when she was stocking the candy.   I don’t know when she had time to do that, because there always seemed to be a line of two or three people at the register.  I am glad though that she took the time to explain why it was there.
Checking out took time.  Often, Vahoo had to run out from behind the register to hug someone.  She hugged one older gentleman so hard that I was afraid she was going to break every bone in his upper torso.  While she was squeezing and he was turning purple, she announced to anyone listening, that he hadn’t been in for awhile and she was just so happy he was doin’ good.  At least he was before the hug!
At times she had to run out from behind the counter and disappear down an isle to find someone, something they needed, before they even said they needed it.  Apparently, these people were regulars!
One of the items that she had “run out for” was a three pack of VHS tapes.  Who is still using VHS to record?  Apparently, this customer.  The “announced” price of $18.57 was payed with dismay,  but the customer did received plenty of sympathy and understanding from Vahoo.  Not enough to be hug worthy though.  I think that was because he was whining and she was just being condescending.  You could hear it in her voice.
You may be wondering what I was doing all this time and how my friendship with Vahoo developed!   I was at the photo kiosk trying to make a DVD.  I had already taken my turn in line and purchased a blank DVD.  Vahoo had put it in the computer and punch in the magic code.   The machine was not working.  In between customers she was running over apologizing and trying to get the darn thing to work.  She made a phone call to someone,  that she was obviously smitten with.  After a lot of oohing,  aaahing and giggling she hung up and announced she to needed to reboot!
Meanwhile,  A gentleman asked to have passport photos taken.  She apologized to him and explained about how she needed to reboot and there were a few customers ahead of him.  He told her that he was not in a hurry,  but could he have a stool to sit on.  Not the short one, please!  Out she comes from behind the counter with a tall wooden stool.  She gives him the stool, a quick pat on the shoulder and Hi! Ho! Hi! Ho!  Back to work she goes.   Every so often she’d holler over to me “Honey!  How’s that thing workin’ ?”
You’re probably thinking, “Well, How long is this taking?”  I’ll tell you!  It took so long that the man sitting on the wooden stool waiting to have his passport photo taken, fell asleep.  I’m not kidding.  He had the whole “head bob, nod” going on.  I was a little concerned that he was going to fall off,  but I was close enough to catch him if need be.
When it was finally his turn, she came over and woke him with a poke, a giggle, and announced to anyone listening that he had fallen asleep.  Of course he got a hug!
She pulled down a screen and the photo shoot began. You would have thought the photos were for G Q  magazine!  She posed him, had him turn his head a bit this way and a little that way.  All the time he’s getting into it, asking questions and making suggestions.  When it’s all said and done she takes him over to the register to ring him out and Dead Pan she says to him “That’ll be $87.42!   Now I wish I’d had my camera.  His face dropped and he did this little twitching dance.  Before he could say a word, Vahoo laughingly says “Only Kidding!”
How does the story end.  The photo kiosk was broken and to her dismay, Vahoo, very apologetically,  refunded me my money and we parted ways.
If you like that story I have a shorter Walmart one.  This time we were in Alabama and stopped at a Walmart.  I needed to buy a needle and thread to sew a tear in E T’s dog bed.  An employee, Shanda, was walking by and I asked her where I could find them.  She didn’t tell me, she took me, talking all the time.  She lives in Pensacola, not far from where the tornado touched down, night before last. Was everything alright with me and mine?  She was born and raised in Missouri right on down Tornado Alley.  Got tired of them Tornado’s com in’ through all the time and moved to Florida.  Now Florida ain’t suppose to have Tornado’s, but sure enough, soon as she moves there, there com in’.  Almost without taking a breath, she asks “Darlin’ what size needle you need and what color thread?”  This was Walmart.  I was not picking out a prom dress.  She was not leaving until me until I had everything I needed.  My only regret was I hadn’t brought the dog bed with me.  I’ll bet she would have sewed it if I asked her 🙂