I took Julie out Christmas shopping today, as Julie needed to get a present for daisy_knotwise, while Gretchen took Katie out shopping because Katie still needed to get a present for me. Adventures at the local Target ensued.

First, Julie wanted to look for a present for Mommy in the toy section. Then she wanted a toy for herself. The latter did not happen, although many toys were looked at.

Eventually, we found what Mommy would like and took it to a register. I was behind a woman with an order of moderate size, but that was ok. Everything got checked through.

And then I found out she was applying for a Target debit card. And when the high schooler running the register scanned the application, it didn't take. A slightly older checker came by and the application still didn't take. Finally, another still older woman came over and managed to get the application to take.

They scanned in a sample check. More foolishness followed. Finally, the older woman came back, examined the register, turned out the light, and announced that the register had crashed and I would have to go get checked out elsewhere.

"I have been standing in this line for ten minutes, and you tell me to go to the end of some other line?" I asked. This produced not much in the way of response.

If this had not been a Christmas present, I think I would have just walked out of the store.

So off I went to wait in another line. I got to the front, the cashier announced the total, and I said, "That can't be right."

And it wasn't, because the on-sale item from the big display of on-sale items had rung up at regular price. So she flipped on her blinking light.

And we waited. And waited.

People came to get in line behind me and I told them they should really go somewhere else, because we were having a price check and who knew when it would actually be completed. They decided going elsewhere was a good choice.

Eventually, a woman (a different woman from the first time) came over, looked at the situation, and said, "Give it to him for the price he says it was marked at."

And they did. And I left.

Happily, my Christmas shopping is now done. :)