“Pilot G2 Pens 19 cents”
No way.
I look up again, and the sign has moved on to advertise notebooks or some other back to school special.
The light turns green and I punch the gas.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see it again: “Pilot G2 Pens 19 cents.”
No way. Those things normally cost $5.99 for a pack of four at Walgreens.
I arrive at my destination and forget all about the best pen sale ever.
Okay, probably not.
A couple of days later, I’m in that area of town. I drive by again and there it is. Same sign. So, I go in, prepared to buy 20 or so, fine point, blue ink, Pilot G2 pens. I go to the back-to-school aisle, 5A, and begin to skim.
Glue, nope.
Scissors, no.
Tape, rulers, pencils, highlighters, book covers.
No, no, no, no, no.
Wait a minute, where are the G2s?
Maybe they are in the “regular” office supply aisle.
I get there and see the aforementioned pack of four G2s for $5.99, but no 19 cent G2s. So I go up to the counter, the clerk points me back to aisle 5A, saying the G2s are back there.
I check it out again – and no, they aren’t there.
I find another clerk and ask her about the 19 cent G2s. Maybe I wasn’t specific enough with the first clerk.
“We’re out of those.”
“But your sign says . . .” I point rather weakly.
“Nope, we’re out of ‘em.” She walks away.
Disillusioned, I stumble to my car, pull out my Blackberry and snap a photo of the sign advertising G2s for 19 cents just to remind myself about the sale I missed out on .
But wait. There’s hope in the form of another Walgreens about a mile away.
Off I go.
I pull in, glance at the sign, hope begins to diminish. They have lots of items on sale, but no G2s that I can see.
I walk in, ask the clerk about the 19 cent G2s.
“Had them last week for 19 cents,” he says, “but we ran out.”
“Ohhhhhhhh.”
I couldn’t help but wonder if he pulled out his iPhone and tweeted about the delusional, older dude who came into the store solely to stock up on G2s.
