The Corpus Callosum

This one is useful for very few persons. The story is this: I wanted to get one of those mats that goes under a treadmill, to protect the floor. So I went to Sears, where I got the treadmill, because I had seen an ad for the mat. Thirty dollars is what they wanted. Seemed overpriced. But that is what they want. Being a tad compulsive, I measured the treadmill’s footprint before I left. The mat would have to be 40 inches wide and 72 inches long.

At the store, the mats — all with the same brand name as the treadmill — were all 36 inches wide. Would not do. So I get one off the shelf, get on my hands and knees, and compare it the the footprint of the floor model. It was just plain not going to work. I was just starting to fume a bit about a wasted trip. Then the lady walks up and asks, “are you OK?” Not “can I help you?” She probably thought I had tried out the treadmill and fallen off, or something like that. Ordinarily, a customer is not found on his hands and knees in the store.

I told her I was checking out the mat, and that it was not going to work. I was perfectly even-tempered, no hint of frustration. She said “No, it won’t. Let me show you what will.”

She walks me over the the hardware section and shows me these “anti-fatigue” mats, the kind that comes in big jigsaw-type sections that fit together into whatever footprint you want. They are on sale for ten dollars, for a pack of six pieces, which happens to be exactly the number of pieces needed for the footprint I want.

So the tip is this: no matter how frustrated you are, don’t cuss at the salespeople until you give them a chance to solve the problem. Sometimes, they actually know what you need, where it is, and sometimes it is even cheaper than what you thought you were going to have to spend.

I have to say, I lost some respect for the NordicTrack brand, and gained a little for Sears. The Nordic Track website lists two mats, both 36×72, and both have negative user reviews. One comment states that the mat is too small for most the the equipment they sell. Overcharging people, for something that isn’t going to work, is not a good business plan.

Comments

#1 stumpy
June 13, 2010

Best home I ever lived in was a Sears kit home. When I was a kid, my dad bought me one share of Sears stock, in order to encourage me to become involved in our capitalist free market system. The stock split, and I made some money. Finally, Sears doesn’t seem to be involved in the ecologic disaster in the Gulf. So, Sears is okay by me.
#2 Jim Thomerson
June 17, 2010

I needed a shower curtain rod a good bit longer than any made. Clerk at Home Depot suggested using a piece of electrical conduit. It worked just fine.
#3 Rachel
July 4, 2011

Dé Luain maidin arís agus uaire a bheith ag obair i dul. Wish I have na huimhreacha ar an crannchur euro agus buaigh go leor chun dul ar scor ar feadh a saoil. 🙂 Ach le mo luck, tá mé na huimhreacha mícheart. : (
#4 Graeme
July 5, 2011

Problem nad ydynt yn gallu mynd i’r toiled wedi cael ei glirio. Nawr bod y broblem yn cael ei gallu rhoi’r gorau i fynd. : ( .
#5 Darren
July 6, 2011

Tá an aimsir go geal agus Mostly mar a chuaigh mé ar an obair. An réamhaisnéis chonaic mé roimh fhágáil as an obair a thaispeáint scamall báisteach mór teideal a chlúdach i gcás mé. Breathnaíonn mar tá mé ag dul abhaile sa bháisteach níos déanaí. 🙁 .
#6 Doris
July 7, 2011

Dylai’r gohebwyr papur newydd sy’n darnia ffonau pobl gael eu rhoi yn y carchar am 10 mlynedd. Hirach ar gyfer hacio y ffonau y rhai a oedd wedi dioddef trosedd neu eu colli rhywun. Mae galar a phoen y farwolaeth yn ddrwg, heb rywun hacio eich ffôn i gael rhywfaint o beth y gallant eu tro i mewn i stori newyddion.
#7 Jim
July 8, 2011

Mae’r papur newydd “News of the World” yn cau. Cannoedd yn colli eu swyddi oherwydd bod yr un a ddylai fod wedi colli ei swydd, yn cael swydd arall gyda siec gyflog o fraster. Gan fod y pennaeth “News of the World” dylai fod wedi cael eu cicio allan a byddai cannoedd o employies a oedd unrhyw beth i’w wneud â’r scandle, yn dal i gael eu swyddi. Wonder beth mae hi wedi bod yn ei wneud i fynd i hynny ddigwydd.
#8 Thomas
July 20, 2011

Tar éis a haon déag lá gan ar leathcheann ar a dtugtar Sam, tá sé ar ais ag an obair. Nuair a bhíonn an bosses thart, tá sé donn nosing. A dhéanamh ar aon leithscéal chun dul isteach ar an seomra go bhfuil siad i, amhail is dá mba é sin le rá “breathnú ar dom. Tá mé ag obair”. A dhearcadh a mates oibre eile nuair nach bhfuil an bosses tá thart Is é “Tá mé níos fearr ná tú”. Tharraingíos sé a joke, agus tá sé greannmhar (ina aigne). Ach má tá tú ag tarraingt a joke air. Tá tú na cinn is ísle de gach cineál beatha agus yells sé a cheann amach ar nós tantrum ceithre bliana d’aois. Páirc laistigh de 6 troigh (2 méadar) ar a charr cliste agus má tá tú cur bac air.
#9 Derrick
July 22, 2011

Mietin, millaista oli elää 20000 vuotta sitten? Työskentely aamusta iltaan ja tekee varmasti kerännyt tarpeeksi ruokaa hengissä talven. Times runsauden ja Vaikeina aikoina. Kuinka monet ihmiset tänään, voisi selviytyä silloin?
#10 Jack
July 26, 2011

Fiafraigh duit féin na ceisteanna seo. (1) a bheadh Cén chuid den am atá thart ar mhaith leat chun cónaí i? (2) Cén fáth ar mhaith leat chun cónaí ag an am sin? Níorbh fhéidir (3) leat maireachtáil san am sin ag baint úsáide as ach na huirlisí agus an trealamh atá ar fáil ag an am sin?
#11 Levi
July 29, 2011

Toeau yn cael eu gwneud o ddeunyddiau gwahanol. Wood, gwellt, llechi, carreg, metel, plastig ac unrhyw beth arall y gellir ei ddefnyddio. Yn bennaf yn dibynnu ar ble rydych chi yn y byd a faint y gallwch ei brynu, o ran pa fath o do bydd gennych.
#12 Roger
August 1, 2011

Ble rydyn ni nawr ar esblygiad y llwybr? A ydym yn dod yn wâr neu yn dal i fynd i lawr y llwybr o gynyddu pwerau dinistriol? Mae ein gwybodaeth feddygol yn cynyddu gyda nerth i nerth yn ystod pob rhyfel, ond nid mor fawr fel ein arfau dinistriol. Os yw ein gwybodaeth feddygol wedi cynyddu mor gyflym fel ein arfau, byddwn yn gallu byw am ddwy neu fwy ganrif.
#13 Duncan
August 2, 2011

Biz təkamül yolu ilə, indi harada? Biz sivil olmaq və ya hələ də dağıdıcı səlahiyyətlərinin artırılması yolu enən edirsiniz? Bizim tibbi biliklərin hər bir müharibə leaps və həddi artır, lakin kimi çox kimi dağıdıcı hücum silahları. Bizim tibbi biliklərin bizim silah kimi sürətli kimi artmışdır, biz iki və ya daha çox əsrlər boyu canlı edə bilərsiniz.
#14 Robert
August 3, 2011

Miksi ihmiset nälkään maailmassa, joka tuottaa enemmän ruokaa kuin se tarvitsee? Web-sivulla se sanoi johtui logistiikka liikkuvat ruokaa. Sanon, se on enemmänkin voittoja kuin puute kyky liikkua ruokaa, missä sitä tarvitaan. Myös jotkut kolmannen maailman maat vievät ruokaa he tarvitsevat, jotta he voivat saada rahaa muihin asioihin. Jos me kaikki olivat jopa puoli tapa mitä me kutsumme ihmiskunnan, kukaan ei näkisi nälkää. Mutta me olemme ihmisiä ja jättävät elää upto hyvää ihanteita.
#15 Connor
August 5, 2011

Tiefsee hydrothermale (Heißwasser) Lüftungsöffnungen haben viel Forschung Interesse geweckt kürzlich. Sie wurden 1977 entdeckt und sind nun bekannt, dass in vielen Orten auf dem Meeresboden auftreten. Eine Entlüftung öffnet, wo die Erdkruste instabil ist. Wie Risse bilden, sickert Meerwasser nach unten in den heißen Stein und wird dann wieder die Temperatur vertrieben in der Luft verursacht es zu kochen. Die Temperatur um so ein Riss kann so hoch zu 420 C.
#16 Jade
August 8, 2011

Yn unig oedd darllen am derfysgoedd yn Llundain a mannau eraill ar y safle we y BBC. Dylent ddefnyddio pwyntiau bwled rwber, CS nwy a phupur chwistrell nes y terfysgwyr yn mynd yn analluog. Yna llong iddynt Afghanistan er mwyn iddynt ddysgu sut i ymddwyn.
#17 Pete
August 9, 2011

Yalnız Londonda iğtişaşlar və BBC saytda digər sahələr barədə oxu olmuşdur. Bu rioters incapacitated qədər Onlar rezin güllə, CS qaz və bibər spreyi istifadə etməlidirlər. Sonra Əfqanıstana onlara gəmi onlar davranmaq necə öyrənə bilərsiniz.
#18 Jim
August 11, 2011

Mellakoita kerran repiä läpi useissa kaupungeissa Englannissa. Monet ihmiset kääntyvät jopa heidän työpaikallaan tänään löytää sen tuhonneet tai pahempaa, tuhotaan. Kuinka monet muut ovat menossa menettävät työpaikkansa heidän työpaikoillaan tuhoutui? Tuo armeijassa ja on mitään aiheita käsiteltäessä mellakoijia. He haluavat vahingoittaa muita heittämällä tiili ja muita asioita, niin pitäisi olla sama väkivalta takaisin heille.
#19 Kyle
August 15, 2011

Meine letzte Woche von der Arbeit an der Regierung Schema. Zurück zur Arbeitslosigkeit Warteschlange nächste Woche. Das Programm war nur für 13 Wochen und endet in vier Tagen. Langeweile und kaum genug Geld zum Leben. : ( .
#20 Jim
August 16, 2011

Mənim keçən həftə dövlət sxem üzrə işləyir. Gələn həftə işsizlik queue qayıt. Sxemi on üç həftə idi ki, dörd gün ərzində başa çatır. Cansıxıcılıq və yaşamaq üçün ancaq kifayət qədər pul. 🙁 .
#21 Pete
August 18, 2011

Vain kaksi päivää tämän jälkeen päivä työskentelevät hallituksen järjestelmää. 🙁 Sitten takaisin työttömyys jono ensi viikolla. Kolmetoista viikkoa tekemään työtä ja vain saada neljäkymmentäviisi prosenttia vähimmäispalkan se ja hallitus ihmettelee, miksi järjestelmä ei ole suosittu! Jos minulla on maksettu minimipalkkaa olisin Nautin siitä enemmän ja oli jonkin verran rahaa säästää.
#22 William
August 19, 2011

Olen visted mitmeid veebisaite minevikus thirteen nädalat mu töö, nii on igav ja teised mistyfing. On saada mõningaid teadmisi. Like, kui Jaapanis paar aastat tagasi, tulin nii lähedal, bambusest metsa Kyotos. See häirib mind, nagu oleksin soovinud visted ta.
#23 Janet
August 24, 2011

Employers, employees and manufactures of equipment or supplies are responsible in some way for health and safety.
#24 Betty
August 30, 2011

An elderly couple were having dinner one evening when the husband reached across the table, took his wife’s hand in his and said , “Clara, soon we
will be married 50 years and there’s something I have to know. In all of these 50 years, have you ever been unfaithful to me?”
Clara replied, “Well, Paul, I have to be honest with you. Yes, I’ve been unfaithful to you three times during these 50 years, but always for a good reason.”
Paul was obviously hurt by his wife’s confession, but said, “I never suspected. Can you tell me what you mean by ‘good reasons?”
Clara said, “The first time was shortly after we were married, and we were about to lose our little house because we couldn’t pay the mortgage. Do you remember that one evening I went to see the banker and the next day he notified you that the loan would be extended?”
Paul recalled the visit to the banker and said, “I can forgive you for that. You saved our home, but what about the second time?”
Clara asked, “And do you remember when you were so sick, but we didn’t have the money to pay for the heart surgery you needed? Well, I went to see your doctor one night and, if you recall, he did the surgery at no charge.”
“I recall that,” said Paul. “And you did it to save my life, so of course I can forgive you for that. Now tell me about the third time.”
“All right,” Clara said. “So do you remember when you ran for president of your golf club, and you needed 73 more votes?”
#25 Abe
September 1, 2011

Doctor Dave had slept with one of his patients and felt guilty all day long.

No matter how much he tried to forget about it, he couldn’t.

The guilt and sense of betrayal was overwhelming. But every once in a while he’d hear an internal, reassuring voice that said:

“Dave, don’t worry about it. You aren’t the first doctor to sleep with one of their patients and you won’t be the last. And you’re single. Just let it go..”

But invariably the other voice would bring him back to reality, whispering:

“Dave you’re a vet.”
#26 Lenny
December 6, 2011

Thats a great idea bloke, It just showes you it pay’s to be nice all the time.
#27 William
March 15, 2012

This blog is fantastic, I can’t wait to tell my friends about it.
#28 Derrick
April 2, 2012

Thats quite a personable post you have put up here, I don’t think it would be possible to squeeze in more pleasantness if you tried.
#29 Ted
April 23, 2012

A rhinoceros walked in to a service station up north one day and went into the little cafe. It asked the waitress for a coffee with no milk. On seeing the waitress look dumfounded the rhinoceros says “what? so i’m slimming”!
#30 Linus
May 14, 2012

Brian was running as hard as he could but even the little robot was beating him, and it was being controled by a nine year old! Brian ran behind some bushes out of sight, he had a jet pack on his back, he was not finished in this race yet. He started up all the controls and hit the big green button, he was off up in the air. Brian ended up in Greenland that night, but the finishing line for the race was Paris France!!!!!