Slivered Almonds

“Christmas grocery shopping was a lot different in Pohnpei.” I muttered under my breath as I stood in line at Weis. My mom had sent me to the grocery store, and by the time I got to the check out my patience, the small amount that I had left, were about to snap. I had just spent the last hour and a half going through each isle several times trying to find random things on the list. The cart which handled rather well BEFORE I picked up the 40 pound bag of cat litter, served recklessly, threatening to hit every food display in site. All I had left on my list was slivered almonds, you would think that would be easy to find, but it wasn’t. I called my dad and asked him where he found them the last time, he told me…but they weren’t there. I asked a lady in the produce isle and she showed me to the sliced almonds. I didn’t want sliced almonds, I wanted slivered almonds. Then I asked another lady who looked like she might know more then the first. “Oh she said,” pointing to the sliced almonds. “Those must be it.” By this time I wanted to scream, “No.’ I calmly stated. “Those are not them, I wanted slivered, not sliced.” Shrugging her shoulders, she simply said, “Well then look in isle 8.” I had already been in isle 8 and didn’t see any. I called my dad, yet again and he suggested that I go to the customer service desk and ask someone there. They were bound to know more. At the customer service desk, I found a lady who looked like she didn’t know anything about slivered or sliced almonds, but I took a chance.
“Excuse me,’ I asked, trying to sound un-irritated. ‘Might you know where slivered almonds are?” I have noted in past experiences at Weis’ that most of the people there aren’t that intelligent, or if they are, they hide it extremely well. The lady informed me in a somewhat harsh manner that they were over there in isle 8. Calmly I told her that I didn’t see them, coming out from the counter she rummaged through the other almonds and nuts, only to discover that I was correct and the slivered almonds weren’t there.
After checking out, I headed to Giant Eagle, where I found slivered almonds. I felt victorious. I elbowed my way through the crowded supermarket to the checkout, and once free of the store made a mad dash to the safety of my car.