is it just me?

So, I am shopping for a new mattress. This is one of life's more frustrating activities because it is basically impossible to get good information. But that's not particularly interesting. However, we have found out that there is a huge variety in price for identical products, which means there is great value in shopping around. So I found (on the internet of course) a place called "Midwest Mattress Discounters". Sounds big, right? Sounds like they would have a big ole showroom filled with cheap mattresses. I was happy when I found out it was in Madison. So on Monday after work my husband and I decide to go check it out. When we get there, we see a little sign that says "Mattress Discounters OPEN" but it appears that we are entering in to a glorified storage area. Several of the areas appear to be businesses, but it's super sketchy. Then we see the mattress place. We walk in and there are maybe 50 mattresses, dusty, stacked up all akimbo in there. There's a desk with a young guy sitting there messing with his cell phone. He asks what we're looking for and we name a mattress we saw on their website. He's never heard of it. He doesn't think they have it. Apparently they are trying to sell down their inventory in preparation for a new semi load of mattresses arriving next month. Super. We ask what kind of discount they offer. He tells us his boss goes to other mattress stores and tries the mattresses out. He doesn't seem to notice that this information does not answer our question. He suggests we call his boss. Meanwhile, you absolutely could not pay me to buy a mattress from this place as I am now convinced they are all the returns from real mattress stores who enacted their 90 night guarantee. He gives us a business card and dutifully writes his name on the back. We leave it on the table at the restaurant where we have dinner. They definitely do not merit a regional name like "Midwest". Honestly. That makes it seem like a serious operation. It's not. Don't go there.

Then we went to PetSmart. Our dog needs a new bed. They don't have the one we want, though it takes us 20 minutes to find a salesperson who can give us that information. She checks with the manager. He suggests we look on the internet. Thanks for all your help. On the way out my dog attacks a puppy who's there for training class. Super.

As we are leaving the shopping area we see a Pizza Hut. But apparently it's not any Pizza Hut, it's a Pizza Hut Italian Bistro. What? I mean, do they actually have a larger menu than most pizza huts, or are they just trying to seem fancy? Are there rules about this? Can any Pizza Hut call itself an Italian Bistro? Does Pizza Hut sell anything but pizza? If so, why? Italian Bistro my toe. Don't fall for it. Go eat somewhere better.

On the way home from our disastrous shopping adventure we stopped for burgers at a great place downtown. It was good except for the waitress managed to not make eye contact with us a single time throughout the entire meal. If you want a tip, you might want to look at me. And try not to act annoyed. The proliferation of 20 year old waitresses in Madison does not make for great service. Case in point: last night, after the final game of my illustrious softball season, we went to this dive bar that sponsored fee for the league. We felt we should patronize their establishment. There are about 10 of us, and we ask if we can order food. She gives us the menu, but then informs us we can't order anything that gets cooked on the grill. This is more than half the menu. Apparently she is the only one working and it is too much for her to cook and tend bar. So we can have pizza (frozen of course) or fried food. That's it. Now, I would accept this argument but for two things: 1) she cooked food on the grill when where there two weeks ago and the place was way busier, and 2) while she's waiting for our pizzas to cook she is leaning on the bar talking to patrons, smoking and drinking soda. I mean, with all that free time she couldn't keep an eye on a couple of burgers? Lazy. I mean, it is kind of crazy to only have one employee in the whole place, but maybe they should've thought of that. We wanted to call the management and tell them to take the Food part of Food and Spirits off their sign. At least they had spirits. And we won our game 5-3. I was in right field for seven innings and the ball never came within an outfielder of me. It's pretty boring, but low stress.

The Yankees lost. This takes some of the sting out of the Red Sox losing in the first round. Now I don't know who to cheer for though. Usually I cheer for the Red Sox or whoever is playing the Yankees. oh well. better luck next year.