Oh.

So today, Memorial Day, the day to remember our fallen soldiers, MBB and I did what any true red-blooded American would do. We went shopping.

Or attempted to. As has become traditional in Chez BB (darn those French! Though I like Sarkozy a lot), we used the opportunity of the legal holiday, kids in school in the morning, and MBB off from work, to look for some home furnishings.

So after a fairly leisurely morning, we drove leisurely down to a furniture store nearby only to note a sign on the door indicating that in observance of Memorial Day they would open at 1 pm. It was 11 am. We figured this store felt a stronger sense of what Memorial Day is, and thought, "good for them!" Undeterred we continued on to another furniture store right nearby, which was also opening at 1 pm. Hmmm. Somewhat deterred I decided this would be a good time to introduce MBB to the wonder that is Home Goods.

I didn't look this up, but if I recall correctly, Home Goods started off as a small section inside TJ MAXX stores, until it was popular enough to spin off into its own entity. I may have just totally made that up, but it sounds good.

So as we looked around for a small table and accent piece for the foyer (not what we would have looked for at the furniture stores), Little-Miss-Cheese-Eater, who does not attend school, ate an apple, threw her apple after eating 3/4 of it, ate her bagel, threw her bagel (in the bag), requested the bagel back, and eventually threw it again (we had no cheese!).

We found a nice half moon table fairly quickly, and spent the rest of the time looking for nice piece to go on it. Just as we found what we were looking for the following announcement was made on the P.A. System:

"Attention Home Goods Shoppers. You must leave the store. This store is not supposed to be open until 1 pm."

As much as it ruined the mystique of the disembodied voice, we were just ten feet from the voice, very much embodied in the middle aged manager. I asked him if this was a Town Ordinance, and he said yes, a cop had just come by and told him he had to close. I asked if we could make our purchases and he said we should come back later to do so.

As I turned to talk to MBB, the line got longer, and suddenly the same manager called two more cashiers to the front. "So we are checking out?" I asked, quite excitedly. The cashier answered that they would help those online, but weren't letting anyone new into the store.

Lucky break for us. The pieces look great in the foyer.

This store is amazing.