An Actual Son-O-Hal Sighting

I have just two things to report on from the 'Life of Ragryph' files.

First, I made myself look like a complete idiot over the weekend by buying a new patio furniture set during a snow storm. Second, there has been an actual first hand sighting of Son-O-Hal.

As you know a freakish snowstorm hit this area over the weekend. We were punished with about 24 hours of continuous wet snow. After a few weeks of beautiful weather (sunshine, little rain, or even clouds, temps in the 70’s and 80’s) we get hit with this crap. The local weather men insisted on repeatedly reminding us that the average last snow fall each year is April 22nd; this storm hit on 4/23. Of course the underlying message in this statement was ‘come on folks it’s not my fault I only report the weather I don’t make it!’

I have needed a new patio set since I moved in my house two years ago. For the last month or so I have been planning and shopping to buy a set. Well everything came together this weekend, so in spite of the snow I went to make my purchase. One thing I didn’t think of was the packaging of such a product. I was buying 6 chairs and a table. I figured I’d be able to get all of it in my truck. This is after all why I bought the thing. Let me back up a bit.

I found what I wanted at Home Depot. My local store decided it would be a really good idea to cram about 12 different display models and all the under stock for these displays in a area about the size of my living room. So after finding what I was looking for, writing down the part numbers and locating the boxes on the shelf I went to retrieve a flat bed cart. I soon discovered that an empty cart could barely fit through the aisle. I struggled on my own (as there were apparently no employees working that morning) to get the box of chairs onto the cart. After taking a minute to catch my breath I fought to get the table box on as well. That’s when I finally looked around and realized I just trapped myself in a patio furniture prison. I had to stand on a chair in order to get back to the handle end of the flat bed. Finally an employee surfaced and he looked rather annoyed when I hollered at him from my prison cell to get a little help getting out. We had to move several display units out of the way for me to even move the cart.

Once my escape was secured I got out to my vehicle to realize it was now snowing harder than when I entered the store. With the tail gate open and the seats folded down I began the process of lifting the chair box into my vehicle. I was struggling to this by myself. Graciously some guy stopped to give me a hand. Once the box was in he chuckled and said ‘yeah, dude, that second box is not gonna fit in here.’ The chair box was almost the exact size of the inside of my VUE. So I sat in my vehicle with the table box leaning on the side of car, snow falling at a pretty steady pace, waiting for assistance to arrive. Right now the boxes are sitting in my garage untouched. After I recover from the indignity of that experience I will get the thing assembled.

Last night I had a personal sighting of Son-O-Hal. I am happy to report that he is still upright, among the living, and apparently still has all ten digits on his hands. Which leads me to question his lack of postings. As a side note he was having dinner with Wife-O-Hal, and Hal-Himself. I thought that Brother-O-Son-O-Hal would like to know that all appeared to be doing well.