Alpha Beta

Telephone conversation with 'the Irma':

Irma: Hi, I was just thinking about you so I thought I'd call. It's such nice weather outside. It's 75 degrees, and your dad left to go to Chicago for RSNA, and it's supposed to be really cold there. Huge storms this weekend. So I've just been out in the yard, and am going to relax and read the paper. You'll never guess who we saw the other day at Alpha Beta.

A-L: Alpha Beta closed in 1983. And then it became Lucky's, and then Ralphs, and now it's Albertsons, I think.

Irma: Well, you'll never guess who we saw at Alpha Beta. Never! Nancy. We saw Nancy.

A-L: I know 133 people named Nancy, none of whom have been to Alpha Beta since in closed in 1983. Which one did you see?

Irma: Nancy Meher. We stood and talked to her at the front of the store. And then we saw Marcia Larsson. Do you remember her? The tall blonde lady from church?

A-L: Was she also sucked back in time to 1983 for a quick trip to Alpha Beta to pick up a case of Tab?

Irma: You know Marcia, the tall blonde lady.

A-L: Uh huh.

Irma: And then we went around the corner to the Salvation Army thrift store because your dad wanted to buy a purse to carry some tools in. He needed something small and thought an old purse would do the trick. He ended up buying a shaving kit from Rite Aid and using that, but everything in the Salvation Army was 50% off and they even gave us a senior citizen discount on the cookie plate that I bought.

A-L: Do you get a commission for dropping store names into conversation?

Irma: Isn't that funny that we got 50% off AND a senior discount?

A-L: Yes, that's the funniest part of this entire story.