Add the Ladder to the List

I heard loud and clear from you all that I absolutely need to get a ladder.  Well it hasn't happened yet.  This is mostly because I've been so busy buying other things for my house.  At this point it feels like a rushing river of monetary outflows.  Why is it that every project I tackle or home maintenance item I buy always serves to point out to me the other things I haven't bought yet that are absolutely necessary.

I bought a push reel lawn mower, put it together, and mowed the lawn.  Excellent.  Job well done.  The shopping list that resulted from this was 1) wrench 2) weed whacker and 3) leaf blower.  This seems to be entirely typical.  One step forward, 3 new "to buy"s.

I have also discovered that I hate Home Depot. [long rant follows]  I went to buy a nice Weber gas grill.  When I finally got someone to help me, I was told it was out of stock.  'Ok, I so what now?' I asked.  Well it seems the computer says it will be in stock in few days, but apparently it might not really be in stock in a few days, and if I still want it I can call them in next week and find out if it really came in.  Seriously?  So like an idiot I actually do this.  (mostly because I had a gift certificate to use and because I don't know how to drive from the home depot to Lowe's) 

After some frustrations, I go back, buy the grill, ask for assembly and delivery.  It takes a ridiculously long time to negotiate a delivery date that anyone agrees will really happen.  So I'm thrilled when it shows up on time.  Sadly my assembled grill doesn't actually work on arrival.  I have to spend my time trying to troubleshoot it, which mostly defeats the purpose of having them assemble it. Home Depot said they would be happy to take it back if I could transport the fully assembled grill to the store.  Yeah right.  Luckily my friend Al said "maybe there's something wrong with the battery".  At the time I thought 'what battery?  isn't this a GAS grill?'.  But then I had my eye out for a battery.  And they had put it in upside down.  That is all to say that Home Depot sucks, and Al is a genius.