For Christmas my brother got me a number of cooking implements that, while nice, I already owned.  One of them was a “meat tenderizer” that more accurately was a home entry deterent based on its mace-like size and faces.  In fact, if my atlatl failed me during a home invasion, this tool would be my back-up.  Anyway, I bringing it into Macy’s and after saying I want to make a return, I lift the tenderizer out of the bag quickly and raise it above my head in a somewhat grand gesture to which the store clerk flinches and recoils in fear/awe.  He then asks if I’d like to make an exchange and I indicate I’m looking for a 10″ offset spatula.  We go to the kitchen tools department and I see a display of these protein-toughness banishers and other feudalesque mockeries of kitchen implements with a sign above it that says “Housewares”.  I want to break in a replace the sign with “Armory”.

I’m trying to make shirts for a Christmas gift for my fathering involving Iron On decals.  In a flash of insight I decided a flat constant heat panini maker might work.  So, I ventured to Macy’s which had a panini maker on sale and began looking for a sandwich maker with a flat surface.  As I looked around, a sales attendent asked me what I was looking for and I told her a panini maker with even heating and before I could say “and a flat surface” she launched in a detailed analysis of each proposing I purchase this one.  I said I need a flat one and she looked at me and recommended a non-flat one, this happened a few more times until she finally asked why I needed a flat one and said plainly “Some people use panini makers to make t-shirts, not just sandwiches”, and she looked blankly as I walked away self-righteously.