One little, Two little, Three little items...

So there we were, my darlin' and I, checking out at Walmart. As we approached the checkout lane with the bookcase we were purchasing we noticed the 20 items or less sign. Now, while the bookcase was heavy enough and big enough to qualify as more than 20 items it was still really only one item after all it was only one box wasn't it?

In front of us stood this woman with her cart overflowing with what was obviously more than 20 items. Since this was an obvious and flagrant violation of the "20 Items Rule" I decided to, in my most curmudgeonly way, point this out. One good breach of Walmart etiquette deserves another, so I decided to count out loud the number of items that she was removing from the cart. "One, Two, Three..." I counted. Meanwhile my darlin', feeling embarassed, tried to distract me with small talk. "Say did you hear that Jerry Springer will be moderating the next debate between McCain and Obama" she asked. "Eight, Nine, Ten..." "You know I was thinking that we should get a pet armadillo for the cats to play with" "Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-one..." "Hey, how about antelope steaks for dinner?" "Thirty-five, Thirty-six, Thirty-seven..."

Well, to make a long story short, I am sure I annoyed the woman who cared little for the "20 Items or Less" sign (or the line of people that she was backing up). She left without acknowledging my childish antics. My hope is that she will remember the incident the next time she braves a trip to Walmart, and while she probably will still ignore the "20 Items or Less" sign, perhaps she will look over her shoulder to see if I am lurking in the shadows.