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Speak Up

It's not exactly news, but it's reassuring to realize, in these times of looming economic crisis - and with the Christmas shopping season about to swing into high gear - that you still have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat my bride to a bargain.

Let me explain.

Debbie had some business to do at Covey Basics last Friday, picking up some office supplies and such. Well, she does more than feed the dogs at work, you know!

Anyway, since it was on her route anyway, she picked me up at work and we went together. She picked up the stuff she needed and gravitated over to the bargain table: Everything on this table, half the ticketed price. Debbie wasn't long spying a couple of computer bags that would be perfect for Kenny's recently purchased laptop and the one her mom recently handed down to her: Canadian brand name, lots of pockets, solid construction, and best of all, marked $13.99 each.

One catch: the special was on Saturday only.

Thinking it couldn't hurt to at least inquire, I asked the girl at the cash: "You couldn't sell us those two bags at Saturday prices tonight, could you?"

"Sorry," she said pleasantly.

We'd have to come back tomorrow.

"That's OK," said Debbie. "We'll get up early, we can come by here and you can take me to breakfast."

"See you tomorrow," said the girl sweetly as she rang through Debbie's other items.

I was going to ask them - there were two working - how they take their coffee. I didn't.

Good thing.

Marley was up, as usual, at 7 a.m., but the covers called me back after we returned from the park. It was 9:30 before I moved again and 10 a.m. before we were road-worthy.

I suggested the Rogue for breakfast - we could catch up to Shannon and find out if she needed a bag too - and then to Covey's for the deal of the day.

"No dear," Debbie insisted. "They'll be gone by then. We've got to get right up there."

I reminded her again that, just because we had seen them and thought they were a good deal doesn't mean they'd be gone.

How much demand is there out there for a computer bag that doesn't come with laptop enclosed?

I reminded her that she fretted that all of the Barbie's Dream Doll Houses that were on sale at Toys 'R' Us a couple of weeks ago would be gone before we could get there too, and we got the last one at 1:30 in the afternoon. (Shhhh! Don't tell Caylen).

So I assured her, there was probably lots of time.

But of course, Marley and me are mere passengers in the Bargain Express. So the first stop was indeed Covey's, and the bargain table therein. Where there was not a computer bag to be found.

"See? I told you!" she said. "I knew they'd be gone!"

"Well, at least you can say you were right, dear," I replied.

She had already figured that out, but it was small consolation at that point.

The computer at the cash indicated that, once upon a time, there were six on hand. Four had been sold. The other two were missing in action.

"I can check and see if we're getting more in," said the girl. "I can take your name and number and call you if we do."

Deal.

We had no sooner got back in the car - kicking Marley out of my passenger seat and into the back where she belonged - than the girl came running waving a bag.

"We found one of them!" she called.

By the time we got back in the store, they had dug up the second one too.

Life - and breakfast - was good.

Bill Hunt is a staff writer at The Daily Gleaner. He can be reached at huntsie@hotmail.com