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"I just want one"


Alpo

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Have you ever tried to buy 1 of something that is normally sold by the "many"?

 

I normally eat flour tortillas. I bought a package of corn tortillas one time, and I decided that they were nasty. Then I'm walking through a little shopping center one day and I pass a panaria. "Maybe they were nasty because they were store bought. Maybe fresh ones are better." So I go in the little bakery and I tell the lady that I would like one corn tortilla. "1 pound?" No ma'am. One tortilla. I explained to her why - that I just wish to see whether I like corn tortillas. She finally just gives me one. They were sold by the pound, and she could not figure out how much to charge me for one.

 

I did not like it either, so now I stick to flour.

 

I'm headed out to a job, and I discovered that I have misplaced my stud finder. I stopped in a hardware store and ask for 4d finishing nails. "How many you want? 1 lb? 5 lb?"  Just one. "One pound." No sir. One nail. I tap the wall until I find where I think the stud is, then gently tap a very thin smooth finishing nail through the sheetrock, hopefully into wood. The blinds I was going to hang will cover up the one or two extra extremely small holes.

 

Like the lady at the bakery, he gave it to me. One number 4 by 2" did not even cause his scale to wiggle, so he had no idea what to charge.

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38 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Have you ever tried to buy 1 of something that is normally sold by the "many"?

 

I normally eat flour tortillas. I bought a package of corn tortillas one time, and I decided that they were nasty. Then I'm walking through a little shopping center one day and I pass a panaria. "Maybe they were nasty because they were store bought. Maybe fresh ones are better." So I go in the little bakery and I tell the lady that I would like one corn tortilla. "1 pound?" No ma'am. One tortilla. I explained to her why - that I just wish to see whether I like corn tortillas. She finally just gives me one. They were sold by the pound, and she could not figure out how much to charge me for one.

 

I did not like it either, so now I stick to flour.

 

I'm headed out to a job, and I discovered that I have misplaced my stud finder. I stopped in a hardware store and ask for 4d finishing nails. "How many you want? 1 lb? 5 lb?"  Just one. "One pound." No sir. One nail. I tap the wall until I find where I think the stud is, then gently tap a very thin smooth finishing nail through the sheetrock, hopefully into wood. The blinds I was going to hang will cover up the one or two extra extremely small holes.

 

Like the lady at the bakery, he gave it to me. One number 4 by 2" did not even cause his scale to wiggle, so he had no idea what to charge.

I know some tightwads that would go to several places 315 times to get a pound of 4d nails for free.

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I had a cheapskate aunt who would buy a paint brush, use it, clean it, and return it to the store for a refund.  And she and her husband had more money than anyone else in the family.

 

 I made up my mind when I was a kid I would not be like that.

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You are a retail clerks dream ain’t ya? :lol::lol:

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I had a conversation with a lady and a clerk at Lowe’s regarding this very thing. I needed about 1/4 # of 2” carpentry screws. They only sold them in 1#pound or in 5# boxes. The lady needed 6 similar screws. The clerk sympathized but couldn’t help us. So, I bought 1#, gave the lady 8 screws and now that partial box sits in a box with nearly 2 dozen other partial boxes of screws and nails. 
 

 

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3 hours ago, Alpo said:

Have you ever tried to buy 1 of something that is normally sold by the "many"?

 

I normally eat flour tortillas. I bought a package of corn tortillas one time, and I decided that they were nasty. Then I'm walking through a little shopping center one day and I pass a panaria. "Maybe they were nasty because they were store bought. Maybe fresh ones are better." So I go in the little bakery and I tell the lady that I would like one corn tortilla. "1 pound?" No ma'am. One tortilla. I explained to her why - that I just wish to see whether I like corn tortillas. She finally just gives me one. They were sold by the pound, and she could not figure out how much to charge me for one.

 

I did not like it either, so now I stick to flour.

 

I'm headed out to a job, and I discovered that I have misplaced my stud finder. I stopped in a hardware store and ask for 4d finishing nails. "How many you want? 1 lb? 5 lb?"  Just one. "One pound." No sir. One nail. I tap the wall until I find where I think the stud is, then gently tap a very thin smooth finishing nail through the sheetrock, hopefully into wood. The blinds I was going to hang will cover up the one or two extra extremely small holes.

 

Like the lady at the bakery, he gave it to me. One number 4 by 2" did not even cause his scale to wiggle, so he had no idea what to charge.

If you ate those tortillas fresh out of the bag no wonder you gagged!   Put a little grease (Bacon preferably) in a skillet on medium heat and cook until you see it start to bubble or brown and then flip it.   Add eggs, sausage, or your favorite garnished with cilantro, peppers,  and lime.  I prefer corn to flour tortillas.

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I needed a certain screw. Went to Lowe’s and searched found they had ‘em in bubble packs of 4 for 60¢. The one pack with this size screw had been pilfered and only had 2. I took it to the register and said I wasn’t going to pay 60¢ for it. She sold to me for 30.

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I've been buying too many nails and screws for years.  I now have two shelves in the shop full of assorted nails and screws.  Of course, the exact size I need won't be there so I have to go buy another box.  

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That's just the way of the world for some reason. I suppose just cuz they can get it. Go buy a little individual can of say pork and beans or fruit cocktail, they cost MORE than a common can. Same with those little cans of soda. Makes no sense to me.

JHC

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2 hours ago, Alpo said:

Tortilla chips are both fried and salted.

 

Corn tortillas are neither.

 

Big taste difference.

 

Take a corn tortilla, toss it on a lit burner  (I almost wrote "toss it on a burner" but figured you would ask why toss it on a cold burner) for about 20 to 30 seconds a side. Hit with some butter, salt, and pepper.  Get something about half way between straight out of the bag and chips.  Right tasty.  
Pop 'em under a broiler, watch 'em like a hawk because they will go from Golden Brown and Delicious to carbon black in the blink of an eye.  Again, hit with some butter, salt, and pepper.

Or, of course, heat about an inch of oil in a pan to about 350 degrees F, slide one in, watch it puff up, let it brown, turn it over, let that side brown.  Pull out and drain on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt.  Or cut it into wedges before cooking in the oil.

Likewise flour tortillas benefit from heating, although I think they are a bit odd fried.  Tasty, but odd.

If you are eating them just out of the bag, cold and plain it is no wonder you don't like them.  Think of them as the Mexican version of "Brown & Serve" rolls.  

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3 hours ago, Alpo said:

Tortilla chips are both fried and salted.

 

Corn tortillas are neither.

 

Big taste difference.

That's why you soft fry them. Out of the bag I bet they are nasty.

JHC

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18 minutes ago, Capt. James H. Callahan said:

That's why you soft fry them. Out of the bag I bet they are nasty.

JHC

 

Straight out of the bag they are very bland and chew to an uncooked mush. In fact, you can take them from the bag, put them in a blender with a little water and basically get back the masa dough which you can use to make tortillas.  Or use it to line a pan to make something like a tamale pie.  Yes, I have done that.  

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4 hours ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said:

I've been buying too many nails and screws for years.  I now have two shelves in the shop full of assorted nails and screws.  Of course, the exact size I need won't be there so I have to go buy another box.  

I'm the same way. If I know that I need four screws for a project, and I only buy four, I'l lose, bend, or booger one of them.:wacko: If I buy five or six, I do not. :blink:

And of course if I need one of the extras later, I won't be able to find one and so will start the whole process again. And then find the ones I already had.:blush:

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5 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Straight out of the bag they are very bland and chew to an uncooked mush. In fact, you can take them from the bag, put them in a blender with a little water and basically get back the masa dough which you can use to make tortillas.  Or use it to line a pan to make something like a tamale pie.  Yes, I have done that.  

Put a little butter on them and throw 'em in a skillet, flip 'em when they bubble up a mite, whole 'nother ball game! Yum Yum Eatemup.

JHC

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17 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I had a conversation with a lady and a clerk at Lowe’s regarding this very thing. I needed about 1/4 # of 2” carpentry screws. They only sold them in 1#pound or in 5# boxes. The lady needed 6 similar screws. The clerk sympathized but couldn’t help us. So, I bought 1#, gave the lady 8 screws and now that partial box sits in a box with nearly 2 dozen other partial boxes of screws and nails. 
 

 

 

You need more small projects, Pat.  

 

My Dad was a hardware/fastener squirrel.  He had boxes and boxes of nails, screws, bolts, washers, nuts and miscellaneous hardware, all tumbled together.  My job, as the kid that needed to be kept out of Dad's hair in the shop, was to find what he needed for any project.  He'd give me a sample, and tell me to find 12 more.  Spent hours picking through the jumble.  But I learned the names, the uses, and the measurements; learned to use a thread gauge and a scale.

 

Most importantly, I learned about parts cabinets.  I don't have any loose fasteners in my shop.  Everything is in plastic drawer cabinets, labelled, and easily found.  The extra work is worth it.  I don't have a kid at home to search through boxes of loose screws.

 

LL

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I have a story to relate... somehow this thread brings it to mind. 
 

back in the early 70s I was working on my PhD, my adviser was Ed (I am also an Ed, two Eds are better than one, but I digress), next was his friend Al. Time went on, I got my degree and had occasion to visit Ed and Al from time to time. Ed got divorced, etc.

so it came to pass that Ed had health problems and passed on. Having been Professor Emeritus there was a gathering for his memorial and Al delivered an inspiring eulogy. Al had the dubious responsibility of going through Ed’s things an sorting them out.  Now both of these guys, Professors, had spent their lives doing things with computers, Artificial Intelligence it was called. 
 

so Al related how everywhere he looked in Ed’s house he found hammers. It seems that whenever Ed has to fix something he bought another hammer.

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34 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

. It seems that whenever Ed has to fix something he bought another hammer.


One can never have enough hammers. 

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When I had my own construction company, I bought drywall screws, roofing tacks and nails by the 50 lb box.  That ended in 2001 when I was promoted to Chief of Police at my former agency.  

 

I built four shelves to store stuff on in my basement yesterday.  I used screws out of the last 50 pounds I bought in 2001.  I still have 5 or so pounds left.  

 

I have no problem buying common fasteners in bulk.    

 

BTW, I like corn tortillas toasted for tacos, and for enchiladas.  For everything else, it's flour tortillas.  

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I can honestly say I’ve never had to buy just one nail or screw. I have so much around here that I can always find something if not exactly then close enough!!

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A lot of what has been disclosed here could likely be described as elder abuse if someone wanted to go to the trouble.  How many senior citizens need more than a nail or two, or huge quantities, amounts, or weights of most things.  For instance, Whatinhell would I do with a pint of stuffed olives....but that is often the smallest size on any shelf.

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41 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

A lot of what has been disclosed here could likely be described as elder abuse if someone wanted to go to the trouble.  How many senior citizens need more than a nail or two, or huge quantities, amounts, or weights of most things.  For instance, Whatinhell would I do with a pint of stuffed olives....but that is often the smallest size on any shelf.

 

Perfect for martinis.....a lot of martinis.  Or egg salad.

 

LL

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10 hours ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

With enough money and a big enough hammer, you can fix anything.

If'n  you  can't  fix it  with  a  hammer ,  you  have  an  electrical  problem . 

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On 5/6/2020 at 2:56 PM, Capt. James H. Callahan said:

That's just the way of the world for some reason. I suppose just cuz they can get it. Go buy a little individual can of say pork and beans or fruit cocktail, they cost MORE than a common can. Same with those little cans of soda. Makes no sense to me.

JHC

Packaging cost and the Law of SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

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