CAMPING: PART TWO

Sarah and I decided that instead of twiddling our thumbs waiting for the rest of the gang to get there, we were going to try to assemble the new tent. It would give us something to do, and Jeff would be impressed that I was able to set up our humble abode without him. So we dragged the tent out of the car, opened up the packaging, and this is what I found:









I know, I know. Of course, the tent was going to be much larger and it would accommodate everything we needed it to, but don't you think it's a little funny that something Jeff and I were going to live in for the next two nights looked like it could fit in my dresser drawer?

Moving on. I am a firm believer of reading directions, so the super smart people at Coleman have the assembly instructions sewn into the carrying case. Awesome. I remove pieces as I read off the list. It says: Three long supporting poles (black). I reach in and grab one pole. So far so good. Out comes another pole..but this one is thinner and gray. I read further. This is the pole for the awning. Fine. That is until we realize that there are no more poles in the bag. We are short two supporting poles which camper or no camper, I know that's going to be a HUGE problem!!

I don't know whether to freak out or laugh hysterically. Considering I wasn't hurt, nor was I in any danger, the situation proved to be quite comical and I burst out laughing. Sarah on the other hand was rather cross, and immediately called customer service, as if they would be able to do something. After five minutes on hold, she is greeted by a poor man who gets paid to listen to irate customers complain to him about things he has absolutely no control over. She explains our plight, and I laugh even louder when I hear him say "Excuse me ma'am, did you just say you have no poles?" Rolling her eyes, Sarah hands me the phone and I confirmed that there were no supporting poles in the tent kit.

He sighs and is clearly very confused. He asks if I purchased the tent...I informed him that I stole it and then immediately apologized for my sarcasm and said "Yes, we just bought it". So he says what I expected him to say. "Return it to the store and get another one. That's all I can do for you, ma'am". To which I respond, "Are you sure you can't just send someone over here to assemble this one for us?" It took about five seconds before he realized that I was kidding and started to chuckle. After offering us some sort of coupon, I got off the phone with him, called Jeff and told him that he had to grab the receipt, go back to Walmart and trade in the tent.

OK, so I almost dropped the phone when Jeff says "I'm not sure where the receipt is". WHAT!! This is a man that has kept a receipt for a Twix candy bar I ate three years ago!! And he doesn't know where he put the receipt for the tent?!!! For crying out loud!! ANYHOO, we decide to just buy another tent and just exchange them. To make a super long story short (I fear there is going to be a part three to this camping story, and I apologize for being long winded and dramatic, but if I can't have fun writing blogs, what's the point?), the tent worked out fine in the end............................

-T