Our beloved cedar-sided home is beginning to show its age. Although it has heroically withstood northern Michigan winters, woodpeckers, and seasonal rains for the past thirty years, it, like its owners, needs a bit of loving attention and extra care these days.

Of course, my husband is determined to complete each and any repair by himself.

After spending all morning replacing damaged boards on our deck yesterday, Larry asked me if I would like to accompany him to Lowe's to purchase ice and water shield for repair work needed to be done on our sliding deck doors.

Before leaving home, he went online to determine where in the store we could find the needed product, so we wouldn’t waste any time.

“LW21 is where we need to go, Di. This won't take long.  I promise."

Cart at the ready, I followed him inside the store.

After ten minutes, we still hadn’t located “LW21” although Lar was convinced we were headed in the right direction.

“Let’s just ask someone,” I suggested.

“Nah. This is an adventure.  We can find it.”

Another five minutes elapsed, and while I was enjoying the passing scenery of cedar boards, flashing, and roofing materials, my enthusiasm was waning… just a bit.

“I’m going to head to the garden center, and when you find your materials, just call me…okay?”

Twenty minutes later, I had yet to hear from Lar, but with two plants and a rug securely placed in my shopping cart, I meandered back to where I had last seen him, at the back of the store.

On my way, I ran into Ellen, a sales associate at Lowe’s, and the mother of one of my dearest former students. We chatted for a few moments, and I asked her if she knew where "LW21" might be located.

“No idea. Sounds like it might be an end cap.  But just ask one of the clerks in the building department.”

I laughed and shook my head exclaiming, “Ellen!  You don’t understand! That would be too easy!”

Just then, Lar appeared. 

No luck.  Not happy.  Ready to go home.

We headed to the checkout lane with my three items, and the salesclerk inquired if we had found everything we were hoping to find.

“No!” we replied in unison.

Lar reluctantly explained to her our dilemma, and she said that she would call an associate.

Within a few moments, “Joe” was on the phone. Their conversation was exceedingly brief, punctuated by a great deal of laughter. The salesclerk hung up and told us, “LW21 means 'Left Wall - Bay 21!' Joe's on his way!"

Joe hailed us, and Lar and he were off to procure the ice and weather shield with me and my cart not too far behind.

Yup.
 
There was the weather shield.  No fewer than ten boxes.  All on the “left side” of the store's wall.

We must have passed by them no fewer than a dozen times.

As Lar muscled the heavy box into my cart, I cheekily inquired of Joe, “So… the garden center must be “RW,” correct?"

“Yes, ma’am,” Joe replied. “Right Wall.”

“And that would mean that my friend, Ellen, is working in the area along the “BW?”

“Yes, ma’am. “Back Wall.”

“Lowe’s has quite the location system," I laughingly offered, relieved that the mystery was now solved, and we would soon be on our way home.

When we returned to the checkout associate, I couldn’t resist suggesting that the clerk phone Ellen and tell her that the Trueloves had located the infamous "LW21" and the needed weather shield.

She did.

She even let me speak on the phone with Ellen… just to make certain Ellen’s day was complete.

Purchases now finalized and plants and rug securely bagged, Lar and I were just about to leave when the sales associate remarked, “You two are a lot of fun! We love to help folks like you.”

“Well, thank you,” I replied.  “And now we are leaving.  Through the doors in the FW…Front Wall!"

"Front wall it is! Come back again soon!"

"Oh!  I'm sure we will, and next time we may even know what we are looking for and where it is located!"
 

 <<<~~~>>>

Once settled in our Jeep, my best friend turned to me and quietly asked, "By any chance would you like to go to Menard's?"

"You have got to be joking," I exclaimed. 

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe they have a different system we could unravel!"

"Home, husband!  Home!"