I Have Been Distracted By A HORSE ON FIRE By This

leifvignirson mentioned that he had met a wonderful new person who was chok full of the Lord. Positively brimming if you will. So, today, on Nail 'Em Up Friday, I bring you this anecdote of my father.

As I have mentioned before, my parents owned a pet store once upon a time. We sold only turtles and tropical fish because we didn't have enough room for mammals, non-chelanoid reptiles are a pain in the ass, and my mother (who is otherwise saintly without an iota of anger in her) despises birds of any feather.

My father is at least as intelligent and devious as I am. If he doesn't exceed me, he is definitely more experienced at being so. To this end, he came up with some very cunning pricing for regularly purchased items.

For example, a dozen feeder goldfish, an ounce of tubifex worms (or brine shrimp), and a replacement charcoal filter, plus sales tax, added up to $6.66.  Also, multiples of some of these items also yielded a total of $6.66.  There were all kinds of these pricing landmines scattered around the store.

Why would he do this?  

Because the San Lorenzo Valley had eight churches within a mile radius, plus the Mormon retreat at Mt. Hermon that was within walking distance of the store.  No good superstitious Christian would pay that total.  Luckily, the counter had many high mark-up but somewhat cheap items within easing grabbing distance for adding to the purchase.

He never admitted to this of course, but ten years of running the cash register caused me to notice some patterns.  I also couldn't help but notice his smirk whn people would make a devil-warding impulse buy.

There were some other regular purchases that always added up to $13.13 as I recall too.  The Japanese imported stuff, normally purchased by the Nipponophiles, came out to $4 or $44.44.  Have to take care of the non-Christian superstitious too.