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When Babba needs a new pair of shoes for work it is a quest. About a year ago one of my "Faded Glory" Wal-Mart cheapie work shoes went missing. I think it got thrown into the laundry with all the dirty scrubs no one ever puts in the bin. My mind turned to my co-worker, who had been hobbling around on one leg after a motorcycle accident... Naturally he came under suspicion.

After years of looking, my favorite shoes made a return to the " Big Box Store". However, after returning three pairs I'm unable to rekindle the bliss that was my prior work shoes. For the last year I have been wearing an old pair of New Balance sneakers that are so worn out that when I step in blood I can tell what type it is.

This is all leading up to my account of my weekly Saturday morning trip to Wally's to return the shoes. Usually it's a quick, no hassle transaction that results in $21 cash in my hand. This morning I happened to get the assistant store manager. First she acts like returning a purchase is something unusual. Then she calls about three other people on her head-set to ask for advice. Then she examines the shoes for a couple of minutes. I told her I only wore them a few hours at home. (Really, I wore them four hours at work with shoe covers on.) All three pairs of shoes felt great for four hours before turning into the "Iron Maiden" of footwear. Eventually the manager starts pecking at her register and stops to call another associate to see if she can give me cash or does she have to credit my Visa card. Unlike the usual schlep help she is unable to give me cash back and has to credit my card. It's been about 15 minutes by now, but finally the transaction is complete. Why is that everywhere I go, including where I work, the bosses are dumber and more inept than the staff? I sense an epidemic of managers that lead from the rear. They are wholly inadequate to do the job they are supervising. This leads to a lack of respect for management. Where I am I'm surrounded by managers that are "all hat and no cattle". Their major qualification is their ability to spout the company line. Next time I return my shoes at Wally's and see a management type behind the service desk, I'll keep walking in my cheap shoes.

Just another tid -bit: At a state licensed day care facility they fed the kids windshield -wiper fluid thinking it was Kool-Aid. This has the bacon-y stink of management all over it.