"Please, Ma'am, Can I Have Some Produce?"

I went to Farmer Joe's. Twice. Three times today if you count Little Joe's on 35th.

I showed up at FJ's on Fruitvale at about 10:30 am, and talked to a very nice cashier. He told me the manager wasn't there, but was probably over at the other location on 35th. I said thank you, and he urged me to write down my name, question, and phone number on a blank piece of cash register tape. I knew the phone call would never take place so...

I headed over to Little Joe's. I asked one of the not-so-busy tellers where the manager was, and she pointed wordlessly around the corner to a man stocking shelves. We had a pleasant conversation, and I could see immediately why he's a manager: he talked a lot, and said the same thing over and over. Basically, he told me that I could see the Fruitvale manager, Felix, but I should hold out for Diane, the owner. And she was due back at the Fruitvale location at 4 pm that day.

So I went back at 3. I sat in my car listening to CNN for an hour, and then finally went in. By this time, I had given up. I really gave up after I saw that all the cashiers were busy, including the young man I had talked to in the morning. So, I decided to buy the WCRC a gift card myself. After I asked one cashier if they sold gift cards (she said yes), I shopped, bought some organic chuck roast and a few other items, and then got back in line. I asked her for a gift card, and she looked stricken. She talked briefly and quietly to the other young teller, and he told me that the manager wasn't in. The manager is the only one who can go into the safe, he said.

I had to laugh. That's how I find the manager. If I still have any nerve left, I'll try again tomorrow morning.