The self checkout at my Harris Teeter has 12 machines and only about 5 of them ever work right. I keep thinking I'm gaming the system and then I stand there like a fool waiting for the blinking red light while some guy with a full cart sails through the regular lane. Last time the screen froze on me mid banana and the poor clerk had to type in a code twice. Meanwhile the lady who got in line after me was already out the door loading her trunk. I still pick self checkout every time though, so maybe I'm just stubborn.

Glad you listened, snowdrifts up there are no joke.

That whole power strip setup thing got me because I did the same at a diner near my old place, fought for the booth by the door every single Sunday for like a year. Turned out the good booth was the one tucked behind the pie case where nobody sat, and it had a little lamp plus the waitress refilled your cup without asking. I only found it because my usual spot got taken by a soccer team one morning. Sat in the back out of spite and never went back to the door booth again. Eight months is nothing, I beat you by four.