Dan... the UPS Man

Good morning... What can I get for you?

Let's do a little happy customer story today. I promise... no drinking stories. This one is about some customers that mean a great deal to me to this day.

So, my first store was inside of a Haggen's grocery store. It was a busy place... Oh, store #351 since you're wondering. As you know, UPS occasionally had deliveries for us. On one of the first deliveries we got, it was delivered by Dan... the UPS Man. He was one of the drivers that had ALOT of personality... and he was always making jokes. Like making his own handwritten coupons. They were usually horribly written with misspellings and backwards letters... for full effect. He became to regular on his way to work. Not only did he come in, but his wife and two daughters (who all worked in the Haggens) were regulars. We all became friends, even outside of work.

Now Dan... the UPS Man's wife and I got to talking:

DtUPSMW: So, do you have family here in town?
Pat: Naw... I came up here for school, so it's just me... I don't see my family much.
DtUPSMW: Well, you need some family up here. Why don't you come over for "Taco" night tonite?
Pat: Geeze, that would be great! (I wasn't much of a cook at the time... in fact, I ate alot of butterhorns to avoid cooking)
DtUPSMW: Alright... here's where we live... be there at 5:00 for beers cuz dinner is at 6:00

That was the start of it all... Taco night, hamburger night, Pizza night... I ended up being there alot when I wasn't working. I got to know the Dan the UPS Man family quite well. They were/are your American Pie family. They became known as "Mom" and "Dad". Now I came from one of those 1970's, Dad was a truck driver, Mom was a hairdresser, CB using, divorced families... so it was nice to have normal. They had me over for hot-tubbing, to hang out, to help them with heavy-lifting, waterskiing at the lake. They were the family I never had and I was the son they never had.

I still talk to Dan the UPS Man every once in a while... I sent him this post as a matter of fact. He still asks me why they won't accept his Starbucks coupons at #351.

If you're reading this store #351... give Dan the UPS Man his drink today... take his coupon... I've got it covered.

See you tomorrow for your usual...

Pat Nerr...