Everything for every day
It was a typical Monday morning in the busy Thompson household. Jen and Mike were frantically getting ready for work, while their two kids, Lucy (11) and Ethan (8), scrambled around the house, gathering schoolbooks, sports gear, and lunches while also playing with Scruffy, their excitable dog. What they didn’t know yet was that this was going to be the week when they were out of some everyday thing, every day.
Monday
It all started innocently enough first thing on Monday. Ethan had somehow managed to have no undies that weren’t ripped or the elastic stretched. “Wear these ones today, and we’ll pop down to the Albany Mega Centre after school,” Jen said with a grin. Later that afternoon Jen took the kids down to The Warehouse for a multipack of briefs, a pair of boxer shorts and even some new sports socks. What she didn’t know was this was just the start of a week of it.
Tuesday
Tuesday rolled around, and as Jen was rushing out the door, she opened her makeup bag and found it nearly empty. “No foundation? No mascara?” she exclaimed. No doubt it had something to do with Lucy. Mike, trying to be helpful, suggested they pop back to Albany Mega Centre later that day. Sure enough, they were back at The Warehouse that evening. Jen browsed through the makeup aisle while the kids found treats and a new chew toy for Scruffy at Animates. Crisis averted.
Wednesday
By Wednesday, they thought they were in the clear; until Lucy came home from school with an urgent baking assignment for the next day. “Mum, we need to make cupcakes for the class, and I promised mine would have the best decorations.” Jen doesn’t bake. “Sure, we can do that,” she said, hesitantly until she checked the kitchen cupboards and realised they had no cupcake tins or mixing bowls. “Good thing Albany Mega is only a 10-minute drive,” she said. They found everything they needed in Briscoes – cupcake tins, mixing bowls and even some fancy icing tubes. They were ready for some serious baking.
Thursday
As Mike kicked the soccer ball around with his son, Ethan said, “Can you help me with my Star Wars project tonight, Dad? I need to make a papier mâché R2D2. Mike soon realised they didn’t have any of the materials they needed. “Luckily Albany Mega is open late tonight!” he said, grabbing his car keys. At Look Sharp Store they found everything they needed – and a whole lot more. It was a late night but both Mike and Ethan were very pleased with how R2 came out.
Friday
Friday evening arrived, and the family was ready for a movie night. Everything was going smoothly until the remote control stopped working. Mike’s face fell. “Please don’t tell me we’re out of batteries?" “Looks like it,” Jen said with a chuckle. “And I guess we know where to go.” At this point, they could probably navigate Albany Mega Centre with their eyes closed. They quickly found a multi-pack of batteries, and a few other essentials, at Warehouse Stationery.
Saturday
Saturday rolled around, and it was time to tackle the kids’ overflowing rooms. Mike had had enough. “We need storage bins,” he announced, looking at the chaotic pile of toys and books. “You know where we’re going, right?” Jen said with a smirk. Back to Albany Mega Centre they went. The variety at Storage Box was impressive, and within half an hour, they had everything from under-the-bed storage bins to colourful baskets for the kids’ art supplies.
Sunday
Sunday morning dawned, and for the first time in a week, they had no urgent tasks, no missing essentials, no crises. Jen and Mike sat down with their coffee, looking over the receipts from the past week. “Have we seriously been to Albany Mega Centre every day this week?” Jen asked, half-laughing. “I think we have,” Mike said, shaking his head. “But, you know what? It’s been pretty convenient. We’ve never had to search around for what we needed – everything was right there.”
“Yeah,” Jen said, “Honestly, I don’t know what we’d have done without it this week but we should probably stop running out of things though…” Mike raised his coffee mug. “Here’s to being better prepared next week.”
Deep down, they both knew that when everyday life happened – as it always did – they’d be back at Albany Mega Centre, their trusty one-stop shop for everyday things.