Gary Smith
Special to the Record
May 10, 2008 08:08 pm
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I have worn the same sweatshirt on camping trips since 1995. I remember exactly when I purchased this favorite sweatshirt. Daniel and I have camped in the same tent since 1997.
In anticipation of this weekend’s long-awaited Church Camping Trip at Canyon Lake (53 gathered at the camp this weekend!), I have been camping IN Cabela’s for the past few weeks during the evenings.
It all started two weeks ago when I decided to go to Cabela’s to get replacement tent poles for my tent. The shock cords broke on two of my tent poles a couple of years back and I kept intending to replace the poles.
I went upstairs to the tent section and met Vernon. I told him I wanted to buy replacement poles for my tent. I had the length of the poles with me. Vernon told me that you have to order such poles from the company that made my tent. He asked what brand of tent I owned. I told him I only use the tent once or twice a year and could not recall the tent name; I had received it as a gift and never picked it out. Had I shopped and selected it, I might recall the name of the tent. Vernon was nice and did not chuckle at me.
I told him I did not have time to order the replacement poles as this church camping trip was coming up quickly. He then told me to bring back the poles and that he had shock rope and he could replace the shock rope himself. The shock ropes hold the poles together and allow you to fold up the poles for backpacking up into the mountains.
I took the poles to Cabela’s the next evening. Vernon was at a Cabela’s manager’s meeting in San Antonio. So I explained to his staff in the tent section of how Vernon said he could replace the shock ropes and make my tent poles as good as new. No one there knew how to do it. But we all tried anyway. The staff was excellent but Vernon was the guy with the experience. An hour later and near closing time, I told them I would leave the poles and just let Vernon replace the poles when he came to work.
Wednesday evening I drove to Cabela’s again to pick up my tent poles. Vernon was there and while he was finishing up threading the shock cords through my tent poles, I watched.
Nearing closing time, Vernon gave me the newly corded tent poles and told me there was no charge since I had to return a couple of times for the tent poles. I thanked him and headed downstairs.
I really wanted a new open reel fishing rod and had my eye on an inexpensive one. I went to the fishing department, made my final selection, bought the $25 open-reel fishing rod.
Thursday afternoon I was packing the Ranchero for the camping trip and could not find the tent poles. I searched the house and garage and camping tubs through and through. No tent poles.
then I got ill. I realized I could not remember walking out of Cabela’s with the newly-roped tent poles.
I sped to Cabela’s as it neared closing time. I ran into the store and saw Vernon downstairs. He said, “Hi Gary.” He knew my name by now. He asked how the tent poles were doing.
I told him I lost the tent poles. He just looked at me.
I told him I was so excited on Wednesday evening about buying a new fishing rod that I think I left my tent poles either in the fishing department or in a cart. He put his arm around me and said, “Been there, man. Know what you mean.” He went on to tell me about his new fishing reel.
He went over the intercom and put out an alert to all employees to be on the look out for some tent poles.
A staff member walked up and said he had seen them on Thursday in his department…the fishing department. But we could not find them. Vernon left and went to the front of the store.
He came back grinning from ear to ear. Employees clapped. He had MY poles in his hand, having found them in a bin with extra equipment. But he said, “There is a problem. One of the metal sleeves came off one end of one of the poles. Unusable without the metal sleeve. He told me had four extra ones upstairs.
He came back with the sleeves but none of the four metal sleeves fit. About a millimeter off in inside diameter. Close but no fit. He told me to take them and use sandpaper to reduce the pole end size until the sleeve fit.
I really wanted to make sure that sleeve was not in the store in some drawer. It was near closing time. I asked him if he would look one more time in the bin. He said he would and told me I could not come behind the counter.
He was down on his knees taking out all kinds of boxes and equipment, looking for a small two-inch long metal sleeve just to please a customer.
He peered into a shoe box and there it was. Neither of us could believe it. He found the sleeve. He told me to use two-step epoxy glue to glue the sleeve to the pole, saying it would take 24 hours to dry. I told him I did not have time. He said, “Well, don’t lose it.” I used duct tape.
We shook hands and I got home late again that night. Pam, my wife, is beginning to get suspicious of what is going on at Cabela’s. I have never given her any reason to be suspicious or jealous in our 32 years of marriage until this Cabela fling came along.
When I put up my tent on Friday, I studied the brochure closely this time for details. It is a Quest tent. 24 lbs, 13 ounces. 78 inches high at peak. 80 square feet of space. Sleeps five. 11 millimeter tent poles. Now I know its name.
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