Whoever answers the email for Safeway/Dominick’s has got to be one of the most maddenly moronic people on the face of planet.
I replied that I would like to see the policy.
I receive an answer (some two days later) about military IDs and how all you really need is a picture, an expiration date, physical description and a birthdate. Huh. That’s funny, because that’s what I had.

Whatever. I’m done with these idiots. I’m satisfied that they have no idea what they’re talking about.

I’m still waiting for my license. My temporary one has expired. I am doomed to drive in fear of being pulled over and also doomed to not play trivia on Sundays. Maybe my Passport needs to be over-nighted to my house so that I can at least do that.

Class today. In a funk. Put some of my clothes on hangers. Room still a disaster, but now I don’t really know why.

Tired. Rainy. Ate a turkey sandwich. Drinking tea.
Class. Hamlet. I read Macbeth instead.
Life is like that.

Dear Ms. Barry:

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the alcohol policy at your local Dominick’s store.

Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention. We apologize that you were inconvenienced by our policy. Communication with our customers like you enables our continued improvement.

Please realize that our policy is in no way a reflection on you our valued customer. We continue to focus on partnering with our communities and local law enforcement to ensure that alcohol is not made available to underage purchasers. Our policies regarding identification are not meant to inconvenience a select group of our customers, but to make every effort to protect all of our customers, communities, and associates (who are personally liable for alcohol sales.)

You also expressed your concern regarding the quality of customer service provided by one of our associates at the checkstand in this regard as well as the checkout lanes at the store. We are sorry to hear that we are not meeting your expectations. It is not our intention to upset our valued customers, but to provide them with excellent customer service.

Your comments are important to us and have been forwarded to the Retail Operations Department as well as the Store Manager for further review and consideration. Thank you for your patience.

We are happy to know that you are otherwise satisfied with the overall atmosphere of the store. We continuously weigh options to provide the best shopping experience for our customers. Your appreciative comments will be shared with the staff.

If you would like to discuss this further, please reply to this email or call our toll free number at 1-877-723-3929 and reference contact I.D. 15040407. One of our associates will be happy to assist you.

We appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you for shopping at Dominick’s.

Sincerely,

Michelle Babel
Customer Service Center

to which I replied:

Hello,

I appreciated a response to my comments, but I wish to know a little more about this policy.
Please realize that this Dominick’s is right near a local university and there is an influx of differing state IDs. Perhaps more communication would be beneficial to ensure that the client base is aware of limitations that will be placed on their purchases.

I was completely unaware of it up until my encounter this weekend, which is odd considering I am a frequenter of your store and to date have had no problem with purchasing alcohol.

I am interested to know when (date and year, if possible) that policy was implemented and why it is not being implemented at Dominick’s stores on a regular basis, and in that case, what is going to be done to ensure that it is implemented completely, both to save humiliation on your customers’ behalf and to save your employees from being bothered as they so obviously were.
I merely hope to save myself trouble again and to spare the emotions of some other unsuspecting customer.

I would like to see the policy if at all possible if it is available on the Web. (I looked on your website and couldn’t find anything.)

Thank you again for your attention and have a wonderful day,
Katherine Barry

First of all, and absolutely most importantly, I am sending out a web-call for prayers for Grandma Mary who is in the hospital right now. I hope that everything is alright and that she heals quickly and painlessly.
I love you, Grandma! I finally sent you your Valentine the other day, so be so excited to get it!!

Secondly, and quite important, but not nearly as important as Grandma:

Comments or Questions : Hello,

I was in a Dominick’s/Safeway this afternoon and had a problem using my ID to purchase beer. I realize that this is hardly reason for complaint, but the problem was the verification of identification.
The Dominick’s store at 6009 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660 is normally a wonderful store. I have not yet had a problem there other than incredibly slow checkout lines, but that is to be expected.
I have an out-of-state ID, one which expired. In Colorado, where I am from, when an ID expires, the DMV punches a hole in the card and gives you an accompanying paper until you receive your new driver’s license in the mail. I have been using that without any issue throughout Chicago for the last month and a half, still awaiting my new license. The problem is this: today I was denied sale.
Flabbergasted, I asked the female employee who checked my ID if I could speak to the manager. Her response was rather curt, informing me that he’d just say no, without any explanation as to why my ID wasn’t going to work.
That’s fine, but the reason that the manager, Todd, gave me was that they do not accept “invalid IDs.” When I challenged him, he told me that employees have been told not to accept such IDs. He told me that he wasn’t the police, and that he wasn’t going to accept an invalid ID.
Mine is legally valid, and that’s where my problem comes in. It is accompanied by an official state document.
I’m suggesting that instead of sporadically denying sale, your company either accept VALID identification (I spend most of my grocery money at your store, but am less inclined to do so now) OR have a more consistent denial policy, one that won’t catch loyal customers off guard at inopportune moments. I was greatly embarrassed by the situation and was forced to leave my items at the very busy register.
I know that the Safeway corporation takes good care of both their employees and their customers. If employees are told to deny sale to people with temporary identification, then I as a customer would appreciate a follow-through, so at least I would have been made aware of such a rule as to “valid” identification before I had attempted to legally purchase alcohol. Perhaps signs could be posed throughout the store or at the registers?
That’s fine as well. It’s not the buying of the alcohol that I have a problem with, it’s the
manner in which this policy is implemented. Had I known, I wouldn’t have tried, but I’ve been successfully (and legally, I might add) purchasing alcohol from your store for nearly a month and a half, never encountering this type of problem.
I’d love to know what you as a company are going to do to solve this issue, both for me and for other patrons from different states with different ID policies. We’d like to be aware of your store’s policies before we attempt to do something under the impression that we are legally allowed to do so.

Thank you for your time and understanding,
Katherine Barry

P.S. I do not have the physical club card, but when I get to the checkstand, I put in my cell phone number. Feel free to see any past beer purchases made on that card for reference.
Thanks again.

ugh. I’ve been waiting more than a month for my driver’s license to arrive and I do not have my Passport. I had no idea that this was going to be such a problem. Colorado and the mail system need to get their act together.

Have a safe and happy 4th! We’re having a “dress up like your favorite terrorist” party tonight just for the patriotism of it all!!!!

Having never even set foot into my third class, I dropped it. Nine hours in six weeks just wasn’t going to do.
Hunter surprised me by picking me up from class today with a present! I was excited to find out what it was; he’d picked his favorite three pictures from our Colorado trip and put them in a frame for me.
The weather here is ridiculous. It’s downright cold today. All the windows are closed in the house and I’m under a blanket trying to cram more Shakespeare in before class tonight.

It’s been a really long summer, actually.
Even though time is flying by, I have yet to feel really at ease.
I’m tense, always. I’ve got a lot on my mind.
Classes start tomorrow. I’m already exhausted.
It’s emotionally draining, these relationships, both with friends and lovers.
I’ve been walking a lot lately, trying to get in shape. I’ve been eating healthier, trying to cut out as much sugar as possible (so hard when you’re a fiend like I am).
Remember surgery in January? Well, it did nothing, basically. So I’m trying to somehow make my body strong enough to fight off all of this. I’m joined an internet support group that caters to the growing number of women suffering like I am, suffering worse. But it’s always bad news, so I try not to read their desperate posts. I’m hoping I’ll never have to post one, full of anger, or fear, or pain.
It’s never far from my mind, and even though I hope for the best, the worst haunts me. I’d rather be plagued by persistent obnoxious ghosts than plagued by this. It’s terrifying.
It’s taking a lot of my energy, and everyday I try to let it go a little bit.
My room is still in shambles. I’ve lost my need to be inside. The beach has been calling.
Today was the Gay Pride Parade in Boystown. Maddie and I went to watch the parade, see the protesters (who were ridiculously cruel, by the way) and to get some lunch. After, we headed to another neighborhood to browse and then returned home. Bar trivia tonight, hopefully lots of sleep, and then a long day tomorrow.
The end, for now.
Summer is beautiful, slipping so fast.

Days without a parking ticket: As of June 18, 2009: 6

I feel as though my life would be so much easier if people would just learn to park like considerate people in unity with their fellow men.

Don’t take two spots when you only need one, it’s a simple concept.
It forces late-night adventurers to get parking tickets by simply being adventurous and creative in their choices.

Today was a lovely day.
Hunter and I lounged, waiting for Emily to get back from St. Louis via bus, and made pancakes and bacon and potatoes and eggs and fruit.
Delicious.
I’m tired, but friends are coming in tonight, so we’ll see how that goes.
My computer has come across some sort of extremely nasty virus and won’t even let me get to the home screen, so until further notice, I’m merely borrowing computers to steal quick minutes with them.
Hunter and I will be home late Wednesday, but expect not to see us until Thursday. The new plan is to leave after he’s done with work on the 2nd (around 6 or 7pm) and drive through the night, hopefully arriving in Denver during daylight.

See you soon!

Easter 2009-Emily’s mom’s wedding (May 25, 2009)