It never hurts to ask...

Today I'm going to go back a couple years and tell my favorite "never hurts to ask" story....

I was driving to Lowe's to buy god-knows-what for some sort of project I was attempting and passed a Taco Bell I'd driven by many times. Every time I drove by it, I'd say "I sure wish I could find one of those umbrellas for my back yard!". Well on this particular day there just happened to be a chain link fence around the property (a sure sign the place was going to be remodeled or bull-dozed). Of course, my first thought was, "What's going to happen to all those umbrellas!?!?" I went to Lowe's, did my shopping , and on the way home the chain link gate was open at the Taco Bell. A truck was parked inside the parking lot so I figured this was my only window of opportunity. I found the owner of the truck and asked him if the place was going to be bulldozed which he confirmed for me. Then I asked him if he had a way for me to contact the owner or landlord. I'm sure he thought I was crazy but he obliged and gave me the number. I called it up, amazingly got the owner on the first try and launched into my explanation of NEEDING one his umbrellas. He told me he really wasn't supposed to give me one but I could take one if I wanted. Never one to be satisfied with the minimum, (and chances like this probably only come along once in a lifetime) I asked if I could have two. He laughed and said "ok".

SO EXCITED, I went back over to ask the guy in the parking how long he'd be there so I could have my husband come pick them up. He said he was leaving in 20 minutes, but I could come back with a 9/16 in. socket wrench and open the gate myself whenever I wanted to. This guy was my new hero! I called Johnny and told him to get over there ASAP with the truck to bring my new treasures home! The two fabulous turquoise-starburst-fiberglass umbrellas now live a happy life poolside in my backyard...forever saved from the landfill. And the moral of the story? IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK!