Back home! Back to normal?

Now that I have returned home from all my adventures in WA state (I am still a bit disoriented), I figured the best way to re-orient myself is to go to all the usual places at home that I frequent.

First I went to a gun show. It was fun just looking at all the things even if no good deals were to be had. I asked questions from a few vendors there and they were most happy to write down or gesture as a way of communicating with me.

Next, I went to the first ever established Kentucky Fried Chicken Franchise in Salt Lake City. I like the buffet where you can choose what you want (and as much as you want) to eat. I went to the counter and gestured putting food on a plate from a counter top. The Spanish person at the counter immediately understood me, and rang up the sale. I saw the manager (recognized him from his picture overhead), said hello, and shook his hand.

After eating my meal, I went to a Harbor Freight Tools store (don’t laugh, their stuff does work) to look around, as it was on my way. I walked through the store, browsed around, and was approached by several sales clerks asking if I needed help. I gestured that I was fine and they let me be. There was nothing I really needed at the time, so I left. As it was still early, I thought of where to go next.

I decided to go to a Ford dealer and look at the new trucks (have to keep myself updated as to what’s new) even if I was not ready to buy one. I parked at the dealership and started to look at their big trucks out front. A salesman came up to me. I told him I am deaf. He said OK and left me for a moment. Then he called some other salesman over. I told the second salesman I am deaf and I don’t read lips well. He gestured “Come with me. Someone talks with hands.”

I walked with him to the showroom. He went into the sales office while I waited at the reception counter. I tried to talk with the receptionist. She was accommodating, and we chatted with gestures and notes. The sales guy came back, took out his notepad (I noticed all the sales people carried the exact same notebook) and wrote, “Sorry, no one whom can sign here today.” I told him that’s all right. I wrote down, “Why don’t you just show me the new model trucks.” He said ok, and told me to wait again, which I did.

In a few minutes he returned with keys to a truck. He said, “Come on outside. Let’s go for a test drive.” I was like, “WHOA! Can’t you show me the features first (engine, special things, etc.) on the trucks in the showroom?” Well, he did not do a good job at that. He did write and answer some of my questions, but not the hard ones like monthly payment amount, etc. He was more eager for me to take a test drive. I walked outside with him to the test truck. I told him I did not have enough time today for a test drive. He said fine. We went back inside, and he told me to wait. He would get a promotional DVD of the truck features.

Meanwhile, I waited at the reception counter. The sales manager asked in writing what he could do to earn my business. I told him nothing today really, but I was glad to have them try to communicate with me. I forgot to mention that one of the other junior sales managers came over to talk to me. I told him I couldn’t read lips. He said OK and started to write. He wrote one word, “Do …” and then was called away, either by his choice or by someone else.

I was left with the top sales manager. We chatted a bit with notes. I thanked them and took the DVD. The sales guy told me he did not know if the DVD has captions or subtitles on it. I told him it would be OK. We shook hands all around and I walked to my parking space. They had a truck on a ramp so you could see underneath. I looked a bit, and noted there were three or four salesmen hanging around. Two or three of them avoided my eyes, but one decided to help me. He tried to answer my questions, but he did not write much. I was giving a “features sales pitch” he was automatically trained to give, I guess. I looked at the underneath of some trucks for a while and was impressed with how strongly they looked to be made underneath. I was not impressed with the sales staff.

I decided to call it a day and go home. I got home, did some chores, and then put the DVD in the player, no captions or subtitles. Oh well.

Alternate title of this post: “All is Normal”