Mason has been on a mission lately to visit our local Army/Navy surplus store. Personally, I had no idea where our local Army/Navy surplus store might be; I have no real burning need for canteens or camo gear. But my son, of the military-themed party/everyday life, does have real burning needs for all things war-related, so he went online and found Andy and Bax in Portland.
Saturday, he called them to inquire about their stock of helmets. The man who answered the phone patiently explained the various types available, their prices and accessories. He invited Mason to come down and take a look around.
After today's blissful morning (admittedly inspired by my bribe of "Be nice to your sister, clean your room, generally do whatever I ask without sulking and/or complaining and I will take you to Army dude nirvana"), we headed down to Andy and Bax.
I'm going to keep linking to this store because they were so repeatedly kind to my boy, I want everyone to visit them for all outdoor adventure needs. These guys were not only helpful on the phone, they also directed Mason to what he was looking for when we arrived. They gently waited while he counted out his saved-precisely-for-this-occasion allowance monies. And, when he came up 60 cents short of the cost of a long-sought dummy grenade, the clerk suddenly remembered to apply a discount. I don't know who was more pleased with the transaction - the boy with Mission Accomplished or the mom with renewed faith in the generosity of strangers.
That kind of customer service is hard to find these days. I would never have thought twice about a store like Andy and Bax, being the strictly indoor adventure kind of girl, but you can bet I'll remember it anytime someone needs a pup tent, or a gas mask, or maybe just wool gloves.
