I Less-Than-Three Walgreens

Our birth announcements were printed at a photo lab, and were 4"x6". Why the smaller size, 9 square inches smaller than the standard 5"x7"? Well 4"x6" prints from Target cost $0.20 each, as opposed to $1.59 each for 5"x7" prints. As you can see, this is a significant difference, especially when ordering more than 100.

So I was very proud of myself, having saved somewhere in the area of $200. This story, however, is not quite over. It seems that obtaining 4"x6" envelopes is not as simple as one might have thought it would be. It stands to reason, right? People get photos developed as 4"x6" or 5"x7" all the time, so of course there are envelopes in that size.

Except there aren't. Not easily accessible, anyway. I searched all through Wal-Mart, finding holiday envelopes, but alas, in the same dimensions as every other office envelope, meaning exactly wrong. So I went to Walgreens, you one-stop-holiday-shop-stop. Second verse, same as the first. No dice on the 4"x6" envelopes.

I was back in my truck about to head home, head hung low from my failure to hunt down my elusive game, when I decided to give it one more shot. I walked straight to the one-hour photo lab and asked the tech if they had such envelopes. The first thing he did was head over to office supplies, which I had done previously. My hopes fell. I told him that I had looked before, but that I thought the photo section might have them, since they print 4"x6" photos, after all. Then, the magic words, "Hold on for a minute," after which he entered a combination of numbers into a locked door, and disappeared into the most secret parts of Walgreens. He came out and asked, "How many did you say you wanted?" "A lot," I replied. "What's a lot?" "How about 150?" His eyes widened, but he went back into the secret chamber. He came out with a box, filled with the forbidden and rare envelopes, made especially for 4"x6" photos. He counted out the appropriate number of lots and handed them to me. As I reached for my wallet he said, "Merry Christmas! Have a good one."

A Christmas miracle.

So now, I do <3 Walgreens. Especially the very nice people in the photo lab. They made my holiday this year. Well, as far as the whole commercial side of the holiday goes, anyway.