There are certain chain stores I love – I know that they’ll have what I need consistently, or I like the quality of the merchandise, or they’re convenient in one way or another, but sometimes you just can’e beat the local stores.

We ordered a new dishwasher from one such store, Town Appliance, in Lakewood NJ. We thought it would be delivered and installed tomorrow, so we weren’t ready with the old dishwasher disconnected and ready to haul away when the guys showed up with it this afternoon. After hubby took it out, he decided that we’d save the installation fee and not do without a dishwasher, to boot, and install it ourselves. Armed with a supply list, I headed out to a nearby big chain hardware store. I asked two different employees to get me some help in plumbing, and neither page got a plumbing person to come. I dragged a guy from appliances out to help me look, and they just didn’t have the pieces I needed. He, however, told me to check out Ken’s Hardware on Fischer Blvd. in Toms River. I went in, and in minutes, an employee had picked out all the parts I needed, cut certain pieces to fit, and made sure I had all the screws and such that went with it all. No question, it’s not as convenient a location as the big store, but it’ll save me a lot of time in the future, so I’ll be going there first from now on.