Man, summer’s hitting hard this year and my backyard feels like an oven. Me and the kids were sweating buckets last weekend staring at that empty above-ground pool, so I figured enough’s enough. Time to grab some floats and turn this sad concrete jungle into a party spot. Here’s exactly how it went down hunting for Walmart’s plastic dreams.
The Plan and Store Chaos
First thing Tuesday morning, I jumped onto my phone thinking maybe ordering online would be smart. But nah, I needed these things now – the kids were already whining louder than hungry cats. Grabbed my keys, coffee cup still steaming, and drove over to the neighborhood Walmart. Parked way out back ’cause even early, the lot was packed.
Walked in expecting a nice summer display up front. Ha! Wrong. Found myself wandering past cereal boxes and laundry detergent looking lost as a goose. Finally spotted a bored employee stacking paper towels. Asked him, “Yo, where’s the pool stuff hiding?” He waved vaguely towards the garden center. “Way back, past Auto.” Thanks, buddy. Real specific.
Trudged through the entire store. Past kids’ bikes and dog food. Took forever. Should’ve worn hiking boots.
Finding Floats – Good Luck
Finally hit the garden section. Sunshine! Greenery! … And total chaos. Floats were everywhere and nowhere. Stuff piled in big metal bins near the lawn chairs. Some hung on hooks near kiddie pools. Others were just flung in big boxes looking like a giant popped bubblegum patch.
Started digging through the bins. Man, it was rough:
- One inflatable shark had a puncture already. Looked sadder than a rained-out barbeque.
- A fancy rainbow unicorn float? Forget it. Only one left with the horns drooping like it needed coffee.
- Saw this awesome giant pizza slice thing. Kids would’ve flipped. But it cost more than my pizza grill. Nope.
Just kept digging. Got elbows deep in plastic and vinyl. Smelled like cheap rubber and regret. Found some good ones, though:
- A solid blue lounger float with cup holders? Grabbed that bad boy for me.
- A twin pack of plain lime green ring floats. Durable, cheap, kid-proof.
- One oversized flamingo? Yeah, ’cause why not. Wife saw a pic online and basically demanded it.
Heaved those suckers out of the bin. Almost dropped the flamingo ’cause it’s awkward as heck to carry. Took all my concentration not to take out a tower of pool chemicals.
Paying and Inflating – The Fun Part
Dragged my haul towards the checkout. Lines were building fast. Self-checkout felt risky with that big flamingo – those scales hate awkward items. Went to a real person. Cashier scanned the stuff looking half asleep. The tag on the rings wouldn’t scan. Had to call for help. Five minute wait just for that. Ugh. Finally paid and hauled butt outta there.
Back home, dumped everything by the pool. Kids exploded out the door like little fireworks. “Blow it up NOW!” Grabbed my air pump – thank goodness I bought that electric one last year. Worth every penny.
- Lounger float? Done in a minute. Easy.
- Green rings? Popped right up.
- The flamingo? Oh man. Took ages. Felt like pumping a tractor tire. Finally filled, neck kinda sagged to the left. Looks a bit drunk. Kids don’t care one bit.
Tossed ’em in the water. Watched the kids scramble. Instant smiles. Instant splashing. Mission accomplished.
First Float Test
Sat myself down on that blue lounger. Cushy. Sipped a cold drink from the holder. Watched the kids wrestle over that lopsided flamingo. Perfect summer chaos. Floats held up great. Water felt awesome after all that hot Walmart running around.
Final Takeaway
Buying pool floats at Walmart ain’t rocket science, but it sure ain’t relaxing either. My big lessons learned?
- Go early. Avoid crowds and get decent stock.
- Dig deep. Good floats hide under junk.
- Check for holes! Seriously, inspect ’em in the store. Save yourself a headache.
- Bring muscles. Carrying them? Awkward city.
- Get an electric pump. Unless you wanna sweat more after shopping.
Cheap floats? Maybe won’t last forever. But seeing the kids scream laughing on that dorky flamingo? Worth every sweaty minute in that chaotic garden aisle. Summer saved.