I don't know if you guys have a store called "Toyrriffic" where you live, but it's one of my favorite stores. Sure, it isn't much compared to GameStop or Best Buy, but I remember I used to go there ever since I was a kid. I went from buying Power Ranger action figures to Playstation 1 and 2 as well as Xbox and Xbox 360 games. I used to be such a regular there, I even became good friends with the area manager.

I just ran into her the other day, and we had a good, long talk like we always used to. Thing is, she told me she was shutting down her store. It was most depressing, because well, I loved that store ever since I was nine. I remember she gave me the best discounts on those plastic build your own car models, never charged me tax on anything, and even knew me and my whole family by name.

Granted that there is another store close by where I live, it just doesn't feel the same. The reason why she was shutting down the senior branch is because the mall management decided to charge a higher rent, and the fact that GameStop had just opened a few stores down. And to add salt to open wounds, the store that is still open, the management is deciding to move it further down, where I'll describe, is the place that has the least crowds. It's planned to be a game store next to a Jeans Warehouse and GNC, and since mostly teenagers hang there, and most of the time just hang there to wait for a movie, that store would never get the recognition it deserves.

Point is, nothing lasts forever. I've learned that when I got my first 360 and loved it to death, until I literally loved it to death, causing it to crap out on me for the second time. Now, I am a little heart broken because I loved that old store, and I know she put a lot of time and care into the store as well as her workers and customers. It's really hard to find a company that actually cares enough to bend the rules a little to satisfy all three nowdays. Even where I work, I feel like I'm very fourtunate. All my bosses know all their workers by name, and we can talk to them like how we talk to our friends. I can't count how many times I almost got fired when I was still in my rookie days, but because they are so forgiving, sort of roll their eyes and tell me to clean up the mess before someone else sees it.

I'm really going to miss that store. I put a lot of memories there as well as made a lot of close friends. I'd like to take this time to tell a very good friend, Elaine, that she was indeed one of those caring people that you rarely see in this world nowdays, and was willing to take a loss to make a child happy if he couldn't afford his favorite video game or toy. You know you're a good leader when you can run a business for over twenty years, keep EVERYONE smiling, and is still standing.