Man, I really needed helium for my nephew’s birthday balloons last weekend. You won’t believe how I finally found some after running around like a headless chicken.
First off, I grabbed my phone and typed “helium near me” on the map app. Saw three party stores pop up nearby. Drove over to Party Palace first – guy just shrugged and said “We been out since Tuesday.”
Next tried Balloon Bonanza down the street. Walked in smelling that latex smell and asked. Cashier laughed: “Honey, we ain’t seen helium tanks since Christmas!” Got my heart sinking real bad at this point.
Called cousin Mike while sitting in my car – he does welding. Mike goes: “Dummy, check gas suppliers!” Pulled up local gas companies. Found Welder’s Supply on 5th Street. Called them: “Yep, we fill helium cylinders if you got your own tank.”
Problem is I didn’t have a tank! Dude on the phone suggested: “Try flower shops that do deliveries.” Called Petal Pushers Florist. Bingo! The lady there goes: “Yeah, we fill balloons for $3 each if you bring ’em here.”
Rushed over with my sad deflated balloons. Took her 5 minutes to fill the bunch. Total cost? Like fifteen bucks. So here’s how you can avoid my two-hour circus:
- Skip party stores when there’s big events happening
- Industrial gas suppliers are your best bet if you need serious quantities
- Flower shops and grocery stores with balloon services save your butt for small jobs
Just got home and those shiny balloons were bouncin’ off the ceiling. Lesson learned: Sometimes you gotta think sideways to find stuff!