So last Thursday, my kid’s birthday party was looming. Friday evening. And guess what totally slipped my mind until Thursday afternoon? Helium for those balloons I promised! You know, the big “Happy Birthday” ones that just float there? Yeah, those. Needed it fast. Panic started brewing.
The Initial Panic & Obvious Check
First thing? Jumped in my car and raced to the big party store downtown. You know the chain one near the mall? Figured they gotta have tanks, right?
Walked in, headed straight to the balloon section. Saw the signs, the displays… but the shelves where the tanks usually sit? Totally empty. Gut punch. Asked the guy stocking stuff nearby.
“Hey man, where are the helium tanks? Little ones for home?”
He kinda winced. “Sold out yesterday, dude. Big birthday weekend. Might get a shipment tomorrow morning?”
Tomorrow?! Party starts tomorrow evening! Nope. Zilch. Left feeling the pressure.
Expanding the Search Desperately
Okay, time to think beyond party stores. Who else sells gas? Grabbed my phone while sitting in the parking lot, sweating bullets.
- Hardware Store Chains: Started calling. First one: “Nah, we stopped carrying those.” Second one: “We rent big welders, but small tank rentals? Nope.” Third one! “Yeah, sometimes have a few Balloon Time kits. Hold on.” Heart skipped a beat. They checked… “Sorry, last one went this morning.” Deflated, literally.
- Warehouse Clubs: Called the one across town. “Helium? Oh… for balloons? Umm… I think we get ’em sometimes, but I don’t see any in stock now.” Translation: Maybe, but not helpful today.
- Arts & Crafts Stores: Gave one a ring. “Balloon helium? Yeah, we sell the small kits… checks stock … Hmm, inventory shows zero. Musta sold out.” Another dead end. Was feeling pretty hopeless.
The Unexpected Lifesaver
Sitting there, feeling the despair, I remembered something weird. My neighbor once mentioned filling balloons late on Christmas Eve. Where?!
Grocery Stores! The huge one. Specifically, the giant supermarket that has everything. The kind with the garden center and photo lab? I always ignore that balloon counter near the flowers.
Sprinted back to my car, drove like mad to the SuperMegaGrocery Mart on the south side. Hustled past the veggies, scanned for the floral department. There it was! The little sign: “Balloon Helium – Fill Here!”
Walked up to the counter. Older lady arranging roses. Tried not to sound desperate. “Hi! Do you… happen to sell the little helium tanks? For home?”
She smiled. “Oh honey, we sure do! Ran through ’em quick this week, but I got one left behind the counter. Lucky you!”
Praise the grocery gods! I almost hugged her. Just a standard 8.9 cu ft Balloon Time kit. $40. Pricey? Yeah. Worth avoiding a birthday meltdown? Absolutely.
Mission Accomplished!
Grabbed that tank like it was gold. Stuck it in the cart next to the milk I suddenly remembered needing. Got home, tested it out on a balloon. That beautiful hiss and then POOF up to the ceiling it went! Worked perfectly. Birthday disaster averted.
Lesson learned? Party stores run out fast. Forget rentals last minute. Your best shot for a fast helium tank? That huge grocery store floral counter you never look at. Almost cried in the parking lot – mostly relief, maybe a little helium huffing danger when testing (don’t do that, it’s dumb). Balloons floated, kid was happy. Never doing this last minute again! Mostly.