New fun incident. Same issue. I ask a question, I get a response that provides some information, but doesn't actually answer the question. Getting an actual answer to my question does not appear to be possible.
The scene: Orbert's house, Saturday afternoon. The kitchen faucet handle keeps coming off. You can put it back on, and it still turns and controls the water, because it mounts on a square "peg", but it keeps coming off and it's getting annoying. She wants to get a new one, not from the regular hardware store, which we know is open, but from the fancy place that only sells plumbing and fixtures, because they have some really nice ones. But this is Illinois, where only "essential services" are open.
Me: Are they open? I know <regular hardware store> is open, but <fancy place> is hardly essential.
She: I checked their website.
Me: (pause) ...And?
She: It didn't say anything about them being closed.
Okay, so maybe they're open, but more likely they just haven't updated their website. Probably because the person who does that hasn't come in, because they're not essential.
Me: Did you call them?
She: I said I checked the website!
So we're going to play this game, again.
Me: Okay, you checked the website. What did it say?
She: It didn't say anything about them being closed.
Me: Did it say anything about them being open?
She: No.
Me: Then we don't actually know. Try calling them.
She: I checked the website!
Me: You said that. Did you call them?
She: No!
I'm doing other stuff anyway, so I just leave the room rather than get into an argument. Later I come back upstairs to make some coffee.
She: So when are we going to <fancy place>?
Me: Did you call them yet?
She: I told you! I checked the website!
Me: Right, but the website did not tell you whether they're open or closed.
She: I know that!
Me: So... we could find out, if someone wanted to, you know, call them.
Foolishly, I reach the same conclusion that always bites me in the ass. That is, since she is the one who wants to go there in the first place, then she should be the one to work out the details. I am willing to work with her on this, but since she already knows what she wants to do, my contribution is in the form of advising the best way to get the information we both need. I head back downstairs to drink my coffee while I surf the net some more. I come back up a half hour later or so to rinse my coffee cup.
She: The website says <fancy place> is open until 4:00 today. (It is now 2:30.)
Me: Did you call them?
She: Look, it says right on the website that they're open on Saturdays until 4:00. Why should I call them?
I don't care anymore. I should just call them myself, but I'm willing to drive all the way out there, to either get a faucet or prove her wrong; it doesn't even matter at this point. I haven't left the house in a week, and find myself actually looking forward to it.
We drive "all the way out there", about 20 minutes. It is absolutely gorgeous outside. It's 70 degrees and sunny, and I have a nice buzz on. She's driving. We slow as we enter the parking lot and she sees that it is completely empty.
She: Oh, it looks like they're closed.
Me: That's why I asked if you'd called them. Twice, at least.
She: But I checked their website!
At least I got out of the house for a while, and it was nice out.