Cabela's

The Moose at Cabela's

December 5, 2011

Some stores are considerably more interesting to shop in than others.  I love Cabela's!  This is a huge store that specializes in equipment and gear needed for the outdoor's man or woman.  It is divided into sections like boating, fishing, camping and hunting.  Accenting the sections are areas of stuffed wild game set in very realistic settings, large aquariums with a wide variety of game fish, and other areas of interest just perfect for picture taking.  I am particularly fond of going through the cooking section that has a vast array of smokers, dryers and fryers; rows and rows of rubs, seasonings and sauces; cast iron pots and pans and so much more. I just love browsing there!  I have a list of must haves including a dehydrator now that I no longer have the JennAir and I really, really need a smoker.  I will be spending a few dollars and then some at Cabela's, that's for sure!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

New Clothes

I am not a shopper by any stretch of the imagination.  Unless it is a farm stand, orchard, antique shop or food related I have no interest in shopping unless I have to.  Despite being a foodie, I shop very little in traditional grocery stores.  So we decided to stock our vacation home with clothes so we don't have to bring clothes back and forth.  I saves money by not having to have a checked bag when flying and no suitcase when driving.

My favourite colours for clothing much to my husband's dismay is black, grey and white.  This colour combination doesn't work well for Florida but I managed to find the cutest two piece swim suit  with black skirted bottoms and a black polk-a-dot top.  It is trés chic and I am so tempted to bring it home for lounging around our new pool.  I bought a really nice cowl necked grey knitted dress that will work nicely at home.  It is really cute!  I'm also supporting clothes with part of the price going towards breast cancer.  I like pink and we have had relatives strickened with breast cancer that did not make it.  We have one battling breast cancer right now and another battling cancer so any support is better than no support.  At any rate I actually shopped for clothes.  Will wonders ever cease?

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

My Husband and I are Nice People

Not only are we nice people our motto is always to treat folk with respect and take the high road.  That's just the way we are.  Today it was so difficult though.  So my husband's aging laptop is giving it up so we went shopping for a new one with a game plan in mind.  The new one goes home, the old one stays here and if the old one finally goes I get a new Mac with the old Mac coming here.  Hey, I thought it was a perfect plan.  First my husband is driving along and for no reason was flipped the bird.  Apparently he was number one in their book.  Then this little car and I do mean little figured they could squeeze between us and the car in front of us.  This is precisely why a bit of alcohol for the passengers should be allowed when driving!

We continued on to our next stop where either I am invisible or simply not tall enough to signal the shopper behind me not to run me over.  Thanks so much shopper as now I have a few fresh bruises to take over the fading bruises from move. I'd hate to see myself walk around without at least one bruise! <sarcasm>  Perhaps I should get my husband to put me in the kiddie part of the cart just to keep me safe from other shoppers <major sarcasm>.  Then we picked out our purchase (laptop, computer equipment and misc.) some of which had to be unlocked then taken immediately to the till where the guy told the gal we were next inline BUT apparently Miss Holier Than Thou I'm in a Hurry felt it quite appropriate to cut in line then proceeded to waste a good 20 minutes trying to pay.  By then I was ready to lose it, gave the check-out girl a glaring look while making a comment to the effect we were there first to which I got a glaring look from my husband so shut up silently thinking I should wander off to their pharmacy section to get any possible sedative available.  We finally got checked out then put our lovely purchases in the car and headed home upon which I declared it an excellent time to go to the club house for dinner.  I'm sorry but I'm tired, miserable, and have more aches and pains from moving than anyone needs.

So we get to the club house and ordered a Greek salad and large pizza.  We clearly told George what we wanted on the pizza which of course came with none of the toppings we ordered.  I told George that isn't what we ordered while my husband quietly started scrapping off the toppings to eat what was left.  I was just too tired to say much more and besides there are in our long married life together only a couple of times we have ever sent a meal back which is saying a lot considering we both are major foodies.  We left three-quarters of the pizza untouched, paid our tab with me vowing to my husband I would never eat there again on the way to the car with him saying 'you know what mistakes happen' so we will try it again.

My husband wandered off to play poker with his entourage while I had a steaming hot bath.  In the big picture a lot of things that happened today could have caused a blow-out.  My husband and I are nice people so blow-outs are just not our style.  We believe in Karma and pay-it-forwards.  Today was a bad day but tomorrow will be a better one and you really can't ask for more than that.

Oh and I have to tell you about a wonderful person coming out of a store we were going into.  His arm was in a cast and he was using a crutch.  Like a true gentleman he held the door open for me.  I smiled and said I should be the one holding the door for him.  He smiled back and said 'pass it on'.  Even a bad day holds priceless gems :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Today's Shopping Experience

I broke down to go shopping today.  Goodness, I hate shopping and I forgot it would be busy with the last minute Mother's Day shoppers.  The reason behind the shopping trip was our One:One single cup coffee maker is leaking profusely.  This small appliance is a must have given the entertaining we do.  I can brew one cup of fresh coffee rather than a full pot in the percolator and the taste is so much nicer than instant.  So I was off shopping, stopping first at Walmart where it was a toss-up between a Tassimo, lower end Keurig or a Hamilton Beach.  A couple of our kids give two thumbs up for the Keurig so trusting their judgement I mosied over to Canadian Tire.  They too had the lower end Keurig that isn't programmable.  I figure if I'm going to buy one I might as well get some rather handy features on it.  With no success at Walmart or Canadian Tire I headed home to check online.  Jeesh I wish I had thought of that before heading out ;)  I found the recommended Keurig at Future Shop so headed there where I promptly dropped $200, thanked them very much and was on my way back home.  I am now sitting sipping on a lovely fresh brewed coffee recouping from my very traumatic shopping day.  Hopefully none of the other small appliances decide to quite on me...oh wait we already know the food processor has issues and is only partly usable [sigh].  Apparently at some point I will have to repeat the horrid shopping experience.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

I'm Not a Shopper

Yesterday I had to go shopping for a couple of items to fill the grandkids' Easter baskets.  Normally I would get my husband to pick something up but he is extremely busy so I broke down and went myself.  I am not a shopper by any stretch of the imagination at least by normal standards.  You would never catch me wandering aimlessly through a mall for something to do.   In fact I hate just about everything related to shopping.  I hate the deer-in-the-headlight look of other shoppers, bright lights, chemical smells, the usually horrid music, the noise upon more noise, the blatant consumerism and spending money.  The very fact that I had to shop amidst the hustle and bustle of other Easter present shoppers was almost enough to send me into a panic!

I will however, go out of my way to shop at an antique shop or flea market.  Farmers' markets and farm stands are one of my favourite places to shop.  I love the beautiful colours and the tantalizing aroma of fresh produce.  I even love going to the mushroom farm where it is cool in the heat of summer with a unique musty, earthy smell.  While I wouldn't dream of paying $10 for some cheap do-dad in a department store I wouldn't even hesitate to spend the same on some food item that caught my attention.  I love shopping in quaint little, Mom & Pop stores like the old fashioned hardware store we found on one of our travels.  It had the squeaky wood floors, items arranged in wooden compartments atop counters and an amazing wooden ladder that moved across one wall to get items stored in the upper level.  The whole store couldn't have been much more than 1,000 square feet!  I could spend hours shopping for plants, breathing in the wonderful smells while enjoying their beauty imagining where I could tuck that plant into my garden.  So the shopping experience that most envision is not for me but that's ok.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

The Gnome Hubby Said Couldn't Come Home

Solar Gnome

January 21, 2011

We were doing a bit of shopping at Big Lots when I spotted this most amazing gnome just begging to join my Gnome Empire.  During the day this gnome has a rather Harry Potter look but come night time those babies light right up.  My husband said the gnome was a bit bizarre bordering on spooky while muttering something about gnomes in white coats.  Can you just imagine this little guy lit up at night?  Well I can and you know after fighting with rabbits in the garden perhaps this is just the gnome that should be invited to join the empire.  Maybe he will jump into my cart the next time we are at Big Lots.

Garden Gnome

Black Friday

Today it is Black Friday in the US.  Black Friday is named for the day the stores are said to be in the black as opposed to being in the red (not making money).  It falls on the Friday after the American Thanksgiving which was yesterday.  Many stores put on huge sales to lure shopper's away from home to part with their hard earned dollars.  How shoppers buy on Black Friday is said to be a good indicator as to how shoppers are going to spend over the holiday season.

Some shoppers line up to shop the sales as early as 4 AM.  Say what?  There is nothing and I mean nothing I would want to buy that would have me standing in a line waiting to shop at 4 AM!  Normally we go out Friday nights for dinner and quite often we end up in the US.  Tonight we will not be crossing the border as many Canadians are.  I've decided it is going to be a buy nothing day :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Parking Fail!

Parking Fail!

July 17, 2010

Parking lots can be an endless source for humour, stupidity and everything in between if you like people watching.  Honestly it is if drivers get into a parking lot and all rules of the road disappear as their brains fall out the window!  The parking lot really is about survival of the fittest.  This driver had no real excuse for parking the way he did.  The newly resurfaced parking lot had all nice, new, brightly painted parking lines so it wasn't as if he couldn't see them and if he couldn't then he shouldn't have been driving!  Two thumbs down for this parking FAIL!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

My New TheraShoe® Trainers

My New Shoes

May 5, 2010

A couple of nights ago we decided to do a little bit of shopping before stopping for dinner.  Notice the little bit?  We don't shop for the sake of shopping so unless we have a reason to shop we don't.  We currently have a bit of an ant problem so after several attempts at natural control we finally broke down and decided to pick up HotShot®, a highly effective insect control with residual effects up to 9 months.  We discovered this product when doing a knock down for centipedes when we moved here in 2007 and haven't had to use it since then.  In the meantime, we will continue looking for the ant nest to eliminate it.  So that was our main reason for shopping.  We decided that we each would buy something to wear for the summer at the same time.

I haven't gone through my summer clothes yet so don't know what I need but I'll tell you I always need shoes!  I found a pair of TheraShoe® trainers.  I'm seldom wear trainers but have decided I need a couple of pairs if I want to do more walking on a daily basis, part of my plan towarde increased fitness.  I had seen these and similar style by other brands on television.  They reminded me of the wonderful Earth Shoes we bought back in the early 1980's.  Earth Shoes had a heel was lower than the toe called a negative heel that was meant to promote proper alignment of the spine when walking.  Earth Shoes were pricey but we each managed to buy 2 pairs that saw a lot of use.  Oh how I wish we had bought a few more pairs as those were some of the best we've ever had!

Fast forward to my new purchase.  TheraShoe® shoes have a certified impact reduction system by the Academy of Therapeutic Footware.  They are designed to help improve posture, exercise core glute and leg muscles, reduce shock to back, hips, knees, and feet as well as help improve gait when walking.  They have a rocker sole which is not a new concept as I have a couple of pairs of shoes with rocker soles that are just delightful to walk in.  The rocker soles on the TheraShoe® is a bit thicker and more pronounced.  I tried them on in the store and oh gosh they did feel ever so comfortable!  Here comes a leaner, more fit Garden Gnome :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

You Are The Apple of My Eye

You Are The Apple of My Eye
January 22, 2010

Oh my gosh! A whole Apple store and just for me? Isn't it a beauty? Well I got the picture by my husband said we did not need any new computer equipment much to my dismay. I am pretty sure I could have found something in that store that I needed ;)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Dollarama

I was watching my favourite Canadian funny men, Rick Mercer the other night. One of their skits was about Dollarama, one of my favourite shopping haunts. My family teases me about shopping at dollar stores but hey there are some excellent values to be found if you know what you are looking. Apparently they are making money thanks to moi :)

Garden Gnome
©2006-2009

The Charm of Harbour Towns

Crazy Joe's
July 30, 2009

Part of the charm of harbour towns is their quaint and unique shops. Lexington, Michigan does not disappoint in this respect. Not only can you find souvenirs you can browse for antiques and and endless variety of handmade items from area artisans. Pictured is one of our favourite little shops to browse through. Crazy Joe's is located about a block from the harbour on the first side street to the left on Huron Avenue heading up from the harbour. It is less than a block away. This shop is quaint with character at every turn inside and out. You can find a bit of everything in this shop so do be sure to stop by!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2009