Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Shopping, Lines and the Park - 7/31/14

I do like shopping. I just can't afford it.

Still, I like it and I've become quite expert at window shopping. But, before I can get in, I have to pass by the garden department. Ah, the garden department.

We went to Fred Meyers today. It's an upper end retail store and, like a WalMart SuperCenter, it has everything, food and furniture and clothes, etc., all under one roof. It's a tad bit more expensive for the same thing you can get at WalMart but we stopped because they were the only store we found that had a tool kit the size I needed and wanted.

But before we could get in…we had to walk past the garden department. Not as easy as it sounds. 

As you can probably guess by now, we went in and got a couple pictures of the flowers...


It's tough to pass them up...


And so easy to take...


I mean, the beauty is already there. I just hold up a magic box and push a button...


And it get things like this...


It's so easy that, at times, I feel a bit guilty getting any kind of praise for these pictures.

Just a bit, though, so keep those compliments coming!!

And I get to play with them. 

OK, which one do you like best? The color picture or the B&W picture of the same thing? 

Which one?


It's hard for me to say…each has its own glory and beauty.

Which one do you prefer?


From the sublet shades of gray to this…yellow explosion!!


And then, once we made it into the store, we ran into this gem.

Einstein…looking colorful himself.


And what better pairing for Einstein than SpongeBob SquarePants.

Yeah, we're still on our SB Quest and, amazingly (and, as a comment on our culture, sadly) finding new SpongeBob products nearly EVERY time we walk into a store.


From Freddy's we headed over to Wally's.

I understand WalMart. I really do. I know that it is there just to make money and that because they offer such deep savings that other things might not be quite as nice as in a pricier store, like Freddy's.

So we had done our shopping and gotten our Double Chocolate Muffins (I swear, it's like they're addicting!!) we got into a line. Mind you, I shop the lines as diligently as I shop the bargains and I pick the one I think is going to be the fastest (even though history and karma continually prove me wrong on that count!!)

Well, I had picked my line and, good golly, it was the SLOWEST line I've ever been in in my entire life!!!!! Honestly, I was ready to chew lead and spit bullets after about 10 minutes in the same line. And, yes, Carol, being wiser and more mature than I, did suggest we get into another line but I was angry by then and…well, I didn't do myself any good.


There were long lines everywhere as you can see by these pics of the lanes to my right and left. However, they didn't have the two important factors that my line did.

They didn't have Usda. Good golly, the only way I knew she was still alive was that she moved, barely, every few moments. Jeez, Louise!! She was slow!! The absolute slowest checker in WalMart which pretty much means she was the slowest checker in the entire world!!!!

Add to it the wonderful folks ahead of us who had checks from the government that could be used ONLY for baby food evidently. After they'd bought all the potato chips, sodas, charcoal, burgers and other foods anyone using food stamps should be able to buy and enjoy, they broke out the checks and three cases of baby food.

Poor ol' Usda was in WAAAAAY over her head.

"Let's see, take a look at each check…slowly…now I need to check this book. OK, now I can scan each bottle, individually. Hmmmmm, did I go over this check? I'd better do it again. Slowly. OK, these are done…should I bag them or put them back into the box? Oh, decisions, decisions. OK, I'll put them back, carefully, into the box. Wait!! How many did I scan? I'd better count them and then compare that number against the receipt. Yes, that's what I will do..."


I went and got a manager and begged her to open more lanes but I wasn't smart enough to take advantage of them. I honestly didn't think anyone could milk such an easy task for so freakin' long!! I was horribly wrong, by about 20 minutes.

Color me stupid AND amazed.

But we had our necessaries, finally, and our Double Chocolate Muffins so we headed out to…

The Park.

And immediately saw the Osprey hunting.


Several times.


Here he is getting ready to do the swoop...


Steady…steady...


And, of course, I missed the dive.

Haha, I expected to. 

Thanks goodness the Double Chocolate Muffins helped to calm me down. But I promise you that if I ever see Usda at a register it doesn't matter what else is available, I will be heading to anyone other than her. Anyone.

Life, even in Usda's line, is still good.

Hooah!!

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