Man Shopping

Don't get excited ladies, this blog is not about shopping for men!! It is about my trip to Prince Albert yesterday.  Since our car that we bought in December is on warrenty, I took it into PA for an oil change.  I was to be at the Hyundai shop at 2:00 that afternoon.  The shop forman said that it would not be finished until 4:00 and asked if I wanted a ride with their shuttle service.  He suggested the casino.  I opted for Canadian Tire and Peevy Mart!  I was shuttled to Canadian Tire.

Upon entering, I grabbed a Canadian tire flyer.  After leisurely going through it, I decided that there was nothing that I needed. So I did a stroll around the store.  I am never really good at just shopping.  If I need something, I just go and get it, and do not just browse around a store.  I never really understood how women, especially my wife and daughters, could just wander through stores shopping.  

Well, wandering over to the fishing section, I noticed that stinger hooks were on sale, and a guy can not have too many stinger hooks when fishing walleye.  Since I am going to Jan Lake with 16 other former Kinsmen next weekend, these stinger hooks would come in handy - eight of them should do! 

Making another lap of the store I noticed plastic adirondac chairs in bright colors - they could replace the wooden ones that need painting and are on our deck by the lake.  No, I resisted the temptation - they wouldn't probably fit into the shuttle car.  Next trip perhaps.

Wandering around the store entrance, I noticed mechanic-type guys coming in, looking at the flyer, rushing to the tools, and grabbing an item that was 70% off.  There were only two left in the bin at the end of the aisle.  Those would make good Xmas gifts for Mike and Cory!  No, lots of time before Xmas, so I made another lap around the store before deciding that I would buy them, but just as I approached the bin, one of those mechanic types grabbed one of the items. Disappointment!!!!! As I was standing there thinking of buying the last one, another guy walked by and grabbed it!  Major disappointment!!!!!!!!  Making another lap of the store, brooding about my indecision, I came back to the tool section.  I noticed a clerk helping a mechanic- type guy in one of the aisles - the items that I wanted were also in the aisle counters.  Only 7 left!!! There was no stopping me now! I grabbed two of them!!!

Now I NEEDED a cart!  Struggling toward the door with my items, I saw an abandoned cart -relief!  Now I make another lap around the store, going up and down the aisle with my cart, leisurely looking at merchandise in each display.  Bottled water on sale!!!!  When is it not on sale? But we need some, and it will help fill up this cart!

By this time, I have wandered back to the sporting goods section.  Kathy had mentioned that we need some new sleeping bags.  I decided I should get a couple!  I did not know there were so many kinds of sleeping bags.  Perhaps I should wait until she is with me!  Good plan! 

I had bought Kathy a new rod and reel this spring - a light weight rod that is quite easily broken.  She really needs a fishing rod case to protect it.  Maybe I will take it as a back-up rod and reel when I go to Jan Lake with the boys next week.  Throwing the case into the cart, I thought I should get some yellow fishing jigs with the red dots for eyes - the kind Cory likes to use when he goes fishing.  Got them.  But while browsing around I found a walleye magazine with a directory of the lakes in Saskatchewan, what fish are in these lakes, and a major story about fishing Last Mountain Lake where John is stationed at the provincial park for the summer.  John would like that!! So into the cart it goes!!

Jeese, it is just about 4 o'clock!  I will never make it to Peeve Mart now!  I went directly to the check-out tills.  I had heard about impluse buying, so while waiting in line, after phoning the shuttle service, I grabbed some plastic construction bags - large and sturdy ones!!!

After going through the check-out tills, the bill came to just over $250.00!!!!  Perhaps I should have gone to the casino!  As I am standing in the parking lot with my cart full of great buys and necessities, waiting for the shuttle car, I think, you have just got to love man shopping!!!!!

Amish Magic Dough

The dough sat in a white plastic washbasin on the counter in six or more plastic bags with dates marked on them.  Amish dough - magic dough - it just kept rising in those bags.  Why so many bags I asked; I'm going to give some of the bags of dough to my friends she replied! I just watched the bags balloon up with air, and the dough rose bigger and bigger, filling the extra large plastic bags!  The deliveries were never made to her friends, but the dough did not care; it just kept expanding until the bags bulged with bubbly dough. An explosion was imminent!!!

Thursday, her day off - panic time! Dough deliveries had not been made! Up in the morning baking with her daughter until late afternoon. She was exhausted!!!  Pails and pails of cookies, counters full of banana loafs, vanilla pudding loafs, green pastacho loafs made when the vanilla pudding ran out, trayfuls of cinnamin buns (cake cinnamin buns, not bread cinnamin buns, I am told). Surely not as good as the ones my Mom used to make when I was a boy, but I have wolfed down two Amish cake dough cinnamin buns in the last 10 minutes! Only forty or so to go!!

My challenge - to get rid of those Amish cake dough loafs.  Uncle Gerry got one last night.  He appreciated receiving the loaf.  This afternoon I stopped by Mel and Nicole Goldade's for a visit and a cup of coffee, and I dropped off an Amish loaf! They were very appreciative.  Ron and Al O'Byrne were siding their cabin, so I stopped by, had a visit, and got rid of another loaf.  They were very appreciative.  Over to Bernie Bridgadier's cabin, had a chat, and give him a loaf.  He was very appreciative.  Just 3 more loafs in the truck to deliver, but by this time it was getting late in the afternoon. I decided to whom I would deliver the last 3 loafs tomorrow.  I know that they would appreciate even the green pastachio loafs!

This evening, I began cleaning off the kitchen counters.  Pails of cookies to the freezer for the grandchildren when they visit this summer.  Sealed plastic containers full of cake cinnamin buns.  Thankfully, only 3 Amish loafs left on the counter.  And what did I find on the counter once it was cleared of all the baking - a white plastic container filled with six plastic bags full of  Amish dough - magically, insidiously rising with a mind of its own, not caring that an explosion is imminent!!!!!

I know, I know . . . she's going to deliver the bags of Amish magic dough to her friends.  When is her next day off anyway?