Cheap

[vaneramos]

Dad is settled at University Hospital. The surgeon cleaned the incision and said the infection was probably restricted to the outside, which is good news. Dad is surprisingly weak and sleeps a lot, but his colour and spirits are good. He will have to stay here until the incision heals, probably at least one week. I will spend more time with him tomorrow, then go home for a few days.

Dad had a wish list, so I went shopping this afternoon. Besides the University Hospital, which has an outstanding reputation, London, Ontario is a strange, drab city. After lunch at Mandarin, I ended up at White Oaks Mall. I have seen no other mall so clearly targetted at teenage girls. Besides Ardene there must be five or six competitors, same for Lush, along with entire rows of shops devoted to cosmetics, hair product or candy. The Bay had Levi's 501s for $45 so I bought a pair, black.

Three times in this life I have followed a friend into Walmart. For the first time today I entered intent on buying something myself. Dad wanted a cribbage board and I had failed to find one anywhere else.

The ceiling tiles everywhere were stained with grey water marks. The customers and staff looked like cows. I felt like a cow. When the most exciting place on Earth is a few aisles full of plastic toys bound to break within three weeks, life feels cheap. Walmart didn't have what I wanted, but I still felt tainted, like going home with the last drunk from the bar and not having sex because he passed out.

I overheard a woman mention Toys 'R' Us up the road, so I went there. Life there looked nearly worthless, too, but at least they had a cribbage board.

Comments

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

Walmart didn't have what I wanted, but I still felt tainted, like going home with the last drunk from the bar and not having sex because he passed out.

Hahaha, this is great.

Hope your dad's recovery is smooth from here on out.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Zig. Ah, the fruits of a depraved life!

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

Nice analysis of Walmart. I don't endorse shopping there. However, at this point in my life (and the life of my family), I need to save money more than I need to worry about Walmart's intrinsic evil qualities. I find myself there regularly because it's cheap. I don't expect customer service of any kind, so I'm never disappointed. In fact, it means I'm quite pleased if I get a cashier that says, "Hello."

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I need to save money more than I need to worry about Walmart's intrinsic evil qualities.

Yes, I am beginning to think along those same lines!

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

Your depraved life is a better-quality product!

[hickbear.livejournal.com]

What's worse is transitioning from being the taking-home-the-drunk person to being the drunk-taken-home. Thankfully, my Bar Days are long in my past...

[ghostsandrobots.livejournal.com]

Now whenever I picture the "last drunk" I'll think of him as "Wally". Guess if Wally is female she can be "Walma".

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I'm glad, too, my friend!

[hickbear.livejournal.com]

Three times in this life I have followed a friend into Walmart. For the first time today I entered intent on buying something myself.

We have Very Little Choice in the matter. Unless I want to drive over to Richmond Hill and/or down to Markham, our choices in Stouffville for basic groceries are either No Frills or Walmart. Yes, we have a 24-hour A&P, but their incredibly high prices on everything prove that the store's letters stand for "Assrape & Pillage". :-/

Healing thoughts to your dad, and {{{Hugs}}} to you, sweetie.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

The Londond Free Press ran an article about how the prices of groceries have increased drastically over the past 12 months, from 5 to 8 per cent for thinks like ketchup and canned soup to 25 per cent for apples and bananas. I don't understand how this works in relation to the economy.

We must shop where we can.

[e-musings.livejournal.com]

I simply *hate* WalMart. UGH!

Continued wishes for a speedy recovery for your Dad.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[threestarblue.livejournal.com]

have you ever read "how walmart is destroying america" ? it's a very interesting read.

it's good to hear that the infection is superficial - and that you found a cribbage board. and jeans.

i know when i am depressed the human condition and all its stains are much more hard to ignore.
here's to you finding some pretty things again soon
don't forget your camera this time.

:)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Haha, you didn't forget that comment about my camera! I am starting to miss it. Guess I just needed a holiday.

[missprune.livejournal.com]

I am so relieved that your dad's infection is under control (at least that's what I think it means - not spreading wildly, anyway). Haven't yet been inside a Walmart (and maybe never will!)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You're not missing anything, not even a cribbage board!

Re: Excellent simile

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

If I had planned the shopping trip properly, I would have kept the gown and latex gloves from my visit with Dad to avoid spreading the infection of Walmartus odius. Too late.

[abendstille.livejournal.com]

you are describing the atmosphere at Walmart so well.........
when i went in there for the first time i was shocked.......
but then when i discovered the first dollar store it was worse.......
i´m glad your dad seems to be on the way to recovery
hugs to you

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You must have read between the lines, because I had to visit Dollarama yesterday, too. Overall it was a depressing voyage.

Hugs.

[bear-left.livejournal.com]

That might be the best description I've heard of WalMart.

A good friend of mine will be publishing this book on the history of WalMart & Christianity in a couple months: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/MOREVE.html

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Walmart & Christianity? Good lord, what an interesting topic! I must keep it in mind for future reading.

[bear-left.livejournal.com]

It'll be worth your time - Bethany is brilliant (& funny as hell, and a fantastic person all around).

[inishglora.livejournal.com]

Judging by the general acclaim (with which I agree), your description of Mall Wart is 100% win!

MRSA is nasty stuff and I am glad things are looking good. Surprisingly, it runs rampant in hospitals. Scary.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

We are aware that another strain of S. aureus, present in the same hospital, is resistant to the antibiotic Dad is now taking. Scary indeed.

[bixie.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that he's settled and totally agree with you about london. I hate going there, and never did as an adult before my grandparents moved there (an aunt and an uncle and their families have lived there for 20+ years).

if you're going to be in town for a few days with your father, I recommend taking a walk along the river in campus -- it was surprisingly full of birds when we were there in the summer and I imagine it would be nice in the winter, too. exiting the main entrance of the hospital near the visitors' parking structure, go straight ahead -- across the plaza, road, and other parking lot and you will come to it. walking to the right takes you further onto campus and gives a nice stretch of path.

also, we found a few inexpensive restaurants along richmond -- two middle eastern places and a bagel shop that did good breakfast sandwiches. from the hospital go out of the campus to the north and turn right on the big road (westminster?) and then richmond is one of the first lights, turn right into the city. the first middle eastern place will be on your right, kind of on its own, and then the other is down near the railroad tracks as is the bagel shop.

finally, there's a chapters on the south side of the city, at wellington and southdale.

good luck surviving your stay! :>

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tips! It is sunny here, so maybe I will get out for a walk before I head home today.

I do have one good thing to say about London: it has lots of restaurants, and some good ones. There's also a good Classical music store, Madrigal

Last time I was here I tried to stop at the Middle Eastern place you mentioned, but took offense at the expense of parking in that part of downtown. I pulled into The Keg, only to find it was paid parking there, too, right in the restaurant parking lot! My home city recently instituted two-hour free parking downtown, and I'm spoiled. After spending $9 to park for a while at the hospital, I refused to pay for the privilege of parking my car so I could patronize the downtown eateries.

I ended up driving south a few blocks, leaving my car in some free parking at the park, and walking back to a sports bar where I had a decent salmon filet.

I actually bought two pocketbooks yesterday for Dad, one at Coles in the mall, and one at the Chapters store you mentioned. But my feelings about Chapters and Indigo Books are not far from my feelings about Walmart. Guelph still harbours an excellent independent bookstore and an excellent used book store, so I try to do all my book shopping there. I even try to avoid shopping for books online.

Yes, there is a lot more I could say about London! ;-)

[bixie.livejournal.com]

Now that you say that about the parking, I think we got lucky and scooted into free street parking in the neighborhood a couple of blocks away when we ate there. It's kind of a blur, but I'm pretty sure the bagel place had a parking lot behind the little string of stores that was free for customers.

I think I'm so burned by Borders that Chapters -- owned by Barnes & Noble -- seems benign in comparison (and if there is an independent bookstore in Windsor, I don't know about it -- in the 20 years I've shopped for books there I only ever knew about the Chapters in the mall). Also, there is (for me) the coffee issue -- we go to Chapters to get coffee in London (in Windsor there are both independent coffeeshops where I can get espressos and a non-embedded Starbucks).

But, I hear you on the chain stuff. It makes me wonder if people in London (er, England) feel the same way about...that huge bookstore that I love and is a British chain. Kind of funny.