Things I never noticed...

...at the local WalMart. Maybe that's because they weren't there previously. Maybe because I wasn't looking or, if looking, not pointed in the right direction. Whatever. So -- in the unlikely event that we ever get another rain here in droughty Prescott, a plastic bag specifically designed to cover our wet umbrellas. This I see as much an amenity for the store (no ruined merchandise) as for the customer.

And a totally local touch. Pretty high up, in the midstore entranceway. My question for all of you Prescottonians out there: how many of you have ever seen a badger in the wild? In the Prescott area? I've become convinced that it is a mythical critter, like the roc, though teams from around the country are often called The [xyz] Badgers and never The [xyz] Rocs. I wonder why?


Skulls & Other Links: Tucson has a mighty excellent Dia Los Muertes parade; Warren has covered it in three grand posts. Speaking of skeletons & skulls, are you familiar with the great skull out the Date Creek Road? I've known the skull for a long time, but the Goa entranceway lions were another matter; Anil introduced them in his most recent post from India.

Protecting the Granites

When bro & I visited the WalMart yesterday, we noticed the bright white of a picket fence going up and down amongst the granites behind the shopping center.

Very likely protecting pricey housing sites from (ugh!) nasty commercial operations and the hoi polloi, who might try to scale the vertically cut rocks.

Just for the record, here's the broader picture of the heights vs. the world of the common man. The maroon-roofed white buildings in the mid-ground are medical offices, BTW. No, I don't know who was here first, whether it was the merchants or the residents. I'm one who has little sympathy with people who buy near the airport and then complain about the noise, tho I certainly would understand if folks, who built a house and later had to endure a shopping center popping up next door, were a bit unhappy.

For All Us Map Freaks: There's this site called Strange Maps which has, among other oddities, a map of UFO sightings in the USA. Just so you are aware -- the incidence of sightings of alien craft is higher in the western states than back east or in the south ... does this tells us something?

Cardboard Cookies

The recent heavy-duty database research left me low on supplies. Since the daughter and granddaughter will be here overnight this weekend for 1) the Lipizzaner stallions and 2) a trip to the Santa Maria River to play in the water, it was important that I restock. Hence a foolish visit to the WalMart. So the cardboard cookies were 50 cents cheaper than at another store. Big deal. $100 a pop, remember? It never fails.

Some readers might ask what I mean by cardboard cookies. Simple. Cheap imitations of Oreos, suitable for hungry, undiscriminating youngsters. They're good for adults, too; they quickly satisfy a sudden yen for goodies, but they aren't good enough that you continue eating them past the point of no return. This particular batch, with peanut butter filling, is yummier than many varieties, however.

My husband and I always kept a cookie jar full of cardboard cookies to cope with visits from his two growing sons, who were appetites on legs. We discovered, as most parents do, that with young lads, one cannot afford delicacies, organic foods or even roast beef. That's the real why behind junk food. One keeps a supply of bologna and hot dogs plus the biggest & cheapest loaves of bread available for boys. Otherwise you go broke.

In Which I Commit the Great Shopping Sin

That's right, I went shopping at the WallyMart today. Now, I do have a problem with WalMart, mind you. But it's not the usual complaint (wages, Chinese imports, etc.) No, it's the fact that I can't get out of the dang place without dropping at least a C-note. So much for everyday low prices!

While the amount of Stuff can be overwhelming, especially as we approach the Xmas gifting extravaganza, I felt it my duty as an American to do a walk-through today.

Besides, how can a non-driving sort come by copies of mail box keys, a CO alarm (recommended by my plumbing/furnace man), cardboard cookies, my first El Cheapo cell phone (recommended by my favorite aged-in-grade techie Bad Boy), obscure vitamins, grapefruit and a t-shirt with a dragon on it -- all at one place?

Of course, I had to look at the toy Stuff. Not done-up, Xmas-style like you'd find at many stores, but with bikes hanging from the warehouse ceiling...

...boxed barbies...

...and a belly-baring Bratz doll on plain wire rack shelves.

Next to all the toys, the battery concession. Logical.

On to the adult toys. Games. Flat panel TVs. Too bad WalMart doesn't do that zillion-screen TV display thing that so mesmerizes me over at Sears!

A splendid assortment of fabrics for those who sew special Stuff for Christmas. Tho I was a bit taken aback by the Disney (huh?) sewing machine below. It must have built-in designs or some such. By the way, I have found that WalMart carries almost as many fabrics as the JoAnn superstore nearby.

And, of course, there's the Pink and Lavender for little Princesses department. My daughter has warned me about the rampant pink and purple problem! Ugh.

My cynical self says that the complaints about low wages and chintzy benefits at WalMart really took off after the boys from Arkansas decided to tackle the supermarket biz. Why? Because that's the one segment of retail in which the unions have been strong and wages reasonably good. Plenty of room there for the old price squeeze! My cynical self also faults critics for not admitting that in general, retail wages and benefits have always been lousy--long before old Sam Walton had his great idea of a superstore for the small towns of America.

The food selection is pretty good with certain exceptions. Note that there is no cheese packaged in Black -- the standard wrap for decently, bitingly sharp cheddar (the only kind that's worth taking space in my fridge.) Good booze to go with cheese and crackers, tho.

For the record, a look at the exchanges counter. I'm sure that it will look a lot different after Dec. 25!

And here's my basket ready for check out. Yep, way over that $100 minimum I mentioned at the beginning!