Don't drink the lead!

[_Blixa]

I'd like to think I don't shop at Walmart for purely political reasons, but half of it is that I can't stand the place! The goods are shoddy, not that cheap and it take for-fucking-ever to check out!

Where to shop? Anywhere else, in my book. I rarely need Walmarty stuff anyway (what do people buy there?), but when I need a small appliance I grab it at Target. Anything else I go to the shops in my neighborhood. Small crap furniture peices? Drive to IKEA. Anything else get it online at some place that doesn't charge s&h or delivers locally (I have my groceries delivered once a week--beats lugging it all up three flights). While we still have a car, I don't use it much and usually take the subway or bus around the city (or the train to work).

But, this is Brooklyn, not the suburbs.

[_barrelomonkeys]

I wish I had a garden. I miss working my mom's vegetable patch.

Here's my summer squash recipe: I've been slicing zuccini and yellow squash into length-wise peices, brushing with olive oil, sprinking some black peper and kosher salt over them and then running them under the broiler untill they toast a bit.

This is bascially so I don't have to have the oven on too long. It can be unbearable humid in the evening here.

I love to stuff squash, KA, but that's more of a winter meal: I make stuffing out of fresh sausage, bread crumbs, raisins or dried cranberries, nuts of some sort (everything from walnuts to pepitas) and mash it all together with a little milk and butter.

That sounds delicious, I'll give that a try tonight. My kids are tired of eating squash and the same old recipes.

[_barrelomonkeys]

I'd like to think I don't shop at Walmart for purely political reasons, but half of it is that I can't stand the place! The goods are shoddy, not that cheap and it take for-fucking-ever to check out!

Where to shop? Anywhere else, in my book. I rarely need Walmarty stuff anyway (what do people buy there?), but when I need a small appliance I grab it at Target. Anything else I go to the shops in my neighborhood. Small crap furniture peices? Drive to IKEA. Anything else get it online at some place that doesn't charge s&h or delivers locally (I have my groceries delivered once a week--beats lugging it all up three flights). While we still have a car, I don't use it much and usually take the subway or bus around the city (or the train to work).

But, this is Brooklyn, not the suburbs.

I wish I lived in the suburbs! There'd be more places to shop. I live in a very small community where there's a town square and that's it. I live in the historic neighborhood and so I really love it for my kids. When we bought our home it was a complete wreck, but the street has picket fences and old people swinging on their front porch. There are kids playing in the streets and it's such a welcoming atmosphere. We loved the Normal Rockwell feeling to the neighborhood. We walk to the post office and library and what is here is about 2 blocks away. That's sort of fun for them (until they hit teenage years and realize how much they hate this place) but it makes it very difficult to find quality items. I drive 20 minutes to go to the larger town and there is a Wal-Mart there.

What I buy at Wal-mart? I buy my swiffer cleaning supplies, since it's the only place around here that has them. I buy most all of the cleaning supplies there. I'll buy gardening supplies. We buy groceries there sometimes since they actually have a better supply than the other local groceries. We buy flipflops and beach "stuff" for when we go on vacation. Really just the "crap" necessities of life. I love antiques and fortunately there are lots of antique shops around here. The only frustrating part about living here really is the lack of clothing stores. I'm a total snob when it comes to dressing my kids and I buy them all of their clothes from online boutiques or custom boutique items on ebay. As they get older we'll probably just have to drive so they can find a better selection.

About the subway. I really miss public transportation. When I lived in DC and Japan we'd hope on and go anywhere we wanted. It was so convenient and I loved it. Here they don't even have buses.

My husband grew up in San Diego and moved to TN to be with me when he was 30. He had quite the culture shock. The only thing other than hating lack of restaurants and shopping is the lack of culture that we can expose our children to. We escaped the cities to come here for a very simple way of life and really we're giving our children all the things we never had (stability, close knit community, extended family) and yet they lack all the great cultural experiences that we had as children. It's really hard to balance that. We're trying though. :)

[_Blixa]

What I buy at Wal-mart? I buy my swiffer cleaning supplies, since it's the only place around here that has them. I buy most all of the cleaning supplies there. I'll buy gardening supplies. We buy groceries there sometimes since they actually have a better supply than the other local groceries. We buy flipflops and beach "stuff" for when we go on vacation. Really just the "crap" necessities of life.

Swiffer and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser are not "crap!" My god woman, they are some of the most important inventions of the 21st Century!

Fortunately my grocery delivery company has Swiffer and other cleaning supplies. They haven't started stocking the Magic Erasers yet, but I'm betting they will soon. Other stuff I can grab at local Dollar Stores/bodegas/drug stores within walking distance.

The best thing in life is having groceries deliverd. It comes packed in boxes so its like Christmas! And guys carry it up the stairs for you (which means I can order losts of heavy watermelons in the summer). And they bring beer and wine!

Actually, I have to go put my Friday order in now...

[_barrelomonkeys]

What I buy at Wal-mart? I buy my swiffer cleaning supplies, since it's the only place around here that has them. I buy most all of the cleaning supplies there. I'll buy gardening supplies. We buy groceries there sometimes since they actually have a better supply than the other local groceries. We buy flipflops and beach "stuff" for when we go on vacation. Really just the "crap" necessities of life.

Swiffer and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser are not "crap!" My god woman, they are some of the most important inventions of the 21st Century!

Fortunately my grocery delivery company has Swiffer and other cleaning supplies. They haven't started stocking the Magic Erasers yet, but I'm betting they will soon. Other stuff I can grab at local Dollar Stores/bodegas/drug stores within walking distance.

The best thing in life is having groceries deliverd. It comes packed in boxes so its like Christmas! And guys carry it up the stairs for you (which means I can order losts of heavy watermelons in the summer). And they bring beer and wine!

Actually, I have to go put my Friday order in now...

You live a blessed life Blixa! I do have Dollar stores here and I LOVE them! I buy "stuff" there too.