Saturday 3 November 2007

Not Just Tires Anymore


I dropped my daughter off at work this morning. It's her second day at her second job and she's nervous, but that's another story.

I decided to stop on the way home to pick up some window insulation kits for our leaky 50's windows that haven't had storm inserts for a couple of decades. If I don't put the shrink wrap on the inside, we're doomed to icy drafts and foggy windows for the next six months.

I had a choice of stores - Home Depot or Canadian Tire. Of course I chose Canadian Tire because I'm loyal to Canadian-owned retailers. Don't get me started about Wal-Mart, because that's another story, too.

I like Canadian Tire. You get special Canadian Tire Money if you pay by cash, and can exchange it for anything, just like cash. I once had a boyfriend who saved enough to buy a whole bicycle. The bills come in 5, 10, 25, 50 cent, and one and two dollar denominations, each with a picture of Sandy McTire.

As I entered the store, the smell of motor oil hit me. It's not as gross as you think, considering the vinyl smell of Zellers has me running for the hills, due to a three-week stint as a waitress in their restaurant (yet another story).

I purposely chose a hand basket instead of a cart because when I hit a Canadian Tire store, I can't stop shopping. There's so much to see: stainless steel pots and pans, canoes, hockey tape, windshield wiper fluid, camping gear, lighting fixtures, toys, Christmas decorations, televisions, flashlights, hunting rifles, fish batter, doorbells, lawn mowers.... you get the drift.


I found what I needed, plus a furnace filter and a new rubber thingy that goes under the door, then decided to cruise the other aisles in search for a new dish drainer... uh, dish rack? You see, our old Rubbermaid was getting a bit grungy. I could no longer scrub off the calcium deposits, no matter how much vinegar I used. It was pretty gross, really.

I searched and searched. I found fancy stainless steel electric kettles, strainers, toasters, garlic presses, but no dish strainers.

We had a dishwasher once. We had it for twenty years. It was one of those types you roll out of the dining room into the kitchen and hook up to the kitchen sink. Our 50's kitchen doesn't have a built-in dishwasher. After all those years, our dishwasher stopped circulating water in the proper order. It filled, but didn't drain. Our dishes looked worse coming out than they were going in.

After several attempts at repair, we wheeled it to the end of the driveway and I delegated the dish duties to the family. The result is pretty much the same because my kids don't want to do the dishes and they think I'll take away the privilege if they do a lousy job. Ain't gonna work.

I guess Canadian Tire doesn't think anybody does dishes by hand anymore.

8 comments:

Bernita said...

I love Canadian Tire money - it's a tradition!

kimmi said...

Chumplet, your artworks are gorgeous!!!
hugs
kimmi
aw

Sandra Cormier said...

Hi Kimmi! Thanks. Welcome to Chumpletland!

Kanani said...

I had one of those dishwashers at my old house. I bashed the counter one time rolling it over.

I love the artworks. Just wonderful.
Over here, we have a local hardware store called a Tru-Value. All the employees wear red vests, and they'll help you find things you're sure they wouldn't have. It's small, but it has all sorts of cooking gadgets, and things that you're pretty sure you MUST have!
After Thanksgiving, they'll have all their Xmas decorations up. It's like an orgy of lights and sounds. Absolute fun, and it's rare I don't walk out with something new!
(thanks for coming over to my blog!)

Chris Eldin said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog!!! Please drop by as often as you like (you remind me of the Snarky days....)

;-)

Sandra Cormier said...

You remind me of Dana Carvey for some reason...

Anonymous said...

And that is why they call it Crappy Tire.

Serious, put on the Edith Prickly outfit, go down there and give the manager hell.

Sandra Cormier said...

"Hey there, young man! Gimme a dish rack, pronto! Har Har!"