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Date: 28 June 2014. Deal Breaker (galley gear in thrift store)

© janice142
 

[Posted late because I'm in transit.]
 

A while back I was walking along a road and an acquaintance pulled up in her car next to me. It was a gal I had met in one of the stores I frequented. We had fun chatting about life, children and more. I liked her -- still do, except for that one thing. And it is a doozy.


When she asked if I wanted to ride with her over to the next town to a larger thrift store I was thrilled.  I love thrift stores. They are such fun and there's almost always something I can use either as-is or with some modification aboard Seaweed. The prices are affordable too.


For instance, I used to have a piece of aluminum foil folded over to make a wind break when I used my propane stove. A bit of thinking made me realize the ring from a
Spring-form pan would provide the same service and be much tidier.
 


Fellows should know that pineapple upside down cakes are baked in spring-form pans. The base stays in place. The outer ring comes off to display the edges of the cake. This makes removing the cake from the pan easier and neater for presentation.
 

The spring-form holds my pans or teapot in place. Best of all, in most breezes I don't have to shut the back door and the stove burner does not blow out. Win! And at less than a dollar, I did well.
 

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Spring-form pan


You might put the same spring-form item on your list of desired Galley Gear too. The
3x5 Cards article tells how I organize my wishes (retail versus used) and might be helpful as well.



That pan is just one of the many reasons I like thrift stores. Hunting for bargains is fun for me. With a bit of creativity I can have nice things aboard Seaweed for not a lot of cash.



Thus, when this gal offered to take me to a mega-thrift store in a different county I was delighted for the outing.  "Sounds like fun" I said and we were off.
 

Though the vehicle she drove was not new, it was not nearly as old as this gem:

At the Carrabelle Riverfront Festival this cool car was parked in front of Christie's Cottage Living.


The gal and I went our separate ways in the thrift store. Though I did not find anything particularly of note I did pick up a new white shirt. I tend to wear long sleeved white shirts, and when they get too grimy or stained I chop them up and turn them into rags.
 

Former shirt, now a stack of disposable 12" (give or take) work rags.

I do not wash these when dirty. This is the final stop before the garbage can.
The shirt gets one more use and then out it goes. Aboard Seaweed I do not keep trash.


Of course I have to save the buttons first. Grandma did. Mother did. And now I do so. One of these days I shall check however I am almost positive my daughter has a button collection. At least I hope she does. This is a family tradition.
 

One of the items I did purchase was later The Circle of Useful Knowledge printed in 1885! Here is a sneak peek at a page:

 

So we shopped and on the way back to town my pal suggested a stop at Walmart. Yeah!  I wear children's shoes and they are not easy to find in adult styles. [One of these days I'll save up and buy another pair of boat shoes.] Mine finally were consigned to the dumpster after a hard life!

Anyway, I was shopping for shoes (found a pair) and ran into the woman in the same department. She was swapping the tags on a box with shoes in it. I tell you I was SHOCKED!!! I had not come across that sort of thing for a long time and was frankly appalled.
 

For some reason I figure that retail stores pricing is arbitrary and set in stone.  I cannot imagine the nerve it takes to rip a tag off one box and put it on another. That is just not me.
 


When at a store I pay the sticker price... it matters not if I am in a small business or a corporate conglomerate mega-store.


Subsequently I paid for my Walmart sneakers and waited up front for the Sticky-Fingers to finish her shopping.  I was afraid she would get taken to jail, or something else bad could happen.  It is wrong to do that sort of thing. It was scary. Could I be in trouble as a cohort?!? Argh!!!
 

For the record, Walmart's scanner did not let her slip through with the shoes inaccurately priced. I have no idea how the Walmart checkout system prevented it. Fortunately no theft/deception occurred. I want no part of that sort of thing.


These are the sneakers I bought.


When I returned home (gosh it was good to be back on Seaweed) I called a friend who asked "Is that a deal breaker?" The answer was a resounding "Yes".


As for me, I want joy in my life. I have it too aboard Seaweed. I am indeed fortunate.

 

To all the ladies and gents who have taken me shopping in the past: Thank you for not stealing! I did not realize such a thing could/would happen in my presence and it was disturbing. And I promise if you take me places I will mind my manners too. 
 

There is a rule about that sort of behavior most adhere to.
The Eighth Commandment: "Thou shall not steal."


So, that's my tale of shopping with an acquaintance. I am sorry it turned out the way it did as I truly do love shopping in thrift stores. Walmart too for that matter. In the comments section I would like to know if I am alone in this experience.
 

Has there ever been a time when you discovered something about a pal that was a Deal Breaker?
And I'm also curious as to what your deal breaker involved.
 

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COMMENTS:
 

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Categories: Boat Talk, Books, Characters, Galley, Locations, Money, Vignettes

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Aphorism Alert:  This must be the golden age of euphemisms. When people deliberately violate our laws by crossing our borders illegally, they are called "undocumented workers." When people steal copyrighted material and exchange it among themselves, it is called "file swapping" instead of fencing stolen goods. Thomas Sowell.

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