Vince decided that taking me to Joplin today to eat at my favorite Thai restaurant would be a good thing. There was a price to pay though . . my husband loves to shop! Target, Sam’s, Kohl’s, TJ Max, Steve & Barry’s (or something like that), Academy, Harbor Freight . . and the list goes on. At each and every place, I had to beg . . can we please leave now?
The Harbor Freight in Joplin is little .. maybe they all are. I don’t seek out Harbor Freight stores when we’re traveling. It smells like a tire shop. I don’t like that store! We Vince bought a few things and as we left the store, he said “That store is intoxicating! I could spend all day in there!” Huh? I don’t feel intoxicated at all! There are only like 6 rows; no recliner; no big screen tv! What the heck would Vince do in a Harbor Freight all day? Just keep your fingers crossed that if he decides to spend the day at Harbor Freight, he leaves me at home!
All that intoxicating “stuff” in there and he bought 4 or 5 tarps and some weird little cheap looking tools. When there’s a storm or something and you need tarps, there are never any to be found so we keep them on hand. Until . . Chad finds them and then we have to go shopping for tarps again. Chad had found our whole stash of tarps so it was time for a few more and a new hiding place for them.
After about the third store, and me begging can we please leave now? Vince said . . will you call Chad and see what he’s doing tomorrow and if he will come back to Joplin with me? Oh, yes! Chad has the same shopping gene that Vince has. They will go to Joplin tomorrow! They will shop til they drop! They will eat at my other favorite restaurant and they will come home and talk for hours about how good the sushi was and how I would have loved it. I don’t care! I’m staying home! I will deal with the fridge repairman. I will also show him my stove top that’s kinda maybe got something wrong with it and try to convince him to tell Vince that I need a new stove.
Next time I want Thai food or sushi, I will go by myself to Joplin and I will eat alone and be very thankful that I don’t have to shop in order to get to eat out.
Maggie says
My boyfriend hates to shop, hates malls, and REALLY doesn’t like to spend money. Yet every Sunday the living room floor is covered in ads. He’ll spend hours looking through the Target and Best Buy fliers pondering this or that.
I don’t mind shopping but I hate the newspaper mess. I can find everything online that I might need from a newspaper. I hate finding random sections in the bathroom or tucked under the bed. I hate fighting with him to take the papers to the recycling bin then taking the bin to the curb.
I despise newspapers. The irony is that I used to work for a newspaper.
I hope you have a quiet Joplin-free day tomorrow much like I hope I do not have to see a newspaper in my house.
Judy says
Does Vince ever go to quilt shops with you? Or do you want him to???
Maybe you should add a few stops to his day……quilt shop, yarn shop, craft store 🙂
Linda H says
Ah, but the bonding, the shared experience of shopping! hee-hee
Cindy says
A couple of the girls and I started out at Block by Block in Carthage this morning, then we decided to go on to Joplin. Got some stuff at JoAnns and then we went to Bittersweet which is South of Joplin and then we got home about 5:30.
We ate at Cracker Barrell, which was good.
Some other friends want to go to Eudora to the quilt shop sale on Thursday, but I’m tired and have to get up at 5 in the morning so I can take Joe to have a colonoscopy. If I get to come home and sleep all day tomorrow, I may have the energy to go Thursday.
Besides, I bought way more than I needed today. Amy’s got a quilt of yours hanging behind the register counter. Everyone was ooing and awwing over it.
Tamara (Bobroidery) says
I think my husband must have the same gene pool as yours… LOL! He could shop for days and I hate going with him. He wants to look at everything on every aisle. Not me… I’m in, get what I need, and I’m out. And yes, he even likes going to the fabric stores with me. 🙁
Mary says
I hate shopping too! Luckily Keith doesn’t like it any better than I do so while we do run errands together, it’s always in and out.
He does like to look around at the grocery store but since I like to go in with a list and get out as fast as I can, he’ll offer to do the grocery shopping for me as long as I make a list of what I need.
We had some insurance issues with Adam because of his schedule so I know how you feel – I just wanted to wrap him in bubble wrap until it’s all settled because with my luck….
CJ says
Bleh I feel your pain, I’m not into shopping either (unless it’s online hehe). Although Jim and I went antiquing the other day for a bit and it was kind of fun!
diana says
Oh Judy, I feel your pain!! Every time my husband leaves the house it is a road trip! I refuse to go.
The only thing I like to shop for is food and I am beginning to hate that because of all the other people… and the clerks!!! I could EASILY never leave the house. I NEVER “need” to get out. And, yes, we have Harbor freight… and Farm & Fleet…. my husband’s truck automatically turns in there as it passes!
Yesterday I got my hair cut and planned to make a couple stops because I never get to Peoria…. but, as soon as my hair was done I RACED back home!!!!
I think we may be the oddballs, but I love it that way!!
Have a great sewing day…
diana in Illinois
(quilt4u @ verizon.net)
Sue Lord says
My husband also has the shopping gene. It drives me crazy. He is convinced that there is always something in the storage room that they are keeping from him! If it is not on the shelves,he will ask if they have it in back. If not will they bring out what they do have. Gotta love him! Sue
Toni says
Ahhh, Habor Freight!! Another good one is Northern Tools. Lucky for me, the Northern Tools is just around the corner from Hobby Lobby and Habor Freight is in the same shopping center as Tuesday Morning. Love to get the French milled soap in there. That way we are both happy campers.
Michele says
No quilt stores in Joplin that Vince could leave you at?
I’m like you, I hate to shop, most of the time. I love country markets or fairs, craft shows, and of course fabric/quilt shops!
Happy New Year… hope 2009 is a wonderful year!
Michele
tami says
My DH hates to shop and I have a terrible time just getting him to HELP with the Christmas shopping. I do most of my shopping online or at least research before I go so the trip will be shorter.
I have a funny Harbor Freight story. I had never heard of that store until I saw this http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38124 organizing bag at my friend April’s. She had it filled with her weaving tools and I could see many uses for it. I looked it up online and for a 10 dollar bag they wanted 7 dollars shipping and I get annoyed when the shipping is almost as much as the product. I used the store locator on the site and the closest brick and mortar store to us was in Mass. To far for a trip, but they did have a store in Denver. I IM’d DD and sent her the link and told her it would make a GREAT Christmas present for me as well as her brother who is starting to gather a collection of tools and is always looking for new bags. We both got them and she said we better like them because I sent her to such a “ghetto” store. I had no idea what the store was like, but apparently she shares your sentiments. The bag is great though. Next time Vince drags you there you should get one or 2 for yourself. 😀
Vicky says
He doesn’t like to go shopping by himself obviously! LOL. Poor Judy!! Heck, I couldn’t even spend all day in a quilt shop! Jane introduced me to Rosie’s down in San Diego one day. I was so overwhelmed that I had to take frequent breaks and sit in the rockers on the front porch just to clear my mind. I was so tired when I left there!
I find myself more and more just wanting to come home and stay here until it’s time to go back to work again. Makes me a boring person, but all the rude people out here and the crowds in all the stores, even the market, make it less than enjoyable.
Cara says
Okay – gotta ask – what in the world does Chad do with all your tarps that they have to be replaced when he’s done with them? I’m assuming it has to do with the hunting, but I can’t figure out what he does that means you never get it back. Unless he wraps what he kills in it and it makes a mess that can’t wash off? I am unreasonably fascinated by this now. (And, obviously, I don’t have a hunter in my life.)
Morah says
Uhm…. I too like Harbor Freight. I buy sewing notions all the time in there. I bought rolling tool boxes to carry my machine, screwdriver set for my machine, sticky measuring tape to attach to the bed of my table…….Think of it as a screwball/much cheaper sewing notions store!!!!!!LOL!