Goin' to Town

Yesterday we went to the biggest city in our region.  It's about an hour away and we usually make the trip once a month to shop at some stores we don't have nearer.  Our list of stores to see is static in that there are a few stores we go to most every time; it varies as we find new sources of  food and equipment and new places to see.

Yesterday was a long day for multiple reasons.  None of our children came with us. We tried to persuade them, but to no avail.  Turns out that was better for us as we had no time limit to push us along.  We were able to take our time at a few places and really discuss if we needed an item we were considering.  Would it help us in the long run?  Would it be something we might not find in the future?  Is it a quality item that would last?  We eventually came away with a few things that answered those questions in a good way, and left a few items in the store for others. We even came away with some tools that we weren't even looking for when we came to town.  Overall we came away with what we needed and could afford at this time.  Some interesting sights were seen, as well as places visited.

We ate lunch in the civic center area at a collection of food trucks.  We are fans of taco trucks and have a list of regulars around the area. This was more than just tacos.  Grass fed beef sloppy joes with mushrooms. Chipoltle chicken with cole slaw. Hand made pies. BBQ of all sorts.  Wood fired pizza.  There were about 6 trucks with a variety of items.  They meet at various places around the city for lunches and it was good.  This Friday it seemed they were catering to the crowd from multiple government buildings, but there were families bouncing around, jurors with name tags and a few trustafarians.

After a wonderful meal while listening to some music in the park, we moved on to the business part of our journey. We unfortunately had to make a stop at the big mall, but a new nursery, Sierra View, was on the list; a gun shop; REI, had our yearly dividend burning a hole in my pocket; a leather store for class materials and Trader Joe's helped make the list enjoyable.  Along the way we looked into a few other stores when they offered something we might use.  I probably need to mention we stopped along the way and purchased some supplies before arriving in the big city.

Some long discussions took place regarding the purchases.  We spent a bit more money than expected, but the purchases were for items that we would use for a long time and would be bought eventually. Currently we have some concerns about the monetary system and are spending what we have on hard goods instead of trying to save.  Some may not agree with that strategy, but it is the path we are treading.  The longer talks concerned a pair of hiking shoes and a kitchen knife.  Both were on sale and both were something we had been talking about for long term needs, just not now necessarily   That being said, the extra money spent isn't going to cause problems and we now are better set in case something happens. That should say when something happens.

The bigger questions raised were from being in public settings.  I don't get out much in a normal week.  I go to work by bike, go to practice and then home. When home I work a bit around the yard and help in the garden less than I should and hopefully I will do more garden work soon.

But I don't get out of town much, so a trip to the city exposes me to many and varied people.  I do like to people watch, but now it's tinged with awareness of situations.  The mall was a mess of humanity.  We ended up replacing a phone for a son. He knew we were going to the big city and gave us the money to pay for the phone.  That was our only reason to be in the mall.  But what about the rest of the people?  I wondered if it was a "clothing optional" dress code for a bit.  What a people thinking when they leave their house?  Seemed like many were just trolling the walkways.

It ended up being a long day, but productive.  We saw some new things, bought some things we need for the long term, and had some delightful talks between the two of us.  The talks helped focus us on what we need to do next on our journey.