Dribble by Chuck Ferris

   You may recall, I use the 99 cent store as a form of entertainment. It costs less to shop there than it does to spend the same amount of time drinking in a bar, watching a movie, or even listening to a street musician. And you come home with a basket full of stuff you may or may not need. (Most likely you did NOT need it.)

My last trip (<- Story link) I got by for about ten dollars and hour. This trip cost me nearly nineteen. The reason it cost extra was two fold. I had been away and needed to get “caught up” on my junk purchases, and I went nuts in the sea food section.

Ninety nine cent sea food is a weakness of mine. Sardines especially. I bought four, count ‘em, four, varieties of Sardines. Sunny Sea sardines in oil from Thailand, Majestica Sardines in mustard also from Thailand, Smiling Sea Lightly smoked sardines, skinless and boneless, in 10% olive oil (90% soybean oil) also from Thailand, and two cans of Smiling Sea sardines in tomato sauce, and you’re right they’re from Thailand too. When did all the sardines migrate to Thailand? I don’t know. Iceland and the Baltic Sea may be fished out.

Actually, the Baltic Sea countries have a strict treaty regarding fishing. You cannot put a new fishing boat into the Baltic Sea unless you remove one of the same capacity.

That’s not all. I bought a packet of Majestica Lightly Smoked scallops in oil. That will be nice, but I made a mistake. I read “scallops” and I was thinking “mussels:. No matter. I’ll bet I enjoy them . I bought two cans of smoked mussels pieces, too

In the spirit of experimentation I bought a can of Rolled fillets of anchovies in pure Olive Oil .

. And there is Majestica skinless and boneless Salmon in Brine. I hope to get some bagels and cream cheese to go with that. That will be a sort of poor man’s Lox and Bagels.

To top off the fish purchase there were two cans of Bumble Bee spicytuna chili seasoned tuna medley. Ought to be good on crackers. And two cans of plain old Chicken of the Sea Chunk Light Tuna in water. I bought them because they were less than 99 cents…only 79. But I seem to remember I bought the same thing at the market for 69 cents.

As a counter balance for all that fish I bought one can of corned beef hash. That is fourteen cans of fish to one can of beef. That seems an appropriate ratio for me.

Leaving the food department I bought a back pack to strap on my scooter. The one that is there needs replacing. I bought a couple of note books, and a few frames for photos. I bought page protectors. They’re good for hanging silly slogans on my apartment door. Neighbors have come to expect some silly or impertinent slogan on my door. I bought a couple of bottles of seven up.

There was an Easter Close Out department.,.. This is the week after Easter. From the close out department, I bought at half price a couple of coffee cups because I don‘t like drinking from the mugs supplied in the dining room. The coffee cups are fine…they were half price because they are decorated with Easter bunnies. If you don’t mind drinking from bunny cups, it is a bargain.

When I was done I found I had spent eighteen dollars for an hour’s entertainment, and I had three giant plastic bags of stuff.