Vacation day 1: Shopping

[altivo]

Whee! New sandals to replace my 12 year old ones. And some DVDs, most notably Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But one objective failed. I've ordered some fur I need to finish enhancements to my suit from CR's Crafts and it has been back ordered for a while. We planned to hit the nearest fabric store (in Crystal Lake) only to find that it was gone. Moved or closed down? We don't know yet. Sounds like a trip to Rockford may be needed yet this week.

Comments

[kamodragon.livejournal.com]

I like Grommit too... I remember watching the original claymation when I was a kid... good stuff. Better than Gumby.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

They're the wrong trousers Grommit...the wrong trousers XD

[altivo.livejournal.com]

...and they've gone wrong. Stop them! Waaaaaaaah!

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Cracking toast XD

[altivo.livejournal.com]

An interesting thing from the DVD extras stuff... Wensleydale cheese was nearly extinct, it seems, until Wallace made it famous again. Now production is cranking along as fast as possible, and some labels even feature Wallace and Gromit together.

[favouritewindow.livejournal.com]

I love Wallace and Gromit :) ! Did you see "The Quest For More Cheese" ?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Not by that title, but it sounds like the short feature I know as "A Grand Day Out". That's the first one Nick Park made, where they build a space ship in the cellar and go to the moon in search of cheese?

My favorite of course is "A Close Shave" with the sheep. But "Curse of the Were-Rabbit" is really great too. I need to watch it several more times to get all the jokes, there are so many.

I understand that the demand for Wensleydale cheese in England has skyrocketed since Wallace became familiar to the public. And now, after this latest feature, Stinking Bishop is in demand (and it's very scarce, since it's only made on one farm that has but 25 cows.)

[favouritewindow.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is the one :) Couldn't remember the title so I just took a guess :) It's nice to hear that these programmes have driven up demand for obscure cheese flavours - wouldn't want the entire world to become like the US, with "cheese" meaning orange blocks of rubber :P (Just kidding, although a friend of mine did complain about that trend in major supermarkets over there).

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Your friend was right. Americans for the most part know nothing about cheese other than it gets melted on cheeseburgers (which means usually some kind of awful processed stuff like Velveeta(tm) or Kraft American(tm) slices.)

I am nearly as fond of cheese as Wallace is, in fact, and it is an unending frustration trying to get real cheese here. It can be found, but you have to know the ropes. I mail order some, make special trips to certain shops for other. I know which two or three varieties of the several dozen offered in the local supermarket are "real" as opposed to orange blocks of rubber. This was learned by hard experience, of course.

As with so many things, American taste is very bland. Manufacturers and marketers adjust their product to sell the largest possible quantities, rather than to be distinctive or of high quality. And most people seem to prefer cheese that has no character at all.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I've been horrified and yet strangely curious about that spray cheese (Cheese Whiz?) However being feline that is my lot.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Both are Kraft abominations. The original CheezWhiz was a sort of sticky spread that came in a jar. It tasted mostly of salt. The spray can variety was introduced in the late 1950s I believe, and was used to make fancy (and tasteless) appetizers. Canapes and Hors d'oeuvres. ;p Nasty stuff.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

I also love "The Wrong Trousers".

Cheese, what's dat?

Well, I am one of those who was brought up on American cheese but not the Kraft or Borden kind...

The kind that came in three pound blocks you peeled slices off from rather than the "Individually Wrapped Cheese Food Product" stuff they sell now.

In fact, the individually wrapped ad phrase is to sound like sliced bread and, thus, something desireable only thing is... there is no other way to make this kind of 'cheese' since it is poured onto the wrapping plastic in liquid form and there would be no other way to do it without having the stuff all glom together like Velveeta.

I happen to like velveeta on crackers and Cheese Whiz too, so there.

Grin.
Imp

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Velveeta has a place, and I use it occasionally. Those individually wrapped slices, though, are disgusting. They have no taste, no smell, and you might as well just eat the plastic wrapper.

I will take an aged cheddar that is sharp as a knife and so dry it crumbles any day. Or a true Stilton or bleu cheese, or a good rich Swiss or Emmenthaler. You can have all the Kraft stuff you want. :)

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Of that entire post I have to admit the 12 year old sandels just
got me.

TWELVE YEARS!?

Don't you walk?

I have to buy knew shoes every six months!

Where did you get those sandels!? I could be saving cash!

XD

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I walk a lot, actually. These were Teva sandals, the ones that started out as being sold for water sports like canoeing and stuff. They weren't cheap. I think I paid about $70 for the pair at REI, which seems like a lot when you look at them. But whatever the sole is made from, it just never seems to wear out. The straps are colored nylon, and the velcro is so worn out I was having trouble keeping them on any more. Of course, during that time I've had other shoes. I don't often wear sandals to work, and I've worn out many pairs of shoes in 12 years. But I got the Tevas and and pair of Birkenstocks (now those are really pricey) at about the same time. I wore the soles off the Birkenstocks long ago, but the Teva sandals hardly show any wear on the sole.

I intended to buy Teva again this time, but I didn't like any of the ones I tried. Sports Authority had them from $20 to $80 a pair, but the soles all felt squishy. I like a fairly stiff sole on sandals, and soft straps. I settled on a pair from Alpine, and they feel comfortable but I'm sure they won't last as long as either the Tevas or the Birkenstocks. They were $39.