Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Trader Joe's/ The Landing at Isle De Foray

Hey everyone! It feels good to do another post here. Sorry about the lack thereof, but I've been on my toes thereof. There are alot of things going on right now, and I am torn between several internet accounts, etc. when I sit down to the computer. [I know, I know, no excuse for neglecting my blog, but still.] So anyways, I though I'd do a lighter post than my last one, [though I enjoyed the conversation], so I think I will tell you about some humorous/adventurous things I have done by myself and with the entourage during the past few days. Okay, starting with last night, I will relate to you all the tale of my shopping trip to Trader Joe's. Some of you may know that I am a guitar player. Some of you may also know that I have recently been blessed to be able to start lessons again with my former teacher. [For those of you who don't know that, now you do]. So yesterday afternoon found me setting out from our house in the middle of a rain storm to drive the hour to Va Beach where my lesson is. Dad had arranged for me to borrow my grandma's car since I have yet to get mine back from a friend who's been working on it. I got to my lesson [and had a very good time with that] and then I was thirsty. As I was driving away, I suddenly had a bright idea. I was coming to a shopping center that had the only Trader Joe's for miles around. That store is not such a hot topic for me, but Grandma June loves it. [I also noticed that the same shopping center had a Sonic and that Sonic was sure to have cherry limeades!] With those two good ideas, I pulled in and went to Trader Joe's first. So here enters the funny [to me] part (:=3 [that's a chef] Anyways, I walked in the store and the first thing that hit me was, "Man, what am I going to get for Grandma June that is not outrageously priced here?" Then, because I was still thirsty, I got distracted by some really good looking drinks in glass bottles. Now I knew that this store has a pretty good selection of 'drinks that I would never drink'. So even though I was pretty sure these drinks were not alcoholic, I still didn't want to be looking all interested in the display and come to find out that it wasn't something I wanted. So I kind of pretended to be really interested in what was behind the display, until I could look at the bottle out of the corner of my eye and ascertain that it was safe, and then pick it up for closer inspection ;) After that ordeal, I decided not to get it, and then I started to notice that that store really seemed to be the young, uppity, beachy, high-tech, trendy, place to be. Really kind of shwi-shwi if you know what I mean. I started to feel slightly out of place as I roamed the isles of the store but I tried not to come of as a hick that had only been to this place once before. [though I had only been once before ;) [but hopefully not as a hick] So I was still searching for something when I saw The Samples. I love samples almost as much as free lunch. Now if you are a refined sample sampler, then you will know the tricks of the trade. By these I mean your approach. You don't want to appear over-eager or they will feel like you're trying to bum a free snack. My approach was to take the "food critic" persona. I politely asked if I could try one and then acted like I frequently tasted chicken whatever-whatever. I nodded my head to show that I was moderately pleased, but not to raise their hopes of selling me one too high. [That really works when you want them to quit bugging you about buying one]. Satisfied, I moved on to continue with my search. Finally, it hit me: Grandma June loves to get green olives from that store. The only problem was that I couldn't find olives. I tend to be a sign shopper, and I didn't see any sign that said "olives". Not even "canned pickled things". I felt pretty silly about asking a worker for one little jar of olives, but push came to shove and I did. He showed me where they were, and I went through the check-out with one item. I kind of felt beachy, like, "yeah, I only get one item from any given store. My pugs can't wait in the Prius to long so I like to make alot of short stops. Olives here, yogurt cups here, bottled water for the pugs here, etc., etc." ;) After I left the store and got back to the car, it was nice to be out of ritzy land. My escapade ended with a happy ending- a large cherry limeade. [In all fairness Trader Joe's is a perfectly good store with some cool stuff. I just had fun playing it up in my head. The girls or Matthew weren't there so I had to come up with my own adventure :)

Now let me tell you about last Sunday. If you've read Rachel and Sarah's blog, you will know about the hike at the park. What you may not know is that Matthew and I went back the very next day. It happened like this: Matthew and I were sitting around on Sunday afternoon after some family worship time and no fun Sunday afternoon stuff to do. Now ever since Saturday, I had been formulating a plan to get my boat from the Solomon's campsite and go on a water exploration at the park. That was simmering in the back of my ideas and it suddenly jumped up. After a conference with Matthew and our respective parents, he and I headed out to see what we could do. We knew beforehand that I probably had only one oar [Which doesn't taste very nice preciouss]. Nevertheless, we left with hopes that God would bring us an oar one way or the other. [Or we'd just get my boat and come home]. We got the boat and strapped it on top of the truck. Next, we stopped to get some lunch at Pizza Hut in Suffolk. We completely baffled the waitress with our order but in the end had a great time. Our oar hopes weren't so high, but we ventured into Wal-mart to see what they had. We found a 5-foot canoe paddle for only $12.79 or something. That led us to hope that we could treat my john-boat like a large canoe and just use 1 oar each. We uneventfully got to the lake and launched the boat successfully. It's really amazing how a clunky boat can suddenly become so graceful and smooth once you put it on the water. Thankfully, it had no fresh leaks [though every john-boat has slight ones] so after praying we set out keeping to the edge of the lake and feeling like Frodo and Sam. It was incredibly peaceful and beautiful out there. There were nooks and coves of water and rocky bluffs all around the edges. I could have spent hours and hours out there and never gotten tired of it. We came up to one of these coves that looked particularly inviting and we rowed up to the bank and tied on to a tree. Then we set foot on our newly-discovered island for the very first time. [Okay, it wasn't really an island, but we got to it by water, so that counts for something]. We knew right off the bat that this island needed a name. I suggested "Isle De Foray" [hence the post title] and we kind of left it like that. We got into a pretty good rhythm with the rowing. I gave the main power and Matthew the skipper steered from the back ;) We safely got back from our maiden voyage. and left with fervent vows to return soon. Hopefully with the girls. All in all, it was great fun and thanks for letting me tell you all about it. Oh, would anyone like to see a play we did on Mother's day called "Don Coolio's Package"? Let me know. See you all soon!

24 comments:

  1. Wow I just read the whole thing aloud to my family, seeing we were all in the Kitchen. Hey, I've been to Trader Joes maybe twice in my life-and last time I went I got jellybeans so I like it! ;D Ummm.... O! Yeah, we'd really like to see the DON COOLIO stuff! =D PLEASE?!??!?! PLEASE!?!?!??!?!?!!? WE DOOOOOO!!! =D okay bye 4 now q=]

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  2. Very enjoyable post. And by all means- bring on the play!

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  3. u asked me"are you saying the ball is a waste?"
    the rubberband ball of the civil war ball ?

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  4. We'd love to see the play! By the way, I thought the music video was really good- I'm not sure if I already told you or not. ~Kendal

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  5. Trader Joe's is a pretty cool store.
    What is "Isle de Foray"? Did you just make it up?
    I would like to see the Don Coolio thing!

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  6. Hey Daniel. You have some logic in your sampling technique but it has some vital flaws. The proper way to take a sample is to walk up smiling and whistling, ask what it is, eat a sample, then give a look as if you are about to get sick, and walk off quickly. That way you don't have to tell them why you aren't buying anything. Or you could do it your way and suffer the sad faces of the sample crew:)

    Oliver

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  7. Good idea Oliver- only....Daniel generally likes the samples and makes satisfied noises when he is finished! ;)(I'm kidding about that!)The sample crews always glare at me as if I was stealing food under their very nose. If I were an ounce more shy, I would not dare go near those stern old women in hairnets! :) Daniel, I would have liked to see you inspecting the glass bottle to see what was in it! It would have reminded me of something...can't tell what...maybe Riley Poole? :) Told you I'd comment.:)

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  8. Hey guys! Okay, I'll work on the Don thing:)I must leave for work, so I will respond to the other valued comments later today :)

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  9. Funny Oliver! I like your idea. I would like to witness you try it sometime. Daniel, I too would've like to have seen you inspecting the bottles, while trying to pretend you actually weren't interested. LOL!! Rather silly don't you think?

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  10. Hannah- I was asking about the civil war ball.
    Kendal- Thank you!
    Shaina- I made up the name "Isle De Foray". [we were making a foray so...]
    Oliver-How can you ask what the sample is during all the action of smiling and whistling? If I was a sample guy and some otherwise normal-looking person came up to me with a big smile and whistling, I'd probably call security.
    Rachel- I think Riley is a pretty good comparison ;)
    Joanna- I've got to entertain someone, so I entertained the only person in my group. Silly, clever, fun, all of the above! :)

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  11. Ahhh...So you ask me if I thought the Civil War Ball was a waste?
    Let me see? Well, I like dancing those dances, but going to Civil War Balls aren't my 'thing.' They just aren't my personality...You know? I'd rather had gone to see Sean Hannity and go to the lego store, but we had already planned for the Civil War Ball, and no changing my sisters minds! =]
    For ya'll and my sisters and my friend, no, I guess it wasn't a waste *mutters under breath "Heaven knows why they'd want to do that then go to see Sean Hannity and go to the lego store..." *

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  12. Ahh. I believe I understand your issue. However, I truthfully have seen Sean Hannity and been to the Lego store in California, but I had not been to a civil war ball. It was well worth it and very enjoyable :)

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  13. You've seen Sean Hannity? Cool!
    -Shaina

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  14. I know I shall sound like a lazy ignoramus, but....when, Daniel, did you see Sean Hannity? And I have also been in the lego store. All I remember was a big giraffe made out of legos. Not really impressive! ;)

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  15. I saw Sean Hannity speak when I went as a delegate to the Virginia Republican Convention.

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  16. My mom listens to Sean Hannity all the time!

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  17. Hehehehe Daniel you went into libral college land!!!!!!! Oooh I think isle de foray is so thing alon the lines of the island of the expedition. Just my geuss since isle means island, and foray is like a fancy word for expedition(spelling) and de is most likely (correct me French scholars or spanish scholars if I am wrong ) a general article. As for the taste testing costco is great practice for that!! Though Daniel I find I very amussing that you would go to a very nice organic expensive upety up college libral greenie store to buy a can of olives and then go to sonic for a drink!!!!!!! Post script: I go to trader joes alot seeing as how they carry gluten free products

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  18. Sean hannity is great!!! Though not a food as Glenn beck!!!!! Oh and Daniel I don't know if I have told you about our canoe trips down the black waterbut we should do one with the church sometime!!

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  19. !!!!!! Talkalot!!!!!! Dude!!!!!! I've never pondered whether Hannity is as "food" as Glenn Beck before!!!!! Interesting thought!!! From what I know, they both like food equally well!!!!


    What's more entertaining is to imagine what the Trader Joe clientele must feel like in Bass Pro. Haha.

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  20. Yeah, I was being gracious to him knowing the misfortune of an ipod touch keyboard ;)

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  21. :) hehe I can understand the Itouch thing. :) where have ya'll been sampling? Everyone I've ever sampled from was very pleasant. I like Sean Hannity better than Glenn Beck ( I personally think he's a bit boring).

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  22. I have decided not to be anywhere near Daniel or Oliver when they are trying samples. Because if I was eating one I would prabably choke because I was trying not to laugh, then it would get stuck in my wind~pipe, then the stingy ladies at the sample counter would call a ambulance and then..... okay hope you like my nice little story, but seriously I don't know why I would be going to a store with Oliver or Daniel. If I did then it would be with a whole family or two and that would be really embarresing! (all 'cause they had to try a sample in the first place) ;)
    ps I never even try samples, because I'm afraid they are covered with germs from all the little kids who licked it and then put it back. And because this is a very long comment anyways.... Hey Daniel, a few weeks ago were you near the beach and heading home in your blue van when something happened and a police officer or something like that had to come? It was about 10:30 in the morning I think. If it WAS you, you were wearing a T~shirt and shorts. We turned around to see if it was you and if you needed help, but by the time we got there you (or whoever it was) was gone. Anyways, hope y'all had a great weeekend! ~Kelsey

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Hey, thanks for checking out the comments! Feel free to leave one of your own, and I hope you've enjoyed the post! :)