I've been following this thread and struggling to keep my big mouth shut.
More than 'a few years ago' I grew up in Atlantic City, NJ. {That's the
'city' itself, which is one of FOUR municipalities on the island that people
think of as 'Atlantic City'}. I was easily able to WALK to school . . . from
Kindergarten through High School graduation.
Within the short walk to Grammar School there was a 'local' hardware store
that seemed to have everything for every season. From storm windows in the
winter to a wide variety of 'sinkers', line, and other fishing tackle in the
summer. Almost always the same faces 'behind the counter' . . . you actually
grew up with them. Literally across the street was a 'glass company'. Kind
of like an iceberg . . . a small 'storefront' but a huge workroom &
warehouse behind. The other way from the Grammar school, about an equal
distance from home, was the High School. A bit beyond that - across a grass
& tree lined park - was a PAINT Store. From powered additives to the gallon
cans to anything the 'real PRO's' needed. A bit beyond this was a store only
about twice the width of the front door. Maybe 50 feet long, at the rear was
a 'counter opening' in the wall for the proprietor - Irv of 'Irv's Tackle
Box'. If it was about fishing - especially Salt Water - he had it.
Fast forward a lot of years, and about 60 miles away to suburban Philly.
There's an old line about the 'definition of a boat . . . a hole in the
water in which you pour money'. When you buy a house, you find the
'landlubbers' equivalent . . . the title of the Tom Hanks movie . . . 'The
Money Pit'. The 'handy' type develops an intimate knowledge of the local
'sources of supply'. About this same time the 'Big Box Stores' phenomenon
started.
wrote in message
oups.com...
Gawd... I was just recovering from the last 3,000 entry thread on the
insanity and horrors of Home Depot that went on about 45 days ago.
Now I feel myself falling into depression thinking of all the people
not smart enough to stay out of those stores knowing what they
obviously know about the stores themselves and the people that work
there....
SNIP
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