Bargain Capital
May. 28th, 2006 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebWe had a lovely breakfast and then drove to Bradville, Vermont, which is near New Hampshire's border. This was a 1.5-hour drive. These cute little New England states are not quite as tiny as they look.
We were headed for the Middle Earth Music Hall, which we drove right by. After making a U-turn I decided just to park in the town center and find it by walking. It was on the same block where I parked. It had one of those wooden doors with a rounded top and the sign had a font style that makes you think of The Hobbit. The door was locked.
So we decided to walk up and down Main Street. It turns out that Bradville is the bargain capital of America! Or at least the bargain capital of our trip.
First we found a five-and-dime store (have you even seen any of these things in decades?) I was first drawn to the display of three-for-ten-dollars t-shirts. These were available in many wonderful colors, including a bright, sunny yellow that I've been looking for for a while. They were all cotton, and looked well-made. I wondered how much one t-shirt was. Then I found a smoky blue color I liked. Then I was looking at a red, and Robin said that was his favorite of the three colors I had chosen so far, so that decided it.
We went in, and it was a general store. It had just about every non-food thing you need except for hardware because there's a hardware store just down the street. Inside I found a wonderful fuzzy jacket that I've been looking for ever since Indigo Rose made me wear hers when I showed up at her house looking cold. It even has pockets and zips up the front. Later I discovered it even has interior pockets! All for only $15. Shocking! Mine!
Robin found socks. And a t-shirt with a picture of a big, round red barn. And foam board to sandwich his posters between. And an extra bag to check in at the airport filled with some of our extra purchases.
At the hardware store, Robin looked for a utility knife so he could cut the foam board down to a size small enough to fit in the suitcase. He found a deluxe one with room in the handle to store three blades. Of course this will be in the checked baggage on the way home.
We had Chinese food for lunch. The servings were not Texas-sized; they were bigger. It was like they took the food and put it in a large mold, then put the plate on top, flipped it over, and carefully removed the mold. Not so easy to eat without causing an avalanche. The food was yummy, too.
By then, the door to Middle Earth was open. We walked through and went down a staircase. The door at the bottom was open, too. We walked in to a large room. We wandered over to one side, where there was a bar.
"What is this, a bar?"
"No, it's a music listening room. With a bar on the side."
"What do you sell here?"
"Music. And food and drink. But we're not open until five."
We got to stay in the lovely music room until they opened, playing board games they had and reading our books we had bought in the last town. The walls seemed to be supported by trees. There were branches across the ceiling as well. I can't describe it, but it was very cool and obviously somebody's dream business. That night, at least, they even made a profit.
For "rent," we couldn't buy any food because we were completely stuffed. (Most everyone else did, though.) Robin got several bottled waters. I looked through the CDs and chose one with multiple artists.
The show was good, though very similar to the previous one. There was no fiddler this time, and the other back-up singer wasn't in as good a form as he was the previous day, but the two main performers were really in a groove. It was good. Plus Robin got to hear a few songs he hasn't gotten to hear in a long time.
Afterwards, Robin found another poster to get, and we got our pictures taken with Michael Hurley. He's got at least two albums about to come out.
"So, what's the holdup?"
"I've been touring."
But this is the end of his touring for a while except for a concert in Bozeman, Montana in July. People we had met the night before asked if we would be going to Bozeman. No. We apparently stick out having come all the way from Texas.
Then we drove back to the inn, with all the scary, switchback boulder-encrusted bit at the end of the trip. We were very, very careful. Fortunately, adrenaline keeps me awake. And the road had virtually no traffic at all, so it was no problem. No pressure from headlights approaching from behind.
We were headed for the Middle Earth Music Hall, which we drove right by. After making a U-turn I decided just to park in the town center and find it by walking. It was on the same block where I parked. It had one of those wooden doors with a rounded top and the sign had a font style that makes you think of The Hobbit. The door was locked.
So we decided to walk up and down Main Street. It turns out that Bradville is the bargain capital of America! Or at least the bargain capital of our trip.
First we found a five-and-dime store (have you even seen any of these things in decades?) I was first drawn to the display of three-for-ten-dollars t-shirts. These were available in many wonderful colors, including a bright, sunny yellow that I've been looking for for a while. They were all cotton, and looked well-made. I wondered how much one t-shirt was. Then I found a smoky blue color I liked. Then I was looking at a red, and Robin said that was his favorite of the three colors I had chosen so far, so that decided it.
We went in, and it was a general store. It had just about every non-food thing you need except for hardware because there's a hardware store just down the street. Inside I found a wonderful fuzzy jacket that I've been looking for ever since Indigo Rose made me wear hers when I showed up at her house looking cold. It even has pockets and zips up the front. Later I discovered it even has interior pockets! All for only $15. Shocking! Mine!
Robin found socks. And a t-shirt with a picture of a big, round red barn. And foam board to sandwich his posters between. And an extra bag to check in at the airport filled with some of our extra purchases.
At the hardware store, Robin looked for a utility knife so he could cut the foam board down to a size small enough to fit in the suitcase. He found a deluxe one with room in the handle to store three blades. Of course this will be in the checked baggage on the way home.
We had Chinese food for lunch. The servings were not Texas-sized; they were bigger. It was like they took the food and put it in a large mold, then put the plate on top, flipped it over, and carefully removed the mold. Not so easy to eat without causing an avalanche. The food was yummy, too.
By then, the door to Middle Earth was open. We walked through and went down a staircase. The door at the bottom was open, too. We walked in to a large room. We wandered over to one side, where there was a bar.
"What is this, a bar?"
"No, it's a music listening room. With a bar on the side."
"What do you sell here?"
"Music. And food and drink. But we're not open until five."
We got to stay in the lovely music room until they opened, playing board games they had and reading our books we had bought in the last town. The walls seemed to be supported by trees. There were branches across the ceiling as well. I can't describe it, but it was very cool and obviously somebody's dream business. That night, at least, they even made a profit.
For "rent," we couldn't buy any food because we were completely stuffed. (Most everyone else did, though.) Robin got several bottled waters. I looked through the CDs and chose one with multiple artists.
The show was good, though very similar to the previous one. There was no fiddler this time, and the other back-up singer wasn't in as good a form as he was the previous day, but the two main performers were really in a groove. It was good. Plus Robin got to hear a few songs he hasn't gotten to hear in a long time.
Afterwards, Robin found another poster to get, and we got our pictures taken with Michael Hurley. He's got at least two albums about to come out.
"So, what's the holdup?"
"I've been touring."
But this is the end of his touring for a while except for a concert in Bozeman, Montana in July. People we had met the night before asked if we would be going to Bozeman. No. We apparently stick out having come all the way from Texas.
Then we drove back to the inn, with all the scary, switchback boulder-encrusted bit at the end of the trip. We were very, very careful. Fortunately, adrenaline keeps me awake. And the road had virtually no traffic at all, so it was no problem. No pressure from headlights approaching from behind.