You Can Take the Consumer Out of America, but . . .

Aaaah … bright lights, big city! We’ve just returned from a 2-day foray into San Jose – replete with traffic, diesel fumes, mega-malls, McDonald’s, and street vendors. We stayed at our favorite airport hotel and spent an industrious day shopping and mingling with the masses. We had a few errands to run, and found ourselves at the most American of stores, Cemaco – a combination of Home Depot, Linens N’ Things, and Toys R’ Us. Add that venture to a stop at Office Depot and the Mega Super and -- woo hoo! – you’ve got our adrenaline pumping and our credit card maxed out. It was a necessary evil, one we will not repeat often, but it helped to set us up here and fill our larder with items not easily or ever attained in our pueblito. Mind you, it was worth the 8 hours of car travel, even with a screaming toddler. Nothing short of such an adventure could provide such a bounty -- a computer printer, USB cable, canned air, duct tape, cheese grater, silverware tray, rice milk, soy dogs, Mac n’ Cheese, granola bars…Oh, the things we take for granted in the good ol’ U. S. of A.