Simply Altered

Ok, maybe it depends on who you ask!!!   LOL , but regardless, I think that is an accurate statement .

I have told everyone that would ever listen, that before I die (in a sarcastic way)  that I am FOR SURE going to visit the Chocolate capitol of the world.  Hershey, PA.   I have  forever, as a child and still as an adult wanted to go there in the VERY worst way!!!   everyone knows, I absolutely LOVE factory tours, and this one seems like the ultimate sinfully satisfying one!!!    I have a list of other factory tours I want to take at some point and time, (maybe a later update)  but Hershey, PA has just always been at the top of the list!!!   I hear the whole town has the aroma of chocolate!!!!  yum!!

But for now since we have no vacation plans, especially all the way to Hershey

This will have to do……

my Hershey, PA trip....in a jar.

I was a little bored tonight, so I went to Mahaska Drug  ( a local drug store / gift shop) in town.   They had one aisle with 75% off !!!!!!   It was the only aisle I looked at, and I actually could have been in it for HOURS.

This jar candle (Large Yankee size) was  (are you ready for this??)  originally $25, then marked down to $20. and with the additional DEEP discounts, I got it for only $5   !!!!!    and it smells JUST like Hershey, PA  must smell!!!!!!

Maybe I will just light it , eat some Hershey kisses, flip through a map and pretend I am THERE  !!!!!

See??   Now do you agree??  I really AM easy to please huh??

Usually I post about things I love, things I am interested in, or topics I am passionate about.  Not tonight.  I am still waiting on my “guest blogger”, but since she is STILL too busy, I am due to blog about SOMETHING!!! !!!!   we have a BIG decision to make in the next day or so at our home, and in the meantime, I need some mental diversion.   No better way to do that, then to blog about the complete OPPOSITE of what I would normally be posting about.

I am going to dedicate this post to …… PICKLES.    (and my dislike fear of them)  yep.  Call it fear, call it a phobia, call it what you want, but I want NO part of them.

Gross !!!!!!!!!!!

it is EVERYTHING that I can muster up to even post this image.   Trust me, I am trying to edit this withOUT actually looking at it.  No kidding.

Now, a few examples:

I basically refuse to buy them in the store.  If my fridge is holding them, it is because my husband or daughter bought them.   I walk past them in the store and turn my head.

My mother-in-law USED to make them, and send them home with my family!!!!   Eekkkkk   I finally admitted to her, that I have gone to extreme measures, telling the kids (when they were little) that after a day or so, they are no good.  Oops, had to throw them away .  {darn} ( of course, holding a towel OVER them until they hit the garbage)   I told her, she is welcome to make all the pickles she wants, and share them with my kids and husband, but they absolutely have to consume them at HER house.  Not mine.   When the rare occasion happens that they ARE eaten in my house, the kids have to wash their hands, sanitize the kitchen and BRUSH their teeth before I will enter the room or talk to them!!!  Seriously!!!

If my family happens to have fast food etc etc that they are eating for supper, I eat in the other room .

If they are in my car, all windows go DOWN (even wintertime) and I hold my head out the window.

I have this same opinion on ketsup, mustard and mayo, but I am the most OBSESSED with those little green “things”   yuck.

I have always felt this way, but to completely put me over the top, I have to go back 25 years ago to when I was a student at Beauty School.

Everyone knew about this phobia of mine.  So, only in THEIR good humor, one friend evil person  (haha) had a fast food cup, lidded and with a straw in it.  Passing it around to everyone to taste this wonderful new “lemonade”.   I sat and drank my Coca-Cola, doing no harm to anyone!!!.  But it got the best of me, how everyone was just going CRAZY at how good this “lemonade” was.  Of course, I finally gave in and tasted for myself.  ……….yep, PICKLE JUICE  !!!!!!!!!!!!   I ran straight to the bathroom and that and MORE came up  !!!!!   From that day on, my dislike changed to a phobia / fear.   I remember coming home that night and telling my dad.  He LAUGHED!!!!   can you imagine???  LOL   he knew me VERY well and did think it was entertaining!!!   Not to mention, each night at supper, he would always ask me to pass the ketsup/mustard/ pickles to someone at the table.  I always REFUSED to even TOUCH them!!!!   he laughed at me each time!!!

There, I admitted it.  I am still scarred.  

Am I the only weirdo out there with a real FEAR of a certain food???  please tell me, I am not alone.  

***and if you DO have something to comment about, use that food as your  chosen “word”   ….the contest continues and is drawing near!!!

VERY unlikely image as I do NOT like to go shopping!!!

I had a “guest blogger” all planned out and was hoping she would carve enough time out of her day to make her post, but no such luck.  She is TOO busy, so I am doing my regular thing, and hopefully you will get to meet her in the next day or so.  :)    there, I blogged it, so now she HAS to do it. Right??  (any guesses??)

So…that brings me to what I want to blog about tonight.   I tossed and turned last night in bed, and my thoughts went to what I will post next.

Here goes.

Do you know how many stores in my hometown that I have either NEVER been inside, or been inside VERY rarely?   many more than I would like to admit.  I go to the same grocery store, the same drug store, the same restaurants and the same gift shops.  I also get my gasoline at the same gas station.   Over and over and over.  This is good.  Loyalty is good.  BUT…..I am challenging myself and all my blog readers as well,  to step OUT of your normal routine and visit a DIFFERENT store this week.    I have in mind where I am going to go, but I also want to hear YOURS.    How many times have I been to a farm supply store?  or the little convenience store that is NOT on my “end of town” ?  not very many.   I may be pleasantly surprised what is in those places, or the people I find that work there.

And sometimes, just sometimes, if you look hard and find a little undiscovered place, one that is not the HOT SPOT in town, they will be pleasantly surprised to see a new face.  They appreciate the foot traffic, even if you are just there to browse around.  It feels good as a store owner to see new faces.  I hope you (and I ) are pleased with the welcome we receive.   Just for the fun of it, let everyone here know where you chose to go, and how you were treated.  With open arms and a great big smile??  or were you “ignored” because you were not familiar to them.    I am SO hoping to hear good reports, but regardless, it will be interesting.

Regardless if  you are from a large metropolitan area, or the most quaint rural area, I know there is SOMEWHERE that you hardly ever visit.  Please go there this week.

Try it out.  I plan to.