my friend and i go shopping...

my friend says that before he met me, he didn't know that he needed certain things. like containers for leftovers, with lids that fit. or dish towels. or an armoire. (he doesn't have any closets in his apartment.) or pot holders. he was perfectly happy yanking things out of the oven with the tail end of his shirt or whatever else was within reach. what a guy.

the other day i convinced him to go to national wholesale liquidators to get a few necessary items. it was quite an adventure.

i hadn't been there in years. it didn't matter because it hadn't changed at all. all of the goods were piled all the way up to the ceiling, mesmering everyone. i call it "the sam's effect." look at it this way: when you walk in, you're literally overwhelmed with all of the stuff on the shelves. you think to yourself, what is all this? no one needs all this stuff. and then you focus on a few things here and there. a waffle iron. a steam iron. a water purifier. a microwave. by the time you get to the end of the first aisle, you wonder how you got through life without any of this. you feel grateful that you've found the place because it's so unbelievably cheap. and even though you don't necessarily need a george forman grill, you're making a mental note to come back and get one.

the store really is basically a miniature version of sam's wholesale club, big lots and cub foods rolled into one -- they have everything you can think of inside, at bargain basement prices. and yes, i mean everything. ladies lingerie. mountain boots. lucky charms cereal. kitchen appliances. jumper cables. hot rollers. if someone were dropped off naked in front of this store with cash money and/or credit cards, they'd walk out with absolutely everything they'd need to set themselves up.

one of the main items i made my friend get was a 9 inch round glass baking dish, so i can make pie at his place. he was pretty happy about a computer keyboard he got for $5. and yes, i have a list of things i'll get on my return trip. it's the place i'll go before we hit IKEA. but that's a whole other conversation...