Walmart (sigh)

I hate Walmart. No, I mean I HATE that place. I live about 25 minutes from the nearest Walmart and I haven't been there in probably 2 years. Yesterday was Sunday and I was browsing the Sunday paper and all it's flyers, World Market, Target, what have you. I guess I got wrapped up in Walmart's sunny, colorful ad. It showed good looking children splashing in a pool. It showed a lovely mother pouring lemonade out of a bright orange pitcher. I saw thick, cotton beach towels and the cutest brown & gold bikini I'd ever seen (for less than $80 anyway). I'll admit, I got carried away and I committed my own cardinal sin. The ad caused me to experience temporary insanity and I forget everything I'd learned over the years...and I did it. I went to Walmart.



Ever been to Walmart on a random Monday afternoon? You would have thought they were giving away houses. My God, the mob scene. The minute I'd entered through the doors, I knew I'd made a terrible mistake. It had all come back to me. The wholesome images from the ad washed away and I was reminded of why I avoid that store like the plague.



I spent the shortest amount of time possible in the store, but the people in there move soooo slowly, that it's difficult to manuever quickly through the aisles. I needed maybe 5-7 things (I made a bee-line for checkout after I'd gotten 2). I was on a mission to find a stainless water bottle. Apparently re-using plastic ones is a big no-no. Who knew? Something about running plastic through the dishwasher causes cancer or something, I don't know. Nevermind that my son has been drinking out of recycled plastic water bottles for the better part of 3 years...so, whatev, I went to recify the situation at Walmart. No luck. Of course. What I did find, however was the following:

• child abuse
• vast tobacco usage
• many piercings
• teenage mothers with no less than 15 Tony's Pizza boxes in her cart
• tattoos
• gang members
• obesity
• a fight in the parking lot
• soda in baby bottles
• m&m's qualifying as 'lunch'
• an African American baby with air Jordans that cost more than a couch-- I'm sure-- yet his gangsta father paid in food stamps
• a mother picked up her baby's pacifier off the floor then handed it back to the baby
• a Hispanic family loading up on fireworks while telling their children they couldn't get cereal
• the coupon nazi in front of me at the check out
• and finally, the seemingly homeless woman who parked next to my car and stood there smoking her cigarette and refused to move while I was trying to buckle in my 4 year old

All so I could save a buck???? Never again. Ever. I'd rather buy toilet paper at Barney's than to go through that again. It's equivalent to the people watching at a State Fair. (shudder).