Thursday, October 15, 2009

Inconvenience Stores

You know how people say "this must be for a reason" when they find themselves in the midst of miserable things? I've decided that the reason for some of the tribulations I have endured is to ensure that I never again think things are bad. I started for a moment to call this post "Middle of Nowhere" but then I gave my head a shake and reminded myself that this town has several businesses which are not snowmobile dealerships, is located on a paved highway that is usable twelve months of the year, and in either direction one can reach an international airport. That is not the middle of nowhere. It might however be the near edge of nowhere.

It's nine p.m. and I'm not especially interested in the healthy snacks I have in the room. I want some chocolate or candy. There's a vending machine upstairs in the hotel, but the selection isn't great, so I asked Google maps for "seven eleven near" my address. It produced two, equidistant and each over 50 km away. Oh, right. Let's not be so picky, Aviatrix. I tried "convenience store near." Nothing nearer. How about "stores near." See? Lots of stores.

The nearest one is a Cat Rental Store. I entertain the image of sharing my hotel room with a nice furry rental kitty just long enough to click on the link. They rent bulldozers and winter illumination. There's also a Trailer Store, a 24-hour lock shop, and a Flooring Gallery. Booming metropolis. In Weasel there were no trained trades people, so the competence displayed in the execution of anyone's floor, driveway or appliance installation was a reflection of the competence of the householder and householder's circle of friends.

Also there's a gas station across the street, but after all that, I decide I don't need a chocolate bar. Life is good, down south here in the Cold Lake area.

7 comments:

Bob said...

Awww...Cat Rental! Nothing like a warm Cat purring at the end of the bed while you snooze on a cool autumn night. Nothing too big, maybe just a D5. Or if it's really gloomy out, maybe a D6.
Bob

P.S. Word Verification: "OBORKIN"
Umm, I think something to do with an Irish honeymoon activity (sorry, sorry...sorry).

Sarah said...

Warm furry footwarmers are nice on a cold night... even if, like one of mine, he snores. I don't know about a D5, I think the fumes would bug me.

I used to reassure myself that when bad things happened, things would be balanced by an equal good someday. But then I found myself thinking the opposite when good things happened, which sort of dampened the enjoyment of the moment. I've found it better to just let both wash over me, and let it be.

I sort of envy your near-wilderness experiences, living as I do in a medium sized metroplex. Sometimes I wish for a dark sky and quiet. By the way, being woefully ignorant of geography, I thought "Cold Lake" was a clever generic Canadian name. But I see it's real. And cold, probably, like the hundreds of "mud lakes" down here are muddy.

Hamish said...

"Life is good, down south here in the Cold Lake area."

Isn't everywhere in Canada in some sort of cold lake area? :-).

Aviatrix said...

Sarah, it's so true that whether it's a sense of "good will balance bad" or just the knowledge that "this too will pass" can shadow a good thing. I define the end of childhood as the point at which you can no longer enjoy pure bliss, because of the knowledge that it is temporary.

Sarah said...

Childhood's End.

Funny you should say "the end of childhood", as that was exactly what I had in mind when I said "I used to reassure myself".

Without waxing too philosophical, (I hope) I'll just say that I think that suffering & miserableness is made worse by 'attachment'. That's Buddhist jargon, but I think it means holding on to the unpleasant, thinking "this will last forever". Or, thinking during good times, "Ach, this will end soon".

And yes, I think an adult can experience pure bliss. But only temporarily. :)

A Squared said...

Warm furry footwarmers are nice on a cold night...


Warm furry facewarmers less so

nec Timide said...

Then I guess I'm still a child ;) and proud of it.

Verification word: extries

I fly Westjet and Porter 'cause all the extries.