I Found It!

July 15th, 2011

Update To A Previous Post

I FOUND LIGHTER FLUID!!! 

It was not at the WalMart, the Safeway, the Home Depot, the Rona (the Canadian version of Lowes/Menards), not at the Real Canadian Super Store (the largest freakin' grocery store in North America, I kid you not), the Rexall Drugs or the London drugs. 

It was at the Canadian Tire store. 

A couple of Lisa's co-workers had recommended looking for it there.  "Really?", I thought.  But I was told it was more than just a tire store.

Imagine if Home Depot sold tires.

They have a garden center, automotive center, appliances, paint, sporting goods up the ying-yang. 

And they have charcoal lighter fluid.

Of course, the Canadian Tire, WalMart, Safeway, and Real Canadian Super Store do not carry wood chips.  I had to go back to the Home Depot for those.

I'm really beginning to hate shopping here in Canada.  It's an all-day adventure anymore.

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In a related shopping note...

I was at the Real Canadian Super Store yesterday looking for cole slaw (I'm making slow-roasted pulled pork on the grill for our big BBQ on Sunday (hence the need for wood chips - and lighter fluid) and want the slaw to put on pulled pork sliders), and all I could find was pre-packaged "Green Cole Slaw." 

Yes, green. 

Neon green.

Glow in the dark, glow-stick-at-a-rave green.   

I asked a lady who was restocking if they had any non-green cole slaw.  She gave me the most confused, blank stare I have ever seen.

"What do you mean, non-green cole slaw?"

"You know, like white cole slaw - regular cole slaw," I replied.

"White cole slaw?  You mean without the food coloring?"

(Food coloring!?)

"Yeah, just plain old cole slaw - no color added."  

"Honey, I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout!  I ain't never heard of such a thing in my life."

(Blank stare of confusion - this time from me)

"Oooooookay, well thank you anyway..."

So I walk away, continue my shopping.  A few minutes later, I run back into her.

"Honey, I'm sorry, but where you from?"  She sounded like she was from Georgia, oddly enough.

"The States" was my reply.

"So they ain't got no green cole slaw down there?  They got this white stuff?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Damnedest thing I ever heard" she laughed, and walked away.



So I went to the Safeway, just to get some cole slaw.

I go up to the deli counter, where sure enough, they have good old fashioned WHITE cole slaw. And just as I'm ready to give the lady my order, I suddenly realize I have no idea how much to order.  They don't do pounds and half-pound amounts here.  Everything is metric.  So I'm kind of stammering, looking like an idiot, when I think she hears me say under my breath "I have no freakin' clue how many kilograms are in a pound."  She smiles and says "no one knows how to order deli stuff in kilos, sweetie."  She grabs the plastic tubs to fill and asks if I want a small, medium, or large container.  "We get lots of Americans here during the summer tourist months, so this makes it easier."

Just when I have the Celsius/Fahrenheit conversion down, now I gotta learn kilogram/pound conversions, too!?

Canada can be a real pain in the arse sometimes.  But at least I got my lighter fluid and my cole slaw, and it only took me 3 weeks to do it!