January 8-10 2011

I decided to get out a bit and get a few things for the apartment. Thanks to my handy Garmin, I started exploring.

I've found some great new things along the way... such as these dairy free treats from BJs -- all natural and in their natural containers: pineapple, coconut, orange, papaya, etc. They taste great!

I found this great Blue Crab salsa and vibrant pasta at Kitchen Collection and the Christmas Tree Store, and even a keychain that matches Lily's leash. I guess I belong to her now.

 I found Black spaghetti (yes - black), soy spaghetti, Maine Sea Salt and whole grain vermicilli (chinese rice type noodles).....

 I found these ceramic knives at BJ's -- man are they ever sharp!

Hannaford's comical shopping bags ... "Tabouleh, jolly ranchers & anchovies...Hey, it's your bag, how you fill it up is up to you."

 My first Nor'easter....more than three feet of snow today, all day. They say it is unusual for here -- average snow fall is 6" on the coast. We had the combination for a "perfect storm" which was a storm from the south colliding with one from the north. Boy, did they ever bang up!  Drifts are 4-5' -- yes, FEET. When Lily goes out, she comes back in looking like a frosted cookie!

 View from my kitchen window -- that's snow blowing, not ice on window. That's how hard it was snowing!

My car, revealed! I had to dig it out and warm it up. Then my landlord came to plow. About a half hour later, he cleared a spot so I could back up.  He says he's never seen so much snow here...

Tofutti makes ice cream cones...dairy free and yummy!

It seems the best shopping areas are in the next state over -- New Hampshire. There, you can find anything you need. I found a health food store, Wal-Mart, BJ's (like a smaller Costco) and several other nifty spots. Yes, I am a proud member of BJ's...

I'd left my dishes behind for a friend and was in search of some nice white square ones I'd seen at Wal-Mart in Spokane. My daughter turned me on to them.  They are oven proof, microwavable and dishwasher proof.

My new dishes:   The basic set came from WalMart, but the smaller pieces from Crate and Barrel.

No one in Maine had ever heard of these dishes...they thought I was crazy. I looked online and couldn't find them. I was so disappointed!

Finally, I went to a store in Seabrook, NH. I wasn't really looking, but there they were! This was the only Wal-Mart to carry them. Happily, I returned home with my purchases.

The next day, I returned to Seabrook (part of the Seacoast area). I took my time to navigate and found some other stores of interest. Stopped in a grocery for a few items, only to find that steaks sell for $21.99/pound  or $16.99/pound here!  While in Market Basket, they advertised a quick sale -- New York strips for $3.99/pound for a short time only! I ran and got four to put in the freezer. Some things are very inexpensive compared to where I come from; on the other hand, certain things are downright expensive -- the margarine I use because of allergies sells for $5.49 here -- I used to pay about $2 for it.

While passing through the Hamptons, I stopped at a great Chinese restaurant. I had some chow fun, and boy was it delicious! Feeling eyes stare at me, I turned around and noticed the chef was anxiously awaiting my reaction. Almost no English was spoken here, so I gave a thumbs up and he bowed many times over, grateful for my response. The food was excellent and I will definitely be returning.

It is evident that I am the stranger in a strange land. Without even seeing my license plates, people ask where I am from because of my "accent." They are in awe that I've come from so far away. Those that have met Lily love her to pieces.

I find that people here drive faster than the posted limit -- by a lot. Maybe 80 in a 65? I'm doing the speed limit because of my out of state plates, but they zoom by. They have these things called rotarys -- in the middle of the freeway! They are like a round-a-bout that breaks traffic up. There are arms to turn off on that then take you other directions. Miss one and you are sunk. People drive very fast on these, as well.

Gas prices are all over -- $3.21 in York, but $3.05 just 10 miles away. I'll be doing comparative shopping, that's for sure!

I knew the storm was coming and I was running out of clothes....went to the Kittery Outlet Malls which are only about 20 minutes away! I got some jeans at the Gap, some cheap turtlenecks at Wally World, extra dish pieces at Crate and Barrel and had a great coffee at Starbucks. They don't have coffee stands here like we do. It's hard to find a place for a cup, other than a convenience stop. I will say, however, that most convenience stores sell about 20 varieties of coffee at each one!