Tuesday 11 July 2006

homesick

Things I miss, in no particular order:



  • Good and Plentys
  • Target (Wal-Mart is not.the.same)
  • Regular green money
  • Altoids cinnamon mints (for some freaky reason, they don't sell the cinnamon here. )
  • JCPenney
  • good catalogs (slim pickings)
  • sausage (yes, there's sausage over here, but the ratio to meat/filler is wrong and patties are harder than hen's teeth to come across)
  • NPR. I saw the Prairie Home Companion TV special yesterday, and bawled.
  • All Things Considered. (For a long time I wanted to talk like they do when I grew up.)
  • yes, pedestrian, and yes, nasty, but I miss Slurpees. There are Slushies here, which are not the same, are full of ice, and fruit flavored. Adding rum to one on a hot hot day is....disgusting.
  • Most of all, I miss the attitude of the States. That slightly cocky, swagger-a-little, go-get-'em mentality. Canadians are a stalwart people - a bright brave and true nation, but not given to the self-importance Americans carry themselves with.
  • Aveda. E-baying shampoo and makeup is getting ridiculous.
  • Yellow squash. Can't get it, can't buy it, and the closest I can come to it in the gardening catalogs is yellow zucchini, which is not the same.
  • voting
  • the Fourth of July hullabaloo. It seems so wrong not to have it.
  • people who knew me when I was growing up

and finally, if someone would like to put my family in a box and head it my way? Much obliged.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello !

best regards !!

reno

Susan said...

I'm a blue dot in a red red state; on the morning after any election, I can be heard announcing, "WE ARE MOVING TO CANADA!"

But in the end, the whole Target thing is a deal breaker. Sorry.

Canada said...

I can relate! And if it makes you feel any better, we have some of these things - I guess just not where you are (like Aveda - I missed it when I lived in Ottawa in the summer of 1989, but by the time I got married and moved here in 1994, Aveda made it, too. There are lots of Aveda salons here now, and a couple of Aveda spas.) Also - yellow squash, Altoids Cinnamon (although a few less stores carry them), and Slurpees.

But I agree - Target. There are rumours that they will be coming to Canada. I keep hoping!

Major Bedhead said...

I can send you summer squash seeds next year, if you want.

Yeah, the no Target thing would drive me nuts. But I miss chip stands. They're all over northern Ontario and they're delicous. I hate that we don't have Tim Horton down here either.

MsCellania said...

I treasure what you are missing. Going to visit Ye Olde Target today. And Good and Plenty? Yum.

We should do a Things Trade. I think I can ship everything but the yellow squash. Which I am growing. The crookneck, you mean? Or the spaghetti?

I'd like to send you our President, too; but don't imagine you want him, either...

Jess said...

Julia - As of May 2006, there are over 290 Tim Hortons locations in the United States. These are situated in Michigan, Ohio, New York, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Future expansion and opportunities will continue in these markets for the next several years. (taken off the T.H. website, www.timhortons.com)there's a store locator on there too...
seeds would be great!

Vickee - the crookneck, thanks. I can get the spaghetti type (yum, should make that again soon)
No, no, keep your President. He's kind of one of the reasons I'm GLAD I'm in Canada....
What do you miss/want?
I'm in Canada, the land of real maple syrup, tons of English chocolate and varieties of potato chips you never thought of!

MsCellania said...

Oh, any and all of what you suggest!

I will email you!

Joke said...

I'm stuck here also. Unless someone points out a Caribbean island ruled by rabid Libertarians with no taxes.

-J.

Major Bedhead said...

Ketchup chips. 'nuff said.

beagle said...

I miss Peak Freans, Maynards Wine Gums and "Give your Mack a Smack" toffee.

Am I a sugar-a-holic or what??

Oh, and vinegar on french fries aka chips . . . kind of infrequent here. And while we're on fried goods: real fish and chips wiht good fish, good batter and good chips!

Oh, and a propper cup of tea. Don't give me creamer with my tea please, and don't run the water through the coffee maker, it tastes funny.

We should all set up an exchange!

Jess said...

Seriously, Beagle, I can get all your sugar fancies at the little shop down the street - just let me know where to send them.

And that goes for all y'all!

Trina said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Trina said...

Ok, this post really has me curious! (well, not all of it, just one comment in particular). You mentioned that you miss the American attitude - cocky, go-get-em, etc. Can I ask why that is? Maybe it's because I'm a born and bred Canuck, but that kind of attitude is generally frowned upon here. It's what tends to alienate Americans from the rest of the world.

A couple of big blows

 Snow, that is. My province has been hit hard this year.  We're still digging out from the St. Valentine's day storm, and we might f...