Periodic Fun - A Day out with Friends

Sunday was just going to be the usual day of reflection and relaxing (and bacon). No plans.  Then the phone rang.  It was Midwest Chick

 "Mr. B and I are going to the huge flea market in Alsip, Illinois?  Do you want to go?"

We're in!

The driving distance is about the same for us both so we just met there.  It's one of the bigger, if not the biggest flea markets, in Chicagoland, with up to 900 booths at the location we went to.

I'm not a big fan of crowds, but the lure of  possible tools and such (a girl can't have too many 5/32 allen keys) AND spending the day with Partner and two of my favorite people was enough to change my mind.

Swap O-Rama!

I didn't grab my camera (one less thing to tote around in the heat, but you can almost picture it).  It was like walking through a virtual Craigslist (though I couldn't find one of these there).

If you could sell it, you could probably find it here, food, dry goods, candy, religious icons, baby things, tons of socks and cowboy stuff.  But buyer beware as the nunchucks, throwing stars and ninja swords are "no refunds, no exchanges!". There's row after row of vendors displaying about any product you can think of from TV's and Computers ("gently owned") to Marie Osmond tapes, plumbing supplies and ab busters and thighmasters and all sorts of exercise gear that was used twice before the owner figured out that with the fried churros on every corner, they will never look like the model on the infomercial.

Plus there was all sorts of clothing that was both serviceable (cammo ladies tank tops for a buck each) and other items you'd not be caught dead in unless you were Lady Gaga.

Midwest Chick - "How about that spiderweb sheer body stocking"

Me:  "Well, I do have those fake plastic flies from the laboratory practical joke box".

Midwest Chick - "well, then, there's the Rainbow Rasta Bob Marley handbag. . "

Me:  "Don't you think it would clash with my shirt with the governor on it?"

You are expected to haggle, it's no fun if you don't and having some Spanish skills would definitely help but everyone speaks cash and everyone was friendly, even those that weren't trying to sell something (at least some of the older gents were friendly to Midwest Chick and I but we were probably the only blond and redhead in the place).  It's not fancy, you definitely want to have hand sanitizer handy when you're done sorting through things.  But it's fun,  for the most part, simply  to see Capitalism in action. Plus you get to see more interesting variations in human genetic code and behavior than you'll ever see at Wal Mart.

Part of it was inside, part outside.  It was hot and humid and being very fair redhead, I had to excuse myself from the group to seek shelter a couple of times from the sun.

Midwest Chick:  "It's tough being a vampire isn't it?"

pause

 "at least you're not sparkly."

No, I was more Kabuki Theater with the SPF 50 non chemical sunscreen.

Most of the tools were either very old or brand new Harbor Freight (likely bought with the coupons from the mail, then marked up). Though I swear I saw one guy walking out the door with a chainsaw.

But we did  find an impact wrench for $5 for the Range before we started talking about food.

Partner suggested a local steakhouse he had eaten at before when in the area on business.  Mr. B. looked up at  the "Snack O-Rama"  sign and said - "But they have Churro's. . . "

A quick stop in the "Ladies Room O'Rama" for a good hand washing and fresh tactical lip gloss and we went for the steaks. Jenny's  Pub and Steakhouse in Chicago Ridge.  The meal was excellent (ask for the vampire approved homemade house garlic salad dressing).  An assortment of cow was consumed, with homemade bread and some aerodynamic Bruschetta spread/dip (don't ask) and with all the usual cow accessories to go with our steaks. And for dessert - chocolate eclair cake for MC and I to split and a rootbeer float for Partner.  Mr. B. had this ginormous Italian Beef sandwich with handmade potato chips and passed on dessert (probably still pining for the churro).

Almost too full to move, we said our goodbyes before the drive back home. But first, a stop at the pet store for some Abby Chow, and a little gift for her after being left home alone most of the afternoon. A squeaky Periodic Table  How cool is that!

She was very happy to see us, but wasn't' too sure about the toy. She does tend to like her plush animals the most.  Maybe I should have got her the little plush Albert Einstein.

 She backed away. "Come on Abby - Chemistry is our friend!"

We'll, we'll just have a little sip of something on the porch and leave her in here  with it for a bit to see if she'll play with it.

We'll get out the good bourbon.  It IS the weekend.

My name is no longer Abby - please refer to me as Xenon Warrior Princess.