Epitaph Preview

Steve West | August 10, 2007
Is this as morbid as I think it is? That doesn't prevent me from returning every few months with my latest inspiration for a preview.

Tony Peters | August 10, 2007
that's cool

Lori Lancaster | August 11, 2007
[hidden by request]

Amy Austin | August 11, 2007
Actually, I think it's kind of cool, too... ;-)

I'm reminded of a business trip I took to work on the Cabela's superstore ("the stuffed menagerie") in Owatonna, Minnesota. Between the mid-March "flurries" (yeah, try BLIZZARD, imho!!!), temperatures being in the low teens and our little crew being in our mid-twenties, the big excitement after-hours was going to see how different the merchandise in Wal-Mart was from that of Central Florida! (I bought an Elmer Fudd-style of hat in olive/hunter green, with the earflaps that tie overhead, just because I had never seen one, and it amused me so.)

Another "big fun" highlight (aside from the trip to Twin Cities) was walking in a snow-blanketed cemetery dating back to the late 18th-century. My self-absorbed thought of morbidity, of course... while walking through all these markers with long, hard-to-pronounce & special character-pocked Swedish & Scandinavian names... was "how cool/weird would it be to come across a stone with *my* name on it?!" (followed immediately by "not bloody likely!" -- based on high percentage of aforementioned names). I was even saying this to the girls who were with me, as we all giddily traipsed through the snow-covered sanctuary with our disposable one-shot pocket cameras, when... (skipped-record screech-halt)...

There it was -- plain as day -- a huge stone with *nothing* but the name "AUSTIN" on it! It was a revelation that was simultaneously cool, shocking... & somewhat scary. We all laughed an amused nervous laugh, and, Of Course... I took a picture!

And if I ever come across it in the future, I may scan it and append it to this discussion... ;-)

Tony Peters | August 12, 2007
umm Cabela's my favoring of the red neck department store (better than Bass Pro or Gander Mt IMHO) I can't wait for the one to open east of Hartford Ct this fall

Denise Sawicki | August 12, 2007
The new Scheels here in Fargo is supposed to be the largest all-sports store in the coutry... It has an indoor Ferris wheel and stuffed representations of different presidents sitting around on the second floor. I don't exactly frequent these types of stores so I don't know if it's in the same class as Cabela's but I think it's at least similar... You guys should make a pilgrimage to ND to visit Scheels :P I thought this Scheels was ridiculous myself I'm afraid.. and I like my stuff free, not overpriced :)

Truly I'm not just trying to squeeze some R$ out of the system before Scott shuts off the flow of easy R$, I'm also passing the time here because the husband just got a video game in the mail and he's obsessed with it :)

Oh by the way I also have no intention of putting anybody down when I say I don't frequent these stores and find this Scheels ridiculous, I only mean to express my own opinion, others are welcome to think differently. I figured I better put a disclaimer because I tend to come off as abrasive when I talk too much (and I am obviously talking too much)

Amy Austin | August 13, 2007
psshaw... I don't think anyone here thinks that, Denise.

That Cabela's was pretty ridiculous, too, actually (though possibly a taxidermist's fantasy)... and I like my stuff free, too -- who doesn't! (I know... I saw your other topic... and I have to say that I think it's *much* weirder for someone to have a problem with ordering free water at an establishment where they are buying food than to have a *healthy* like for all things free (i.e., not taking every free thing just because it's free... this is a risk!) -- and I would hope that nobody finds *that* offensive!!! ;-D)

Tony Peters | August 13, 2007
What's wrong with Bambi mounted on the wall???? personally I'm more likely to use all the part/pieces for crafts of some but still