Getting A Good Shot...Of A Bag Of Skulls

A few weeks ago, my wife and I went to Dollar Tree to pick up something, I can't remember what. As my wife search for what we went for, I searched for something else...something interesting to photograph. I found two, actually. I didn't use the bag of skulls picture, instead I used a great picture (IMHO...) of toothpaste/toothbrush caddies that seemed to be screaming.

Fast forward a few weeks and we found ourselves in our local $1.25 store again. I searched out the skulls. I couldn't remember if the previous bag of skulls picture was any good, but when I found the skulls this time, I did a little rearranging so that each one showed it's unique (if that's even possible...) skull personality.

I think it turned out pretty good, much better than the one I took weeks ago.

Ever Wonder How Things End Up At The Dollar Store? Me Too...

 Last month my wife and I ventured into our local Dollar Tree dollar store. Personally, I find that place fascinating. I should say from the beginning that I don't buy a lot of things at the store. Sure, if I need something that I know is in the store, I'll go in, but every time I enter a dollar store, I'm continually surprised at the things you can get for a buck (or, for a buck 25 because of inflation...).

On our last trip, it was my wife who was looking for things costing a dollar. I was along for the ride. As she shopped, I meandered through the aisles, looking at this and that. I stopped at the media section and that's where I spotted a movie I have not thought about for decades, Woody Allen's, Zelig. If you're unfamiliar with the movie, it's about a man who is able to modify his personality to blend in with his surroundings, so much so, he can change his weight and his skin color. It's a comedy, perhaps a dark comedy, but if you're a fan of Woody Allen films, it's one you've probably already seen.

This was a film I saw in the theater, not a "straight-to-video" situation. Of course, it wasn't one of Allen's most popular films, nor did it win any prestigious awards like some of his other films. No, it was just a basic film, but somehow it ended up at the dollar DVD section in the dollar media bin at the dollar store.

It's possible all of Allen's films have suffered over the years. The filmmaker's name no longer has the cachet it once had due to things that took pace in the actor/director's life years ago. And the society has moved on, moved on from his shows and from him. At least, that's the way it seems.

Back in the day, I used to see a lot of movies in the theater and I believe this was the first time I saw a film I saw in the theater for sale at the dollar store. I guess there's a story behind how it ended up there, too.

Christmas Shopping...With The Kids

I can't really remember when this particular family tradition began, but we continued it yesterday. It involves some secrecy, decision-making, and budgeting. We took the kids to do Christmas shopping for each other. 

Years ago, when the kids were little, we loaded up the van and drove them to a store. It wasn't the same store we visited yesterday. It's a store famous for its inexpensive merchandise--the dollar store. The rules were simple. Each child would browse the store for gifts for their three siblings. The dollar store worked for several years until the kids grew a little older.

We then had to change venues.

Now we go to Walmart.

The kids still have a budget, but it's still small for each sibling. What's nice about Walmart is the size of the store. The dollar stores were always so small--it was hard for the kids to not be seen by their siblings. At Walmart we needed cellphone texts to coordinate each other. As we waited for the other kids to finish up, I found a huge hat, put it on, and snapped a picture--you know, for posterity. 

The oldest was not in attendance. With school and two jobs, he's too busy As the others get older, they'll most likely stop participating in the family Christmas tradition. That's the way of things, I suppose.

None of our children have children of their own. I wonder if, in say ten or fifteen years, if they do have kids, they'll load up their van/SUV and head to a store at Christmastime, give them each a budget and an assignment--find presents for their siblings. We can't make our kids do it, of course, but if they do, it would put a smile on my face--just like the one I had yesterday.

Yet Another Amazing 499-Piece Puzzle!

Okay, this is not a story about a 499-piece puzzle.

And, at the same time, it is.

My son completed another of his Dollar Store puzzles and we were anxious to see if it contained 500 pieces (as advertised...) or if it was missing one piece like many of the other discount puzzles we bought. I wrote a blog about the other puzzles and you can see that blog post: HERE.

There were 500 pieces in this puzzle, but somehow, this one had TWO of the same puzzle piece. I can understand a piece missing, but having two of the same piece? Kind of crazy!

So, I can no longer say that each of these puzzles contains only 499 pieces.

But, at the same time, I can.

The Amazing 499-Piece Puzzles!

I remember a Christmas almost 20 years ago when we were wondering what to buy our then one, almost two-year old son for Christmas. We were basically broke and we found ourselves in a K Mart in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I can't remember who suggested it, but we saw some puzzles--you know the kind, the cardboard ones with maybe four pieces. They were cheap and they came in groups of four.

Our son loved them.

Flash forward to the present day and another son has found the job of puzzling. We decided to go shopping to pick up a puzzle or two. Your youngest is nine-years old so he's well beyond the easy puzzles. We found some good ones, but they were expensive (a puzzle costing over $10 is expensive...).

The next week we came upon what we thought was a great find. 500-piece puzzles at the dollar store! And they had pictures of cute kittens and other animals--our son's favorite! 

 

Our excited son got started on the first puzzle right away. A day or so later he had it completed.

 

Well, almost.

You see, the 500-piece puzzle was in actuality, a 499-piece puzzle. We checked around the puzzle-building area and we could not find the missing piece. Undeterred, he began a second puzzle.

 

And the result was the same. 499-piece puzzle. He finished a third puzzle, another piece missing.

I thought it would be cool to market and sell 499-piece puzzles. All you puzzle assemblers out there can see the delicious torment such a puzzle would cause. But now I don't have to--the dollar store beat me to it.