A Quick Trip

1 August 2014

Grizzly store at the Lycoming Mall

Last Friday, about 4:30 in the afternoon, Marlene and I headed south. Our destination was the Grizzly outlet store , which is right next to the Lycoming Mall in Muncy, Pennsylvania. Muncy is three and a half hours from where we live. It was pretty much a spur of the moment decision. 

I was on a mission to buy a shaper to use for making my Classic American clothespins. Last year I used router tables. They did the job, but I am hoping to make use of a power feeder, and a lightweight router table won't support the power feeder. A shaper has a solid, cast iron work surface. It also has a motor that is more suited to running for hours at a time.

Marlene likes to take trips. She doesn't have to deal with making meals and housework when she is away from home. And with the kids all grown up, vacations are less work for her than they used to be. Me, I'm not big on traveling. It's a hassle, especially with a mail order business. As Marlene tells people, I don't get out much. So driving anywhere that requires an overnight stay is unusual for me. 

We drove as far as Corning, New York on Friday afternoon. Marlene made reservations at the Quality Inn Comfort Inn (see comments). She likes the Quality Inn Comfort Inn because the beds are comfortable, and they have really nice pillows. They also have a continental breakfast, which is important. We had dinner that night at a restaurant that makes pizza in a wood-fired oven. It was a good meal.

Next morning we got our continental breakfast. I ate some sort of pseudo omelet, with a strip of faux bacon, Dannon yogurt, like-orange juice, and a sad little blueberry muffin, while being entertained by FOX news on a big screen TV. I don't watch television, and I rarely eat fake food, so that was kind of different.

The weather was good and we got to the Lycoming Mall with no problem. We checked out the Mall for awhile. I bought a couple of summer shirts on sale, then waited patiently while Marlene shopped at some women's clothing stores. I don't think she actually bought anything.

For lunch we went to a Cracker Barrel. I like Cracker Barrel. The food is good and they have an abundance of old agrarian artifacts hanging all over the place. The restaurant is akin to an agrarian-themed museum. 

I had trout, turnip greens, cole slaw, and a couple corn muffins. I haven't had trout in years. I wonder where Cracker Barrel trout comes from? Maybe I don't want to know.

It occurred to me that the last time I ate at a Cracker Barrel was with Michael Bunker in Binghamton, New York. I checked my old blog posts to find out that was way back in June of 2006—long before Michael became a famous sci-fi indie author. 

It also occurred to me that I probably have enough old agrarian artifacts to outfit a small Cracker Barrel restaurant.

We finally got to the Grizzly store. It's a big place. I liked it. I got the tool I went there to get, and a few others besides.

We stopped at a Panera restaurant in Ithaca for dinner and got home just about exactly 24 hours after we left. 

Mission accomplished.

Marlene and I had a good time. She thinks I'm more relaxed and fun when I get away from home. She might be right. And she's already thinking about our next mini vacation.