The new store

Well, I think we all know which place I'm talking about. Hey, as long as I needed some stuff, I figured I might as well go. So Wednesday after work, I went down there on south Main.

I was a little stunned at how quickly the old building was stripped of its identity. They even painted over the big sign by the road. It's future use is the subject of much speculation.

Going in wasn't too bad, considering it was 5 p.m. I even found a space near the grocery entrance. I guess most of the curious ones had already done their shopping. I mean, seriously, I may never get a parking space that good ever again anywhere.

Even though I know the store is designed to maximize energy use, I was surprised that I perceived it as being so dark. My eyes actually adjusted to it though, and by the time I left, I could see fine.

The store is laid out slightly differently than some other stores of its kind, so you shouldn't expect that just because you know the layout of the stores in Nevada and Pittsburg, that what you're looking for will be in the same place here. The food and the garden center and the oil place are where you'd expect. So are the clothes. Some of the other stuff is maybe not quite where you think it should be but the store has more directional signs than some highways, so you should be okay when you look around.

In fact, the only particularly bad thing was when I tried to get out of the parking lot (Tangent warning).

Those cameras they put on traffic lights: Do they EVER work right? The one at 12th and the bypass never seems to detect my car. And this one at "25th Street" actually refused to change despite about eight cars pulled up to it and waiting. I think I saw the one at 23rd change twice before the new one changed to let us out.

But if that's all that's wrong with the new place...I guess I can live with that.