Here we are, day 3 and a half into our trip to the USA and I am once again reminded of the differences between “us” and “them”.  There are a couple of Canadian items that are rare in The States, it you can find them at all:

Coffee Crisp and Aero Bars. Can’t buy them here, they don’t sell them.  I’m not kidding.  If you search around you might find it in a specialty store.

I franticaly looked around for a familiar green package of vinegar for my french fries, and then remembered where I was.  If you ask for Vinegar or describe your toast as ‘brown’ toast, it’s a dead give away that you are from Canada.  Um, excuse me, do you have any vinegar?  The waitress will look at you, and say, where you from?

I love Shopping in the USA – they have everything!  And then they have specialty stores – Want some Lego? – Go to the Lego Store!

Want DisneyLand merchandies – Go to the Disney Store!

We stopped to see the kids and we promised the Grandson that Grandpa would take him shopping at “the Lego” store and he could have anything he wanted!  Anything!!  We go to the Lego Store and the poor child goes into child lego shock — he’s going in clockwise circles, and then counter clockwise circles, but is afraid to tell us what it is he wants.  Finally he understands that he can truly have whatever it is he wants –  ‘well I don’t have the Joker’, ‘and I don’t have THIS catwoman’.  Ok, Grampa says, but what is it that you REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT?,  Big 5 year old eyes gaze up into Grampa’s face and admit that he wants ‘the bat cave’.  It was awesome seeing this little child run into and out of the store with his loot!  He was so excited.  I think that the teary moments of grandparent hood are a reward for all the hard work, fear, and worry that you invest in your own children.  It’s a GIFT from above!

Bat Cave Lego