Now With More Swag!

This past Sunday Mr Man and I, along with another couple, decided to take a day trip to Montreal. Such live wires, we are. The day's agenda: a little smoked meat and shopping. We hit Schwartz's at lunchtime on a Sunday, because we are all about living on the edge. We were quickly ushered to four stools at the counter, where our orders were placed and executed with all the precision of a military campaign. There is no dallying here, no pondering the merits between medium fat and lean. You sit, you order, five seconds later you eat. But it is so, so good. Who cares if people waiting in line stare at you menacingly while you scarf down a sandwich in record time, your coat and purse bunched on your lap. Who cares if you have to eat with an elbow jammed in your back, and making it to the counter to pay is akin to Friday night roller derby. There is no caring when faced with the most perfect sandwich ever to grace a plate. Plus the pickles. And Cott's Black Cherry Soda. You just can't get that shit in Ottawa, people.

Then the menfolk went to the army surplus store to do manly men things - things that you can tell are very manly because they come from a store that smells somewhat funky and carries things in various shades of murky green. Everything. In. Green. Manly green. No chartreuse here. No lime. No celadon. Which made the the screaming pink camo pants seem even more out of place - unless someone was planning to do some late night maneuvers at the nearest Victoria's Secret outlet.

All that manliness had to be counteracted with a frothy latte with sprinkles, and then a detour to the yarn store. Can I just say right now how much I love the internet. Really. Type in "yarn stores montreal" and in minutes you are planning out a list of stores both within range and open on Sunday. How much awesomeness is that? We ended up at Effiloche, which is honestly the store I would own if I owned a yarn store. So fantastic. I wanted to pull up some yarn and just move right in, but that would have been even weirder than normal. Their fabric selection made me want to take up sewing, or quilting, or something, anything, as long as I could have an excuse to buy. Fabric with little adorable birds and quotes from 50's era children's books. Fantastic prints in fantastic colours: orange, teal, lime, raspberry. No murky green here. With monumental effort, I managed to resist - this time. I also managed to resist accosting anyone with a camera, which is an improvement (even if I would have so totally asked the woman working if she would consent to a picture with my sock in progress if it hadn't become really busy just as we were about to leave.) I like to pretend it was a win for normalcy, even so. I did come away with some fantastic yarn, and even stayed within my budget. Will wonders never cease?

swag-o-rama: