the rix mix

Fair afternoon  mid-forties. Walked to Family Dollar for supply of various size ziploc bags. Also where I get cans of Margaret Holmes seasoned green limas,  not stocked at the supermarket with the other brands of generally over-priced "southern" style beans. Family Dollar, & its mirror competitor chain Dollar General are not "dollar" stores. They're "variety" stores, actually heirs to the last generation of  so-called Five & Ten stores, what downtown Woolworth's, Kresge & McCrory's were evolving into. But those chains made horrible corporate decisions. I was particularly sorry to see the last Woolworth's go; there was a classic in downtown Linden NJ up to the end, complete with the lunch counter section & the downstairs with the awful  smelly pet dept. selling hamsters & fish. But even for me it became more of a museum, except that it provided me with a supply of cheap black canvas sneakers that now sell for ridiculous  prices although they are  no longer "hip" fashion. I used to stop by the last McCrory's in downtown Rahway & Keyport NJ just to admire  the   layouts, with the second floor offices overlooking the main retail floors. It' was like being transported back to the 1920's & 30's.

Labels: Elizabeth NJ, shopping