I am partial to charm bracelets so while we were wandering around downtown Newfoundland, I ducked into a jewelry store to see what they had to offer. There was one bracelet made with old Newfoundland coins that I really liked and I asked to see it. The gal took it out of the display case and told me some details about it and said, "It's $880". As I was hooking it around my wrist, I must have been concentrating really hard because all I heard were the 8's. Huh, $88, a little more than I was expecting but it's really cool. At this time, John walked in and joined me. While I was admiring my new bracelet, John asked the price and she again said, "$880". This time it sounded a little different. Huh, did she just say $88? It didn't sound like $88, it sounded like $880 but that's nuts. She continued explaining the features to John. "It's sterling silver" blah blah blah. Oh, sterling silver, that totally makes it worth $880. And then I noticed that John was not moving, at all. He was like totally frozen. And never in my life have I been so psychic. I could clearly hear his every thought. <Put down the bracelet. We Are Leaving.> Back out of the sidewalk, "You know I think that bracelet was $800." John, "Keep walking."
A few days later we went to a local comic book store. I thought we could use a few board games, perhaps they had a Game of Thrones Clue. It turned out to be a really great store and Sam and I ended up getting a little carried away. Okay, I got a little carried away. Sam only picked out one comic. I brought my treasures up to the register and the gal working started ringing everything up. So I was standing there next to Sam, pleased as punch that they did have a Game of Thrones Clue, and the gal says, "That'll be $328." I immediately turned to Sam to see if he thought that was as odd of a number as I did. He just stood there with his mouth open.
Me, "Excuse me?"
Gal, "$328"
Me <still looking from her to Sam and back> "I'm sorry, what was that again?"
Gal, "$328"
Me, "Well, that's not going to happen. That's just insane."
Then I had her keep deleting items until the number got down to double digits. I've gotten carried away in a comic book store before but that was ridiculous. It's like all the prices were in yen.
And lastly, John and I went to Blue Moon Pottery, located down on Jelly Bean Row. Very picturesque little area of the Battery.
The store, which was on one floor of the owner's house, had a painting in the window that we both liked. We had been by the previous day but it was closed. We knew this because there was a sign on the door that read, "Closed". John, who'd slipped fully into "down home Newfoundland, I knows yer mutter" mode, tried the door knob.
Me, "What are you doing?"
John, "It's not locked."
Me, "It's still closed."
John, <stepping into the doorway> "Hello!"
Me, "John, it's closed."
John, <another step inside> "HELLO! HELLO!"
After a couple more Hello's, an old lady in a house coat walked into the hallway.
John, "Hi, we were just wondering if you were open."
Lady, "No" <pointing to the 'closed' sign that just happened to be exactly at John's eye level> "We're closed."
So we returned the next day, when it was Open. I walked over to the painting that I liked and noticed that there was another one along the same...theme?...is that right? Anyway, they'd look great hanging next to each other behind my couch. And would you look at that, they're only $1250, each. What the hell? Is this some kind of a prank? Has something gone wrong with decimals on this island? I'm done. No more shopping. I'm just going back to our room and read my book. $1200, my ass. grumble grumble grumble.....
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