My WalMart Dependence
WalMart came to the Tri-Cities sometime around the days I hit double digits. It built a large, though not super, store about half a mile from my parents’ house. I was thrilled. “Mom! I’m going to go for a walk to WalMart, ok?” “Mom! I’m going to ride my bike over to WalMart, ok?” I knew that WalMart like the back of my hand.
In Moscow, I could have walked to WalMart from my dorm, though it would have been a long walk (somewhere around 2 miles, maybe). With no job for the first time since I was 12, however, I never did. The following year, Matt and I were married and lived 4-5 miles from WalMart. The next year, we rented an apartment in Richland that was about a 5-7 minute drive from WalMart. By this time, my original WalMart had closed, replaced by a Super WalMart off of 27th & 395. Lo & behold, the next year we bought a house that was a 10-12 minute drive from that self-same superstore.
I should have seen the handwriting on the wall. Every move has taken me farther and farther from that bastion of convenience. Now it has been 2 1/2 years since we’ve moved, and we’re projected to make another one within a few months. This time, however, we’re moving out north of Pasco. Way out. Out where people grow wheat and keep llamas in their backyard, where chickens run wild and weeds grow tall.
It’s not the weeds or the llamas that pose the largest drawback to me, however. It is the insurmountable distance from WalMart. In fact, I never even considered it possible to live out so far until I saw with my own eyes the gigantic Super WalMart being constructioned on Road 68 — 20 minutes from the Winckler homelands. Well, when we were looking at moving out to what I had called “10 minutes to Y0kes’”, I had, in reality, been considering it as 20 minutes from the Richland soon-to-be-super WalMart. So, really, we’ll be moving out that same distance from “civilization” — 20 minutes to WalMart, 20 minutes to Yokes’.
So you guys really are moving soon? I noticed you mentioned showing your house in a blog a while ago, so I assumed you must be pretty serious. Sounds like you’ll be moving a ways away from your main source of babysitting! :-)
Well, the house has been on the market now (with Jeremy Swanson as our realtor) for over 2 months, and we’ve shown it maybe 10 times (I should say, the lookers’ realtor has shown it…the boys and I vacate the premises for showings). No bites, yet, though.
We’ll be moving practically next-door to the Wincklers, and almost 40 minutes from my parents. But my parents are in a highly convenient location, and it’ll be for in-town things that we’ll need babysitting, so they’ll still be babysitting as much as ever, I’m sure. :) We’ll hear about it if they don’t, I think. :)
Good Heavens! The Wincklers are WAY out there! How long a commute is that going to be for Matt? Do you have property already or just a general idea of where you want to be? It’s good that Grandma and Grandpa Paulson will still get their babysitting time though. :-) Is it the deal where you buy a mobile home and live in it for a few years while you save money to build?
Yup; that is the plan. :)
“Mom! I’m going to go for a walk to WalMart, ok?” “Mom! I’m going to ride my bike over to WalMart, ok?” I knew that WalMart like the back of my hand.
I was the exact same way at that age. Although it was in Hermiston, and the Wal-Mart was at least two or three miles away. (I guess I didn’t have much to do back then!)
Having lived in town most of my life, and then moving out into the sticks when we first came to the Tri-Cities, I can testify that yes, the worst part of being in the country is being so far from shopping. Over at my parents place the closest “shopping” is a Quicky-Mart that’s about 10-15 minutes away. Actual grocery shopping is at least 20-25 minutes. It’s frustrating if you’re used to being able to hop in your car and and be at a plethora of different stores within 5 minutes. Especially when there’s a semi-emergency of some sort.