18 November 2005

US good features

Now we have been back for almost two months we have discovered a number of US features we miss here. Other than our friends, we miss:

Walmart - It was really handy having a place where you could buy almost anything for a low price.
Vidalia Onions - Sweet onions that don't make the eyes water and make great onion rings.
Grape Nuts - a breakfast cereal we referred to as "Gravel". It was a great addition to our home made muesli.
Amazon - purchasing from Amazon and other US online sellers was very convenient and at good prices.
Sam's Club/Costco - Bulk purchase warehouses. Similar places here are limited to businesses (which I can get around) but they aren't as convenient.
Breakfast Sausage - Savoury Mince. We have substituted by making our own with the butcher.
Library - The selection of books at the local Library was great!
Sweetened Coconut - Despite my complaints about coconut being 1/3rd sugar, it was nice in Muesli.
Pocket Knives - In NSW it is illegal for anyone under 16 to carry a knife. In the US children as young as five and six had pocket knives.
Less Flies - but that is OK. We'll trade flies that don't bite for all those chiggers, gnats, hornets and wasps any day!
Hampton Inn - US hotel chains typically allow children to stay for free and only charge per room and have free breakfast. Here they charge per person and with 6 extra people the extra charge is higher than the base room rate. And that is without any breakfast.
Seasons - It was nice knowing the season by looking out the window. Bright Green = Spring, medium Green and Hot = Summer, Red/orange/yellow = Fall (Autumn) and Grey/white and cold = Winter.

Update: We just went shopping again. Another thing we need to somehow replicate is Seasoned Salt (without the MSG). It is a key component in a number of tasty recipes we brought back with us.

3 comments:

Cay Gibson said...

David,
Are you sure about the flies?
I always thought we had the worst flies in the world!

My s-i-l was telling us yesterday that France has their share of flies as well.

I guess it's a global problem.

DavidofOz said...

I was discussing this as we were doing the "Aussie Salute" (wiping flies away from our faces with our hands) yesterday. I think the fly volume is related the nearness of livestock. In NE Georgia at the base of the Appalachian Mountains there weren't a lot of plains fed livestock, so not too many flies.
It would certainly to be sad to have lots of flies AND the rest of the biting critters too!

Cay Gibson said...

"It would certainly to be sad to have lots of flies AND the rest of the biting critters too!"


LOL!
You got that RIGHT!!!
;)

Tell Lana "Hi!"