Goodwill by the Pound Pt.2 - Dance Your Pants Off!

I waffled over whether or not to drag Sonny Jim out to Goodwill by the Pound today. We spent last night with him at a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party for his friend, and I took him to his school's Fall Fair this morning. No, I'm not a negligent parent, but I still needed convincing. I phoned my sister and she told me that her friend's son spent his entire early childhood in thrift stores and he turned out fine. I crushed my guilt like an old cigar stub and off we trudged to the middle of Scarborough.

The Midland bus dropped us off at Emblem Street, or Avenue and we strolled down one of the bleakest streets I've been on. I didn't notice how grim it was when we came by car in the summer.
"I want to go home," said Duncan, as we approached the big Goodwill sign. "There might be some cool toys there," I offered. "Besides. We've come all this way. It will be fun."
We were greeted by Richard Simmons' Dance Your Pants Off on top of the VHS table.

How did such a chunky guy become a fitness guru?

I then spied the most hideous ceramic doll known to humanity.

"I come from the planet Thingwrong. Take me to your leader and get me some hair."
I then found a mental health DVD hosted by Joy Behar after hours of plastic surgery.

I can't actually show the best things I purchased because it's going to be a surprise for someone. I'll dish later. I did, however buy a few goodies. Books were .49 each. The whole thing came to $5.60 - not including the very cool things I can't show right now.

Duncan learned about Terry Fox at school and he picked out this book about our national hero. The illustrations are a bit cack-handed, but the story is powerful.

Funky, retro housewife alert! I scored this Erma Bombeck boxed set for forty-nine cents. Yes!

The stories look very funny. I'll start reading At Wit's End tonight. The beginning starts with an anecdote about sleeping in and discovering that her son had written some disparaging remark about her housekeeping using his finger on the dusty table top. How can I not read on?

I remember the Bowl of Cherries book from when I was a kid. I think my mom read it. Sooner or later, we all turn into our mother - unless your mother was a sociopath that you could never learn to love.

I liked the cover of Journeyman. Doesn't it make you wonder if he gets it on with the femme fatale he's staring at? I know, I know - it might be his sister, or a nun in casual attire. But you were thinking it too.

I was disappointed that I didn't get the protractor and all those other useless math gadgets inside this compass tin, but I did get some old Canadian Air Mail stickers. Woo-hoo!

I found this old science poster for glass. I might just put it up for decoration in my class. I can just hear one of the instructional leaders asking, "How does it connect to the grade 5 curriculum?" Hmm... I just think it looks purdy.

After the suburban wasteland that greeted us on our way in, I discovered this beautiful crab apple tree hanging over a creek, on our way out.

A duck sent us on our way. I'll be back for more discount vintage treasures.

I should end this post on this natural note, but I can't resist...