N1cky

I thought it would be ok, as your 27 security guards would be able to keep the rabble out

SDDep

Is that your pad? haha

Home depot probably isnt up to your standards eh...works fine for me and my house...

Steerpike

It's what you could DO with those screws ...! (though we never actually do Do what we think we'll do! - I have a garage full of ex-Home Depot merchandise, still in original packaging ... ).

Now, there's an example of a store we could live without! - that is, any shoe store! If the current ones you are wearing haven't fallen off your feet, what's the point in looking at new ones? Only thing more useless than a shoe store is ... a jewelry store! At least shoes protect your feet from the cold, and help you walk ... I don't think I've ever encountered a greater waste of human endeavor than a piece of jewelry (duck and run .... )

Back on topic - since no one has mentioned it yet, I'll list a pair of complementary pros/cons ...
Con - serving sizes in restaurants - way too much
Pro - doggie bags, allowing you to take that extra food home and have a second meal. I've gotten it down to a science at this point!

Ash UK/US

And one of the worst...skunks *gag*

Steerpike

I don't mind the smell of skunks at all! This is the strangest thing, but it used to gag me but we had so many around our house, my nose / brain became conditioned to it and now my brain interprets it like the smell of garlic. I wish I could understand and explain this better, because it's probably a very useful skill / process !!!! Next time you smell skunk, think garlic ... this could go both ways of course - could put you off garlic for life

Juswus

oh gawd...yeah.

But they are so stinkin cute!!!

meauxna

When it comes to it, I'd prefer Lowe's over HD any day.
I'm not opposed to hardware stores, just picky.

PS SD Dep: http://tinyurl.com/2844lgl
I WISH I had your climate.. lucky dog.

GeoffM

Can't say I like it but as you say, you kind of get used to it.

Yeah. Fascinating to watch, or maybe it's just me with morbid curiosity. I spent about half an hour watching one sniff around a campsite in CT. Seen them in zoos too but I guess they were deodourfied.

I can't stand snakes, yet I'm quite happy with crocs/gators. Twice now I've held one or the other (can never remember which, but both in New Orleans area). Ok, so they were baby ones safely away from their mothers, but fascinating nonetheless.

And back to the original - ok, I'm not resident but I have spent a few months there several times, along with holidays:
Best:
- Free soft drink refills
- Chunky sandwiches
- Green traffic light waves
- Wide parking spaces
- Very patriotic
- Better provision (and enforced) for disabled parking

Worst:
- Long waits at traffic lights (it seems! Ok, UK is too short and so too much dead time)
- The need to drive in most places (I got questioned by police once for walking!)
- Poor public transport, generally speaking.
- More difficult to recycle. I'm not exactly a green freak but our (UK) council does make it very easy to recycle, so much so that our wheelie bin could be collected once a month if they wanted to (they actually do it every fortnight, half empty), whereas recyclables they collect weekly.
- Slightly patriotic brainwashing by media/government. Not exactly North Korea but some website I forget the address of does back up my feeling.
- Despite better provision for disabled parking, fewer automatic doors than UK in even major malls and various other high footfall places (noticed with pushchair/stroller recently).

Admittedly not very balanced but on a forum biased towards those with an "American dream", I could go on and on in the pros section to balance it, but what's the point?!

scrubbedexpat097

I think the skunk smell is a bit like the burned coffee smell in Starbucks

N1cky

After spending the day at San Diego Zoo, we got back to the hotel car park and there was a skunk. Highlight of my daughters trip

Jerseygirl

The first day my daughter attended school here a skunk got onto the classroom windowsill. The children were told to leave the classroom...just in case.

The only ones I have ever seen have been roadkill.

Hairball

When I was last in Maine i was near a skunk when it sprayed toward the barn I was in. I know that skunks did not get their reputation for nothing so i was not suprised it smelled bad, but it's impossible to do justice the stench. It was like a cross between poo and burning polystyrene. It wasnt choking exactly, but it was sort of thick, that's the only way i could put it. No wonder owners get upset when their dogs get sprayed. It's a stunning smell.

Michael

I spent 8 hours per day for 1 1/2 years fixing up my home and purchasing 90% of the materials from HD or Lowes. Neither has very good service (HD is slightly worse) so you better know what you want if you are shopping at either of those places.

When I needed advice, I always shopped at my local ACE store. It was a very large ACE store (about 1/2 the size of a typical HD or about the size of an OSH store) but the people working at the stores were very knowledgeable and could answer just about any question I had.

I also liked HD expo for high quality and good service for products.

expo09

Don't live in the US now but have in the past.

LIKES
1. The average person makes more of an effort to be friendly.
2. People are more positive
3. People more wiling to work (less layabouts who don't want to work)

DISLIKES
1. Have to drive everywhere (and people think you're strange if you don't)
2. Cost of healthcare
3. Lack of proper pubs
4. American Football

Dudette

I just wanted to chime in, I think your convo about Home Depot was funny as hell, btw I absolutely love HD and could spend hours there too, ooh and I'm not a guy