In which our heroine raves crankily about shopping in Vancouver - *again*.

[agoodwinsmith]

So, I would like to buy a men's Obus back belt because my SOGP has been experiencing back pain for too long and he won't take himself to the clinic (and is unlikely to any time before the sun goes nova).

Well, you know, the nice Obus people have a webpage, which describes their goods (in Canada) and then gives a list of places where their goods (in Canada) can be purchased:
http://www.obusforme.ca/obus_forme/where-to-buy/

Bwahaha.  I've check the lovely websites of the stores close to me.  London Drugs?  Nope.  Canadian Tire?  Nope.  The Bay?  Nope.  Sears?  Nope.  Future Shop?  Be Serious - it's a freaking electronics store - body support items made of fabric?  Pfff.  But I checked.  Nope.  Now Shopper's Drug Mart might have it:
http://www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/english/home_health_care/for_your_health/back_support.html
but, indeed, they may just be telling me about these items as a service, you know, like a medical encyclopedia.  I can't tell whether that is something they stock, and I certainly can't find out whether or not a particular store on my way home might have one in stock.  It doesn't even say, for instance "special item needs to be ordered; ten days (or whatever) for delivery" or, even "abandon hope, you loony".

Honest to Goddess, I bet if I were still living in Vermilion I could have found it for purchase in at least two stores that I can think of, quite possibly another.

Really, in Vancouver, you can have what everyone else has.

And - I am thinking that the internet has reached a doldrums[1]: great self-serving branding - nothing that will actually help anyone buy anything.

[1] - apparently plural is the singular, and singular is a particular meteorological term.  Huh.

Comments

[randombler.livejournal.com]

Yes, the Doldrums is a plural like the Cascades, the Netherlands, the wilds etc. A single Cascade is Mt So-and-so, I don't think I have seen a single Netherland, and I am not sure what a single wild is. The Doldrums are the area of the ocean you are likely to get caught in a doldrum (a persistent calm, not good for sailors).

Good luck finding the back belt.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

So, it should have been that "the internet has reached the doldrums" or "the internet has reached a doldrum of the Doldrums." No, my spellcheck (which works are work but not at home) still says "bah" to doldrum.

Thanks on the search - SOGP is now viewing back belts as proof positive of dorky old age and would rather spend his entire elderhood completely crippled rather than be seen in one now. Please imagine an eyeroll here. :)