I went to Omak today to do a bit of shopping and to see a movie, but the main purpose of the trip was to have an oil change done on the car. Arranging for that in Penticton is as difficult today as it was two years ago; the places with the cheapest prices are always booked up weeks in advance.

Since today is the American Thanksgiving, I called ahead to make sure the Walmart would be open and that it would be possible have the oil change done. Yes and yes. So I headed off around 11 and pulled into Walmart at about noon. The folks at Tire & Lube got my information and then I was free to do some shopping.

The store was very quiet and the aisles were stacked with things marked “not for sale before Friday.” It’s going to be a zoo there tomorrow! I don’t care what sorts of deals can be had on Black Friday, the crowds aren’t worth it.

A dehumidifier was the only big ticket thing I was interested in, but they didn’t have any. So, I stocked up on some dry goods and assorted sundries, nothing really notable, and went to collect my car. It wasn’t done yet, so I had a chance to sit for a bit, amused that the only magazines in the waiting room were about handguns.

An oil change was just $30!!!!!!!!!!! I also got a full tank of gas today for $25. You can’t get an oil change done up here for under $60! And this wasn’t a basic oil change, either; they did all the checks and fluid top ups, and they sent me home with almost a full quart of oil!

It was two when I left Walmart and the movie started at four, so I hoped to enjoy a nice leisurely lunch. HA! The  ONLY restaurant in town that was open was Burger King! If I hadn’t had so much time to kill and it hadn’t been so cold I would have gotten lunch fixings at the Walmart grocery section and had a picnic in the car, but BK it was today. Yuck!

The movie I wanted to see was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I. I can’t believe we’re one movie away from the end. What a cinematic journey this series has been over the past ten years. The movie was worth the wait and the long drive home in the dark.

I made it back to the border in record time and breezed through at quarter past seven. I was ravenous by this time so I was grateful that Ella‘s was open. There I tucked into a ridiculously generous plate of chicken souvlaki for just $13.

Donna informed me tonight that Penticton’s selection of dehumidifiers is pathetic, so I’m going to try Sears catalogue, but I may end up having to go out again tomorrow.