Contestant #4: Bradley

Today's contestant I have named Bradley (he looked like a Bradley), and he was buying butter. Just butter. nothing else. No bread to go with his butter, no flour to make a cake with it. And it wasn't just a 'damn I'm out of butter, better nip out to the shops', this was four packs of butter. Just butter.

This lack of other purchases has left me rather stumped. What was the butter for? There were no clues, no hints, not even one of those free recipe cards that they give away at the supermarket. Never have I been so curious about fat? All I can tell you was that it was good butter. This cluelessness has led me to some rather wild speculation. Maybe he has a cat that had become stuck in the banisters, maybe he's part of a coffee morning and is responsible for the bagels (Bradley, you forgot the bagels), maybe he has developed an automobile that runs on butter, maybe he is allergic to everything but butter, maybe he is a butter sculptor, maybe he is planning some Home Alone -esque trap by buttering all his floors. who knows? But as Julia Child said, 'with enough butter, anything is good'. Except heart attacks...

Contestant #3: Jeremy

Today's contestant I named Jeremy. He looked like a Jeremy. He was dressed in his finest garb, sported a haircut that would probably pay for my grocery shopping for the whole year, and to top it all off wore the smug expression of a man who knows exactly why everyone else in the queue finds him annoying to look at, and has gone out of his way to achieve this.

If he wants to look like a prick for his own personal satisfaction that's fine by me, each to his own. But the shameless display of carefully arranging his purchases along the conveyor belt in a manner that allowed, nay forced, everyone else in the line to observe them (and made me feel far less sneaky and spy-like) was another thing altogether. Yes, we can see your organic vegetables, your baguette, your fancy pasta, your truffle oil, your sun-dried tomatoes, your bruschetta, your pate, and your Gü desserts. Yes, I am slightly jealous, you have nice food. Again, I have no problem with that, but take that superior look off your face. And don't you dare give my fried chicken and Monster Munch the stink eye.

M. Night Shyamalan should really do a film about this...

I can't believe I forgot this one, although to be fair, it's more of a 'notice', and therefore wasn't stored in the sign compartment of my brain. I came across this sign last summer. I laughed, and then I felt a little bit guilty.



Fredericksburg, TX, USA (2010)

I hope your surgery went a planned.

Also from the same trip...



Somewhere in Texas

Hmmm.

And yes, I know they are most definitely signs. However, I think my brain was concentrating more on this at the time, hence why the internal filing system didn't quite work:


 Happy Sign Spotting, folks.

Sign language

Having completed my summer travels I have made memories, taken photos, experienced new things, and best of all learnt some new travel games. In my opinion a travel game need not be limited to the time spend in transit reaching your destination, and they can range from the simple 'counting the steps as I climb them to take my mind off the pain' to a personal favourite...Sign Spotting.



Houston, TX, USA (2010)

Whether they be stating the obvious or missing the point...

Prague, Czech Republic (2007)

Humorous...



Edinburgh, Scotland (2010)

or unintentionally so... 



Fredericksburg, TX, USA (2010)

Unusual...

Salzburg, Austria (2009)

Or telling you how to avoid death...



Olympic National Park, WA, USA (2008)
Don't forget to fight back aggressively, pick up your children, and throw them.

Sign Spotting is a great way to keep annoying children occupied, and have something more interesting than yet another photo of yet another mountain when you get back home.

For more Sign Spotting fun, visit http://www.signspotting.com/