Kill the Skunk! – Plus open ranting in the comments about experiences at the West Duluth Kmart

Paul Lundgren Oct 06, 2009 17 Comments

Last night I walked past a house that reeked of a fetid oil recently sprayed from the anus of a West Duluth skunk.

Two kids, who looked to be about 11 years old, were walking the sidewalk toward the odiferous house as I was walking away. They seemed to know that something was going on. Another kid, maybe two years younger, came from across the street and shouted, “Did they kill the skunk yet?”

“No, but they’re about to,” one of the other kids answered.

“Awesome!” the younger kid yelled with great enthusiasm, running over to join them.

I continued on my way, as I often do in these situations, only to wonder later why I didn’t hang around for the full story. It seems that, at some point in my life, getting to Kmart became more important than witnessing an execution.

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R.I.P.

17 Comments

Touchdown

about 15 years ago 

I recently evicted a family of skunks from under my kids' playhouse with none other than...mothballs! 

An uncle relayed a story to me this summer about a skunk that was getting a little too comfortable in his yard, prancing about in broad daylight and getting a little too close to his kids. He heard that if you pick up a skunk by its tail it can't spray you. After a few weeks of this he decided to try the theory out...and it apparently worked. He was able to pick it up by the tail and put it in a trash can, cover it up and drive it several miles away. It was back the next day, however. The skunk was allowed to stay after that.

Paul Lundgren

about 15 years ago 

Speaking of Kmart sucking: 

I've ranted about the horrible service at the Kmart in West Duluth before (Next Level column from December 2007) and received a lot of feedback from people who agree. 

Lately, something other than the service has bothered me, though. Have you ever noticed that the scanners in the checkout aisles make a loud humming sound that never stops? It's horrible, and it must drive the workers absolutely insane.

dbrewing

about 15 years ago 

kmart sucks

chadp

about 15 years ago 

I was there in August and bought a fantasy football magazine.  The receipt was over ten inches long for 1 item.  I asked the clerk if her machine was broken and she told me they were all like that.  What a waste!

Paul Lundgren

about 15 years ago 

My one-item receipt last night was 11-3/4 inches long.

Two things that have improved at West Duluth Kmart recently:

1) There do seem to be more checkout lines open these days than there were a year ago.

2) Cashiers have finally stopped asking me at the beginning of every purchase if I want to sign up for a Sears card and then at the end of every purchase if I want to donate to some charity.

edgeways

about 15 years ago 

http://www.last.fm/music/William+S.+Burroughs/_/Kill+the+Badger!

Barrett Chase

about 15 years ago 

Did you measure your receipt with your Bridgeman-Russell ruler?

Paul Lundgren

about 15 years ago 

None other.

Bad Cat!

about 15 years ago 

Am I ghetto if I actually like the West Duluth Kmart? I like not having to drive all they way up to the mall area...

wildgoose

about 15 years ago 

Ditto Black Cat. Also, Icees are basically priceless.  You west Duluthers have no idea how good you've got it with KMart, this morning I was craving the Hillside Market on my way to work ... now we've got basically nothing until the co op unless you count Uncle Leroy's Candy Shop.

Paul Lundgren

about 15 years ago 

It's not that we don't appreciate having a department store in the neighborhood. We do. I go there all the time.

The point is that it shouldn't be such a major ordeal to get in and out of Kmart with what I want.

wildgoose

about 15 years ago 

Speaking of that ... what happened to all of the Department Stores downtown?  Glass Block, Wahl's, Chez's ... 

(rhetorical question alert - and WAY off the topic of dead skunks)

kokesie

about 15 years ago 

skunky

dbrewing

about 15 years ago 

What's up with Uncle Leroy's Candy Shop?

zra

about 15 years ago 

my aunt Bobbie retired from Kmart.

funkenschutz

about 15 years ago 

Which is the bigger waste of paper, though: A fantasy football magazine, or a 10" receipt?

vicarious

about 15 years ago 

Uncle Leroy (Mr. McGowan)sells not only candy, but barbecued chicken and automotive anti-freeze, as well.

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