Back in January I got a phone call from Aaron while he was shopping at Menard's. The store nearest us is closing for renovations for several months and they were having a big sale getting rid of all their inventory. I figured he'd pick up that new cordless drill that he'd been talking about for 30% off or maybe some tools for one of his various projects out in the garage. You know, things like that. Things that a normal guy would go to buy at a hardware and home improvement type store.
Aaron: Hey, honey! They have these shed-type buildings outside at Menard's and they are on sale for really good price.
Me: A shed? Like how big is it?
Aaron: Well, it's kind of like a big building, probably about the size of a one-car garage that has a metal canopy-like roof and it is open on the ends and around the bottom.
Me: So they are selling huge sheds at Menard's that are open on the ends of it? I don't get it. What is its purpose?
Aaron: Well it's wide enough and tall enough I was thinking I could park the tractor and put some of the vineyard equipment in there. I don't think I could find anything this size for this price. It is like a third of the price for what you could buy it for new!
Me: I guess I am having a hard time picturing this thing. But, whatever. So you think it is a good building to park the tractor?
Aaron: Yeah, well...they are actually selling TWO of them. And I was thinking maybe I could put one out in the field and one by the garage. I'll just enclose them in with building material so they aren't open. If I get both of them, we'll save a lot of money down the road! I'm running out of garage space and these are like 3-4 times as much if I buy them new! They are a realllly good deal.
Me: Hmmmm...TWO big metal open like buildings? Do you really need two of them?
Aaron: Honey? Remember that nice camera I got you for Christmas?
Me: Yeah.
Aaron: Just reminding you.
Me (sigh): Okay, fine.
Apparently he couldn't bring them home that day because the store needed them until they officially closed their doors, which they finally did last week. So last weekend, Aaron hitched up the trailor and went to pick up his new metal canopy roofed "sheds."
It wasn't until he drove home with this that I realized what he was talking about when he was describing these "open shed-type buildings."
They are the shopping cart corrals.
Somehow he failed to describe them to me that way. Which would have made our conversation back in January a whole lot easier. I think he knew me better than to tell me that he wanted to buy the big metal things in the parking lot of Menard's that you throw your shopping carts into. Doesn't every girl want one of these in her yard?
And now we have two of them.
At our home.
Shopping cart corrals.
Try not to be too jealous.
In an effort to make the best of the situation, I am looking for ideas of what I can do to make two shopping cart corrals camouflage into the vineyard.
Maybe paint a mural on it?
And now I am coming up with my own ideas for how we can use these.
A party pavillion for when we entertain in the summers?
Maybe enclose in part of it so it could be a doggy run for Tux and Belle on days when we don't want them running loose all over the vineyard?
Ooooh...it could be where we do the grape stomp if we have a rainy day! That way we are covered but don't have to worry about getting the chicken coop building all dirty since the bottom of the corrals are open!
"No," Aaron says. "I am going to enclose them and use them to store equipment."
I'm still working on him. Any other ideas for me?
****Want to hear the second part of this story? Check out the The Shopping Cart Corral Update to see it in action.