Elvis Impersonators

It was something I never would have expected, hopping off the train and crossing the tracks to the main road.  We passed Henley Beach Road, reminiscing about our Henley Kitty back in Oregon, on our way to the Uniform shop for our Hospital Uniform fitting.  I looked up the street, squinting, not really sure I was seeing clearly. But, as we got closer I saw that yes – it was a raptor. Holding a between it’s dino fingers, I read “WATCH OUT!  Momma raptor isn’t far away!”  I couldn’t help but stop at stare at it, thinking wtf….

Just inside the large, open-arched doorway of the shop was an even larger, animatronic t-rex, flailing its stumpy little claws around and blinking its yellow eyes with a clicking sound.  Looking past it I saw a scantily clad pirate woman statue, a shark, a Chinese foo-dog, a wall covered with any type of doorknob or handle you could imagine, mirrors of a million sizes, and an enormous fountain in all it’s glory, gurgling away back in the middle of the shop.  I didn’t even bother asking Chad – how could I NOT go in this store?!

It was the most bizarre place I have ever seen, plopped down in the middle of an Adelaide suburb, close to a catholic cottage, an unimpressive “ice rink”, and some run-down buildings who hid their business names in shame (there was no identifying signs that I could see in most of them).  Inside was a random assortment of timber, light posts, life-size statues of Elvis impersonators (not even the real deal!?) Marilyn Monroe, a scuba diver, John Wayne, a leather furniture set with a couple of recliners, little gates, chests and gun-boxes that look like old books that you always see in espionage movies.  A giant plaster shark, a mermaid, a giant panda, and an entire wall covered in metal signs of every genre.

I wandered around, having a “butchers” (a British term c/o of our British landlord meaning “to have a look around”) for almost a half hour, before I left with two thoughts sloshing around in my head:  1) that would be an awesome store if I lived here and had money and 2) wth kind of store did I just go in??