First, Bag Lady was going to write about the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife’s online store.

Wait. They have an online store?

They do! And they sell LED-lit fleece beanies, limited-edition wildlife prints and more official green-logo’d merch than you can shake a frozen snake at.

So many possibilities.

But then I was distracted by fanny packs. Naturally. 

My favorite commercial of the Super Bowl had to be the Loctite ad that featured dweeby Joes dancing with wild abandon while wearing, inexplicably, red fanny packs filled with tubes of Loctite glue.

It was awesome. 

You’re kidding.

No! It made me pine, if just for a moment, for simpler, fanny pack days. Or, as L.L.Bean has tried to rebrand it, lumbar pack days.

Turns out the Freeport retailer sells eight styles of “lumbar packs,” five styles of “waist packs” and one “hip pack,” all of which, well, we here at Bliss are going to call out as looking darn fanny-packish, although, of course, ruggedly so.

Don’t be shy, L.L.Bean, embrace the fanny!

That would make a fabulous new slogan.

It would!

But then, Bag Lady got distracted by snow. Lots and lots of snow.

And after the week we’ve had, she was overcome by admiration for people who push it, plow it and otherwise coax it out of the public’s way in what has to be monotonous and harrowing all at the same time.

These people deserve a huge thanks. Until the Give Your Plow Driver a Hug movement catches on, here’s to hoping chocolate peanut butter pie will do.

* Movie tickets, Flagship Cinema, $6.25 matinee/$8.25 evening

Let them unwind after a tough week with a little “Strange Magic” or “American Sniper.”

* Chocolate peanut butter pie, Governor’s Restaurant & Bakery, $4.29 slice/$12.99 whole pie

Bag Lady has sampled this a time or, um, two. It’s mmm with a side of wow. Make sure you request a fork. If you gift a slice of pie and don’t provide a fork, that’s not a gift, that’s a taunt.

* Hawthorne to go, The Library Cafe (Auburn Library), $8.95

This oven-roasted turkey BLT panini sounds divine and it’s a great alternative to yet another fast-food burger. The cafe menu caters to all sorts of literary tastes in case you get the feeling your driver is more Plath, Emerson or Stowe. Is your snowbank genius tortured and married to his cousin? You’ll want a Poe to go.

* Balloon ride, Great Falls Balloon Festival, $200

After memorizing the street-eye view of Lewiston-Auburn, let your plow driver take it all in from above by giving the gift of a balloon ride during this year’s festival (Aug. 21-23.) Just typing that brought us seconds closer to summer. Ahhh.

* HB Back Treatment, Healthy Beauty Wellness Spa, Lewiston, $65

Might just be the remedy for the “Oh, my aching back” after a week of nonstop, 10 mph driving. Includes a massage, exfoliation and a steam, as well as the promise that “a nourishing, hydrating cream will leave your back radiant,” according to the spa’s website.

That’s how I like my back. Radiant.

Word.

Bag Lady’s true identity is protected by a pair of stylish, sweater-wearing Doberman pinschers (who happily accept cheese as a thank-you) and the customer service counter at the Sun Journal. You can reach her at baglady@sunjournal.com.

Copy the Story Link