Up against the Wal

Back when having a list called “100 things to do at 3:30 a.m.” seemed like a good idea (instead of too impossibly long to run in one newspaper), it became apparent that there was one store that had changed the face of early-morning retail shopping in the Truckee Meadows. Yes, that store may be the scourge of rush-hour traffic, independent, local businesses, fair-pay activists and appreciators of knowledgeable customer service everywhere, but where else are you going to buy a tie, a banana, hardware, toy, novelty gift, bicycle, jewelry, a computer, a swimsuit, a Hawaiian shirt, automobile tires, a CD or DVD, a novel, or pick up a houseplant? The big “W,” Wal-Mart, 5260 W. Seventh St., 155 Damonte Ranch Parkway, 2863 Northtowne Lane, or 4855 Kietzke Lane.