Chain v. Local

Like many people, I think chains have turned our cities into carbon copies of each other.  When I'm traveling and I've forgotten to pack some essential, it's nice to know that right down the street there's going to be a Target or Walmart and that I'll be able to walk straight to the aisle I need without asking anybody where I can find this or that.  But what I don't like is that when I ask someone where's good place to eat, they point me to the nearest Chili's or Olive Garden.  I like both of these places, but what I'm looking for is something local, something I can't find in my own home town.  Many people can't tell me a good local restaurant, and that's just sad.

I like supporting local businesses if possible.  In Fort Worth, there are a lot of local eateries that I've been slowly discovering.  Since I usually go on someone else's recommendation, they're usually all really good too.  Some have long lines, but are definitely worth the wait.  The people who own and run these places have worked hard to get to where they are, and I wish there were more of them around.

But there's something about a chain too.  I'm writing this as I'm enjoying a cup of Starbucks.  Yes, Starbucks -- about as far from local as you can get.  About 6 - 8 months ago, a little local coffee shop opened about a block from where I live, and their coffee is really good.  But I still drive a couple of miles in the other direction to get Starbucks.  Why?  Because although this little shop has really good coffee, I never know when I'm going to be able to get any.  Their hours are constantly changing, they're not open at all on the weekends, and their service is horrible.

The last time I went, there was nobody in line in front of me, but the two ladies working refused to take my order!  They were not standing around, but they were not helping other customers either; they just thought it was more important to wipe down the counters and restock the cabinets than to help a customer.  They knew I was there, because each of them looked over at me a couple of times, but neither stopped what she was doing to take my order.  I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited, and then I left.  As I got to my car, one of the ladies came running out of the shop, apologized for not taking my order, and begged me to come back in.  She said they were almost done and were about to help me.  For a shop that has almost no business, you'd think they'd try to be a little better as far as the customer service goes.  Well, I didn't go back in, and I haven't been back since.  It wasn't the first time they tried my patience, but it was the last.

Say what you will about places like Starbucks, they always have great customer service.  Or at least that has been my experience.  When I walk in the door, I'm greeted with a smile and a hello (not necessary, but still nice).  If they're busy doing something else, they stop what they're doing and help you (unless they're helping another customer, which is completely understandable).  On the rare occasion that they accidentally get someone else's order in front of mine, they apologize and hand me a coupon for a free coffee next time, and this is without me even pointing it out.  They were local once upon a time too, and over time they've managed to become what they are now.  I know a lot of people hate them, but they must be doing something right.  Unfortunately, I don't see this little local coffee shop surviving much longer.  With their constantly changing hours and their lack of customer service, I just don't see enough people being patient enough with them to keep coming back.  And that's a shame.

Talking Hands

How many people out there are incapable of talking without moving their hands?  Yep, me too.  I say it's hereditary.  I swear if we tied my mom's arms to her side, she would become mute.  I actually think this is kind of cute, but unfortunately can lead to some misunderstandings. 

I have one memory in particular that comes to mind to describe my mom's (and mine) animatedness (let's assume that's a word).  I was in junior high and riding in the car with my mom, my brother, and a friend.  My mom and brother were in the front seat having a normal conversation, and my friend and I were in the back having a completely different conversation.  Suddenly, my friend stops mid-sentence, stares at my mom and her eyes get really wide.  Then she slowly turns to me and whispers, "Why is your mom so mad?  What did your brother do?"

I guess I should also mention that my mom and brother were speaking in Spanish, and my friend couldn't understand a word.  Since my mom was so animated (and loud), and she couldn't understand what she was saying, she assumed my brother was getting yelled at for doing something bad.  I just laughed and explained that they were just talking about what to have for dinner (or something boring like that).

Thinking back at her reaction, I wonder how many times people have seen my mom and me (or other family members) in the car and assumed we were having a huge fight.  I've also noticed something random lately -- I'm also very animated when talking on the phone.  I'm not sure why; it's not like the person on the other end can see me.  For some reason it seems like I can get my point across better if I allow myself to use my hands.  I know, weird.

Movie Tavern

A friend first told me about Movie Tavern about 4 - 5 years ago.  It sounded like a great way to watch a movie.  And in case you don't know what they are, Movie Taverns are movie theaters and taverns in one (duh!).  Basically you get to watch a movie while enjoying a meal.  Just have a seat, place your order with your waiter, and sit back and enjoy.  They even have a full-service bar. 

There was one in Houston, but it was so far from home that I never got around to going.  Now that I'm in Fort Worth, there are 4 within about 10 - 15 minutes.  I've been meaning to go for a while now, but one thing or another always comes up.  I was planning on going this past week, but I got busy with school.  And now I'm getting started with finals, so I definitely don't have time. 

Next week, my last final is on Thursday, and then I have a class to go to on Saturday.  What does that mean?  That Friday is completely open!  And I just promised myself that I would finally go. 

Now I just need to figure out what to watch.  I think I'll sleep in and then catch a mid-day movie.  Friday's schedule isn't up yet, but based on Thursday's schedule, it look like my options are: Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Knight and Day, Predators, The Last Airbender, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and Toy Story 3.  I'm not sure which I'll watch, but it won't be Predators or Twilight. 

If you've seen any of the above and enjoyed it, let me know!

Lovin' the Drama

I was sitting in the law clinic today when a fellow intern came into my office to discuss one of her cases.  While I obviously cannot divulge any information, let's just say we're lovin' the drama. 

There's just something about other people's drama that can be really entertaining.  Now I'm not saying that people deserve to have bad things happen or anything like that, it' just that some people insist on continually creating drama, and this particular family is full of those people.

Unfortunately, my clinic duty days are pretty much over.  That means I'm going to have to find another place to get my daily dose.  I'm open to suggestions -- soap operas, reality TV, or Jerry Springer?  Decisions, decisions.....

Things I Miss.....

Since starting law school, I've had to temporarily give up a few things that I truly love.  One of those is reading, or better put, reading for pleasure.  I love to read and I always have.  I think I may even have been born reading.

For the past 2 years, I've been a little too busy with law school reading to get in much of the fun reading.  I haven't given up fun reading completely; long ago (so long ago I don't even remember when), I started leaving a book on my nightstand and I read a few pages every night before going to sleep.  But what I miss are the lazy days of curling up on a couch with a good book and reading all day long, especially on cold or rainy days.  I miss not having to remember every detail of what I was reading.  Back then, when I remembered it was because it was an interesting book or an interesting detail, not because I might get called on the following day in class. 

Over the past 2 years, I have slowly read a few really good books a little at a time, but I'm looking forward to having an hour or two at a time of pleasure reading.  In 5 months, I'll be done with school.  In 7 months, I'll be done with the bar.  Until then, I'll just have to keep reading a few pages at a time.

Blog Visitors

One of the things I like about writing this blog is seeing how many people actually read it.  And the truth is, not that many.  I have a couple of followers, and a couple of people who read it on a regular basis.  A while back, I sent a mass email to friends and family to let them know about the blog.  I got a ton of hits from that email, and some have continued to read it since then, but most have not.  This could be because they forgot about it, they have better things to do, or they simply don't care.  I'm going to assume it's the first one. 

And for those of you who don't know, there's a lot of information that shows up on my end of the blog, like where people are visiting from.  I never know who is actually reading it, but I can guess.  For example, if I see Germany (or Italy or Holland), I know it's the Islas.  Other than that, there are too many people that could be visiting from Texas or California or Arizona to actually know who it is.  All the visits show up on a world map, and even if I don't know who's visiting, it's still pretty cool to see all the little pushpins appear and gradually grow.

The reason I'm mentioning all this is today I hit a milestone -- somebody did a Google search and ended up on my little blog!  This is actually more funny than exciting though.  They apparently searched for "blog" and "cross-dressing" and ended up on my post from a few days ago.  Something tells me that wasn't exactly what they were looking for.  ;)

Movie Suggestions

If you have Netflix, then you know that they suggest movies based on what you've watched in the past.  Occasionally there's actually one I'm interested in watching, but usually I've never heard of them.  I recently noticed that Netflix has started inventing new movie categories/genres.  Based on what I've watched in the past, Netflix has generated the following movie/TV categories/genres for me:

• Sentimental Romantic Movies
• Critically-Acclaimed Thrillers
• Feel-Good Comedies
• Workplace TV Dramas
• Witty TV Drama
• Romantic Comedies with Strong Female Lead

Whatever happened to categories like dramas, comedies, or action and adventure?

I also think it's funny that some movies/TV shows created multiple categories.  Apparently liking "The Office" means I like both feel-good comedies and witty TV dramas.  I'm not sure how it's a drama, but apparently Netflix thinks it is.