Sunday, July 03, 2011

Summertime in SoBro, Part IV...

If this street scene doesn't give you that proper SoBro flavor, nothing will:


From left to right across the street is an aromatherapy joint, Salon Rue 52, and Indie Bike (purveyors of naught but cycling apparel.) To the right, out of the picture, is LUNA music, an independent record shop ("Proudly Serving Indy's Hipster Community Since 1994!") On this side of the street is Garuda Indonesian restaurant, which was yesterday's lunchtime goal.

It's a fairly new joint, and Bobbi had heard good things about it from a coworker, so we went to check it out. I had a tofu spring roll appetizer and the beef rendang, and left stuffed, without even finishing my noodles. You are not shortchanged on the portions, and the food is delicious. The service is prompt and courteous. You should eat there.

After lunch, we ran an errand to $big_box_home_improvement_store, where Bobbi was picking up some stuff to patch missing mortar in the basement's block walls. She was grabbing a trowel and tubes and bags of this'n'that. "Should we get a grout bag?" I asked.

"I don't know, I think the trowel would do..."

"Hey, I've no clue; I've never repaired masonry." I replied, "Maybe we could ask one of the dudes that works here about grout bags."

She looked doubtful, and said "I'd rather ask the internet."

At which point I whipped the ever-handier Portable Magic Elf Box out of my pocket and spoke into it: "repairing masonry using a grout bag." Shazam! We went ahead and bought one, since it was only five bucks.

Walking down another aisle, Bobbi's... er, t-shirt drew the intense concentration of one of the employees, who then noticed "Hey, there's a rifle on your shirt! And a knife in your pocket! And one on your belt!"

"Actually, that's a Leatherman tool on my belt," replied Bobbi, momentarily nonplussed.

"Did you hear what they just did in Ohio? You can carry guns into sporting events there now. And bars!"

"Uh, you can carry guns in bars in Indiana, too."

He looked like he didn't think that was a very good idea. "Really? When did..." It was at that point that I had to bite my lip to keep from saying "You know where else you can carry guns in Indiana? $big_box_home_improvement_store." But I didn't want to have to title this post "We Was Banished From The Woolworths". Besides, I thought it was pretty funny that I was having this conversation while wearing an INGO hat.

And then we finished our shopping and went home, and everybody lived happily ever after. So far.

23 comments:

atlharp said...

I think his sense died in the same place where his masculinity did. In the immortal words of Dan Stark:

"Look at his face, it's got "yeah, sure, I'll be the wife" written all over it."

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

Is that banned from every Woolworths, or just the one SoBro?

Mr. Casey said...

...and loved up and beaten and robbed by a Bible salesman...

Ah, the ignorant, breeding, teeming masses!

Robert Langham said...

Neighborhood looks like it's aching for an airgun/paintball indoor range where you shoot at Reagan zombies who are holding Tony Dungy hostage. A solar-powered range, of course.

Roberta X said...

I've always liked the stylized wisteria on the brick building. It's sort of Dutch Colonial meets Frank Lloyd Wright.

Until very recently, the faux-French-named salon was an old-fashioned barber shop. I guess the owner retired.

The Indonesian place occupies what used to be a florist's shop. They moved up to 54th St. and expanded.

(WV: "frierboi." Probably a deadly insult in one of the Germanic languages).

Don said...

That shirt is awesome. He was right to concentrate carefully in order to contemplate every nuance.

J.R.Shirley said...

Bobbi's t-shirt merits concentration. Hm.



What kind of rifle? :-)

Mad Saint Jack said...

"Banished From The Woolworths"

Can't breath... need air...

theirritablearchitect said...

"Banished from the Woolworths"

I'm now hearing the Soggy Bottom Boys cueing up.

Pretty good, Ma'am.

Anonymous said...

Which "Shazam!" link brings up "Repaing masonry using a grout bag". Whatever that is, you're the third Google result for it.

Pretty funny right after your post about Brian's preference for dead trees though. I'm guessing he doesn't have a voice-recognition phone, instead opting for a large phonebook collection. Which he could logically make a case for as to entertainment, heat source, and uh...personal needs. Try that with a smartphone. :)

AT

Tam said...

AT,

It's important to understand that you can only own one thing or another.

When I bought my Smartphone, Bradbury's Firemen showed up and burned the entire library at Roseholme Cottage. Because a Smartphone is just like a Kindle.

If you don't believe me, just ask LabRat. ;)

Anonymous said...

"It's important to understand that you can only own one thing or another."

Yeah, that's what I got from BJN's piece too...

"...a Smartphone is just like a Kindle."

Like the man said in his rapid tech expansion/obsolescence point(s)...give it a month or twelve.

LabRat, eh? I'm guessing her science'd prob'ly ascribe it all to evolution/adaptation, though whether of tech or techies might be unclear. ;)

AT

Anonymous said...

Oh, was the "Repaing" typo a function of keypad or resolution? Well, that'll evolve too...watch for SmartPhone v. 2012. AT

Roberta X said...

I was actually wearing the "classis" version, with a slightly larger image of the tophatted d00d waving an AK-16/M-47 at the left of three lines of text: "THE REVOLUTION/WILL NOT BE/TELEGRAPHED."

I like it for the Gil Scott-Heron double-flip plus the punning meaning. These days, it's a bit more pointed in the minds of some observers than it was when Malki ! first offered 'em.

Anonymous said...

Happy anniversary on the Woolworth's quote, btw...(okay it's not the post title but hey it wasn't worth all of that).

Tam said...

AT,

"LabRat, eh? I'm guessing..."

I'm guessing you haven't read all of the comments at the post you're referencing. ;)

Old NFO said...

Looks like a pretty nice area, and looks like 'some' people are oblivious around your part of the world... INGO and he missed it??? :-)

Anonymous said...

Nope, hence the "guessing". :D

Read the post and no comments at all actually, because the whole WP sign-in thing is too much trouble. Mostly, if I can't get there from here, I don't go.

Now you've got me piqued though; maybe you'd like to import LR's repartee here? AT

Tam said...

AT,

It's in the comment thread of the post immediately prior to this one right here at VFTP.

???

Keads said...

What exactly is an "Aromatherapy joint"? Go in, smell some Hoppes #9 our something? I am confused!

Anonymous said...

Oh. Well then...nevermind.

AT

Rabbit said...

Saturday on my trip to the Swamps of ETX, I had > 10 compliments on my Kalashnikitty shirt. Mostly from females, who said A). they wanted that on a sticker for their truck or B). owned an AK/AR.

God I love Texas wimmen.

Davidwhitewolf said...

Am I right that Roberta's modeling the very shirt in the image below? If so, 'twould be difficult indeed for any red-blooded young male whose attention was drawn by that lovely visage to avoid -- even if momentarily -- his eye being drawn down to the white-on-black arrow of the gentleman's tux. Strategically placed. Just sayin.'

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yfQ32hZ5TA0/SmZtuj_8oEI/AAAAAAAAByw/x6_O-JsKEyM/s400/TamRoberta.jpg