As evidenced by my tone towards the end of the comments here, I was getting a mite testy at work yesterday. One of my coworkers, lor' bless him, noticed the vein bouncing in my forehead and said "Hey, I'm staying late anyway, why don't you go ahead and split early; I'll close for you tonight." So I completed the one or two things immediately on my plate and trudged outside to... light? It's still light outside? How can this be? I'm leaving the store on a weekday and it was still light outside... It felt disorientingly like playing hooky.
I motored over to the new Pinnacle complex over at Turkey Creek to scope out a tip on the World Market from a friend. It's a funky upscale strip mall in which they've taken the strip and wrapped it back around on itself so that it encloses the parking lot. It feels like driving into some gated community meets High Temple of Commerce. Mostly upscale stores and restaurants. With the top down on the Beemer, you could hear the upscale Muzak wafting through the air. I found World Market and... Nirvana! Imported chocolate! Imported beer! Snob food! Spices! Knicknacks! Tchotchkes! Beads! Trinkets! All kinds of imported stuff!
I only had time for a fast reconnaisance run, because I was trying to indulge in a fantasy of sitting on my porch, book in hand, while the sky was still light enough to read it, but I'll definitely be back.
Coincidentally, my family ate dinner there at Fleming's (two thumbs down). After dinner my brother and I walked around that center past the world market and all that, up and down and around, then walked down and across the street to HH Gregg. It's funny - that place almost has a downtown feel.
ReplyDeleteThey ain't no good place in my town to buy me some tchotchkes. Maybe I oughta open a drive thru place that sells them.
ReplyDeleteI've about given up on imported beers, due to two factors: one, I've discovered American IPAs (Rogue Imperial IPA, anyone?) and two, I've gotten into homebrewing. I can make beer that rivals or beats anything I can buy, for less money than cheap pisswater; not to mention the whole self-sufficiency bit!
ReplyDelete-Tracy
I'm an IPA fan myself; the hoppier, the better. I used to be a big Rogue fan, but lately they just leave me cold. Dunno.
ReplyDeleteMash House Hoppy Hour IPA and Snake Dog IPA are my two current favorites. I've also been known to drink Bridgeport, Shipyard, or Avery.
Of the furrin' beers, I'm all about the Whitbread. (I recall that Sam Smith's made a slammin' Pale Ale available in the pint bottles, but haven't seen any since I moved to Knoxville.)
I'm more of a boddingtons ale fan, My wife and I stop by trader joe's once in a blue moon and any time we go to midtown global market I drag home a bag of odd asian food ( last trip was coconut juice and $2.50 a pack rammen)
ReplyDeleteOur Costco got in Kona beer, Longboard Lager is dark and hoppy-bitter, Fire Rock Pale Ale is a lighter colored IPA that's still hoppy-chewy. I still really like Pilsners, but I like Hawaii too and we're going back to the Big Island...
ReplyDeleteI must be rubier than I thought. Not only is my favorite beer MGD(when I drink at all), and my sports car a Frod pickup, I don't even know what an IPA is. Could someone un-anacronymate (deanacronymize?) that for me?
ReplyDelete:)
Keith
Pignock,
ReplyDeleteIPA, for the "domestic" drinkers amongst us snobs.
BTW, there is an excellent pilsner beer made just down the street from where my wife grew up. It is excellent, but I'm quite sure it's availability is, well, it's just not available anywhere but there.
Trust me when I say the trip over there is worth it, if for no other reason than the beer.
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ReplyDelete"Mmmm, beer.." - Homer Simpson
ReplyDeleteDo I hear a get together on the porch soon? :)
World Market has great ornamentia at Christmas, time. Actually, they have ornament-type stuff that I decorate with year-round. That, coupled with a decent wine selection ranks it high on my list. Love that store.
ReplyDelete