#where heb is the best grocery store

[bunnygirl678]

Half price books is only in Texas?!

I thought they were a national chain, man now I have to fly home to peruse.

This is Fucking taco cabana all over again

[tobbogan-13]

edit: “wheres Lidl” “where where’s piggly wiggly” “where’s HEB” THERES ONLY 12 SLOTS THATS WHY I PUT A “Something Else�� OPTION!!!! /lh

another edit: I’m not saying that publix is affordable or practical (i completely agree, it’s fucking expensive) i just said it was the best. Also pub subs are fire.

[greatwesternway]

How are you liking Chicago? :)

I love it so far. It's wonderful here.

Ray is here, obviously, so I get to move to a cool new place with the benefit of my bestie being here to show me everything I got comin' to me.

There is public transit at all. I was able to get rid of my car.

People are really nice here. Like, strangely so. They say that about Texas 'cause we'll greet our neighbors when we see them in the hall and shit, but it's very different in tone here (and my neighbors in my building greet me in the hall here too so).

Everyone here has been very chill and personable. I expect cashiers at stores to be brusque and they are not (except at Mariano's but, like, I geddit). Even when my transaction is difficult and I'd expect to get indifference for being annoying, they are still polite and friendly. I am still reeling from my trip to the fucking DMV where everyone was acting like they were happy to be there and I was in and out of there in less than an hour. They were smiling. At their jobs. At the DMV. It's like people aren't so demoralized by their lives here.

And really, that's gotta be it because there's a lot under the hood going for Chicago. Just better, more humane politics in general and community-oriented attitudes. It's cool to see the governor mentioned in something and know it's probably not going to be embarrassing at best and a human rights violation at worst. Public investment and ownership everywhere you look. Shit's cash.

Better weather too. It was 70 here the other day and 107 back in Texas. I know its gonna get cold; truth told, I'm cold already. Thus far, it's been temperate.

They just put these new LED lights on the underside of the L tracks on Wabash to make the street less dark. It's kinda like a little bit of Dallas. I hope they do more like that 'cause that's my favorite thing about Dallas. And its part of a broader thing about Chicago where they'll just be puttin' public art on things just for the sake of making stuff look more interesting. Like, "yeah, you could have this, but what if it also was a sculpture?" There's a parking garage here with one side that's just made of "flappers" that move when the wind blows. Why? 'Cause it looks cool. Sometimes we do that in Texas, but its few and far between, whereas Chicago seems to ask this question about almost anything it does.

People actually hang out on their balconies here. We have balconies in Texas, but you almost never see anyone actually out there. The other day, I was looking out my window and I see fuckin' bubbles blowing around. There was a guy a floor up from me, on his balcony, blowing bubbles. People just out here enjoying themselves. Incredible.

I can walk to one of the world's best art museums. I can walk to the grocery store. I have to take trains to see more trains, but that is a delight and privilege.

Me and Ray got quid pro quo memberships at our favorite museums so we can go as often as we want (or need to) with free admission.

The only thing I really miss is HEB.

So yeah, Chicago is rad, highly recommend.

[atomicwinnerdreamland]

do you have any headcanons on texahoma or NY/NJ/CA? (or opinions on them?)

also here's two headcanons of my own: Oklahoma sometimes lets Texas brush his hair since he knows how much Texas loves it. Texas likes to run his hands through it, play with it, and style it when Oklahoma lets him. His hands are pretty roughed up (scars, burns, etc) from wars/Mexico/farm work so Oklahoma's soft hair feels nice on his rough hands. New York, California, and New Jersey go skateboarding together a lot. New Jersey and California saw New York eyeing a rat stuffed animal at a store and instead of being smart and just paying for it, they stole it for him. New York yelled at them for being stupid (he treasures it and keeps it next to his bed)

Hii! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to answer this, life just hit me with everything these past few days and I just saw your ask. I hope you know that I appreciate you and your request so much & I'll answer it the best way I can :D

Texahoma

OPINION: I love this ship so much! I love how they have an enemies dynamic that has the potential to turn into a love story (some enemy dynamics can be toxic to the point a potential romance is out the window, but that's not the case here). To me, they have a married couple vibe where they bicker over the smallest stuff but wouldn't hesitate to comfort each other when needed. "Must be exhausting thinkin' about me all day, huh?" is a banger line, and it defines their romantic tension to me. They're so awesome :D

(also I reside in Texas, and I can confirm that many of my Texan fellas dislike Oklahoma bc there's nothing much to do there as opposed to Texas & Oklahomans hate Texans bc they think Texans are mean, but honestly I wouldn't call it full hate. Just a rivalry)

YOUR HEADCANON: I love your hc for them! Oklahoma definitely has soft long hair that he maintains in the best way he can (even if the hair products can be expensive) and Texas definitely knows how to treat hair :D That's such a sweet hc and definitely one of my favorites I've heard.

-Texas has taken Oklahoma to an HEB before and has raced with him to get every single item on their grocery list. Texas knew that Okie would lose bc Texas knows this HEB like the back of his hand, but to his own surprise, he let himself walk through the aisles slower than he usually does so he could see Okie be proud of himself when he gets all the items first. It worked. Okie bragged like there was no tomorrow but Texas wouldn't dare change the happiness Okie felt.

-They go to HEB every weekend. They don't even shop there sometimes, they just roam around the store and somehow entertain each other as they do so. "Remember that time you tried to microwave this cake mix?" "I did that so I could poison you, idiot." "Mhmm.."

-Oklahoma and Texas go tornado watching in Okie's state. They're not scared though since Okie's used to it and Texas practically goes hurricane watching with Loui and Florida. One time they blacked out from hitting their head in their shaky car when it caught into the tornado, and Texas was the one who managed to wake up first and get them home safe.

-Texas cooks for Oklahoma & Oklahoma chooses the outfits that Texas wears. Big dude can't dress himself in something other than a button-up, old jeans, and cowboy boots, so Okie changes it up. Okie also validates Texas when Texas wants to wear something that's considered more feminine (dresses, skirts, crop tops, etc).

-Oklahoma humbles Texas. Big dude is super prideful and can sometimes forget to be humble, so Oklahoma never hesitates to humble him. Kind of like how Washington called Texas out ("Texas, you're killing jobs!" from Table News: Ida goes North, Texas goes Backward)

-Oklahoma and Texas both have scars, and occasionally, they caress each others' scars to tell each other that they'll love their scars just as much as they love every other part of each other. <3

-Louisiana and Arkansas have been their go-to when it comes to Okie & Texas' at-home dates. Louisiana cooks the food for the dinner and Arkansas sets the mood up with decorations and music.

-Loui and Pirate Kansas have also been one of the main reasons the 2 got together in the first place. Loui and Texas are best friends & Okie and Arkansas get along somewhat, and once Loui and Arkansas found out their best friends like each other, they got to planning. Florida has also joined in, and while neither Texas or Oklahoma wanna admit it, Flo's goofy wingmaning is another reason they got together.

-They had a heavy, angsty confession over in Texarkana (a city that's in TX, OK, and AR) that led to crying and a short trip to Buc-ees to feel better :D

-[this one is kind of suggestive] Before they got together (a.k.a when they were still rivals), Oklahoma dragged Texas out of Texas' little hut in the countryside and took him to see his state, saying, "Who said there's nothing to do here?" and Texas lowkey thought, I'd do you here if only you'd let me. Texas left Oklahoma still thinking that the state is far inferior than his though. Of course, Texas couldn't get the dirty remark out of his head, and that's when he realized that shoot, he likes Oklahoma.

-They like to listen to country music and ballads together and even sing on occasion. Since Texas knows so many languages, he knows ballads from all around the world and sings them to Oklahoma to put him to sleep (preferrably Spanish & Filipino love songs). Oklahoma also puts Texas to sleep except with folk songs or old stories.

California/New York/New Jersey

OPINION: Honestly, I'm not sure if I love it or if I'm neutral about it, but I know I don't hate it. I usually ship CaliYork or California/New Jersey separately and never really thought about putting the three into a poly relationship, but I've seen your take on the three and it's actually growing on me. My fav's still CaliYork, but I like these three goofballs together too. I need to read more stories on them though 😅

YOUR HEADCANON: Oh they definitely skateboard a lot together and are competitive when doing so. I betcha their clumsy selves have gotten injured before too :3 And the stuffed animal theft is beautiful, they'd do anything to see their bf York happy. Aww :3 (you have such a creative mind omg)

I don't have many headcanons on them, but here are a few that I have:

-They all ride motorcycles together. Sometimes New Jersey's the one that drives and Cal & York ride with him, and other times they each have their own bike and race each other in whatever road they please (they all agree that I-4 is a no)

-Jersey and York cook for California to make sure he is well-fed. They've tried to teach Cal how to cook, but they've all decided that it's better that he doesn't 😅

-They're all fashionable goofballs and have been mistaken as models once when they were walking through the streets of Hollywood. New York's fashion is either business-casual or punk, New Jersey's usually in shorts and a casual tee but the accessories make it stand out, and Cal changes his style a lot but usually is in a crop top w/ shorts or a designer fit. Despite all of them having different fashion tastes, they like to match outfits.

-They maintain a garden filled with their state flowers. When they all got together, New Jersey showed the other two his personal garden filled with violets and sunflowers (in courtesy of Kansas, whom I think Jersey likes to talk to sometimes), but as their relationship progressed, it slowly turned into a garden of violets, California poppies, and red roses.

-They all like to go to beaches in California to de-stress. Sometimes they go there at 3am just to avoid crowds and hear the waves, other times they go at noon to feel the sun as they swim in the waters. They always go home with a smile on their faces.

-They've driven in each of their states to see which state is the worst to drive in. California has traffic, New York's kinda disorganized, and Jersey has roads where you're doomed if you take a wrong exit. All of these roads trips have ended in arguments, but nothing violent because they all learned to communicate w/o violence.

That's all I have for now 😅 Thank you sm again for your ask, and happy new year to you!

[jimmyflemion]

Well Done

Well, 4 everyone paying attention,

we’ve served up :

Rare

Medium-Rare

Medium

Medium-Well

& 2day

07/07/2024

Well-Done

U learn. U practice. U rehearse.

U get dressed up. U take the stage.

U play your best. U give it your all.

U bow. U thank . U reflect. U put your best heart forward. The new album “Well-Done” has been released from its cage 2day. Its sounds can be relished on Sunshiny Spotify, Tittilating I Tunes, Angelic Amazon Music, Dynamite Deezer & all the other pleasing, pleasant, dignified, digitalized world leaders in sonic excellence. & as always my heartfelt thanx & love goes out 2 my brother Dennis 2day.

Love,

           Jimmy

Hell Patrol - 2000-12-08 North Star Bar, Philadelphia PA

Dennis & I drove down 2 The Smashing Pumpkins rehearsal space in June of 1999 where they were either rehearsing or recording. In their work area on a desk were 2 sheets of paper. They were projected song titles 4 songs being pitched 2 b in 2 different motion pictures for Billy Corgan 2 write. When Billy was asked about these ideas, he stated wasn’t interested in the idea or projects. Dennis said 2 Billy, Jimmy will write those songs. The next day after coming home on June 15, 1999, I wrote “Eat Me Alive” & “Hell Patrol”. The demo version on “Damaged Goods/Sinned In Reverse” is myself on acoustic guitar with distortion & this 1 live features the whole band IC (in control) & Double OC (out of control).

Written by Jimmy Flemion 06/15/1999

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)a 

Negro On Fire - 2001-01-20 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis MN

3rd time attempted was a charm playing & scoring 2 a warm 7th Street crowd basking in a wonderful winter wonderland weather wind chill of minus 7.

Written by Dennis Flemion 11/06/2000

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music (ASCAP)

Enter I - 2001-03-30 The Five Spot, Philadelphia PA

This show was moved 2 a different venue at the last minute. It was a nightclub with velvet-lined booths & beaded curtains on the top floor of a building. There was an R&B dance party after the show & every one needed 2 exit quickly. The building burned down a few years later. The white van broke down 4 good on the way 2 this show. As the van was being towed away, I said 2 the van in Bob Uecker’s words, “Goodbye old friend”. Original demo was written as a slow ballad. Thinking of songs 4 inclusion on “Hopscotch Lollipop Sunday Surprise”, Dennis liked the song but knew we could use another rocker & suggested we sped it up uptempo. Speed it up we did & 2 & a half weeks before the album’s release we debuted the sped up stylized version at 7th Street Entry. 3 days prior 2 this show on 03/27/2001 we played The Skinny in Portland, Maine. We met Bebe Buelle who attended the show & I believe that is what influenced Dennis introduction at this show 2, “Send this out 2 Liv Tyler’s lips”.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 06/26/1990

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Going To California - 2001-04-05 40 Watt Club, Athens GA

Closing time at the club, we had been given the 2 minute warning by the club, 2 minutes more 2 play as it was curfew. I dropped my Univox 2 D tuning, Brian “Beezer” Hill, followed suit & we did a 1 time, 1 night only version of “Going To California”. Growing up, I’m gonna put it out there but I did worship Led Zeppelin. To the point where I bought $40 bootleg albums recorded in the back row where I had to crank the stereo to 10 to hear anything & Dennis would awaken in the morning 2 1 of these & tell me 2 turn it off. Loved Jimmy Page’s guitar playing, thought it was just so advanced, couldn’t figure out how the hell does he play like that. Dennis would try & help me by recording & playing back “Heartbreaker” at half speed 4 me to decipher. When I lived in Austin, Texas I was at HEB, the local grocery store & I was walking in & I said 2 myself is that him, & I could tell 1 guy outside had the same thought & I didn’t say hi, I guess I was awestruck but it was, u guess ed it or u didn’t, Robert Plant. I remember Kevn Kinney ( a Milwaukee native) from The Prosecutors & Drivin’ & Cryin’ was at this show & afterwards went on about how great “Going To California” was. Was nice of him 2 say.

Written by Jimmy Page & Robert Plant

Copyright Bmg Rights Management, Tratore, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Enjoy - 2001-09-28 The Knitting Factory, New York NY

Brian “Beezer” Hill was 2 play bass 4 this show but his flight was cancelled post 9/11. Ben Lee filled in on bass as we ran over some songs at his apartment before the show. This is the last song of the evening I play solo on acoustic. Unbeknownst to the audience Dennis was chatting with Ben Lee offstage, backstage behind the curtain during the song & then stops talking 2 Ben long enough with his microphone 2 add his backing harmonies.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 09/05/1995

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music 

La, Da, Da, Da, La, Da, Da, Dee, La, Da, Da, Dum, Dum - 2001-09-29 Middle East, Cambridge.                                    

Josh Silverman was recruited on bass 4 this show at Johnny Busher’s urging & ended up adding a 2nd acoustic guitar on this song, a rare occurrence. Josh had thought he had failed the audition but was asked to join on bass 4 future shows. An enthusiastic crowd member Britany, requested this song, the only time performed live & was given a close up seat smack dab right next 2 me on stage.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 04/04/1987

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

She Loves You - 2001-11-09 Khyber Pass, Philadelphia PA

The sound man shut off the sound system & ended the show early because he had better things 2 do. He had thought Dennis had insulted him earlier in the show, when he was really talking 2 me. A girl yells out, “I love u”, a guy then responds, “She loves u”, prompting Dennis 2 get the, “She Loves You” train rolling. 

Written by John Winston Ono Lennon & James Paul McCartney

Copyright Capitol Cmg Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Songtrust Ave, Sony / ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tunecore Inc.

Whisper - 2001-11-29 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis MN

Just so happens Britney Spears was just a whisper away, performing down the street this night. I begin playing the opening riff before throwing in some funk flavored rhythms & mention 2 Dennis, it’s like he’s playing with Ike Turner which prompts later in the set a cover of “Proud Mary”, which in turn prompts a drunk Billie Jean King doppelgänger 2 take off her top & take the Tina Turner vocal, which prompted me 2 take the Ike Turner backing vocal.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 12/30/1996

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

New York Shitty - 2002-01-12 Bowery Ballroom, New York NY

Headlining gig with The Moldy Peaches opening & The Strokes in attendance in the balcony. 2nd show after 9/11 so Dennis sings his rewritten, reworked lyrics & poetry 2 suit the song, the city & the aftermath.

Written by Dennis Flemion 06/06/1999

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music (ASCAP)

Come With Me - 2002-01-24 Southgate House, Newport KY

Only show ever in Newport KY, an 1866 church turned over 2 rock music, good lord. Part of the ending, u will recognize as “Come W/ Me ll”from “Damaged Goods / Sinned In Reverse” where Dennis moves over from drums 2 keyboards. 

Written by Jimmy Flemion 09/02/1999

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music

(ASCAP)

I’ve Got Drugs - 2002-01-31 Echo Lounge, Atlanta GA

4 the live version we added the exciting instrumental passage walk down chord progression that resurfaces on “Love Me Anymore ll” off of “Damaged Goods/ Sinned In Reverse”.

Written by Dennis Flemion & Jimmy Flemion 08/16/1986

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music & Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Devil Blues - 2002-04-13 Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI

Previously, the night before we opened 4 zany Zwan in chic Chicago. This night the crowd was denied an encore unknowingly courtesy of a noise complaint.

This is the version that would have possibly been the version on “Damaged Goods / Sinned In Reverse” unless we could have matched the electricity by giving it a shot recording in Dennis’ home basement.

Written by Dennis Flemion 01/01/2001

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music (ASCAP)

The Rubble & The Priest - 2002-12-20 Knitting Factory, New York NY

Festive NYC Christmas show & as luck would have it I was sporting a rare full beard, full on. Enthusiastic clapping from start to finish inspiring an inspired performance.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 11/03/1991

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Fuck Off - 2003-05-14 Launchpad, Albuquerque NM

The only show in old or New Mexico. The finger picking version.

Written in a state of confusion, sadness & loneliness, opting 2 take the low road in song 2 heal the heart.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 02/04/1986

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Homos - 2003-05-16 Knitting Factory, Los Angeles CA

A rare welcoming rendering with Dennis providing keyboard theatrics 4 punctuation & exclamation!

Written by Jimmy Flemion 08/16/1986

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Where’s Jerry Lewis? -2003-11-13 Village Tavern, Mount Pleasant SC

Unexpectedly successful & heavily attended show in a Charleston suburb. A non-descriptive sports bar ill-fitted 4 a rock show with no stage. A moving keyboard deluxe rendition guaranteed 4 u & friends alike 2 get the search party out 4 Jerry Lewis.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 08/16/1986

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

A Holy Story - 2004-01-29 Blind Pig, Ann Arbor MI

Good but sparsely attended show because of a snowstorm that blew in. A drunken fan in the room provided much amusement & banter with Dennis. Some confused college students walked out in disgust at the start of this track. Legendary club where Nirvana & Pearl Jam cut their teeth in their early days. Autobiographical tale composed under composure by yours truly, evoking feelings of love, guilt, shame & regret with the sincere vocal melody continuously attempting 2 climb out of the quicksand all the time captured with a look of a Milwaukee buck in headlights.

Written by Jimmy Flemion 02/20/1989

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Follow The Yellow Brick Road - 2004-03-06 Gabe's Oasis, Iowa City IA

Ginormous gathering. Johnny Busher’s last show on bass.

Instrumental “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” follows “Follow The Yellow Brick Road”.

Written by Harold Arlen & E.Y. Harburg 

Copyright Omni Publishing 

Magical - 2004-05-22 Lime Spider, Akron OH

C Major/ A minor / F Major/ G Major, the majestic, magnetic, 50’s chord progression that will send u through the roof catapulting u into another world. A magical song slated 4, “Damaged Goods / Sinned In Reverse” that only Dennis could conceive, create, imagine, prescribe, deliver & gift. As a former megalomaniac, my favorite line from the audience during the breakdown is, “Best band ever”.

Written by Dennis Flemion 03/05/2004

Copyright Candy Anarchy Music 

Stargirl - 2006-04-22 Cactus Club, Milwaukee WI

The buildup, the strumming, the drumming, the dynamics, drama fills the air, & here it is the final Milwaukee, Wisconsin hometown song ever performed by The Frogs. 

Written by Jimmy Flemion 09/27/1994

Copyright Tangerine Rabbit Music (ASCAP)

Bass Players : 

Brian “Beezer” Hill

Tracks : (01-04)

Josh Silverman

Tracks (07-15)

Additional Acoustic Guitar 

Track (06)

Johnny Busher 

Tracks (16, 19)

Jay Tiller

Track (20)

Remixed by Johnny Busher with assistance from Kelly Kerr

#jimmyflemion #dennisflemion #thefrogs #welldone #spotify

[arsnof]

To be fair, Kroger (along with most big-name grocery stores) does have a hot deli where hot, cooked food can be purchased. They're usually full of fried snacks, but some stores (like Albertsons, HEB, and even Kroger) will have a cafetería-style selection of freshly prepared options. The Kroger nearest the Ikea in Houston had some of the best chicken salad I've ever had.

A lot of American cooking is really quite French and it has been for centuries and I used to not know that and everyone talked up French cooking so much and then I started actually looking into it and I was like. I. Cook like this. Everyone I know cooks like this. This is just butter. It’s butter, Michael. It’s butter. You were hyping up butter. I can already do this.

[nickgerlich]

Great Divides

My brother and I were born near the end of the Baby Boom. It’s a generation of 78 million people born between 1946 and 1964, a period of unprecedented growth, prosperity, and optimism. While there was that nagging Cold War issue in the 1950s and early-1960s (you know…the Commie threat…and all the saber rattling that went with it), things were upbeat. They truly were the Happy Days.

But things started to go south, and our innocence was lost, once Kennedy was assassinated and we found ourselves at war in Viet Nam. Suddenly, that generation of kids born into bliss started questioning everything that persons in authority said. It was reflected in war protests, our music, our lifestyles. Woodstock—sex, drugs, and rock and roll—was a defining moment.

As a teen maturing in then 70s, I, like most others in my cohort, concluded that our parents’ music sucked, their prudishness was quaint but outdated, and even their religious values were up for debate. It set in stage, for me at least, a love for generational divides. Since then I have been a student of those divides, knowing that there is no one set “way” of doing things for everyone, that each generation must define itself.

Music. Religion. Politics. You know. All the big things, and a bunch of other little ones, along with how we buy and consume.

That’s why when I stumbled into a study detailing GenZ and Millennial shoppers in the supermarket, I knew I had to dive in. I kind of live for this stuff. This ain’t your grandparents’ supermarket anymore. Oh, and one more thing: It is never cool to force your generation’s way of doing things onto subsequent generations. There’s no right or wrong, even if it clashes with your sensibilities. As I tell my brother, we’re geezers now and increasingly less relevant or of interest to marketers, because our primary spending days are behind us.

But you younguns? Marketers love you, and want to get to know you.

The study identified five different grocery shopping personas, or “attitudes” (much more on this topic later in the term) known as Care About the Classics, Price Hunter, Health Concerned, Buyer of the Best, and Trend Seeker. As with all things demographic, we should never assume sameness between the generations, or even among genders, race, and income.

The Trend Seekers were decidedly Millennial by age (25-40), skew toward higher income, and are ethnically diverse. Sounds like a pretty cool group, if you ask me. It also sounds a lot like Oldest Daughter and her husband, Dallas professionals who just bought a huge house but don’t yet have kids. Selection is critical, and explains why they are not as store loyal as marketers might like. They hit the HEB for some things, Walmart for others, Trader Joe’s for a lot, and the Farmers’ Market for the really cool stuff. HEB, though, even if 15 minutes away, is their favorite.

The Price Hunter persona is predominantly female and white. This group is more likely to live alone or with their parents, earn less than $50,000, and shop for private label products. Think store brands. German-owned chain Aldi is a clear favorite, and living within a tight budget is a defining trait.

Health Concerned is interesting in that it breaks with a lot of assumptions we make about younger generations. It is skewed toward Millennials and even GenX, while GenZ apparently is not at all interested in this aspect yet. Perhaps it has to do with their youth, when the tolls of hard living have not yet accrued. This is also an ethnically diverse group, one that seeks out the best products. By virtue of this, income must also be a factor.

Naturally, there is overlap, and it is not just possible, but also likely, that a single person or household might find themselves fitting into two or more personas.

The bottom line is this: marketers must always strive to understand the generational cohorts, and the subdivisions within. It helps drive store location decisions. I see this in the Frisco neighborhood where Oldest Daughter and her hubs live, one populated with homes running the gamut, but many in the $400k to $600k range. Walmart is the only grocery in the immediate neighborhood, but most of the families living there are 40-somethings on a career trajectory yet are struggling to live within their paychecks. My progeny, though, are only in their 20s, and 15-20 years younger than most of their neighbors. They would much rather have a shiny new HEB or Trader Joe’s nearby.

My dear students, you are the darlings of marketers right now. My generation had its moment in the spotlight. Now it’s your turn. Don’t be surprised when marketers want to know as much as they can about you, not because they’re nosey, but rather because it’s a dog eat dog world out there, and your corporate survival depends on it. My generation? We’re worried more about getting enough fiber these days.

Enjoy your moment, because this too shall pass.

Dr “My Generation” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[nwbeerguide]

Publix Supermarkets and Taylor Sheridan's 666 Grit & Glory agree to 100-store trial.

Press Release

(Guthrie, TX-October 2023) The deep south is getting a taste of big ranch Texas, as Florida-based Publix Supermarkets plans to roll out a 100-store trial of Taylor Sheridan’s 6666 Grit & Glory line of premium beers, ranch water and vodka cocktails in select retail markets. The grocery giant just signed on to offer Grit & Glory products to customers in the Tampa and Orlando markets.

Publix Supermarkets joins other major retail brands offering the Grit & Glory line of beverages. A year after the brand’s launch, 6666 Grit & Glory products are a major hit with other national and regional retailers in 37 states including Kroger, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, Ralph’s, Marianos, Acme, Harris Teeter, Jewel Osco, Save Mart, Albertson, Target, Sprouts and HEB. A just-announced distribution agreement with Wal Mart will soon expand the brand’s presence nationwide to all 50 states, and 6666 Grit & Glory CEO Tom Larsen expects sales grow to $40 million in 2024, making it one of the fastest growing brands in the alcoholic beverage category. “We’re excited to expand and partner with Publix to make Grit & Glory products available to their customers in important markets like Tampa and Orlando,” said Larsen. “Publix is an iconic brand with an expanding footprint across the south—we know this trial is the start of something big.”

The “6666 Grit & Glory” brand was inspired by the famous Four Sixes Ranch, owned by Taylor Sheridan and David Glasser, creator and producer of the small-screen hit series “Yellowstone”. The 6666 brand’s swift emergence coincides with the buzz and popularity of Yellowstone and its ties to the Four Sixes Ranch as an integral part of the Yellowstone story line. The legendary 260,000-acre spread and its rich heritage serve as an important backdrop for the series, transporting the Yellowstone story and its characters from Montana south to Guthrie, Texas.

Sheridan and the Grit & Glory team plan to capitalize on the show’s popularity with co-branded promotions and retailer sweepstakes, including a just-announced sweepstakes with a walk-on role in one of Sheridan’s future productions focusing on the Four Sixes Ranch. The beverage line is just one more facet of Sheridan’s vision—making the Four Sixes Ranch a full circle brand offering products, entertainment and experiences to the public that resonate with the real flavors, textures and values of big ranch Texas and the authentic cowboy lifestyle. Known for producing prize quarter horses, cattle and hard-core cowboys for more than 150 years, the brand will soon add ready to drink cocktails to the product line up as they continue to build on the legacy of this iconic ranch. “With the shows, with the ranch, with Grit & Glory, I want people to get a sense of where the past and the future come together—it’s relatable. People get it and we want the Four Sixes to help tell that story.” 

About Publix Supermarkets

With over 225,000 employees, Publix Super Markets is the world’s largest employee owned business. One of the ten largest volume supermarket chains in the country, Publix owns and operates 1,271 retail locations across the southeastern US. One of the best-performing companies in the grocery industry, Publix has continued to expand and open up new locations in recent years.

About Four Sixes Ranch

“Four Sixes” has been a working ranch dating to the 1870s. Now owned by hit series Yellowstone producers Taylor Sheridan and David Glasser, the 6666 ranch and its authentic western roots were the inspiration for the line of Grit and Glory craft alcohol beverages.  The rich heritage of the legendary 260,000-acre spread is the backdrop for “6666”, transporting the Yellowstone story and its characters from Montana south to Guthrie, Texas. After purchasing the ranch, Sheridan and Glasser created the Grit and Glory line of beverages embodying the iconic brand and its storied past.

About 6666 Grit & Glory

Yellowstone creators Taylor Sheridan and Producer David Glasser partnered with L.A. Libations to create the Grit and Glory brand, a line of beverages and consumer products celebrating the iconic 6666 Ranch and the cowboy lifestyle. Amplified by the Yellowstone series, the “Four Sixes” and its authentic roots, Grit and Glory craft Pilsners, IPAs, Lagers, Ranch Waters and Ready to Drink Cocktails are resonating with beverage consumers and forging a connection the brand’s founders tapped into with the Yellowstone world and its 15 million fans.

[thetiredstuff]

A list of ways to help Texas

This is a list of ways to help Texas provided by TexasMonthly:

Financially:

Mutual Aid Houston, DFW Mutual Aid, Austin Mutual Aid, Para Mi Gente, Feed the People DTX, Trinity Mutual Aid, and many more across the state. These are grassroots organizations and one of the best ways to help people in Texas. They provide food, housing, and other support systems to those in need.

In Need of Home Repairs:

Houston nonprofit West Street Recovery is working to clean out flooded homes and make other repairs.

In Austin, Meals on Wheels has a home repair program for seniors, veterans, and those living with disabilities.

The locak Habitat for Humanity chapter could have a repair program as well such as this one in Austin.

Displaced and Homeless:

Austin, sign up to volunteer at cold-weather shelters,

If you have a 4x4/off-road vehicle sign up to transport emergency workers, goods, supplies etc.

AirBnB's "Open Homes program: open your house to those in need of housing.

San Marcos, Home Center is working to get unhoused people into motels in the area. 

Houston, The Coalition for the Homeless, based in Houston, also has a resource guide listing organizations helping those experiencing homelessness, including agencies accepting donations of coats, blankets, and other winter gear.

Map of warming centers in the state of Texas: For additional assistance and resources call 2-1-1

The Hungry:

Feeding Texas: donate to a network of food banks across the state

Rio Grande Valley Food Bank: donate (haven't met their goal of 100,000 dollars yet) or donate most-needed food items

North Texas Food Bank reopened Thursday, February 18, at noon, and volunteers are needed for the Pandemic Mobile Pantry beginning Saturday, February 20. 

Funky Town Fridge, which provides food to Fort Worth neighborhoods, is also accepting donations. 

Children and the Elderly:

Houston area, Kids' Meal Inc.: donate or sign up to volunteer, an organization that provides meals to hungry kids year-round. 

Austin, the SAFE Alliance: in need of funds and much-needed supplies such as drinking water, nonperishable food, and wipes. Pipes burst in two of the cottages for the children’s shelter.

CrowdSource Rescue is working to assist senior citizens and could use volunteers and donations.

The Incarcerated:

Huffpost has reported those incarcerated are freezing through the winter storm, as many have been stuck in facilities with no electricity, decent food, or safe drinking water.

Texas Jail Project: a nonprofit organization raising funds for commissary and phone accounts of incarcerated people.

The Texas Inmate Families Association, which supports the relatives of those behind bars, could also use your help.

Animals:

Sea Turtle Inc.: the South Padre Island nonprofit rescued 4,000 hypothermic turtles this week & could use your donation.

Go to your local shelter’s Facebook page to see which items it needs, or make a donation online.

Smaller organizations may be in particular need, such as Texas Panhandle Pet Savers and Pets Needing Parents Rescue in West Texas.

Yourself:

If and when financial assistance is provided, you'll see it here: federal government FEMA. 

You can request aid from many of the mutual aid organizations listed above, as well as from organizations such as the Texas NAACP.

Beyoncé’s charity organization, Beygood, has partnered with Adidas to help anyone affected by the winter storms, in or outside of Texas, through the Bread of Life Inc. Disaster Relief Assistance fund.

If you’re looking for places to get food and water, HEB has a list of store hours and temporary closures, including Central Market locations.

You can also search through a crowdsourced list of resources by twitter user @dox_gay. WhenWhereWhatAustin is keeping an updated spreadsheet of resources in the Austin area, including where people can get hot meals, water, and groceries.

[translightyagami]

Whenever I search your username to do a lil manual checkup on James the first thing that comes up is always you asking for me to tell you about L & Light grocery shopping, and I think that's beautiful. I also think you would have very good thoughts about this yourself. Would you mind sharing some with us, if so inclined? Thank u James

hmm. headcanons for L and Light grocery shopping. this depends, i guess, on whatever AU we’re in where they have time and stable enough environment to grocery shop - bc L likes the repetition of the same grocery store every time. he’ll have Watari have groceries delivered when he’s out of country from his favorite grocery, which for the sake of me I’ll say is an HEB since that’s my current favorite. (Those of you who have never experienced the sole Texas joy that is a HEB...missing out my friends. Missing out. Delicious store brand tortilla chips and coffee...and much more.)

Light thinks L’s method of home delivery is lazy, but that’s only bc Light prefers the neat fog he disappears into during grocery trips. He excels in situations with self-defined goals, like finishing his shopping list, and loves the click-click of a cart wheel on tile floor, the rows of products he is free to judge on accepted criteria (in a way he isn’t allowed to with people...), the cheerful manner everyone has toward each other in site-specific restriction of conflict. Light does NOT like American grocery stores...dislikes HEB...he prefers small co-ops or organic grocers where he has the best - not widest - selection.

so they don’t grocery shop together almost...ever. if they do, its during a vacation in a place where both can truly indulge and give way to strange purchases. L and Light have been known to peruse a farmer’s market during a summer away from case work, in Tuscany maybe where Light smells every fruit L puts to his nose, and L guessing which he likes based on whatever secret smile Light gives the scent. he’s memorized what those lips mean - their language being L’s second after the full body shivers Light has when he takes a sip of wine aged into a perfect bittersweetness. In return, Light makes L close his eyes and taste different chocolates, asking he guess the percentages, the origins, until they’ve bought a fortune in dark chocolate sweets. L catches Light’s fingers with his tongue tip after he feeds L the last chocolate piece, and hums a tune Light knows is his happiest.

they come home with more food than they could ever eat, and Light tries to cook a pasta dish he learned from one of the marketplace vendors. it comes out well-enough, but L calls it the best meal he’s ever had and insists they celebrate with more wine, more chocolate, and kisses until bedtime - when kisses can become more.

this happens every summer, in different places, and Light has still nvr stepped foot in a big-ass American grocery store.

[spookylass]

Hi there friend. I was curious about your move to San Antonio. I’ve pondered between moving to the San Antonio area or somewhere in Florida. Do you like SA overall? What are your likes/dislikes? What were the hardest parts about moving from home? Sometimes I think the only thing that holds me back is how much I’d miss my friends and family/family events, and making a whole new friend network sounds so daunting, but if it’s worth it, maybe I should do it.

The family/friends aspect was the only thing that was hard for me.My family is very important to me and it sucks to be so far away. I’m weird though, because I like moving to new places. Basically what it came down to was that the cost of living here in Texas is so much cheaper than where I was in Maryland, and my husband’s company gave him a 12% raise to take a night shift here in Texas.I like a lot about Texas. HEB (pretty much the only grocery store here) is amazing. I don’t know where you live currently, but the food here in SA is FABULOUS, there’s so much variety! There’s a lot to do, and the best part is that even though I live in a city, it doesn’t feel like it. SA is nicely spread apart so you don’t get the big city feel. The only negatives I think are that if you don’t like driving on freeways/large highways or hate the heat, Texas probably isn’t for you.

As for making friends, it’s hard and I struggle with that myself. Luckily we have family/friends here already, which made the move a lot easier. My best advice would be to find friends with similar interests. I think Facebook groups have some good resources for finding like-minded people, and if you’re planning on going to college here, that’s always a great way to make some friends. My best advice would be to weigh your options, visit first so you can get a good feel of the area and then decide what’s best for you.

[houseplnts]

Plants during the COVID-19 Pandemic?

During the international COVID-19 pandemic life took a 360 turn and the population had to adjust to being cooped up inside for over a year. That year gave me time to expand my plant collection from 5 plants to almost 50 and it has been the best experience of my life. Plants were one of my big sources of happiness and life during these trying times. The plant world is vast and so mysterious but can be so much fun.

I was able to discover what my favorite types of plants were and how to properly care for all my plants. Some prefer different levels of humidity and others prefer a dryer climate. Plant owning and caretaking is trial and error. Plants can be very verbal on what they need and that allows you to adjust. So if you're still stuck inside wondering what in the world there is to do, go to your local plant nursery and buy a plant, it will change your life one-hundred percent.

Where to get plants??

Local Nurseries

Home Depot

Lowes

Ikea

Kroger

Randal's

HEB

Local Grocery Stores

ONLINE

Have fun shopping!

It's okay to be alone with your plants..... it's fine. THIS IS FINE

[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 022121

21 February, 2021

Dear Dad--

The past week was mostly filled with concern about everyone without power in Texas (and, I believe, Oklahoma too) and how awful that made life at home! I’ll get to that in a bit. I hope you and Elaine are warm and have power and haven’t had any interruption to your water service or burst pipes or any other such excitement.

The most interesting thing that happened to me personally last week was a song. Zach, being a young person, carries his phone around and plays music from it all the time. And Zach’s musical tastes don’t have a lot of overlap with my musical tastes. A lot of what he listens to could best be described as experimental. But he listened to this one song just enough that it lodged in my brain and I began listening to it on my own. The song is While You Were Sleeping by a guy named Elvis Perkins. And the song might not seem like much at first; it’s kind of odd, and he sings this weird “Uh-OH,” part a few times, just to have a couple of notes to end a phrase. But the meat of the song is really catchy and it became an earworm, and now I listen to it a lot.

Then Zach told me about the guy who wrote and sang it, Elvis Perkins. Whenever I see the name “Perkins,” I think of Anthony Perkins from Psycho, and sure enough, that’s his dad. Anthony Perkins, whose first few relationships were with male movie stars like Tab Hunter (surprise), eventually did the nasty with Victoria Principal, his first experience with a female, at the age of 39. This is all on Anthony Perkins’ Wikipedia page. After that, I suppose he sort of converted to the Church of the Vajayjay, and he found this female photographer and actress named Berry, and they got married. They had two sons, Oz and Elvis. Anthony Perkins later died from AIDS-related pneumonia, and I couldn’t believe what happened to wife Berry Perkins, the mother of his boys; she died on 9/11. She was in the first plane that hit the World Trade Center.

So now, every time I listen to the song, which got me started on all this, by way of being a kick-ass song, I think of this singer and his Psycho dad and his 9/11 mom and appreciate the song even more.

But! As I mentioned, most of the last week was spent fretting about all my friends to the south. Stacy, and everyone else I know who doesn’t live here in Maine, lost power about 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning last Monday. No biggie in itself, except it stayed off, and because it was so cold outside, it quickly became cold inside. I went through this with Zach after we’d lived here for a couple of months; we lost power for a couple of days during a cold snap in November, and we got to learn the special joy of that kind of power outage: Do we die from hypothermia, since it’s 40 degrees inside, or do we die from boredom, because there’s still no power? After a while, Austin decided to increase the degree of difficulty, by having enough of its water treatment facilities go offline that the water was no longer safe to drink.

Not that everyone even had access to the undrinkable water! So many pipes burst, that the fire department couldn’t respond to all the emergency calls to shut off water. I’ve read that maintenance guys are noticing some pipes didn’t just burst, they exploded. They’re finding shards of pipe nearby, flung outward by the force of the burst. Texas just wasn’t ready. I read elsewhere that the whole of north Texas has about 40 snow plows in it, about as many as every neighborhood has in a place like Chicago. So I get on the internet and all my friends are cold, they’re all miserable, they can’t sleep, and half of them have flooding to deal with. They can’t reach their landlords or property managers. Cell service begins dropping. I have to wonder if everyone in Texas with a fish tank didn’t just lose all their fish. Stacy had to keep her pet snake alive by wearing it in a cloth sack around her neck.

Took about four days, but by now, everyone I know seems to have power again. And they have internet again, but they still have to boil their water. That’s such utter bullshit. Zach and I had to do that for a while in Austin; there was some issue with sediment, and for a week, all the tap water in the city was no longer potable. To have to deal with that on top of having no electricity, and in the freezing cold...I would have given up and fled town to the nearest hotel that wasn’t gouging the guests too badly, and just put the whole thing on a credit card. I just wonder how far I’d have had to drive. Probably have to leave the state. And now all the finger-pointing begins, it’ll be investigated, ERCOT will get a lot of attention, and maybe stuff will change, maybe not.

Then I read an article that pointed out it’s not that hard producing electricity in extremely cold weather. The article said that people in Alaska, and Russia, and Maine do it every day. It occurs to me that we haven’t lost power at all this winter, and I’m very, very grateful. We also haven’t had much snow this winter, which, ironically, pisses me off. All the snow we’re not getting seems to have been delivered to Texas, by mistake. We’re ready for the snow here; I WANT the snow. I just looked at the Washington Post photo essay about it, and it had pictures of the HEB grocery store where I used to buy my groceries. The photo was taken from a nearby hillside that featured a homeless camp covered with snow. I’ll include it with this letter.

This week I think I’m going to spend a little time planning on things I’d like to do once the plague is over. For the moment, I still don’t know when I’ll be able to get vaccinated, but it occurs to me that we won’t have to wear masks outdoors forever, and that’ll be a glorious day, when we’ve finally defeated Covid-19, and we can have Chinese buffet restaurants again. Aside from those, and movie theaters, and book stores, I’m most looking forward to being able to visit friends again. It’s terrible watching a friendship begin to grow malnourished because it can only happen with text messages. On the plus side, the number of new Covid cases here in Maine, which had been approaching 1,000 per day, is now lots closer to 100 per day. I suppose something must be working! Perhaps now the vaccine will be more available and I can sign up for it soon.

In the meantime, I’m watching a movie called The Midnight Sky in installments. Some movies, even when they’re good, simply can’t hold my attention that long, and I can only watch them a few scenes at a time. I’m doing that with this movie. And it’s interesting so far; George Clooney is a scientist with a terminal disease, working in an Arctic research station. And there’s a nuclear war, and everyone at the research station leaves to be with their families, but George Clooney stays behind because (a) he’s dying anyway, and (b) he hasn’t anyone to return to. After a couple of days he discovers a little girl stayed behind when everyone else left, and now he’s got to take care of her. (Having a child in your movie is a treacherous thing, but the potential negative effects of this one are ameliorated somewhat by the fact that she doesn’t speak.) Meanwhile, there’s a spaceship returning to earth from deep space, (This is a science fiction movie!) and they’re wondering why the hell they can’t raise anyone on earth by radio. I’m about halfway through the movie now. Based on the movie’s tone, I don’t think George Clooney is going to find a miracle cure for whatever’s ailing him, but I am curious to see what happens to the little mute girl. Will advise!

I really hope you’re staying safe and warm, and have plenty of water and electricity! I’m about to get my day started, watch another ten minutes of movie, and do laundry. All my love to you both!

[nickgerlich]

Trading Places

I know this sounds weird, but I actually like to go grocery shopping. I guess I got it from my Dad, who was the procurement specialist in our family. He read all the Sunday and Wednesday adverts, and knew where everything was on sale. He bought our foods with laser precision, long before we had the internet.

Me, I just like to hunt for interesting foods, because I am an adventurous eater and chef. Oh, and I use that word lightly, if only because I couldn’t find a suitable synonym. I like to cook. Is that better?

So I am always looking for Whole Foods, Aldi, HEB, and Trader Joe’s whenever I am out of market, because Amarillo and Canyon apparently are not cool enough to warrant any of them. This last weekend found me in the Dallas area visiting family, and so I tapped into my Google Maps with a simple command: “Trade Joe’s Near Me.”

That was too easy, and so with family members in tow Sunday morning, we ventured off to one in Addison. I can be dangerous when at TJ’s, and go there with no shopping list and an open mind.

Trader Joe’s opened in Pasadena California in 1967, and was owned by Joe Coulombe. He purposely downsized his store and its selection, kept his prices low, and focused on a well-educated marketplace that liked to cook. Turns out he was spot on in his assessment of the market, because he was so successful that in 1979, he sold to privately-owned German company Aldi Nord.

And before you can say “Stop the shopping cart!” let me tell you what you want to know: The Aldi we know in the US is not exactly same, although they are related. Our Aldis here are owned by Aldi Sud, the southern branch of the family business. They are separately owned, and were created when two brothers could not agree on some key basic items. Interestingly, they have much the same business model today, with more than 80% of the items being private label, selection kept to 3000-4000 items, and stores with small footprints, often in strip malls.

But it is TJ’s that really causes my heart to stop. Each shopping experience is almost a treasure hunt, one in which I know there will be seasonal prizes to be found, as well as a regular rotation of other items just to keep things mixed up. You can always get what you need there, but also a bit more just to satisfy your whimsy.

TJ’s does little or no marketing, aside from a website and a podcast, which is one of the best examples of podcast marketing I have ever heard. Imagine 24 minutes dedicated to two people bantering about the latest pumpkin-based foods now on their shelves. You can access their podcasts directly from their website, or on Spotify.

This is a case study writ large of how to go against the flow, and succeed insanely well. TJ’s averages $2000 sales per square foot, while its closest competitor, Kroger, comes in at $1200. Walmart is far off in the distance at $600. With only a few thousand items, and the majority private label, they are able to keep inventory costs down and pass on the savings.

Perhaps the most intriguing part is that they understand what has come to be known as the Paradox of Choice, which says in essence that while we may like to cast our eyes upon a very wide variety of choices, that same choice set becomes crippling when we actually have to--you know--decide what to get.

Trader Joe’s solves that by not giving us much choice in number of items, but surprisingly offers us great variety within a small set. Products are so intriguing that they beg us to read labels, to learn more, to ponder the possibilities. Think an amazing array of international foods (aimed at that educated market, you know), along with basic American fare. It’s where I can find plumcots instead of plums, gooseberries from Colombia, a pumpkin bisque, vegan spaghetti Bolognese sauce, and a massive Dutch treat known as the Almond Kringle.

It’s their most popular bakery item, and is sold year-round.

But wait, there’s more. They practically ignore pleas from loyal customers who beg them to open a store in their hometown. Facebook pages created and flocked to by thousands all hoping beyond hope for a TJ’s in their neck of the woods are met with crickets. Nope, you’ll just have to shop at one when you are out of town.

And so I do. Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Dallas, Orlando, Salt Lake City. Hell, I have been to a lot, and have all the highly-collectible reusable TJ’s shopping bags to prove it.

I’m somewhat of a rebel at heart, and maybe that’s why I love TJ’s so much. They are rebels, too. When the industry is saying go big and sell lots, they have done the opposite. So carefully crafted is their game plan that it would be hard to replicate by any competitor crazy enough to try.

Meanwhile, I can’t wait to cook some pasta, make some curry, enjoy those gooseberries, and pour a bowl of that pumpkin soup this evening. My pantry runneth over.

Dr “Fill Up The Cart“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[stefinatelychen]

I didn't have much of a chance to stock up on food like most others were doing before the effects of Covid-19 started hitting the United States and things started shutting down/changing over here because I was working so much. The rest of my family is in Southern California, and they had stocked up beforehand because they work normal daytime hours and they have each other to depend on.

Beyond that, my brother-in-law has always been a bit neurotic and has always prepared for worst case scenarios -- so he was one of the people hoarding tons of water, toilet paper, and canned food at Costco prior to the mandates for social distancing. I thought that he was being paranoid (because he has a history of being paranoid) and because I was so damn busy working, I didn't really dig into what was going on with COVID-19. I had read SOME articles that were part of a series called "The Coronavirus Diaries" on Slate yet still it all seemed distant.

It wasn't until my sister urged me to stock up on food that I did -- and I did a pretty minimal amount of stocking up for three main reasons: I still wasn't taking it too seriously (I thought that if anything, my reason for not being able to access food would be because people were panic-buying, and that that would settle down over time), I was too broke to stock up on much (I work in the service industry - most of us live paycheck to paycheck), and a lot of the hoarders had taken out a lot of the food that I normally buy.

About a month and a half (maybe two) prior to the point where people started panic-buying at the grocery stores in my city, I had started experimenting with eating vegetarian -- sort of on a whim, after watching Okja (which was also a random spontaneous decision). There are several reasons to go veggie/vegan: ethical reasons (loving animals, loving the planet), health and nutritional reasons, reasons related to grossness/cleanliness/neuroticism, etc. I see validity in all of those but in all honesty, much of what I do in life is random more than anything. I like absurdity, I like challenging myself to do something that the 5-year-younger version of me would never have thought I would do (moving to Austin, TX from Los Angeles was another one of those spontaneous, absurd choices - a high school/college me saw me nowhere else but on the coasts or somewhere foreign, working towards a career in the arts rather than working full time in the service industry in the middle of the country). So I thought, "vegetarianism - why not now? Okay, now it is." It would astound my mom if she knew -- 8 year old me was always picking all the meat out of the dishes she served, and she had raised us to be carnivores.

Anyhow, it was actually good timing to go vegetarian. By the time I was used to eating vegetarian and no longer craved meat (in fact, I find veggie meats to be more delicious and interesting tasting now... but that's probably because I taste fatigue on all things easily -- from jobs to music to food to drinks to even a good amount of people -- so this may be yet another phase), the panic-buyers were clearing out all the meats in the grocery stores. The only things left were vegetarian and vegan meats. So no problem there at first - I stocked up on all sorts of veggie meats from both the fresh and frozen sections (Beyond Burgers, Dr. Praeger's, Gardein, Morningstar, BOCA...).

Veggies were hard to find - even in the frozen section. I wound up settling for a very ordinary bag of GOYA's frozen carrot-corn-pea medley. I also bought ice cream for the first time in months (probably because the shopping experience at HEB was so stressful -- there were still a lot of people in there and some people weren't trying to stay 6 feet away from anybody at all, and there was a weird energy to the entire store... plus grocery shopping has always been a stressful thing in the past for me because (1) people are generally so spatially unaware, and it annoys me and (2) I am the worst decision-maker ever because I am overly analytical to the point where decisions wear me out, AND I am prone to marketing (packaging, "sale" markers, strategic price points, etc.) so I have to do a lot of filter-ing/second guessing and will myself to listen to the things I remember from psychology books about marketing/decision-making). The groceries I picked up weren't TOO different from what my normal run has been like for the past few months, with the exception of toilet paper and pasta (because there was none left of either).

I deliberately chose not to get snacks because I knew that I'd be home all the time, and I'd feel compelled to boredom eat, and if it was there I would most definitely consume it. I settled for ice cream and cereal as dessert items for when I was really craving some sugary-stress treats for when PMS would hit.

Everyone was buying milk - but luckily for me, I switched to oat milk a year or so ago and have loved it more than any other milk (almond, dairy, coconut, walnut, soy).

Before COVID-19, I was often the only roommate at home during the daytime. I'm pretty introverted at home. I'm outgoing a lot of times outside of my home and work, so a lot of people don't assume this. But home is my sanctuary - it is my place to recharge. I deliberately chose to work night hours at a bar when I first started living here because I loved having the apartment to myself as often as possible. I absolutely love cooking and find it meditative -- but only when there is nobody else around. I'm not a fan of talking to people while I'm focused on the food, or of even being around anyone. For whatever reason, it turns the experience of cooking from a meditative/relaxing act to a stressful one for me. So I used to cook a lot more before the mandates to stay home, and I was really taking my time in the kitchen (and enjoying having the entire space of our tiny kitchen to myself) - taking pleasure in mincing garlic, chopping vegetables, boiling water, cooking pasta... letting the smells fill the room... sometimes listening to a podcast while I cooked, or just listening to the soothing sounds of boiling water, crackling oil, sizzling sauteed vegetables, the knife on the chopping board... it was so simply therapeutic.

Then my roommate started working at home a little over a week ago. I just can't spend time in the kitchen anymore. He brought home his 3-monitor computer setup from work, and it doesn't fit in his room (he mentioned that he had to clean out his room first before putting his computer setup in there, but now I think he's just resolved to stay in the common area) so he's now permanently camped out on our dining table in the common area. We have an open set-up where the living room, dining room, and kitchen are all one big shared area, so there is no real privacy once you leave your room. He has become a permanent fixture of that space, and now when I leave my room, he is never not there.

Most of the time, I do not feel like interacting because I am (1) cranky from not going out much and having my balance of seeing the world, seeing other individuals, and (2) he is (endearing but...) a chronic talker. He is one of those people who feels compelled to fill the empty air with empty speech - small talk that is well-meaning but damaging to the psyche of a cranky, hyper-sensory, internet-dwelling girl like me who doesn't want to talk to anyone until she's ready (it's ok, I know I'm not sunshine and flowers), especially at 10 AM in the morning.

He is probably harmless to most other people but to me, I just don't have the capacity to process him yet sometimes (a lot of times) when all I want is to go to the kitchen to grab water and hydrate without talking to anyone. I'm just not a patient person, and I'm too passive to the self-crippling point. I also don't hate people, and have the knee-jerk tendency to want to express care and let everyone be heard even if I am dying inside and will hate both them and myself after-the-fact for a passionate 15-40 minutes. Yes, I'm aware that it’s a problem. 

</journal>

[fancyhoustonapartments]

MOVING TO MONTROSE GUIDE

Montrose is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Houston. The walk-ability, atmosphere, art, and coffee shops always keep me coming back. If you’re moving to Montrose, here is a quick guide to navigating the neighborhood!

Montrose Apartment rentals:The Muse $

The Susanne $$

Hanover Montrose $$$

Everyday Living:

HEB

This San Antonio born grocery chain is a local favorite. Their carefully organized stores carry everything from apples to passion fruit*. But, aside from the traditional and less traditional assortment of foods, HEB sells a variety of beauty and health products (soaps, makeup, vitamin supplements, etc.).One of the reasons I use HEB for so many of my groceries, beyond proximity, is their commitment to the community they serve including giving a percentage of annual pretax profits to charity, sponsoring local educators, and supporting non-profits. Also, their guac is amazing!

Timberline Fitness Studio

Timberline offers an assortment of training styles from one-on-one with the gyms co-owner, Dean, to Pilates, yoga, or following your own routine. The trainers work at your level to improve technique, strength, and overall health and work to introduce those who are new to the fitness world while challenging their more experienced members. It has a comfortable, friendly atmosphere of comradery but, not one so social that it might disturb a good workout!

Agora Coffee

Enjoy a variety of tea’s, coffee, and pastries at the ever popular greek themed coffee shop!

Breakfast: La Guadalupana

Easy to overlook, La Guadalupana is a small, cheerful eatery slightly off the beaten path. They serve a traditional Mexican breakfast and handcraft their pastries. It’s delicious. If you’re in a hurry it’s well worth it to stop in and order a quick cup of coffee (flavored with a touch of cinnamon) and something out of their pastry case. But, for those who have the time? I recommend sitting down, relaxing, and taking in the homey atmosphere.

Lunch: Niko-Niko’s

In the restaurant business longevity and popularity are some of the most telling marks of success. Niko Niko’s was founded in 1977 as a single stand with picnic tables they had to chain down at night. In 40 years of hard-work, consistency, and dedication they build up the restaurant you see today.One of my favorite things at Niko Niko’s are the gyro sandwiches which are wonderfully savory and carefully spiced for the best flavor. I think the only notable complaint I have is that because of its popularity parking and hearing can be difficult.

Dinner: El Real

El Real is a large, open restaurant. They project old westerns against one of the walls, a nod to the building’s former use as a movie theater. My go-to at El Real are their San Antonio Puffy Tacos. The staff members are extraordinary and work so hard to provide the best experience. For those living in Montrose, they host a weekly Montrose Monday where all food is 50% off with proof of residence!I hope this Moving to Montrose guide helps make your transition to one of Houston’s best neighborhoods a breeze!

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