MY NEIGHBORHOOD

Here are two interesting things I noticed around my apartment building today:

1) BUMPER STICKER PROOF: I'd already surmised that our hip little downtown building was filled with damn dirty hippies and bleeding hearts (i.e., my people), but the bumper stickers in the parking lot drove the point home. "Go Organic" and "Make Art, Not War" live here, as does ACLU and lots of indie bands. I even saw a Mike Gravel campaign sticker once! Who even knew there was such a thing??

2) SCI-FI SCARINESS: There's been a lot of exterior work happening at a building just down the street, and when I walked by today on my way to the post office, I noticed a new sign: MINISTRY INCUBATOR. I was picturing evil science labs, and maybe people hooked up to machines like in "The Matrix." But apparently it's just an organization that helps start-up ministries by giving them office space and the like. Maybe there needs to be an organization that helps ministries that help start-up ministries think of less scary names. Just a suggestion.

In news from more than a block away, I checked out a big Asian grocery store today. I give it a C. It was large, and it had some nice touches like fresh fish and a real bakery, but I think it's geared more toward Chinese and Thai populations than Japanese. I did manage to get some soba noodles and the requisite tsuyu sauce, but no Suntory oolong tea and only tiny, wildly expensive bottles of Ito-en jasmine tea. They did have Pocky, but no Men's Pocky, which everyone knows is the best Pocky. Even if you're a girl.

Comments

[Janna]

Girl! Go to Target. Big old bottles of ito-en jasmine tea for cheap. That's where I stock up. :)

[stacy]

WHATTT? What the hell kind of awesome Target do you go to? I'm pretty sure I've never seen no jasmine tea at any Target here.