pegkerr: (Default)
pegkerr ([personal profile] pegkerr) wrote2009-01-23 08:04 pm

Another business bites the dust

I decided to splurge and actually eat dinner out tonight. I ate at the Birchwood Cafe, always a favorite place, and although the dinner was very modest and healthy (a small cup of turkey/azuki bean chili and a deli serving of broccoli/peanut salad), it was entirely satisfying. Eating out, even a meal that cost under $8, feels like a big deal, given our financial situation. And I had graphic proof tonight that those little day to day decisions I make, along with everyone else, is having a ripple effect.

After finishing dinner, I thought I'd get a dessert, too. I'm trying to really cut back on my intake of refined sugar, but figured I could allow myself a dessert once a week on Fridays, my traditional night out (even though I haven't been going out much lately). The Birchwood has excellent desserts, but by that point the line up for the cashier was very long, and I decided to swing by the Cliquot Club on my way home--it's on the way, and they have good desserts, too.

Or they did. The doors were shut and the lights out. I got out of my car and went to read the notice on the door, which was an announcement by the owners that this neighborhood restaurant/bistro, which opened three years ago, was forced to close for good, due to the economy.

It makes me so sad. So many people, losing their jobs, giving up the hopeful dreams they had when they launched new businesses, now viciously undercut by the tanking economy.

What I did today to make the world a better place:

I did some more searching for decrease worldsuck twitter feeds, and found heroworkshop . The affiliated website was so interesting that I set up a syndicated feed for it: [livejournal.com profile] heroworkshop. Apparently, it's approaching the problem of how-do-you-decrease-worldsuck by asking, "What does it mean to be a hero?" Again, it's looking how individual lives can make a difference. People are invited to send in YouTube videos of their own personal heroes. I think that following the site will definitely be a sort of natural cheering charm.

I also stopped by my neighborhood co-op, Seward Co-op, which just opened up a beautiful new shiny environmentally progressive store. I was delighted to see they also carry Party in My Pants and bought one for a family member who had expressed interest in trying them. I also wrote a comment card and put it in the feedback box for the store, just generally congratulating them on building such a great new facility, which would really help people live environmentally progressive sustainable lives. Sometimes positive feedback is the best thing you can do.

[identity profile] musicbearmn.livejournal.com 2009-01-24 02:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Another one gone....tis very sad indeed.