It can be hard to find a good hangout, especially for us underemployed creative types.
What you need is a place where, for the price of a few cups of coffee you can sit for hours and work on your laptop, or strum a guitar, if the mood should take you.
A good hangout is somewhere where it's quiet enough to work but busy enough to be sociable when you're in the mood.
The problem with this kind of model is how hard it has become for cafes, the usual locations for such ideal circumstances, to keep in business.
I've had several favorite coffee shop/tea rooms in my life, and most of them are closed now. My current favorite, and my "office" is Friendly Grounds in Flemington. The owners are cool and community-minded, the vibe is relaxed and the patron are generally friendly and respectful. It's a good place. Oh, and the wifi is free with your coffee.
Sadly, though, like everyone else, the owners of this fine establishment are struggling. When people tighten their belts, they tend to skimp on the little luxuries, such as coffee. The problem is, cafes are a nickel-and-dime business, and when people start pinching pennies it hurts these businesses pretty bad.
I worry about the future of my current home-away-from-home. I hope it survives this recession/depression/economic clusterf***, whatever you want to call it.
If it goes under, there isn't another place like it for miles. Ah... I wish I could come up with a good idea or two to make both the cafe and myself a few bucks!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Today's totally random Daily DeBlass: Boat Shoes
There comes a time in the career of a journalistic jobler like myself when he must consider his professional appearance.
Now, I'll be the first to admit I have no fashion sense (OK, I'll actually be about the twelfth to admit it), and my own sense of personal style tends to resemble nothing more than an ad for Eastern Mountain Sports (trail ready!).
Of course, I learned a few things in my all-too-brief tenure as a staff reporter.
One- dress nice, but not nicer than the people you're interviewing or working for.
Two- in one afternoon you may find yourself going from a corporate luncheon to a cow pasture
Three - you can't afford really nice clothes that are going to get destroyed anyway, sturdy and versatile are the way to go.
Which brings us to today's kind of random topic: Boat Shoes.
Footwear tends to take the worst beating out of anything in the wardrobe (at least since I stopped wearing ties, you'd be amazed what you could get caught in!). They get wet, they get muddy, they get scuffed, and they still have to look vaguely presentable. Boat shoes seem to work best for me. First, they can dress up or down. Worn with khakis they look presentable, worn sockless and with shorts they look casual (in a sort of preppy way, but it'll do). Most importantly though, even though custom has made them a "smart casual" apparel item, they are at heart athletic shoes. They're sturdy, waterproof and have nonslip soles, at least if you buy boat shoes that are actually designed to see the deck of a boat, or at least a fishing spot.
My personal choice of late has been a pair of Timberland Annapolis shoes (I actually prefer Sperry's, but it's hard to find my "boat" shoe size in the local outlet stores). They pass Matt's utility test. Dress them up, dress them down, wet floor, mud, buff out the scratches and grab the briefcase.
I'm not sure what this has to do with anything, but I read something recently that said a man's choice of footwear reflected the care and thought he put into his outfit. Therefore, I though I'd share the care and thought that went into my choice of footwear.
Now, I'll be the first to admit I have no fashion sense (OK, I'll actually be about the twelfth to admit it), and my own sense of personal style tends to resemble nothing more than an ad for Eastern Mountain Sports (trail ready!).
Of course, I learned a few things in my all-too-brief tenure as a staff reporter.
One- dress nice, but not nicer than the people you're interviewing or working for.
Two- in one afternoon you may find yourself going from a corporate luncheon to a cow pasture
Three - you can't afford really nice clothes that are going to get destroyed anyway, sturdy and versatile are the way to go.
Which brings us to today's kind of random topic: Boat Shoes.
Footwear tends to take the worst beating out of anything in the wardrobe (at least since I stopped wearing ties, you'd be amazed what you could get caught in!). They get wet, they get muddy, they get scuffed, and they still have to look vaguely presentable. Boat shoes seem to work best for me. First, they can dress up or down. Worn with khakis they look presentable, worn sockless and with shorts they look casual (in a sort of preppy way, but it'll do). Most importantly though, even though custom has made them a "smart casual" apparel item, they are at heart athletic shoes. They're sturdy, waterproof and have nonslip soles, at least if you buy boat shoes that are actually designed to see the deck of a boat, or at least a fishing spot.
My personal choice of late has been a pair of Timberland Annapolis shoes (I actually prefer Sperry's, but it's hard to find my "boat" shoe size in the local outlet stores). They pass Matt's utility test. Dress them up, dress them down, wet floor, mud, buff out the scratches and grab the briefcase.
I'm not sure what this has to do with anything, but I read something recently that said a man's choice of footwear reflected the care and thought he put into his outfit. Therefore, I though I'd share the care and thought that went into my choice of footwear.
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