One of the more exciting local news stories I caught this year was the coming of a new HEB in the city of Bellaire. For those who do not know, Bellaire is literally inside of Houston. Yes, I am a fan of the almighty HEB. The prices are reasonable, its always a positive shopping experience, and depending on the location, there's free samples on Sundays.
Anywho, I work in Bellaire, so I shop there from time to time. And it's a nice enough stuff, but it's under an old model, and some key parts of the newer model are not present, like a pharmacy. I guess that's why they decided to start from scratch and build a brand-new HEB with two floors, probably set to open in 2018. It will be the second store of its kind in the state, and given the surrounding area, Bellaire deserves a shiny new store, in my opinion.
In order to bring this double-decker monster to town, however, the current store and the adjacent businesses would have to be moved somehow so that the entire small shopping building can be demolished. But where would the businesses go, I wondered a few months back. Most of the businesses are small neighborhood places frequented by residents pretty often. Then, one by one one, I started noticing the businesses moving to nearby spaces in the area. First was Jimmy Johns, then the cleaners. Before I knew it, the liquor store not moved but was able to expand and sell wine. Win!
Today, I was happy to discover that the two remaining businesses, Thai Cottage and a nail salon, had found new homes and will be there in the new year. I was legitimately concerned about these businesses getting kicked out of their spaces, spaces that had been occupied for years and years. The newest HEB was built at the expense of demolishing an entire apartment complex. Where did those families go? I now would imagine they were given ample to find new homes, just as these Bellaire gems did.
I also got word today that the demolition was pushed back some six or seven months. The reason as to why doesn't matter at this point I guess. What matters is the fact the city of Bellaire will be able to keep the peace and harmony going....until all of the noise starts.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Monday, December 19, 2016
The Timeliness of a Blessing
One thing I've learned in my time as a barista is that the world is watching, so govern yourself accordingly. Sometimes, I forget this little tidbit because a random customer's rudeness has irked me at astronomical levels. For the most part, though, I am as sweet as they come, and sometimes I go out of my way to make their trip to Starbucks a little easier. Today I got an unexpected surprise blessing that made me feel wise.
If you're not familiar with Mobile Order & Pay, you can basically order your drink on the app, and ideally it'll be ready by the time you get to the store. It's much easier to achieve by midday. This particular young lady was not the most courteous. I acknowledged her while I was making another drink, but I observed as she just gathered her drink and headed outside without a thank you. The lack of a thank you irked me a little, but I let it go.
A couple of minutes later, another Mobile Order came in with her name on it. She was in the car, which I could see from outside our large windows, so in true barista fashion, I went the extra mile. I made the drink and took in out to her, since it's an easy drink, and I didn't want her wondering. It's amazing when you decide to be kind to someone who may not been the kindest to you.
When I took the drink out to the young lady, I was pleasantly surprised to see that her mom was a regular, and not only that, but a regular I like to greet when she arrives. Without thinking that I knew where the drink was going to, she was so touched that I even bared the cold to brink it to them. The mom was so touched that she gave me special tip. I was humbled and I thanked her.
What I she didn't know was that I had wanted to put a little gas in my mom's car, and I had left my money at home. Though it wasn't a super dire need, I was able to carry out my plan for the day, and that is a blessing. It's a beautiful thing when you do something nice for someone, even something beyond the norm, and they feel compelled to bless you in return. My heart is happy to know that my simple act spoke volumes.
Even in 2016, acts of kindness are very powerful.
If you're not familiar with Mobile Order & Pay, you can basically order your drink on the app, and ideally it'll be ready by the time you get to the store. It's much easier to achieve by midday. This particular young lady was not the most courteous. I acknowledged her while I was making another drink, but I observed as she just gathered her drink and headed outside without a thank you. The lack of a thank you irked me a little, but I let it go.
A couple of minutes later, another Mobile Order came in with her name on it. She was in the car, which I could see from outside our large windows, so in true barista fashion, I went the extra mile. I made the drink and took in out to her, since it's an easy drink, and I didn't want her wondering. It's amazing when you decide to be kind to someone who may not been the kindest to you.
When I took the drink out to the young lady, I was pleasantly surprised to see that her mom was a regular, and not only that, but a regular I like to greet when she arrives. Without thinking that I knew where the drink was going to, she was so touched that I even bared the cold to brink it to them. The mom was so touched that she gave me special tip. I was humbled and I thanked her.
What I she didn't know was that I had wanted to put a little gas in my mom's car, and I had left my money at home. Though it wasn't a super dire need, I was able to carry out my plan for the day, and that is a blessing. It's a beautiful thing when you do something nice for someone, even something beyond the norm, and they feel compelled to bless you in return. My heart is happy to know that my simple act spoke volumes.
Even in 2016, acts of kindness are very powerful.
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Field Research
I have this unique relationship with clothing. I will go window shop much faster than actually buy some clothes for myself. It's a habit I developed when I was in college and super broke. I'll go to a store and pick out different pieces of clothing based on color, cut, and size (because a certain major Swedish store likes to have their clothes too small) and just try them on to gauge how they would look on me. I call it field research.
Today, I decided to conduct some research for a custom dress I plan on having made. I already know that certain materials make me look wide, so I avoid them at this point. But today, I found a surprise hit: a pink scoop neck hi-lo dress from Nicole Miller New York. The pink looked so pretty against my skin, and I didn't feel fat. The hi-lo part I wasn't a fan of, but I made a mental note of the type of top it was.
Later on, I went home and did some online research to see the type of material and cut the dress was, and other dresses with the same material and cut, but in a mermaid shape. I had a very small moment of perhaps being in fashion school.
I gathered a combined look at sent my ideas to the designer. We shall see what happens.
Today, I decided to conduct some research for a custom dress I plan on having made. I already know that certain materials make me look wide, so I avoid them at this point. But today, I found a surprise hit: a pink scoop neck hi-lo dress from Nicole Miller New York. The pink looked so pretty against my skin, and I didn't feel fat. The hi-lo part I wasn't a fan of, but I made a mental note of the type of top it was.
Later on, I went home and did some online research to see the type of material and cut the dress was, and other dresses with the same material and cut, but in a mermaid shape. I had a very small moment of perhaps being in fashion school.
I gathered a combined look at sent my ideas to the designer. We shall see what happens.
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