This is about conservative Protestants.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

9. I'm a long way from anywhere.

I don't drink. I don't want to be around people who get sloppy drunk. I don't smoke either, it makes me quite ill. Nor wacky tobacky (Boy do I sound like a blast!!).

I know one gay man in Crockett who runs a B&B.

I've been to Tyler and Lufkin, and have not been real impressed by them or the people there. Had some conflicts with people in both towns. They have Target stores but that's about it.

We're talking about 70-80 miles one way. Not worth it. Longview is further than that. Shreveport is really far away. I have some boring Church of Christ cousins on my mother's side that own the town of Vivian. Yawn. Kinda like a fiefdom, but that's Louisiana for ya.

I was in Houston a few weekends ago and had to do some serious shopping. Hit the bargain bin of Neiman-Marcus called Last Call, and an Asian art/antiques/misc. store that is going out of business.

Walked around The Galleria on Sunday afternoon; it was jammed. The food court was jammed but the luxury retailers were deserted and the salespeople were bored. Neiman-Marcus itself was pretty busy
but I didn't buy anything there. Their shoe selection was just terrible.
I have really narrow feet and they don't carry anything in my size anymore.

I go in Neiman-Marcus and it is the complete opposite of wallyworld in retail: Quality merchandise, helpful, happy salespeople, an atmosphere of beautiful things and appreciation for beauty and quality. Just walking through there reminds me of everything Wallyworld is NOT. The vibe is so much nicer than wallyworld, it made me happy just walking through it to the mall.

www.lastcall.com
www.windwatergallery.com

Didn't have time to get to Costco for my chocolate covered almonds!!

That was my digression on the retail philosophy and atmosphere of diametrically opposed stores. One who has taken over rural and poor America in the race to the bottom, and one who is the last survivor of Texas department stores that were once family-owned.


Waiting for attacks from totally organic free-range grown sprout eaters who think it's a cardinal sin to set foot in either one of those stores.