The Long Awaited, Much Anticipated Indy Local Tour Recap

Remember earlier this month when I went to Indy, and had the indie Indy experience?

No?

You're right, it was weeks ago.  All of my focus on local and indie buying has consumed my time, and I didn't get the opportunity to recap the adventures I had on Thursday, August 9th with my dear friend Michelle.  That's actually her real name, too, but mostly because I can't think of any clever nickname at the moment.

After training on 8/9 (where I learned a ton and was completely re energized, and I don't say that for the upper ups who may or may not be reading), Michelle picked me up at the fabulous Canterbury hotel and we took off for the Indy Reads Bookstore.  It's a unique concept- a community bookstore that takes donated books and sells them at fantastic prices- where all proceeds benefit a literacy program who's goal is to have 100% of Indianapolis able to read.  I walked out with 5 books for about $12 and felt like I'd stolen from them somehow.

So what comes directly after great books?  Great Cajun, of course!  Off we went to Yat's, a must visit also on the Mass Avenue corridor.  I'm no culinary writer, so I'm not even going to try to give description to the mouthwatering cheese crawfish etoufee that could ever possibly exist- but I ate every bit of it, and wanted more.  Yat's is the kind of joint where I feel right at home, because there's simply no formality.  We sat outside and discussed the state of the world in general, and probably would have solved all current crises had the draw of a good beer not interrupted.  

Setting off from Yat's, we hit a lovely hole called Chatham Tap.  GREAT beer selection, and my most dedicated tour guide had even checked to see if some local beer was on tap so that I could further my mission.

We sat right at the corner of the bar and shared a nice, hoppy Sunk King brew (can't remember which one!) and attempted to pick back up on the state of the world.  We veered off into something totally not related...actually, I'm pretty sure we ricocheted from family to work to politics to back to the world and were even closer to solving it all when Michelle brought up frozen yogurt.  

You're tracking this, right?  Books, Cajun, beer, and now yogurt.

We made our way to a place called YoguLatte which is a cute play on words with yogurt and latte...where you create a monstrosity from all kinds of different flavors or only one with a whole bunch of toppings thrown in for good measure, and then they weigh it and charge you accordingly.  What they didn't count on was Tour Guide Michelle, who assured me that the best course of action was to sample each one to figure out which one my palate liked best.  My palate should actually never touch yogurt, frozen or not, because I'm allergic to milk.  But, I'm one of THOSE type of allergics- I'll eat it anyway and then complain later from the effects.  

That's me and yogurt sample number seven.

If you're any good at math, you can see that there are four separate units that dispense frozen yogurt, each with three flavors.  Four times three is twelve- and subtract a few flavors that didn't sound good, and I sampled 8 different yogurts before deciding on cake batter.  It was a beautiful dessert worthy of world problem solvers...who decided to end the night with another beer.

After leaving the yogurt place, we closed the night at Metro Night Club upstairs, where we declared that unless we achieved world domination, it was doomed and we may as well have another beer.  We overheard some conversations that were far more interesting than ours in nature and abandoned world domination for more laughs and deep insights, which are often the same thing anyway.

While this post has been a long time coming, I promised The Best Tour Guide Ever Michelle that she'd feature on the blog as soon as I planted myself on the couch long enough to compose it...so here you go, Ms. M.  I had a WONDERFUL time, and can't wait to do it again one day soon.  I'm lucky to have friends that embrace my quirks...especially the quirks that last 365 days and include all local, all the time. 

Next up for the blog:  the current struggles and things I can't find, and the kids' eyerolls.

School Days...And The Local Suppliers

Two weeks ago, I got the list.  Lists plural, because they were two:  one for each kid.

It seemed awfully early for school supply shopping- and there's a reason for that.  Our school district is slowly transitioning to a balanced calendar year that will eventually have only a six week summer break and several two week breaks throughout the school year.  Apparently, the amount of days attended are the same as before, when I was growing up, but the spacing is different. Where we used to go back to school at the end of August or beginning of September, the start date this year was August 6th.

Off I went, armed with my lists, determined to find everything I'd need for both kids in both grades, and to find it at either an independent or local venue.  Anyone who's done this before knows that you have eleventy seven of each item to buy:  multiple pencils, notebooks, folders, composition notebooks, eraser caps, and all sorts of other various needs and wants (in multiples of ten), presumably to balance out the children who aren't able to or won't get school supplies.  I take no issue with this at all from a financial standpoint.  I want every kid to have what he or she is going to need to succeed.

However, let's look at the reality of our independent businesses.  Quite simply, they just can't keep the kind of stock in hand to support that kind of demand.

My first stop was our local, indie parent teacher supply store...which was more geared towards the teachers and not the parents.  Mind you, I don't expect the vast quantity of supplies that say, WalMart or Target would carry;  but, I was slightly disappointed to find at most three or four of each kind of notebook, and absolutely no loose leaf paper.  None.  But, hey, ok, maybe their supplies were running a bit late- I'll give them that, and I'd go back there because they have so much darn FUN stuff.

I got somewhere around 50%-60% of my lists covered there.

You know the parts in cartoons where people get the light bulb over their head?  I had that happen as I was walking out of the parent teacher store.  I was determined that Ben Franklin would have further supplies.

Ben Franklin is an interesting locally owned business.  At one time, they were a franchise; but a bit of an odd one in that some of their locations were and are craft stores, while others were five and dimes, and even pharmacies.  The parent company that owned the franchise went bankrupt in 1997, which left another company to pick up the pieces, but stores retained local ownership.  After talking with the owner here, I found out that they're wholly independent.

At Ben Franklin, I got the random idea of getting blank pencil boxes and letting the kids choose their own scrapbook supplies to decorate them as they wanted.  I rarely have a flash of brilliance, so I'm going to have to call this one out as genius.  They loved the idea, and it channeled their inner creative spirit...or something.

Anyway, I visited two or three independent drug stores and an independent grocer about fifteen minutes away, and secured all but two composition books and 30 pencils.  All in all, it was a win.

Believe it or not, I spent less than in past years- and I think it all comes down to the fact that there is not the same opportunity to impulse buy.  I said early and often that I'm a huge impulse buyer (as most of us are)- so this was a nice surprise, despite the epic quest of securing all items.

The stuff I couldn't find I talked with the teachers and explained my mission, and that as all of the places restocked I'd hit them again throughout the year to bring in the missing items.  Both were supportive and enthusiastic, and had no problem with that.

I'm extremely proud of the fact that I still haven't had to break the rules yet, though I know the day is coming.    I do find myself wondering what that item will be.

Hotel Update: Still Keepin' It Indie in Indy!

Check it out!  Turns out, there IS an indie option next week, within walking distance of the training I'm attending.  I have to say, the Canterbury Hotel looks way cooler than the Embassy Suites!

The World of B&Bs (...and a boss that humors me).

Last week, I traveled for work to teach a social media seminar for one of our outlying counties for the ISBDC .


I'm lucky to work for a boss that not only humors me, but tries to help me along in my 365 mission.  So, when I asked to please get accommodations that weren't a hotel chain, she obliged by booking me a room at  the Herman Leive House in Aurora, IN.

I'm going to admit something.


In my family vacations and all of the adventures we had, we never stayed at a bed and breakfast.  We stayed at plenty of motels and independent inns, but never in my memory a true B&B.  I never really thought about why, until I arrived at the Herman Leive House. There's a prominent sign that states that it's not equipped for children.   As it turns out, it's a renovated house from the 19th Century Greek Revival style (Admittedly, I have no idea what that means)  that was originally owned by the master brewer for the local Crescent Brewery- a total win in my book.  I was somewhat dismayed not to be haunted by a beer wielding spectre, but that's probably for the best anyway, because the current owner and caretaker doesn't allow alcohol on the premises.  


It was a fantastic experience.  All local hotel chains were $100+ for the night- and I got a gorgeous time period decorated room with some really neat historical reading material, a totally comfy bed, and a bathroom that didn't look like thousands had been through the doors for only $65.  In the middle of the night, when I got thirsty, I wandered down to the kitchen to find a nice, cold bottled water and a tray of brownies.  (I was fairly convinced it was the best dream ever, until I woke up with crumbs on my face.)  I loved my stay, and will be back again when I'm in the area.


I can't stress enough how important it is that I have a boss that is attempting to help me along in my goal, even when it's not necessarily convenient for the team.  On more than one occasion, our staff meetings have taken place at a verified local restaurant in Madison, IN, or New Albany, IN- simply because she's trying to help me succeed.  Then again, maybe that's the whole point.  Even if it's just to help an employee, there's still an effort being made, awareness being generated, and money being spent in independent/local venues.  


But the first break from local is upcoming, on August 7-9.  I will be travelling to Indianapolis for training, and staying downtown.  Our 'home office' has secured reservations at the Embassy Suites- and while I'm comfortable discussing this with my direct boss, I'm not necessarily ready to insist at the state level on my accommodations.  I double checked to see if the Embassy Suites was owned by a local management company;  but, it is not.  It is a corporate Hilton hotel.  


I knew starting out that this was to be a yearlong conversation with ups and downs- and this brings into focus   another issue.  There are no independent walkable downtown hotels...they're all corporately owned.  


Ah well.  This means I'll have to patronize doubly the local restaurants and craft breweries.  As the old children's tale goes- 'Don't throw me into the briar patch, whatever you do.'


P.S.  I'll have July totals and communities impacted within a week or two.  

16 In, and the Top 5

Sixteen days in- long enough to be a tad frustrated with some of the things I've not had to get yet and am unsure where to look.  It's still mostly been easy;  though, I'll say the two biggest challenges have been concert tickets (total fail- Live Nation or Ticketmaster has the monopoly) and avoiding the convenience of fast food when I've not packed a lunch.  That happens more often than I'd care to admit.  I'm not a morning person, so thinking ahead to lunch is impossible when I've just run into the wall on the way to the bathroom with my eyes still closed.



 Fast food was also an issue on the way to said concert when an unnamed friend asked me to go through the drivethru at a certain restaurant with yellow arches (not naming the culprit or the restaurant here, see...) and I had to smell those fries.  They're like crack, all salty and crispy and...oh yes, let me tell you how I beat that one.  I went into Save A Step to pick up a Diet Coke, and ended up buying some of their chicken strips instead.  I only pouted for a few seconds before I realized they weren't actually that bad, and I'd stuck to my guns without succumbing to the chain pressure of convenience and delicious little fry morsels.


So far, there are five things I'm just not sure how to get and I'm going to throw them out to the readers to see what you'd recommend- or, is it already time to break the rules?  You decide.


5.  Feminine hygiene items.  Gentlemen, I'm sorry that you're turning several shades of red about now, so if you must, jump down to number 4.  Ladies, have you ever noticed how lacking the supply department is in the small grocery stores and the Save A Lots?  2 sizes...that just doesn't cut it.  So without further detail, does anyone know of somewhere locally or independent that has a decent selection?


4.  Razors and refills.  There seems to be the same lack of choice as #4- you're left with generic three blade disposables or single blade...and neither are kind to legs or armpits.  The Mr. isn't up for an experiment in hair growth, so I've got to find something somewhere (preferably Schick 5 blade Hydro!) that will keep pit and leg forests at bay.


3.  Kids Clothes.  We're getting back to school time in a few weeks and while we've got stuff to last through the warmer months, both kids have shot up since the cooler spring weather and need long pants and shirts.  I'm going to attempt to source as much secondhand as I can, but if I needed to get say a new pair of jeans or a dress, where would I go?  (New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville (non chain), or Louisville?


2.  Sunscreen.  Again, we're dealing with very little if any selection at the smaller groceries, which leaves convenience stores that are locally owned.  I suppose that's probably what I'm going to do for our upcoming Holiday World venture, but if anyone has suggestions, I'm totally open. 


1.  DVDs/Movies.  We're getting to the 6th and 7th Harry Potter books, and the kids want to see the movies...so, this will inevitably be coming up in the next two months.  (Hey, anyone have a copy of these three they want to sell?)


I haven't updated my totals in a week or so, but we're saving money if only for the fact that I have to plan my impulsiveness, thereby eliminating the problem.  Ah well.  I take heart in the fact that I've a plethora of wonderful indie/local coffee joints, restaurants, and breweries in which to forget my sorrows.

Because Rookie's Cookies ARE Groceries

Normally, I'd hate to admit I was wrong.

This time, I'm proud to say- I WAS WRONG.

I thought in the buy indie/local project I'd spend more money in groceries for a family of four than I'm accustomed to.  

On Saturday, I hit up an ATM that was willing to give me some twenties to go pick up as many veggies and fruits and other such stuff that vendors sell at The New Albany Farmers Market , and then figured I'd head over to Save A Lot (See HERE to explain why SAL is local) for some of the other stuff you just can't get at the Market.

I wandered around with $60, and spent every last bit of it.  On what, you ask?  Well...2 containers of Sancho Miguel's salsa (to take to parties), a watermelon, blackberries, onions, green peppers, peaches, Rooibee Red Tea , a bag of Quills Coffee , some organic free range beef, and last- but not least- some Rookie's Cookies , because those buttery little morsels melt right in your mouth.  Please ignore the fact that I'm actually allergic to milk protein and am not supposed to have butter...I can't keep my mitts off these things.  Even the dog loves them.


After I dropped everything off at the house, I headed over to Save A Lot to get the rest.  When the list was checked off and all of the damage totaled, I'd spent an additional $63 or so.

You may have already done the math, but if you haven't, I'll let you know that our grocery bill for the week was $123.

I looked back through our average Kroger or Meijer receipts each week, and we actually did BETTER hitting up the Farmer's Market and SAL- we saved money (AND GOT ROOKIES!)

I mentioned in the beginning that impulsivity was going to be my biggest hurdle- and to some extent that's true.  But, without all of the tempting 'deals', I'm actually spending a lot less.  In other words, it's a heck of a lot easier to just go with the list and get what's on it.

Oh, and update on the dog:  He seems to be adjusting to the food, thankfully.  The...erm...smell has lessened and he seems to have worked out his issues. Here's to hoping that continues.

The Doggone Thing

You've never smelled anything like this in your life.  Seriously.  I'm not going to elaborate any further than that- but, our first buy indie/local derailer may actually be the dog.

Meet Dewey.  He hates this picture of himself, but what do you do when an 8 year old is in charge of your wardrobe?

Dewey is some kind of lab/whippet/terrier/heinz 57 mix, with a smart, outgoing, and incredibly goofy personality.  He was a KY Humane Society dog, hand picked for my family by a friend who has an amazing talent of matching the perfect dog with its forever home.  He came into our lives when he was about four months old, and is now two and a half- which in dog years makes him an unruly teenager.    

When we first got our canine, we wanted to be the perfect rescue family.  We bought him top of the line dog food- not too many grains and fillers, mostly meat.  He snarfed it down with gusto.  Fast forward a few days...and Dewey started to have issues.  Really smelly 'No, honey, it really wasn't me!  IT WAS THE DOG!' issues.  Not only that, he was having trouble on his visits to the back yard.  So, we switched foods, which really only changed the scent slightly. Rinse, lather, rinse repeat- nothing worked.

Finally, out of sheer desperation, we picked up one we hadn't tried- Rachel Ray's Nutrish. Yes- Rachel Ray, exuberant cook and daytime talk show host queen, has a line of her own dog food.  Lo and behold, all doggie foulness stopped almost immediately- and the way Dewey ate the food, we could see that it was clearly 'delish!' (Incidentally, I ran into my friend Jessica at our local 4th of July on the 3rd of July celebration, and by some twist we got to talking about our dogs' digestive habits.  Kid you not, her dog had the exact. same. issue. Rachel Ray's Nutrish saved her too.)

So, for the past two years, Dewey has eaten Rachel Ray's, which you can only get at Kroger and Walmart.

Until this week, when we started our indie/local experiment, and ran out of dog food.  I ran over to Feeder's Supply and got some Earthborn Holistic dog food, which is also made in Evansville, IN.  Dewey LOVED it. His stomach so far does not.

We are back to the 'Dammit, I told you, it's the DOG!' times- and not so great trips to the backyard.

So potentially that brings us to our first of many inevitable buying dilemmas. When you have a creature dependent on you who clearly doesn't care WHERE you buy his food so long as his tummy is full and comfortable, is it that important to adhere to an economic experiment?  I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no, it's not.  I think we're going to give him a day or two more on the Earthborn, (which really is a great company, and it's not their fault Dewey prefers vivacious brunettes' dog food lines!) and if it doesn't settle down, I'm going to head over to Kroger and pick up some Nutrish.  

Ah well.  It's all part of this yearlong conversation we're having.