Archive for September, 2010

Six Autumn Essentials

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Darkness arrives before eight now and that’s the first dead giveaway. The temperatures will cool, the leaves will turn. Fall is settling in for a visit.

Not that I’m complaining. Fall, for me, is the king of seasons, a welcome reward for having yet again endured the often stifling heat and humidity of a Mid-Atlantic summer. Spring is the season of renewal but fall is a season of opportunity. I don’t have any hard evidence to back that up but it’s been my experience.

Be ready. To help get you started, six essentials:

1. Tools
I mean this both literally and figuratively. Now is the time to make sure the knife is sharp. Make sure the kit is stocked. Make sure the batteries are charged. Get your mind right because, well, summer’s over.

2. One Good Jacket, One Good Sport Coat
The way I figure it, cooler weather demands that every man should have at least one solid jacket for casual wear and one versatile sport coat for dressier occasions. I’ve always known the former (at least as long as I can remember) but the latter has been a recent revelation. This fall will be my first with a sport coat, and if early returns are any indication I feel comfortable recommending the strategy to everyone.

For the women out there I’d imagine that something similar applies, yes?

3. Rye Whiskey
Rye seems to be making a comeback and I’m fully on board that bandwagon. Nothing against bourbon or scotch — I dig both — but rye is a unique pleasure. It’s got an edge to it, a little more complexity. It’s both demanding and rewarding.

You should be able to find a handful of options at any good liquor store but I say head straight for Copper Fox Rye. I could attempt to describe it but really the only word I need is delicious. Great anytime but essential for the cooler months.

4. The National, The Walkmen, Jamey Johnson
Three of 2010′s best albums:

Lisbon, High Violet, and The Guitar Song.

Put ‘em in heavy rotation — each rewards repeated listening.

5. Apple Cider
Get a jug of the freshest cider you can find. Pour as much as you like into a saucepan and mix in some cinnamon. Heat it up to just short of a light boil. Pour it into a cup then add a shot of that rye I mentioned above (bourbon works great, as well).

Trust me on this.

6. A Plan for Winter
Last winter, on the eve of the First Great Blizzard, I realized that I didn’t have boots. My old pair had fallen victim to a dog chew towards the end of the previous winter and I didn’t think to get another pair. So there I was at Wal-Mart, digging through shelves that had mostly been picked clean, looking for suitable footwear. I actually got lucky and found a decent enough pair in my size, for which I was rewarded with a wait in the most ungodly checkout line I’d ever seen. Awful.

This year I’ve got my eye on these classic LL Bean boots, which I figure ought to last forever if I can muster up the courage to pull the trigger. No doubt they’re well worth the cost but, well, $150 is $150.

I’m also planning on taking my dad’s old Navy pea coat (more on that beauty later) in for cleaning and repairs. I’m not going to get caught short again. You’d do well to see to the same.

Honorable Mention
A fire pit. This didn’t make the cut out of sensitivity to those who might not have anywhere to put it.

What about you? Hit me up in the comments with your own list (however long or short) of essential fall items. If I get enough of them I’ll put up a new post collecting the best recommendations.

Posted in advice, essentials, living well | 5 Comments »

Three Surf Cities

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Friday, September 17th, 2010

For your Friday/weekend listening enjoyment, three surf cities:

The Walkmen
Angela Surf City, from Lisbon:

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The Jesus and Mary Chain
Kill Surf City, from Barbed Wire Kisses (or the April Skies EP):

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Jan and Dean
Surf City, via Best Of:

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Posted in americana, entertainment, music | Comments Off

Why Service Always Matters

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

I met one of my best friends, illustrator Daniel Krall, when we both worked the café at the Borders book store in Towson. We served coffee and brainstormed together. We goofed off a bit, too, but we also made some mean cappuccinos. Along the way we planted the seeds for our first published work. Those were good times.

We’d often take our lunch break, or some time after a shift, and head up the street to Souris’ Saloon for food and beer. It’s a great spot, steeped in history — open since the 1930s and retaining many original details. The food is very decent and very affordable. The atmosphere is unflinchingly pleasant.

Alas, neither of us has worked in Towson for many years, which means we haven’t been Souris’ regulars for some time. I think the last time we were there was five or six years ago. Until Monday when, on a whim, we decided to drive up and grab lunch.

Walking in felt great — outside of the addition of a few nice TVs virtually nothing has changed. It’s still a window to the past, still a comfortable place. We took a booth and settled in. We ordered, we drank, we ate.

Time came for the check and our server, Stephanie, eyed us with a bit of curiosity before asking, “Didn’t you guys used to work down the street at the bookstore?”

What? How?

She was genuinely glad to see us. She asked what we’d been up to and we told her. We chatted for a minute and reminisced. She said she hoped she’d see us again soon. The whole experience was as authentic and pleasant as any I’ve ever had in a customer service setting. It kind of blew my mind.

I came of age working retail and restaurants. I was fairly damn good at it and I learned a lot — to this day part of me wants to go back to that world. But I have to be honest: I was never good enough to remember someone six years out. That’s just exceptional. Insane in every right sense of the word.

As Daniel and I left to head back to the grind we talked about how we should probably try to turn Monday lunch at Souris’ into a regular thing. It’s a little out of our way, sure, but Stephanie works Mondays. That counts.

I’m tempted to spill another two hundred words on exactly why it counts, but the truth is that if you don’t get it then, well, good luck. Service always wins.

Posted in advice, business, living well, misc. | Comments Off

Why (and How) You Should Spend More Here

Posted by Neal Shaffer on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Over the first few months of writing this blog I’ve revealed, among other things, an obvious interest in crafted, US-made goods. These things excite me. I value the work of craftspeople and domestic businesses and I believe their work is important. I figure maybe it’s time to explain.

I don’t like to draw hard lines but I’ll say this: if a choice exists between a handcrafted and/or US-made product vs. a foreign product, the former is nearly always a better option. Why? Because work is the economy. If people here aren’t working then they’re not spending, and bad things happen if they’re not spending. It affects livelihoods. Which means even less spending…which means even less work…and on and on. Obviously that’s an oversimplification but it’s true at the core. Buying things made here supports the people who work here, which supports the system that keeps this nation of ours churning forward. However flawed it may be.

It’s not a black-and-white issue and I’m not here to claim that there isn’t value in the work done by people in other countries. Of course there is. I’m not against the global economy — it’s a functional reality and it’s not automatically bad. It’s important to remember, though, that every purchase is an investment.

I believe in supporting the upstart, the entrepreneur, the independent. That’s not an argument against anything, it’s an argument for something.

There’s no getting around the fact that the kinds of goods I’m discussing usually (but not always) cost more. A lot more in some cases. I know that’s tough and I’m not suggesting that anyone other than the very rich could or should attempt to purchase only this one class of goods. It’s not realistic.

What I’m suggesting is consideration of the issue and an attempt to, where possible, prioritize. I buy plenty of foreign goods and will, like most people, continue to do so. But I’m moving the balance slowly. I’m looking for opportunities to buy local and/or US-made. When I’m faced with the choice of “now” vs. “better” I’m trying hard to wait a little while and go with the latter. Piece-by-piece I’m making decisions that help prop up artisans, craftspeople, and the US economy as a whole. I do what I can and that’s all I’d ever ask of anyone else.

Maybe there’s an argument against it. Actually, I’m sure there is — it’s a complex issue. Even when I hear that argument, though (and the comments are open), I doubt my priorities will change.

I side with the people who are making a go of it. And my hunch is that on some level, they side with me. That goes a long way.

(photo via Flickr user Markusram)

Posted in americana, business, living well | 4 Comments »