All eyes on me or if non looks could kill

For months now I’ve noticed that whenever I patronize a fast food restaurant, a grocery store, or even a medium brow eatery, I receive what I have come to term as the “look through”. Not sure if it is me or what, but for the entire length of my one on one time with the cashier I get little to no eye contact. And as if that weren’t bad enough, while said cashier is NOT looking at me (yet still maintaining the necessary verbal exchange) he or she makes it a point to “look through” me and eye everything else that is going on at that moment. It’s very frustrating.

At my local Raley’s, for example, I’ll walk up with my grocery items, set them down, say hello, and wait for them to be scanned. During this time the cashier will often times find it necessary to hold a personal conversation with the courtesy clerk about who came in late and who is going to be fired if they keep it up, or even chat with the customer behind me in line. Meanwhile, I’ll stand patiently waiting for my card to authorize feeling like an idiot who doesn’t warrant small talk. When it’s time to leave, and at that moment only, I’ll receive a last minute eye to eye contact wishing me a good day. Off I go.
Continue reading “All eyes on me or if non looks could kill”

Food Related Bits (Your Input is Requested)

1) Took Mrs. Eats to the the Slocum House for her birthday on Thursday. It lived up to all the expectations. It was fantastic, with the best crab cakes I’ve ever had. The service was fantastic and the patio was beautiful. Plus, they’re in the Entertainment Book. Highly recommended for a nice evening out, without being stuffy.

2) I’m starting a petition to get a branch of Fins fish market and restaurant into the recently vacated Men’s Wearhouse at Loehman’s Plaza. Who’s signing?

3) Nominations are currently being accepted for Sacramento’s best waiter/waitress. I nominate “Chuck” at Thai Palms on Howe. He hustles, smiles, and makes dinner enjoyable. By far, the hardest working waiter I’ve ever seen. Let me know who you think deserves the award.

Two Apiece

Can anybody recommend a pharmacy that delivers to your place of work? Because I’ve got what might prove to be a fatal case of Kings Fever, and I know I’m not the only one!!

The Sac Rag: The First 365 Days

birthday.jpg

Today marks the first year of publication here at The Sac Rag, and we couldn’t have done it without You, our dedicated readers and commenters, and the occasional wack job who helped us cause a mild stir. What started with two writers has ballooned into a crack writing staff of a dozen covering everything from shopping and eating to news and sports. Some numbers: 615 posts, 1651 comments, zero awards, 2 mentions in the Bee, 399 visitors on our biggest day (11/4/2005).

We thought we would share some of our thoughts on this momentous occasion, and the thoughts of at least one local celebrity…
Continue reading “The Sac Rag: The First 365 Days”

DIY Morning Shows

I caught some of Good Day Sacramento this morning. It’s a train wreck. Not sure if that is the intent, but it’s sort of slapped together with little to no production value as if they are literally making this stuff up as they go.

For example, Nick threw it to UPN 31’s “tech” guru (I forget her name already) who was going to walk the viewers through the new “Gas Watch” section of their website which includes a map of local gas prices (a la gasbuddy.com). This was a painful process. Watching her fumble about the site trying to find an actual reported gas price (and if she did, it was 5 or more days old) was brutal. So much so that a few of us at the gym watching this on our individual treadmill monitors changed channels almost simultaneously. Then Mark S. comes on with that silly haircut to talk about the new September 11, 2001 movie, which really didn’t work. Hard to talk about something so serious while trying to blow your overgrown, highlighted bangs out of your face.

And yes, Scooter, I know, I know, there’s a method to his madness…

Channel changing

I am usually the last to know when it comes to personnel changes at local news stations. As such, I’d like to solicit the help of you, the finger on the pulse of all things Sacramento, Sac Rag reader.

What happened to Elissa Lynn over at News 10? And when did Patty Souza jump ship from KCRA to News 10? Or did Elissa Lynn even leave? I’m seeing her bio still on the News10.net site, but she is not mentioned in Patty’s shout out to her team at News 10 (“Our weather department at News10 has a talented group of people, and I can’t say enough good things about Monica, Darla, Gregg and Harry“). Not to mention her mug is noticeably absent from the team photo.

From the Q & A with Patty:

Why did you want to come to News10?
News10 caught my attention because of the way the people there are connected to the community and care about the people that live here. You hear the slogan “committed to news and connected to the community”….but it’s totally true.

Can I take that as subtle dig at KCRA? Or is it simply news lingo for “I got fired and News10 offered me a job so here I am”?
Continue reading “Channel changing”

And the winner is… fusion cuisine

Anybody else out there catch Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star“? What I enjoyed most about this show was how positive the producers managed to keep it; the finale episode’s season recap featured only positive comments about each of the departed candidates, even the ones who literally couldn’t julienne a carrot (literally).

Well, apparently it’s news only to me that Guy Fieri, winner of the contest, is a Norcal resident and is opening a restaurant here in Sacto: Tex Wasabi’s, the still under construction fusion restaurant at Howe & Arden in the burned-out remains of another restaurant (I think it was burned-out remains, but you never know with fusion cuisine… they might be going for that burned-out look).