I do a lot of work around the airport. After visiting clients for a few hours sometimes nature calls. Today I used my standard operating procedure: I used a restroom at one of the major chain hotels. Mind you, I didn’t BUY anything, I just peed and got back in the car. That’s not breaking my oath is it? I think it may even be a practice that should be encouraged!

Since we’re not in the full-blown challenge yet I’ll give a quick report from the weekend and Monday. Well, there’s not much to report. On Sunday I fell off the wagon once – being the degenerate that I am I wanted to go see the movie “The Hangover”. Obviously the movie theaters in town aren’t local – during the real challenge I know I can go to Fellini Film Cafe on Cincinnati Street.
We did go listen to a local band at our neighborhood park on Sunday night. What a great way to build community: free local music and a visit with friends.
On Monday we went looking for local groceries. JR Produce at 4818 Montana. It’s a small store but the produce was good and so were the prices. One guy with us stocked up on gallons of milk at WAY less than the price at the big guys.

Usually on Saturday and Sunday morning we go out for breakfast. My wife would not give up her favorite place (which is not a local business), so we reached an agreement. We would go and buy something for me, and then we would go to the place she likes. The problem was that I am so used to going to this place that when I thought about some other coffee place to go around our house I couldn’t think about any. I went to my computer, did a few searches, and … the only local coffee place that I could find in the West side is Kinley’s House. Oops, that is 7 miles away from home, and the non-local place is less than a mile away, or there is another one just 1.5 miles away.

Yes I succeeded going local, however I had to drive 5 more miles, back and forth, which meant 15-20 minutes driving, which obviously translates into pollution, and more ga$ consumed.

What is the real cost of going local in some cases? Is polluting more really more important than leaving more money in town? Don’t get me wrong, if I had to drive the same amount, or even a little bit more to go to a local place I would do it in a blink, but driving (polluting) that much… I don’t know.

Sunday I decided to break our tradition and stay at home.

Does anyone knows where to get a decent cup of coffee on the West side?

I can see there’s a step from MY behavior to HOUSEHOLD behavior.  

Today, my first purchase came when I found I wouldn’t have time to get home for lunch and, as I drive by a “forbidden monster”, Sunland Park Mall, I decided to grab something to eat.  There’s actually lots of local in there, but it’s hard to see past the big, national anchors (who are all struggling).  I parked outside and enjoyed the air conditioned interior of Sears on my way to the Greenery Market.  I picked up a turkey and swiss sandwich and a bag of chips and headed for the office.  Even on Sunland Park Drive, in the land of the big box, I succeeded in Going Local!

That was my only purchase of the day, BUT we were short a few things for dinner and my daughter picked them up on her way home… at the neighborhood Albertson’s.  I can see that menu planning is going to be important if we don’t want to travel too far from home at the last minute to eat.

Today was a pretty simple buying day.  I was on the east side at lunch and wanted to check out a new restaurant as a possible client. I went to Delaney’s at 1545 N. Lee Trevino. It’s an upscale restaurant specializing in steaks.  No locally grown items on the menu, but it is a local restaurant and the food was very good.  They’d be an excellent edition to our magazine.

Tonight it’s off to a party. We’re taking a side dish and it’s BYOB.  I’m doing a tomato salad with real HOMEGROWN tomatoes from my own garden.  For the BYOB part I stopped at Barrel House – a locally owned liquor store and picked up some ice cold Shiner – not local, but at least brewed in Texas!