Changes

[talon]

Apparently, a lot of places took advantage of the snow we had to make some rather abrupt changes.

These aren't necessarily bad changes, just - changes.

The Sonic nearest me closed. It will become a Del Rancho, so still a drive-in, just not with the really wide selection of beverages Sonic has. And there are plenty of other Sonics in town, many in easy (but not walking) reach.

A favorite buffet restaurant has become a drive-thru liquor store.

A laundromat has become a car repair place (at least, I hope so, because laundering transmissions, alternators and brakes in washing machines would be - not good).

Target has changed their payment policies, and the way the cashiers are implementing it is Very Unfriendly. I'm not pleased, and I took the time to register a formal complaint. I was also very UNhappy with the customer service rep who kept saying it was now corporate policy to do it that way and I'd just have to suck it up. It took her more than 5 minutes to offer to let me write a complaint on a postcard to "mail" (and I seriously doubt she mailed it) to corporate, but she insisted that I was the one in the wrong. I went online and registered a second complaint because I'm pretty sure my original complaint was conveniently torn up and tossed.

A street that was once one way has now been made 2-way, relieving a lot of local traffic congestion.

Sweet Tarts conversation hearts are no longer crunchy soft but hard as a throat lozenge.

A Spices of India market has moved - don't know where to, yet.

The Halal market changed their hours and are now closed on Saturdays AND Sundays.

Which 'Wich changed their ticky bags - not a bad change but the sandwich makers weren't familiar with them yet and made a few mistakes. Plus for them - they caught the mistakes before they handed over the sandwiches, it just took longer to make them.

Parents seem to be slightly more responsible for their children in public places. My companion and I speculated it may be a side effect of the down turn in the economy. Parents were more likely to be spending more time with the children as they couldn't afford baby sitters, day care, extra-curricular activities, or to send the kids off with a wad of money to entertain themselves or to buy them off with bribes instead of attention. This meant they were probably paying more real attention to the kids and so the kids were behaving better. I consider that a big plus, and hope parents get the message that money cannot replace time.

The former Army Surplus store is now an interesting looking second hand store. I will have to stop in and look around.

And those were just the changes I noted while out and about on Sunday.