The Lowe's Report: Outstanding Customer Service...

I don't really care one way or another about which Home Center I shop at - Lowe's or Home Depot, because for the most part, they carry the same stuff, the employees are interchangeable as far as expertise on product line, and the prices are roughly the same. I love the fact that when one opens, the other is usually going to open up within a few blocks. This keeps them both on their toes and that is good for all of us.

But, my wife was insistent that I pass along this bit of really good customer service she received at Lowe's in Alamo Ranch, so, as Monk might say, "Here is what happened".

Last Saturday, we went to Lowe's and purchased over $250.00 worth of stuff. Most of it was garden related items - things like plants and grass seed and things that are pretty much not something you can easily return.

For example, it is a fairly good bet that even if I had the bag, I could not go out into the yard with tweezers and pick up all of the grass seed that we threw out into the dirt. Hell, the birds easily ate a quarter of it already. And even though technically, I could dig up the plants and shrubs we bought, it would take a lot to motivate me to do that.

So on Sunday, we went back to Lowe's to purchase a few more things when the lady at the register mentioned the coupon cards that came in the Sunday paper. I think one was for $10 off on a $50 purchase and another was for $25 off on a $250 purchase. I immediately said nothing of our purchase the day earlier for fear that my wife would have me out in the back yard with tweezers and a shovel. But she, on the other hand, looked at the cashier and said, "You have got to be shittin' me."

So, long story short, today, my wife grabbed up the receipt and the coupon card from the paper and went back to Lowe's, prepared to do battle with all levels of management if need be. I promise, you'd best be going to lunch about now, when she is determined.

Instead, upon hearing the circumstances, the lady in the returns department did a full refund on all the items - in spite of the fact that all the grass seed and the plants and potting soil and bushes and such were still in my back yard. And then she re-rang them up to make them qualify for the coupon.

Oh, and get this. Because the price on several of the items had gone on sell since we purchased them, they refunded the difference in price of those items. In the end, when everything was rung back up at the new lower prices, the total was less than the $250 which would qualify for the $25.00 off. So, my wife had the cashier add in four more Bougainvilleas (at the lower price) to get back up to $250, and thus, get the $25.00 off.

Bottom Line: They easily could have said something crappy like, bring in all the items - track down the birds and make them regurgitate the seeds - and really make it difficult, but instead, the representative, Ms. Jeri, simply made the whole experience something worth passing along.

So there you have it. Kudos to Lowe's in Alamo Ranch. Your great customer service will have us coming back.

The Post Interview Report...

No, not a job interview. A local writer is doing some work related to his Master's degree program and sought the assistance of several local bloggers to be interviewed for the project. While some went the route of answering a questionnaire via e-mail, I agreed to a face to face interview. It was actually pretty enlightening for me since I wasn't fully clear on what type of information was needed.

We met at the GNW Library and the interview took place in a small sound-proof (I hope, anyway) room. Patrick, the writer, recorded our conversation so I wouldn't be able to deny any of the evidence later. Or perhaps, he could tell from my blog that I am fairly long-winded, and there would be no way to keep up with me in the form of notes. Either way, we (mostly me) talked for just over an hour and a half. Geeze. My wife is right. I do take the long way around a barn.

A lot of the questions were centered on the "why" aspect of blogging, and whether or not I think I provide anything like a benefit to anyone. Good question really. I hope at minimum a few folks are somewhat entertained or at least informed from time to time.

Another part of the discussion talked about blogging versus traditional newspapers. I enjoyed that quite a bit. I certainly don't consider my blog a source of news per se, but I cover backwards driving vehicles and fashion tips for my neighborhood a lot better than the Express-News.

Anyway, the whole thing was a lot of fun and I hope the information and, dare I say it, insight that I provided will be of some use to the project.

Patrick has another project he is working on, and you can check it out here.

Lunch Report: Broadway 5050. Finally...

We were in Alamo Heights and in need of some vittles so what better opportunity to mark another restaurant off the list by stopping into Broadway 5050 for an awesome lunch. Oh, do I give it away too soon? Well make no mistake, we were some happy campers.Parking is on Broadway (hence the name) and it caused me a little nervousness when I pulled in to the spot. I immediately started contemplating how I was supposed to back out of the parking place in busy traffic. The parking places are angled so you can just pull in from the busy street. This is sort of like in the old horse and buggy days where you didn't have to worry about everyone in town owning a vehicle. Now, things on Broadway are busier; even the house staff own cars. But, let me set you at ease; the stop light will accommodate you and when you are done stuffing yourself, you can easily pull out of the slot and mover along.

Had I figured this out sooner, I would have stopped in a year ago. Honestly, we have driven by and marked other places off our list simply because the parking looks like a nightmare. Now I know. And now you know.I had no idea what to expect on the inside. This place could easily be set-up anywhere in San Antonio; it isn't some ritzy Alamo Heights thing. It has the feel of a 50's diner (sort of like the Pig Stand, only cleaner). If you are so inclined, they have a fully stocked bar and loads of beer on tap as well as a huge collection of bottled brews. Oh, and honestly, the iced tea is out of this world.Some booths had the same checkerboard pattern seen on the front of the building while the one we sat in had some sort of Quentin Tarantino theme going on with nifty cutouts from Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Dusk till Dawn.The menu is full of good options including daily specials. My wife finally decided on a pulled-pork sandwich. It is served on toasted bread and comes with baked beans, Cole slaw and shoestring fries. Instead of fries (she gave them up for lent) she substituted onion rings.Yea, the cook sent her plate out with fries, but then made up a special order of rings for us. And the rings were outstanding. Have I had better? Sure. Were these wonderful? Absolutely.

The beans were good but what really stood out was the barbecue sauce that accompanied the pulled-pork sandwich. Look, I'm not going to sit here and say that the sandwich was better than Augie's, but this is a diner, not a BBQ place. Having said that, if you order it at 5050, you will not be disappointed. The sauce, as we found out, is made on site by the 5050 folks. We told the waitress that they should bottle it and sell it. Dip your onion rings in it and you will be very pleased.The daily special was fish & chips and so I ordered me some. In spite of the good iced tea, I forced myself to also order a Newcastle Dark Brown, on tap to assist me in getting in the fish & chips mood.In addition to the expected fish & chips, the plate comes with a tiny salad (about half a cup worth) and some of the aforementioned Cole Slaw. Before I could even think about using the tarter sauce, our waitress asked if I needed some Malt Vinegar. Just fabulous! While she grabbed that, I started on the Cole slaw. I am telling you that we have had Cole slaw at a lot of places. I don't know if this was made at the restaurant or purchased from a supplier, but it stands right up there with among the best, creamiest, most flavorful slaw's I have ever experienced.

The fish was fried with a crispy texture and it was in nuggets, almost like you get with some catfish. Unlike the fillets I had at the Rams Head (which was excellent), these were a little more crispy and could easily be picked up for fast eating. I did try the tarter sauce and it was good, but to be honest, the malt vinegar was hitting the spot for me. I'm not a huge fan of shoestring fries, though they were not bad, but my wife needed help with the onion rings so between the two of us, we left enough fries to feed several families in Ethiopia. Hopefully, they will get them while they are still hot.

We eat at a lot of places. More often than not, we seem to leave thinking that it was going to be better, based on what people told us or what some advertiser claimed. I have no way of knowing if we were simply lucky, hitting the place during a slow time (it was about 2:30 in the afternoon), but we were totally pleased. My wife was doing the Happy Dance over pulled pork, so you know it had to be good.

If you are in or around Alamo Heights and need some vittles, skip Good Time Charlies and the Pig Stand and head directly over to Broadway 5050. Or eat at all three and have a heart attack. Your call.Either way, Broadway 5050 is a Tasty Treat.

Lunch Report: Jason's Deli...

I have only been into a Jason's Deli a few times in my life, but often eat their boxed lunches as part of meetings that work through lunch. You end up paying somebody $10 and they usually have a choice of roast beast or turkey, plus some chips, a dill spear and a cookie of some sort.My wife on the other hand swears that she never gets to go to Jason's or eat a boxed lunch, as if it was some special dining event, and so as a big special treat, we went for lunch on Sunday. Am I a special husband, or what?The parking lots was full, but because they have so many tables in the place, it didn't seem busy at all. There is a huge soup and salad bar, free healthy frozen yogurt, and a menu that is really overwhelming with healthy food choices. Once you eliminate all the creepy healthy items, you can get down to business and order some food.My wife went with the club sandwich. It really is big, and as I alluded to before, they don't skimp on the meats. It is a little more classy than say a Subway, because your sandwich comes out on a plate and the chips and pickle (which she didn't bother to eat) aren't in a little bag. By the way, had we really looked at the menu before ordering, she could have substituted something like steamed veggies or potato salad or honey mustard Cole slaw instead of the chips and pickle. She'll know next time.Not being limited to the boxed lunch options, I had to make a quick decision between the Muffaletta or a Reuben. The Reuben won out and I was reasonably happy with it. In comparing it to places like Schilo's and even Earl Abel's, I think Jason's is easily a bigger portion (lots more corned beef), but the other places grill the bread or something as opposed to toasting it. Maybe they slather a bunch of butter on the top and fry it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good Reuben - I'd gladly enjoy one from Jason's in the future, but I kept thinking as I was wolfing it down, it seemed a tad bit dry. Maybe that was some sort of health trick to make me not want to clean my plate.

Next time we go - and my wife took the menu home so she could study it - so there will be a next time, we may try one of the options that allows you yo get a half sandwich and a soup or salad. Or I may just go with the Muffaletta.

I would compare Jason's to Panera, but Panera seems a little more upscale what with the different dining areas and WiFi access. Cost is about the same. For the two of us, sandwiches, drinks and a cookie, it all came out to over $22.00. I think Panera would run about the same.Oh, final note: When did Applebee's go out of business? We used to occasionally go to the one located just across the parking lot from Jason's, and now, it is all closed up. What gives?

Do you know about Applebee's? Do you know where I can get a good Reuben or a top notch Muffaletta? Tell me about it or leave a comment here.

Festive in Alamo Ranch...

My wife and I had a need to do some errands in Alamo Ranch Sunday, and one of the stops included Michaels where I was surprised to learn that it is already Fiesta.This is what I'm talkin' about. In today's economy, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. This guy will no doubt go far.It could be worse. He is inside an air conditioned store and not wearing a mattress.

Chupacabra in 78250? No. Coyote? Yes.

As a follow-up to a recent report about a potential Chupacabra in 78250, I am happy to report that we have not had any recent sightings. But of course, always looking for a potential National Enquirer-like situation, I offer you an excerpt from an official report:

2/20/09 @ 0740, while patrolling in the area of incident location I noticed a mangy gray in color Coyote walking down Timber Jack toward Timber Grand. I honked at the Coyote in attempts to get him out of the neighborhood. I kept honking the horn of the vehicle a few times until the Coyote ran into the greenbelt area behind Timber Grand.

@ 1251 hours, Subject #1 contacted me and reported a Coyote running loose in the area of Timberwilde @ Timber Trace. I responded to the area and made contact with the Coyote in the area of Timber Canyon @ Timber Crown. The Coyote appeared to be the same one I had encountered earlier in the morning. I followed the Coyote to the area of Timber Canyon @ Timber Mill where I noticed him going into the greenbelt area. I contacted SAPD and informed them of the situation. I contacted Subject # 1 and informed him of my actions. End Report.

Strange.
UPDATE: Photo of the Coyote/Chupacabra in action, courtesy of Express-News.

Excitement in The GNW: The New Marquee is Here...

I know you will share tingles of excitement like me when you drive by the intersection of Timber Path and Timberwilde and see the installation of the new modern marquee for the Great Northwest. I know, I was as giddy as a 6th grader at a Jonas Brothers Concert when I got the phone call from one of our readers, saying that it would be up by the time I rolled into the neighborhood after work today. Do I have my Camera? Of course I do!So here it is. At this point, you can only see two little red dots in the lower corners. I guess they aren't ready to start dazzling us with brilliant information and timely updates about the association.

Just as a side note, I'm sure that if you live here, you'll be receiving your copy of The Sentinel Newsletter before long. In it, you will most likely read what a monumental waste of association dollars this and the other new signs being put up soon is.

Each of us is entitled to our own opinions, so I will tell you mine. I am all about getting the word out to people. So many people complain that they didn't hear about this, that, or the other activity that they would have liked to participate in. They don't take the time to read Passages, the monthly official newspaper put out by the association, they don't log into the official web page of our association to read the calendar of events or the scrolling list of new information, they don't read my blog, and then they wonder why they don't know anything.

The association already has several marquees that can only hold a certain amount of information, and they have to be manually updated individually. You have to abbreviate, figure out the best way to make your point in limited space, and after doing all that, there is nothing eye-catching that would make somebody talking on their cell phone look up and see it.With the new marquees, messages can scroll and stream-by, drawing the attention of people at the 4-way stop or stop light. Multiple messages can be loaded meaning more information can be put out and sooner. Imagine an Amber Alert type situation where a full description of a missing child with details such as vehicle info or last known location could be flashed on the marquee. This simply could not be done with any fidelity in the current static marquees. Maybe on weekends, residents could have the addresses of garage sales posted. Who knows? I can think of a dozen other useful situations. The possibilities are endless.

So needless to say, I'm a fan of this new addition to our HOA and I look forward to all the marquees being fully operational. I wonder if they would post a link to my Blog?