I should really get out more.

[Animal]

I had a funeral to go to today, and Mrs. Animal is gone for a week, and being one that does not want to waste a bath and a clean up, I thought I would go in toward the city and pick up some dog food and chicken scratch from a little discount feed store. Well I thought that I would treat myself to a bloomin onion from Out back and call it supper. This was around 5;30, I noticed that the parking lot was just about full, but being by myself I had no problem being seated right away. The staff was made up of young adults, black and white and a friendlier bunch of kids you would never find. We just had one problem, no one could believe that all I wanted was an onion and a glass of tea. I will bet that I was asked a dozen times if that was all that I wanted. After paying my check which was $15 with the tip I looked around that place with a big steak or four at every table and the place was jam packed! I made my way to the door and their was a line waiting to get in. I could not believe what I was seeing. By now its a little after six, and you never saw such a bunch of cars, you would have thought It was the day before christmas eve. Mostly mini-vans and SUVs rounded out with pick up trucks. Would have made you think that they were giving 10 gallon of gas away with a nickel ice cream cone. If you think that this economy is in the tank or the cattle market is going to take a dive, you need to do what I did and go to town. I do not think that I am exagerating, where I was at in Independece along I 70 their must be at least 200 different places to eat, and I am here to tell you if it had a parking lot it was full. I had a dear friend that had a saying, "I am sure that I am going to he11 when I die but I aint going hungry or thirsty."
 

[MF Poor]

Well....It IS Saturday night. Most of the better restaurants around here still do a decent business on Fridays, Saturdays and then on Sunday afternoons. Not so much the other 4 days of the week.

We went to an upscale Italian restaurant last night. It was packed. Our server told us they've been busy since Christmas with people using up their gift cards.

And, so long as they still make credit cards, some people will contuinue to spend what they don't have....That phenomenon may be inspired by our government and their spending habits.
 

[ShadetreeRet]

I live in central NC and it's the same around here. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, be it steak house, fish house, Chilies, or KFC, they are packed. You say, "Doesn't anyone cook anymore?" Then you go into a grocery store and they are wide open also. Kinda makes you wonder. 'Course, kinda like the other feller said, I think a lot of them are doing it with credit cards.
 

[Dean Olson]

Same in Houston. I know folks that can't/don't cook. They eat out every meal. Most really can't/shouldn't afford to do that.

Our economy is doing ok here especially compared to some of the rest of the country.

Guns and ammo are doing especially well. I went down to my local gun shop and they were setting up for the CHL class. Used to be he had to wait for at least 10 to sign up befroe holding a class. That could be weeks or months in the past. He's holding classes every weekend now and has 40+ signed up for this class.
 

[rdandersom]

Did they have TVs on the walls?The bars around here have been dead all winter.Stopped for a bite and a pint yesterday with the Mrs and the place was rocking like the Stanley Cup finals.There must be a lot of pent up hockey fever to let out after the lock out.
 

[Larry NEIL]

It just goes to show that even in troubled times, there are people making money. There are also a ton of people out there thinking they "deserve" to live like royalty even though their incomes are near poverty level
There's a place near me called , The Village Tavern that has absolutly the best chicken fingers and dip in the world. Was standing there waiting for a table a few weeks ago and a lady was giving the cashier He11 because She would not take govt. welfare stamps! Go figure!
 

[Animal]

Now that takes some kind of nerve.. I think the main thing that I took away from all of this is that people would not know the poor side of town if you dropped them in it. A real treat when I was growing up was a two-bit hamburger from the ice cream stand. If the old man would have shelled out twenty bucks for a piece of meat we would of had to bury him the next day. In the atmosphere I was in last night, I could see dropping a hundred dollars on a family of four. With these kinds of priorities I would say cattle farming is going to be good for a long time.
 

[rrlund]

Thanks for the encouragement. Glad to hear that.
 

[Spook]

We went out to a new restuarant in Fowlerville. Very good. Place was packed, had to wait about 15 minutes to get a seat. Most bars around here don't seem to do very good. The population is getting older, drinks less, and the drunk driving laws are enforced pretty strickly. Used to be, owning a tavern was a like having a atm. Not anymore.
 

[rrlund]

Ya,when I came of age there was a bar on every corner in town and out. They're as few and far between as car dealers anymore. The big one that used to be north of town is a funeral home now. The one south of town is a gas station/convienence store. A lot of the rural bars turned to that.

There's a new brew pub in Greenville,hasn't been open very long. We went there the Saturday night before Christmas. There was a 45 minute wait to get seated. I figured that was just a pre Christmas thing,but there was an article in the paper claiming they're still busy. That's quite a feat with things the way they are around here these days.
 

[hayray]

Americans love going out to eat. In the small towns around here the traditional retail joints are out and eateries line the streets.
 

[VicS]

I agree , went to a cheer leader- competition at Verden Il. Saturday. Daughter called for reservations at Hillsboro, Ruby Tuesday. (we are 150 miles from home) When we got there place was full! at least a dozen people waiting for a table. Had a $15 steak, it was really good! There were 6 of us so the bill was good also. All the good places to eat seem to be busy, so their economy should be good also. Vic
 

[Vito]

I prefer to eat at home.We eat pizza on Saturday night.Can't see paying for every dinner at a eatery because of laziness.


Vito
 

[scotc]

EEEWWWW! I ate at Outback once. Did not impress me at all.
 

[muleboss]

I like to eat at home. I do not stand in lines to eat. did enough of that when in the service.