(no subject)

Man. The one Mexican food place in Salem has closed, due to lack of business that can pretty much be blamed on the gigantic Tavern on the Square that moved in just down the block from it. It was tasty Mexican food, if a bit too overpriced, and it was a small local business. I hate to get all Davis Square-y "fresh local foods!" but damn, it saddens me to see a unique local business go under. That Mexican place was where we got lunch the day we closed on our house (is that right? maybe it was the day we looked at the house... it was something to do with buying the house), but we never went back, despite thinking "oh we should go back there sometime." It's not like Tavern on the Square is Bennigan's or anything, but Tavern is not part of the small & local vibe that really attracted us to Salem in the first place. And I'm worried, because reading comments in the Salem News (and I know, comments on newspaper articles on the internet are pretty much a wasteland), people are predicting that a couple other local bar/restaurants are close to going under, because of the new Tavern.

Oh my god, I totally feel like a taxpayer. I've never actually loved the city I've lived in before, but I feel such warm fuzzies for Salem, and I really want it to keep the attractions that made us move there. We definitely haven't been going out nearly as much as we used to these days, so I suppose we need to start spending our dinner & drinks money more wisely and spread it around to the places I want to see staying open (I will absolutely die if Gulu-Gulu closes). I also really need to make an effort to buy at the local bookstore, but I'll admit I'm extremely guilty of wanting what I want when I want it, and if it's not stocked at the Cornerstone, I go to Borders. And the Kindle is making even my Borders spending dwindle to peanuts.

God, I am hyped up on coffee and chatty today.