The weird, the annoying and the good...

[fenchurch]

I had one of those weird nights last night... with the more tolerable sort of insomnia. I was absolutely exhausted by the time I went to bed, falling asleep around 12:30am only to wake up, completely refreshed and ready for the day, at 3:30am. Fortunately, I've done this sort of thing before... so I got out of bed, did some dishes, read for a bit and watched a few of the episodes of "Mythbusters" we had on the DVR, then headed back to bed around 7:00am (only to wake up again around 9:00). Apparently, all I really needed last night was a nap.

Last Saturday I'd stopped in to our local Larry's Market to pick up some stuff for the Guamanian Chicken and thought that the shelves were starting to look a little bare... as if they hadn't gotten shipments of a few things in that week. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when I stopped in again on Thursday, it was VERY noticeable that things were clearing out. Well, that and the fact that the espresso stand was closed and empty and there was a sign at the front of the store from the employees thanking us for all the years we shared our lives with them, blah blah blah.

Um....

Turns out, they'd gotten the word about a week or so before that the store was closing. I'd known that the chain had been sold to another company (after a bankruptcy), but they'd sworn up and down that they were going to keep all but one of the stores open (the closing store supposedly the one in Silverdale). Well, not so much. Our local Larry's closed on September 1st, and the one down in Bellevue will be closing at the end of the month... after having an inventory clearance sale with items from both stores.

I can't begin to tell you how bummed I am about this. Larry's was not a cheap store, but it was close, not horribly expensive (compared to other stores of its type) and it carried all sorts of things I really want to buy that I certainly haven't ever found anywhere else close by. They had an excellent butcher block with knowledgable and helpful people... and almost all of their meats were organic and free range (which is what my doctor told me to eat). They also had some of the best produce in the area during the winter (after Yakima Fruit Market closes for the season). Their pre-prepared food was wonderful and not too pricy (we'd often swing in there if we were getting home late and wanted a good dinner -- they had fantastic salads and soups). Plus there was the HUGE cheese counter... with everything under the sun. And, best of all, they were just down the street!

Mostly, though, it's just inconvenient... there's still going to be a Larry's in Redmond, so it's driveable to stock up on some of the things I've only ever found there (e.g. root beer I like, made with real sugar), and the PCC in Kirkland isn't too far away for getting some of the organic meats, even if the butcher block is really small. Or maybe I'll try that butcher shop in Bellevue that I've heard so much about. The local Safeway hasn't been too bad with the fresh produce in the winter. And there's always Trader Joe's for everything else. But I'm really going to miss the convenience. And the people (Larry's tended to keep their employees, so most of the ones at our local store had been there for YEARS).

tomte just sent me a link to an article about the whole thing, in the King County Journal -- apparently we'll be getting a G.I.Joe's where Larry's used to be. Joy.

In *much* better news, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, my PT cleared me to go back to working out at Curves... so in addition to the walking I've been doing every morning with taradaktyl, I've been going in there once a week (and being very careful with the upper body workouts). I had been averaging a loss of about two pounds a week for the eight weeks before I started Curves... well, today I decided to take a look at how I've been doing since then (actually expecting to have maybe plateaued a bit) to discover that in the last two weeks I've lost five pounds (i.e. 2.5 pounds a week). Yay!!! This also puts me at having lost 21 pounds in the last ten weeks. Definite celebration time!

Comments

[dolphinchatter.livejournal.com]

Never was a Larry's in Silverdale. I was thinking that the Nakata's, who own Market Place, might be interested in them, but there's already a Market Place in Shoreline.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Ah well... I was taking a stab at which store had been "the only one" they claimed was going to be closed. I don't actually remember which one it was, just that it was supposed to not be the one just down the street.

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

We used to come up to the Larry's in Bellevue every two weeks or so; there was a lot of stuff we couldn't get elsewhere, and the best sushii in any grocery store; there was even one in Lakewood Center for a while, twenty minutes away. The dot bomb was probably responsible for the worst of their troubles, but the management wasn't good at identifying the deal-breakers for their out-of-area customers, either. Neither was the PCC and Whole Foods competition, nor Uwajimya on 124th much good for them.

I'm going to miss going to the stores, we always made a point of getting lunch at a Larry's when we were within striking distance.

Julia, oh, joy, another GI Joes, what we need, fer shure

[fishsanwitt]

Congratulations on the weight loss :)

[textualdeviance.livejournal.com]

It's a pity you guys live where you do. I highly recommend Central Market. There's one in Shoreline and one up near us. It has all the specialty and organic stuff, plus a full line of Asian food, and all the regular grocery store stuff. It's a far better selection than I've ever found anywhere else.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I hate that when a favorite store just up and closes, it throws your routine right out the window. And congrats on the weight loss.

[zotel.livejournal.com]

Reminds me a little bit of Melton's in our area. They just sorta went downhill a bit, Winn Dixie and Kroger took a bite out of them I think. Now, though, about 10 15 years later they are staring to perk up a little, they are actually opening a new store for the first time in forever. And they had closed several of them if I recall correctly. They always seemed to have the best little roasted chickens. Mmm.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Bugger on closure of the shop.

And well done on the weight loss - you will be the slim sylph-like one in October, then....

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Heh! I wish!! Alas, this is just a drop in the bucket. Slim is something I won't be for quite awhile... at this point, I'm just hoping for "a little less round and lumpy." :-p

[wildrider.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. We lost our neighborhood Basha's and it, too, carried some things I couldn't find anywhere else. At least there's still a few of 'em open elsewhere (although not within walking distance).

[dm-lunsford.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the weight loss! This has definitely reminded me I need to get back in my routine with Curves.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

I keep hoping I'll be able to do more than once a week, but my PT wasn't kidding when she said that was all I'd be able to handle for awhile.

[adjrun.livejournal.com]

Do they have Whole Paycheck up around your area? I kind of hate them, as they bought out a local market chain that was fabulous. But we've got another, New Seasons, that opened just down the hill from us. It's not the cheapest, but -- sometimes a girl NEEDS 2-year-old aged cheddar or free-range chicken breast, right?

Congrats on the weight loss! That's fabulous!