(Trying to) Buy Local
Here’s the story of what happened when we tried to dump our big corporate ISP and go with a local company:
FAIL
So, yep, the attempt failed, because it depends on line of sight to their transmitter and we have way too many trees around us. (Uh, not that this is a bad thing.) It’s a shame because we really wanted to support this local company which, by all accounts, has some really great customer service. Instead, we’re stuck with the big company which generally sucks but we do have a friend who works for them and he’s nice and… well… he’s nice. And knowing him came in handy when the trash collector people tore down our cable line one day and didn’t bother to tell anyone.
But that’s not the point I’m trying to make here! Trying to buy local, that’s what I’m talking about!
Now, since we are entering into the holiday season, please let me segue into a little rant that I have… listen up, downtown Corvallis! And Albany, too! You guys have to — no, I really mean HAVE TO — stay open later if you want my ‘buy local’ dollars. I’m not kidding, and 5:30 doesn’t count. I have to work every day until 5pm and I am SO NOT DOWN with the 20 minute mad-dash. No, no, no. And don’t even try to tell me I have to give up my Saturdays to support you, either. While I’m certainly willing to do a little of my shopping on Saturday, I’m already here — 10 miles from home — all week.
It’s totally irksome to hear that some business owners complain that people don’t shop local, when many are doing everything in their power to ensure that they aren’t open when I can actually shop. Please don’t stress me out while I attempt to be your customer. Kthxbai.
(Oh, and P.S., I’m really sad that SLAB had to close. There was only so much soap I could buy, but I did my best.)
Fake Plastic Fish has a good, thought provoking post today about expanding the definition of local. As an avid Etsy… well, I’d like to be more of a shopper, but there’s a budget to consider. Call me an Etsy stalker. Anyway, I kind of like this idea of being a ‘community shopper’, rather than a strict ‘local shopper’.
There. There’s my consumerist diatribe for today. Thank you, come again!
November 13th, 2008 at 10:18 am
[...] is bleeding into my gift-giving consciousness. But it’s not easy. Thanks to local blogger Kate, I don’t feel so bad about my frustration: It’s totally irksome to hear that some business [...]
November 13th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I am so with you on the store hours situation! I love trying to shop locally, but the mad dash is RIDICULOUS. I recently took an afternoon Off Of Work so that I could do some clothes shopping without having to rush through it. Crazy.
November 13th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Totally agree about Corvallis business hours. I go to school during the day and work nights and weekends, so evening hours are the only hours I can shop. I tend to be a reluctant shopper anyway and mostly end up shopping online, despite wanting to buy local.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
[...] ideas for how to do some holiday shopping locally! Local blogger (and Green City guest blogger) Kate was having some issues, so we put it to the group. Here’s what you had to say: Jim said to [...]
November 22nd, 2008 at 5:52 am
I like Fake Plastic Fish’ take on what local means and that sometimes it’s not about geography at all. Sigh. I get a real kick out of seeing the “Buy Local!” campaign that is being printed in the GT. The Corvallis newspaper is owned by a conglomeration based in the Midwest that is in turn owned by a bunch of banks headed by the Deutsche Bank. Yup… our “local” paper is owned by the Germans! Gotta love it. Nothing wrong with the “buy local” message but it takes some real thought and soul-searching to discover what it really means to you as an individual. The GT appears to be brandishing the slogan as something politically correct to print to make their advertisers happy. Sigh.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
hence my new t-shirts: “Corvallis: Closed on Sunday,” which I am sure will be a huge hit, but which i will sell only during very, very limited hours. so hurry on over.
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I would absolutely wear that shirt!