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!