Basic_B

Marcella and I went over to the grand opening of the new Apple store at Friendly Center…next to the Williams-Sonoma. We got there about 9 AM after stopping at Starbucks on the way to pick up our morning life-drinks. The line was already started and there were apparently at least a few people who had arrived the previous evening…crazy, it was cold out last night.

Anyway, I think we were about 150 people back in the line. Opening began at about 10 AM. By the time it did open the line was around the block. I heard estimates ranging from just below 400 to over 500 people, and the line probably kept growing after the doors actually opened because even when they did open not everyone was allowed in right away. I’d say we got in the doors at about 10:15 or so.

We were given our boxes with a free t-shirt as we entered and shook hands and congratulated some of the cheering employees and then we took a quick trip through the store looking for a new power brick that matches our MacBooks. We’ve been wanting to have a spare one of those around the house. We received a little assistance from a few of the employees making sure we were getting the right one for our model of MacBooks and then made the purchase and left…clicking a button or too and ogling a cinema display on the way out of the door.

I’m sure the Apple store will become one of our regular destinations when we go shopping at that shopping center in the future, and it is nice to know that we now have a place to go and get advice if we do have problems with our computers at some point.

I took a quick trip over to the bookstore after work. Borders sent me an email this morning with a link to a coupon and it was burning a hole in my pocket. I must say, there are times when those coupons are very effective at getting me to go to the bookstore. Not that I don’t go all the time anyway, but the coupon will get me to go sooner.

I didn’t have any particular title on the agenda, but I did end up walking out with something. It’s one of those geeky books that makes me want to read all sorts of other geeky books. It is called Classics for Pleasure, and it is basically a list of “classic” books selected by the author that he asserts are fun to read, not just because they might be important, but simply for the pleasure they provide. Each title or author gets a short essay, of about a page or two, where he outlines his reasons for choosing that particular entry.

I flipped through it and I found myself enjoying his commentary and wanting to pick up some of the titles he mentioned, so I bought it. One author, in particular, that he mentions is Italo Calvino, and it reminded me that I had one of his books on the shelf at home that I bought ages ago, and had forgotten about, so I had to come home and shuffle about until I found it.

I’ve added both the Classics for Pleasure and the Italo Calvino title to my library page for future reading. Actually, I’ll probably go ahead and update the status for the classics title to currently reading, but it’s not a novel to be read in big chunks. It’ll probably be the kind of book I put by the bedside to flip open and browse in different sections as the mood strikes, and as I seek inspiration for further readings.

On that note I also wanted to reveal the results of my poll as to what I should read next (see my post here.) So along with Classics for Pleasure I will also begin reading Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaimon. It won out by a staggering 100 percent margin, plus or minus 3 percent. Thanks, Finley, for the vote.

We keep driving by the Shoppes at Friendly Center in Greensboro looking for evidence of where and when the supposed Apple store is to open, but as yet have not seen any sign.

It was my understanding this was to happen sometime this summer. I would have thought there would at least be an Apple logo on a construction entrance or something. Just to say, “future home of….”

Does anybody have any idea which location will house the store, and when it is scheduled to open? I’m looking forward to browsing on my trips to that shopping center, along with my visits to REI and B&N.

Marcella and I got up and out a little earlier this morning than our usual Saturday morning routine, so that we could go to the REI garage sale. For those of you who don’t know what REI is, click on this link—REI.

I worked for them briefly before I moved back to Florida last year, and thought they would be a good company to stay with, but at the time I had other financial needs that required I do something else. It’s funny though, every familiar person I run into over there asks, when they see me, “So, are you coming back to work?” It would be nice to have that employee discount again….

Anyway, the garage sale was fairly cool. They had a big turnout. Marcella and I were number 106 and 107 respectively in line to get in, and the line stretched for at least another 100 people after us.

Of course, it was kind of a zoo one you got inside. We ended up leaving without very much stuff, but it was good to see what the event was like, and now we know next year to get there about an hour earlier to get a number so that we can be even closer to the front of the line.

What I got was a set of Yakima mounting brackets for another bike rack to go on the roof of my car. I may or may not use them anytime soon, but they were $8 rather than the usual $40. I would still need to buy another rail.

Marcella got really lucky and found a pair of women’s road cycling shoes by Pearl Izumi in her size. They probably usually go for about $100 and she got them for $20.

The whole thing is a good deal, but you do want to get there early.