Jimmy Johns, 1000 Prints, Trumpet Vine, Green Space, Mini Stores

Just got back from Jimmy John's. It has become my favorite haunt when I don't have a lunch appointment that otherwise takes me away from downtown. I love their # 14 Club Tuna on 7 Grain Bread. Yum.

I tend to eat late when "I eat alone" (George Thorogood just came to mind), and I tend to like to read. I always concentrate better when there is noise around me. They always have good music at Jimmy John's - another plus.

On the way back I stopped at the corner of Washington and South Elm, just outside of 1000's of Prints, you know, the store on the corner with the vines all over the south wall. I had thought that all those vines were Virginia Creeper, but lo and behold there's a bunch of Trumpet Vine blooming. I love Trumpet Vine blossoms, especially the color - same color orange as the sweatshirt I am wearing now, which is a hoodie of an ACC school and NOT Virginia, Virginia Tech or Miami! A sweatshirt you say in this weather? Well, it isn't "this weather" in my building. It's freezing!

Anyway, I can also see the lovely orange trumpet vine outside my window - it's nice, especially set against all that green!

Speaking of green, there needs to be more of it downtown. I like the park several blocks north, but there remains a woeful lack of green space generally. City's need green spaces. These don't have to be big. Tiny little "parks" with grass and a couple of trees and benches are great. You find them all over many cities. There are enough empty lots that I think we could have more of these spaces. It would make the downtown experience more pleasant, especially for the pedestrian. Our city still is not very pedestrian friendly.

A couple of other business ideas. I hear that a grocery store is going to be built eventually in the site south of Lee. In the mean time, somewhere along Lee, I think there is need for "mini" versions of 1) a real grocery store, 2) a Kinko's type store, and 3) an Office Depot type store. Mini versions. I am sure the prices would be higher and the selection of course less, but it is for these things that I most often have to leave downtown. OK, a book store would be great too, but small bookstores seem to be a thing of the past. I wonder if Borders or Barnes and Noble could have like a small "satellite" downtown. That would be cool too.