A community defined by our grocery stores

    I wasn't surprised how many people read  or tweeted my recent post on the construction of our Whole Foods store.  I saw the same thing on my posts before the Wegman's opened.  Nothing generates views like posting on new grocery stores opening in our area.  Add in our Trader Joe's and Columbia will have the triumvirate of high end grocers.  With the recent Baltimore Sun article about Howard County now being the 2nd highest county in median income in the US (up from 6th in the last census data) we shouldn't be surprised that we are a prime market for upscale merchants.  It is only surprising that it took Whole Foods this long to locate here.  I remember reading stories about how the Rouse Company tried to get Whole Foods to move into the space that Hechingers used to have in Dobbin Center.  You can tell how long ago that was by my references to Hechingers and the Rouse Company, two long ago entities.
    I have spent the past week in the land of Piggly Wiggly, Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo.  Try finding organic food in these markets! I had trouble even finding skim milk. But they do seem to have a war on with grocers who gives you the most on coupons.  You remember store coupons, don't you?  These were in our area before the grocers all when to their loyalty cards as the only way you save money shopping.  I saw one store here that was giving triple back on store coupons.  You can only image how long it took to check out with the two people ahead of me, with my 3 items, when they must have each had a coupon for every item they purchased.  When the checkout clerk saw that I didn't have any coupons she said, "Hon, you must not be from around here."  I thought that "hon" was just a Baltimore term but it seems that it is also a Southern term for everyone.

P.S.
   With Tom Clancy's death recently it reminded me of the story of his condo in Baltimore having a shooting range.