Cheap Date

Charlotte has this cool free newspaper called Creative Loafing (ala the Reader for you San Diegans). I was perusing their website today and found this way cool list called Cheap Thrills: 50 Fun Things to do in Charlotte for less than $5bucks

A few of my favorites are:
#3 Thrift-store scavenger hunt: Anyone who's a regular at the area Goodwills, Value Villages and the like knows that there are some items you'll find at any thrift store in America. Other items can be found with regularity but are far from sure things. Look for a copy of Rush Limbaugh's wretched The Way Things Ought To Be -- every Goodwill in America has at least one. The same holds true with What to Expect When You're Expecting.

#7 Free billiards: A handful of places in Charlotte offer free pool for folks on a budget. Elizabeth Billiards, a smoke-filled favorite among certain past and present CL staffers, is known to give out free pizza on Fridays. Of course, they probably want you to shell out a couple of bucks for beer (that free pool ain't paying the light bill). Invite your friends and look thirsty. They owe you money anyway.

...and of course:
#8 Greyhound station sightings: Snobs may sneer, but for my money (or lack of) the bus station on Trade Street provides excellent fodder for people-watching. Remember: Bus stations don't typically employ metal detectors (though I have seen a drug-sniffing dog or two) so the bus depot is where you see the seedier side of interstate travel. Nor do people take buses on business trips, so their travels are more likely to involve a story. And if they're going Greyhound, they likely have plenty of time to wait and might not mind telling a tale or two. Sit around and look bored. You'll see things (601 West Trade St.).


*People watching is one of the best sports ever. Not a sport, you say, oh foul naysayer!? Of course it's a sport. Much effort and concentration is put into effective people watching. And it is not just the watching. The creativity and skill required to evoke believable (or not so much)KGB/007/Jason Bourne type stories is a unique talent not owned by the teeming masses. Catching the drops, watching the eye contacts, seeing the acknowledgements and understanding the hand signals is a gift. Truly it is. Try it sometime, and see how much the CIA really is watching you. (the conspiracy theorist in me rears it's well masked head)

I thought I could add a few of my own favorite cheap dates to the list.

1. Wal-Mart Super Center: Everything from Big Screen TV's to yogurt can be found in this mecca to the consumer gods. Strolling the aisles can open new worlds of people-watching as Wal-Mart cuts a large swath out of America's hierarchical cross section. From welfare folks to Saks 5th Avenue types, everyone needs something at Wal-Mart. The toy section is the best place. I once got chased by a security guard as I did laps on a Razor Scooter. During the summer, you can try out all the different kinds of lawn furniture and dream of your perfect sun-room.

2. Shopping Mall Window Shopping: Near my home there are two large shopping malls and multiple shopping centers. I love to wander the shops and check out sales and people watch and try things on and sample the "Try Me" items, listen to the sales pitches from the kiosks and go in stores in which I have no interest in buying things just to make sure the minimum wage earning teenager is not playing on their cell phone. I rarely buy things unless I'm actually on a mission for something, but the energy that I gain from the interaction is invigorating. The sounds and scents and eye candy is great entertainment. And it's free (as long as you're not duped into buying something you don't need anyway). This last point does not count for shoes. There is never a wrong time to buy shoes.

3. Going for a drive: Where does this road go? I think I'll turn right here. There's a sign for a park, let's check it out. Wonder what the houses on this street look like? I love to wander around town and look at houses and trees and find out what roads connect to what. Charlotte is set up like a wagon wheel, with Uptown as the axle and main arteries spreading out in all directions. The 485 freeway is the tire as it circles the entire city. The rest of the roads are a maze of curves changing direction and name at will. Some roads, you actually have to turn left or right to stay on the same road, if you go straight through the light you will be on a different road. Driving around Charlotte is always an adventure. *Always travel with a street map in case you get lost. I don't trust Garmin's. Also, with the price of gas inching up, this date might not fall under the $5buck range. If not, you should probably buy a new car.

4. Tour Uptown and Check out Hotel Lobbies: D and I spent the last 3 days Uptown and wandered the streets taking pictures of architecture and Christmas decorations.We toured the grounds of an old church and graveyard. There are many hotels in the city and they all have nice open lobbies. You do not have to be a guest to sit and enjoy the lobby area. Most connect to some type of restaurant and bar area with a TV set on and possibly a water feature. You can relax on a couch and read the newspaper, catch up on the sports news and maybe partake in the buffet (again this would be more than $5bucks but you could do it if you wanted to). As long as you are unassuming and do not draw attention to yourself, you could hang out in a lobby indefinitely as they are open 24 hours. I do not recommend spending more than a few hours in one, then move down the block to the next fancy hotel lobby and try out their sofa's.

5. Open Houses and Model Homes: Viewing Open Houses and touring Model Homes is a good time waster with some fun, cruel and productive results. Not only can you create fantastical stories of your Southern California real estate market pre-bubble bursting bankroll that is burning a hole in your pocket, thus raising the hopes and dreams of a struggling real estate agent, but you can get great decorating ideas as well. You can also see why Martha Stewart should have stayed behind bars as the perfectly themed rooms vomit their excess into the hallways. And see why the mover-outers are moving out when you hear the next door neighbor screaming at his ever barking dog, and the teenagers across the street revving their rice rocket engines. Usually there are some kind of goodies to partake of and brochures & flyers galore.

These are just a few of my favorite things. Dear Lord, I am bored.