Banal uniformity overtakes another local institution

Well, Miller's Restaurant will turn into the Slot-Machine Mecca of Maine. According to John Miller, the fifty-plus year run of the family's eatery was done in by chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday's, Chili's, etc.) over-filling the local market. It's not like we're a big town, capable of supporting an infinite number of BBQ pits.

So he's sold out to the gaming company that is moving a "racino" to the local harness racing track. $3.5 million, I can't blame him.

And we sure weren't keeping him in business. But now we'll have to figure out some other place to take our annual dinner out.

Onward through the swamp

...or bog, if you insist on technicalities.


A _little_ warmer today, a _little_ less wind, so I headed out on the bicycle again, upriver and then back through the bog. Water wasn't over the road, as we haven't had rain for a few days. Still see patches of snow back in the woods, but the last vestige of _visible_ winter has indeed vacated our back yard. I say visible because you'd still find ice if you tried to stick a shovel in the ground.

Meanwhile, back at MSWord, I've tucked The Shrew into bed with Beowulf. Of course, she's suffering from hypothermia and another warm body is about the fastest way to thaw her out. We'll see what comes up, so to speak.

15 miles, 1:14, still on the mountain bike. Maybe road bike this weekend.