PALOMINAS TRADING POST

When the economy slows, it's interesting to see what business are effected.

My brother, a full-time piano-tuner, can tell you when a whisper of economic distress is in the wind; other than professional musicians, most people can easily and without any pain put off paying $100 for getting their piano tuned.

Restaurants feel the punch, when people discover that, yes, they can eat cheaper at home and no, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is not just for college kids.

Even with us 'regulars' who frequented the Palominas Trading Post, some of us just weekly for Saturday morning breakfast, some every single morning (grumpy old men huddled over their coffee, reading the local newspaper and communicating only by grunts), the money simply wasn't enough to cover costs.

So Pam, one of my favorite people in the whole world, the owner/cook/manager, decided that she should clear out restaurant stuff and have a 'yard' sale (even though it's being held inside the empty restaurant).

Not a bad idea.

However, Pam also decided this would be a great time to get rid of all the extra stuff FROM HER HOME at the same time.

OMG.

You have to understand, those of you who have not had the honor of seeing the PTP, what the, er, interior design is like.

Popular in many restaurants is the antique, old-utensil decor, in a sharp, expensive Martha Stewart style.

At the PTP, there are many, many antique cooking utensils.

But here, they are USED.

It's not just a look - it's economical.

But it adds up to hundreds of coffee mugs, plate, salt and pepper shakers, napkin holders, bread pans, pots, pans, vases, glasses, syrup dispensers....
Add to this Pam's accumulation of STUFF over the past twenty-years - such a used watercolors, yarns, buttons, slide displays (remember slides? Little itty bitty photos than you needed a projector to look at?), dozens of old VHS videos, photo albums, cassette tape holders....

Then you get an idea of the upcoming yard sale on Saturday.

Please - stop by.