The Simple Shoe Saga Pt.1

So, my favorite pair of shoes has started to look pretty raggedy.


Sadly, Simple Shoes has stopped making shoes for the time being, so I can’t replace them. However, I was able to find 2 pairs of Simple Shoes in my size (gargantuan) on Zappos.com and ordered them before my vacation so I could pick them up when I went home. I could then retire my current pair to a life of watching out the window and enjoying their twilight years. But that wasn’t to be. I stupidly transposed two numbers in my brother’s PO box and they shoes were returned to Zappos. I called them and was able to get one pair shipped out again, but they wouldn’t arrive before I left home to come back to Korea.

But, I still decided to document what was supposed to be the last hurrah for my current pair of shoes.

And will continue to do so. Until I can retire them in October.

Relaxing before their big day at Silver Dollar City

Waiting for my brother to pick us up for the drive to SDC

Enjoying their break for lunch at the Mill

Enjoying some strawberry lemonade

Overlooking the bridge by the Lost River watching some fish

In the parking lot before leaving SDC

Kicking back in the car for the ride back to Springfield
Overall, I think they enjoyed their day out. I know they like being in America where the sidewalks and other walkways are cleaner.

Tennessee – The Cracker Barrel State

Ok, seriously, WTF, Tennesee? If we weren’t passing a Cracker Barrel, we were seeing a Cracker Barrel sign on the interstate. It became so bad that we were going to try to take pictures of them on the way back. Instead, one of us would start laughing when we spotted one causing the other to start looking around for a sign. It was made even more amusing by the fact that neither of us eat there by choice due to not being a fan of some of their business practices – I only eat there if my aunts want to go there (my Aunt Peggy loooves her some Cracker Barrel chicken & dumplings).


According to their website, there are 50 locations in Tennessee, and it felt like we passed all of them on I-40 (I think it was I-40). In reality, I think we passed maybe 5 or 6? But it felt like all of them since there are signs about every 5 or 10 miles alerting you to an impending Cracker Barrel. Heaven forbid you miss one. Not only that, but their actual store signs are usually higher and larger than any other sign around to be sure that you don’t miss it.


We stopped for lunch on Thursday because it was pouring down rain and we’d already passed 3 accidents. We pull off and onto guess what road?

Yup, Cracker Barrel Lane

We stopped to use the bathroom at some random little truck stop on the edge of NC on the way back, and as Doug is purchasing a hideous coffee mug for me, he makes a comment about finding a Cracker Barrel. The guy behind the counter says, “Oh, there’s one, let me see, one, two, three…three exits up.” Doug and I look at each other and start laughing then explain to the guy about the seeming deluge of Cracker Barrels in Tennessee. The guy behind the counter laughs and says that he and his brother noticed that too when they were driving up to a military camp thing the previous year.

We stop for the night at a Comfort Inn in TN on Saturday night. Guess what’s next door?


Yup, another f’in Cracker Barrel.

So yeah, if you happen to drive through any part of Tennessee, keep an eye out for Cracker Barrels – they’re everywhere trying to suck you in through subliminal mind games.

Ordering Pizza Online in Korea: Domino's

One of the great things about the Internet is that you can do simple tasks without having to deal with actual people. Simple tasks like getting food to shove into your face. Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking and you don't want to be bothered to change out of your pajamas to go out to forage. Enter online ordering for food. However, if you're a foreigner living in S. Korea and have limited Korean skills, getting food delivered without the aid of a Korean is nearly impossible. But, fear not, there is a beacon of hope (if I can even bear to call it that): Domino's Pizza is available online for foreigners.

My last resort for pizza
Sure, other pizza places, like Papa John's and Pizza Hut, offer online ordering as well, but their online systems won't accept the ARC (Alien Registration Card) information of foreigners so we can't sign up for their services. Domino's is the only place, so far, that will accept information from foreigners into their online ordering system. So while Domino's is usually the last place I consider ordering from (even in the US), now it's moved up a few slots due to the convenience of being able to place an order online from work and post it to be delivered later in the evening after I get home.

One major pain in the posterior is that you have to register and place your orders using Internet Explorer: for some reason Korean web developers haven't figured out that IE sucks and nobody wants to use it. Another pain is that on my home laptop, the pages take forever to load due to the excessive Active X and other random extra stuff that is completely unnecessary.

Once you get on their site (www.dominos.co.kr), registering is pretty easy. Just click on the English link in the upper-right corner then click Register, which is also located in the upper-right corner. Entering your information is pretty straight forward, luckily. However, when you're ordering and it's time to enter your payment information, that can get a bit confusing. You have to pay with a card online - you can't select to pay cash when the driver arrives. If you use online banking, your bank security information should already be all set up and you'll just need to enter your certificate passwords or whatever else your bank uses. You can even use your American credit card if you want (note: if you have a Visa, you'll have to be registered with "Verified by Visa"). If you don't use online banking, you'll have to jump through a bunch of hoops and enter information on this site.

Another nice thing is that Domino's offers discounts for your first order, ordering multiple pizzas, and other offers that will change over time.

Good luck and happy ordering!

Sure...sure ya know "the pizza" Mr. Samurai-hat-wearing pizza guy

Drive-Thru Bar-B-Que - Springfield, MO

Alrighty, I told the owners of this little place that I'd post a blog about their place to see if I could generate a couple more customers for them. They're a small drive-thru barbecue business in Springfield.

They're located on Sunshine Street near Hwy 65 in the parking lot where Price Cutter used to be. It's across from that ginormous church that used to be a nightclub almost to Plaza Street.
They have barbecue pork, chicken, and beef sandwiches on pita bread - I'm not sure about other bread types. You can get a lunch special for $5.99 that includes a sandwich, a side, and a drink - a pretty good deal if ya ask me.
I had the lunch special with a bbq chicken pita and the potato salad. The potato salad was quite good: not too mustardy and they mix some grated cheese in with it, too.

The bbq chicken pita was quite good. The sauce flavor was mild and not too overpowering or spicy. It was pretty messy, though, so ya might want to take some wet wipes with ya (granted, that could've just been be).
They recently added some picnic tables outside so you can sit and enjoy your quick lunch right there. The service is fast and friendly and it's not too expensive, so it makes for a nice, filling, quick lunch if you're in a hurry. They also have larger meals if you're in the mood to take some barbecue home to the family.

So stop in and help out a small, local business and have a delicious lunch while you're at it.

Coffee Tweet

So, Coffee Tweet...yes that is the name of this coffee shop, and no, it's not based on Twitter. However, it does have a bird theme. This is the only Coffee Tweet that I've ever seen, so I assume it's just a privately owned little coffee shop. The sign outside says the hours are 10am - 12pm (they of course mean midnight and not noon, though). However, I think the hours are different on Sunday because I've been here around 11 am or so and they haven't been open yet.
It's located on the same block as KFC but on the other side by Donglee Pie Shop and Calvin Klein. It's also across the street from A Twosome Place. Another lovely Paint map
The prices on drinks here are typical of most coffee shops: 3000 won for an espresso - 5600 won for a cafe mocha. The difference being that they only offer one size here instead of a regular and a large. They also have a small dessert selection: maybe three or four items? A brownie, cheesecake, and a couple of other items. The prices on these are around 4000 won. They also have bagels and a pretzel. You can also get the elusive Arizona iced teas for around 3000 or 4000 won, I think. A decent selection of teas and blended drinks is also on the menu. A few set menus are also available.

The first time I came here, I ordered an iced mint mocha. The guy that runs the place was very friendly and offered to add more mint flavor for me if it wasn't strong enough, in English I might add. The mint was fine, though, however the coffee here seems to be a bit more bitter than at other places. My iced cafe mocha that I had today was also more bitter than other places.

The inside of Coffee Tweet isn't very big, but it's comfortable. One downside is it seems that voices carry too well and even with just a few people in the lobby, it seems like there is an army chattering in their high-pitched Korea.

The bird theme is very evident in the decor with a large bird cage on the wall directly across from the entrance and bird cages acting as light fixtures. There is also a row of birds on a shelf along the side wall.
Overall, it's a cozy little place, but I'm not sure how often I'll come here due to the noise level and slightly bitter coffee. The seemingly sporadic hours don't do it any favors either. However, it's a cute little place with a friendly guy behind the counter.

Starbucks! - Yeongtong

I have plenty of things to blog about, but first, breaking news for the Yeongtong area (well, maybe not). Yeongtong has finally rated a Starbucks. Sometime while I was gone on vacation at the end of May/beginning of June, a Starbucks opened a block from my apartment building.

It’s located across from the Worldmark building on the Grandmart side of the main street through Yeongtong. A worse map than usual in Paint - I blame being all sniffly and having sinus problems.
I’m here early (8 am), so it’s not too busy. The hours listed on the door are 7 am – 11 pm. The inside is quite spacious as far as storefronts in Korea go with seating for plenty of people. They don’t have Wi-Fi yet, but I’m told they will soon (I’m typing this in Word while drinking my coffee – I’ll go somewhere else to post it soon).
There’s an upstairs, too, which is quite a bit smaller, but more importantly, there are bathrooms upstairs. If you’ve been in Korea for any length of time, you know that finding a decent bathroom while out and about is akin to striking gold.
The décor strikes me as being modern with a bit of antiquity thrown in when I look at the table legs. I think it works well and adds a nice element to the look.
You can get your typical Starbucks fare here: mugs, coffee, Via, etc. I don’t see Bearistas yet, but I’m hopeful.
The barista also gave me some weird sticker thing with numbers on it that I really have no clue what it’s for.
The food and drink offerings are also standard Starbucks items: espresso, frappuccino, bagels, sandwiches, desserts, etc. One of the best things about Starbucks in Korea is that I know I can get soy milk in my coffee. I’m having my typical Starbucks drink today: venti iced soy caramel macchiato.
I’m also hungry since I’ve been up half the night due to my sleep schedule not being evened out yet due to travel and sinus issues, so I’m having a chicken burrito. I don’t know if I’d have it again, though. It would taste great except for the sauce that’s in it. I don’t really care for it but I can’t quite place the flavor. It’s almost a bit sweet…kind of like the Korean bulgogi sauce but not as strong if that makes sense.
The music isn’t too overpowering (yet) so you can still hear your companions without having to yell. As I’m sitting here right now, the song Everyday by Buddy Holly is playing, which makes me smile for some reason. I think it reminds me of listening to the Stand By Me soundtrack with my best friend when we were kids.
,br/> At any rate, the opening of a Starbucks gives me hope that a sandwich shop will re-open in the area (like a Subway or a Quizno's).

Until then, happy exploring!

Louie's Cafe - Forest City, NC

I've been absent for a bit, but I have several things I need to blog about. I've been pretty busy lately with work and such before my trip to the US for a wedding (which is where I am now).

I am currently in Forest City, NC with my Dougie-poo for my friend Jennifer's wedding (yay!!!). I think we are now very familiar with the downtown area of the town since we circled it 4 or 5 times. Garmin apparently has no clue where anything in NC is.

At any rate, we decided we would get pizza for lunch and tried to find Barley's Bar and Pizzeria, which led us to a bookstore in the previously mentioned downtown area. The nice lady at the bookstore told us where it was (actually in Spindale, which was a few miles away). We ended up getting directions from her to a different local pizza place and headed that way.

We ended up at Louie's Cafe. The address is 235 S. Powell Street in Forest City, NC if you're ever in the area and want to check it out.

Doug ordered a side salad to start (he should've just asked for a plate of lettuce since that's all he ate of it), and I ordered us some garlic twists. The garlic twists are just $3 for 6 pieces and are quite good. The sauce is a bit runny, but oh well.

For our food food, Doug ordered a spinach and bacon calzone.

He said it was pretty good. I ordered the meatball grinder.

That sucker was massive. Doug and I could've easily split it and been very full. Since it was only $5.25, I didn't think it was going to be that massive. Half of it is in the car in a styrofoam box right now. BTW, the calzone was also $5.25.
So the little cafe gets a thumbs up from me and Doug both. The food was good for really good prices.