Step #2 (Optional) Write a long, dramatic, self-important narrative regarding your ambivalence about stopping the blog

Step #3: Link to your new blog

Step #4: Leave a nice picture for the enjoyment of people who land on your dead blog

Nice Picture

Floating fall foliage

Company: American Apparel

Location: The Annapolis Mall, located at 2002 Annapolis Mall, Unit 1335, Annapolis

Primary business focus: American Apparel is a clothing manufacturer and retailer. There are not many places to buy merchandise made in the USA nowadays, but one company bucking the import trend is American Apparel. This store’s sweatshop-free products include accessories and men’s and women’s clothing, including tees, pants, dresses and items made from organic cotton. The company’s signature look is simple, solid color knit pieces.

Open positions: Cashiers and keyholders. Both day and evening shifts are available.

Training: Provided.

How to apply: Print your résumé and list of references and bring them in or call (410) 266-6661 for more information. Email tayloro@americanapparel.net to learn more about job openings and other open calls.

Desired employees:

• bright, hard-working people
• intelligent, friendly and dedicated people
• those who are passionate about American Apparel

According to American Apparel’s Sean Seaton, “Anyone is welcome to come in for an interview with the manager.” He says that employee perks include 50% off merchandise, health benefits for full timers, and a clothing allowance after working there for a while. “It’s a good opportunity for people who show initiative to move up. I love working for the company.”

To see the full description of the open call for employment, click here. http://www.americanapparel.net/contact/retailjobs/

But did you know it may close 40 or so post offices in Maryland, too? The guillotine list includes Betterton, Tylerton, Massey and some place called Ladiesburg.

The plan is to turn post offices into vacant store fronts and to relocate postal business, or “village post offices,” to gas stations and grocery stores. And sorry towns with no gas station or grocer, but you’re going to have to figure out something on your own.

There’s no word on the next postage cost increase yet, but you can bet stamps are going up, too.

Lergik

But I need not have worried. So called “bath salts,” which actually contain not salt but a mixture of plutonium, battery acid, and methyldioxybraindamage (or some such things), are sold over the counter. Their soon-to-be illegal status will not block the sale of  Epsom salt.

Judy van der Velden

There are lots of new dining choices in Annapolis! The Market House just opened with several food vendors. Metropolitan recently reopened its doors. Now Red Red Wine is making a splash.

The downtown scene is about to get hipper with today’s opening of Red Red Wine at 189B Main Street, the former site of American Craftworks Collection.

I spoke to the owner back in January, as the renovations to the restaurant’s site were just getting started. He said he hoped for a May 1 opening, but he knew that the actual date was beyond his control and depended on the city government, contractors, and other factors.

Red Red Wine owner and wine buyer, Brian Bolter is the news anchor for Washington, DC’s WTTG-TV. “My background is as a storyteller,” he said. “I’ll tell about the labeling, the many regions, the family who runs the winery, the things that will help people connect with what’s in the bottle. We’re the filter, tasting the wines for you. You can’t go out and taste a thousand wines to figure out what’s good.”

When asked about a target age group for the establishment, Bolter balked. “Age isn’t the issue—focus and interest is. Millenials, second to baby boomers, are the second largest group of wine drinkers today. Twenty to 30 year olds are open to exploring, and the baby boomers tend to know their wines.” And everyone is “focused on value. Both the Internet and the economy have made consumers more savvy.” “The locals, tourists, legislature, when they’re in session, and employees who work around here are important to us,” he said to describe his target consumer.

“Annapolis does two things very well: white-tablecloth fine dining and pub food,” Bolter observed. “It’s hard to find a great salad and artisanal cheeses and chocolates. Healthy gourmet is very different” than the standard fare  available in the area. He wants Red Red Wine to offer an alternative “middle ground: California cuisine, healthy gourmet food. We’re not going to have a deep fryer.” His wife Lisa is “in charge of the menu and the back of the house.”

“We’re a restaurant, a wine café. We want a coffee-house feel; there will be an espresso machine. We think we’re going to be the most technologically advanced on Main Street. We’ll have free wifi and extra outlets. People can come here for coffee late in the morning, get a little work done in the afternoon.”

Upon entering the “funky and unique” space, patrons will be greeted by an entry lounge with soft seating. Antiques, including candelabras and chandeliers have been selected, and there are plans for a wine cellar room with a private seating area with shelves of reserve wines lining the walls. The long narrow space is slated to seat 59 people, and there is a retail component as well, where people pick up a bottle. Wines will be organized by flavor—bold, bright, dry, earthy, and so on—not by region or type of grape.

Décor will feature a “Eighteenth-Century / Victorian / New Orleans / recording studio / rock star vibe,” Bolter described. Walls will be dramatically painted by uplighting installed in the hardwood floors. Softer accents include oriental rugs, and plush fabric seating.

Red Red Wine is slated to employee between 10 and 15 people. The hours are currently set from 11 a.m. to midnight, but “We’re looking at a 2:00 a.m. license,” Bolter said, “and board members are trying to accommodate establishments like us.”

The Annapolis bookstore hosted a Harry Potter event, and some adults signed up for it. And not just “some” but a lot! That’s because Harry Potter has been around for ten years now, and many kids who grew up reading the series are adults now. My, we are getting old.

Here’s a story about it.

Well, let me tell you.

You can get it here: http://www.vin909.com/, 909 BAY RIDGE AVENUE, ANNAPOLIS, MD 21403

They sent me their new menu, so I’m sharing it with you.