Kroger | slightly insightful

I’m just wrapping up another glorious trip to Searcy, Arkansas. I continue to be as impressed as ever with their barbecue and their ability to let time pass them by.

Here are some new photos from the past week for your enjoyment.

Attention everyone, the 2 Friends Bait Shop now has gas! This is fantastic news. Thank you.

I present you with the Kroger that time forgot. The only way you can tell this picture was taken recently is the by looking at the cars up front. Inside and out, it’s pretty dated.

Lastly, here’s a Fina gas station—this is where the 2 Friends sell their gas. I hadn’t seem pumps like these in ages. They remind me of R.O.B., the NES Robot.

I may joke about Searcy, but the truth of the matter is that the people here are good, honest, and hard-working. The landscape is green and lush. It’s easy to like the place and its inhabitants.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking to relocate to Searcy anytime soon, but there is a certain charm that is undeniable. Searcy has in quickly become one of my favorite small towns.

What’s your favorite small town? Is it your home town? Why do you love it? Sound off in the comments below.

All images are from my flickr, unless otherwise noted.

Images from Searcy (slightlyinsightful.com)
The Smartest Thing I’ve Heard This Week (slightlyinsightful.com)

Image via i am superjen’s flickr.

Sometimes a company name (noun), or brand becomes so ubiquitous that it is inseparably associated with what it does and people begin to use it as a verb. Here are a couple of examples.

“Larry is so vain that he can’t go a day without Googling himself.”

“I asked Chester to Xerox 15 copies of his report for the board meeting.”

“Mark always Facebooks the funniest videos of cats and babies.”

Let me state, however, that not every noun should be used as a verb. I’m looking at you, Kroger. The other day your friendly cashier slapped an “I’ve been Krogering” sticker on my 18 month old.

What does that even mean—“I’ve been Krogering”?

When used as a verb, does Kroger mean to go to the most conveniently located grocery store late at night?

Does it mean to make impulse buys from the selection of tabloid magazines and candy bars near the cash register?

Or does it mean to struggle free from the restraints of grocery cart seat belts?

I don’t think I’ll figure what it means on my own. What I do know is that I’ll never be using it in any sentence other than this one: “I think those ‘I’ve been Krogering’ stickers are lame.”

What nouns have you seen or heard being used verbs? Which ones work? Which ones don’t? Sound off in the comments below.