If you build it, they will come...

I'll be there opening day. Guaranteed!

When my former employer sold their sou...er... stock to the dark side of Redwood Shores (what? me? bitter? Nah!) I decided *my* soul wasn't going with my stock, and blanketed the bay with my resume.

As my days commuting to the peninsula grew numbered, I took stock of my situation. My commute would go from 45 minutes to 25 minutes -- with gas pushing well into the $2.00/gallon range, this hit the "pro" column. Ditto ditching $15/week in bridge toll. What would I miss? A steady caffeine supply within walking distance was definitely a nice-to-have, but I'd get over it.

After much introspection, in the end there were two sacrifices I'd truly miss and have difficulty substituting from the East Bay:

First, the proximity of coastal Half Moon Bay -- sand and surf to sooth the soul and fresh seafood to take home for later -- although in reality I'd made the trek exactly twice in my three year tenure in San Mateo.

And second, my weekly pilgrimage to foodie heaven: Draegers. A 60,000 foot emporium devoted to freshly prepared and specially packaged food treasures from all over the world. I could wax poetic about all that is Draegers for three or four paragraphs, but their marketing department sums it up much more succinctly than I would here. And while I have a hard time using the words "sophisticated" or "affluent" in self-descriptions while maintaining a straight face, Draegers was my first choice for an interesting lunch -- on the patio or at my desk. And my primary source for hard-to-find ingredients for dinner at home. Whole Foods works in a pinch, but it's a distant second. I miss Draegers.

Six months later, life is looking up. Draegers is coming soon to a neighborhood near me! Can't wait!