Java Junction in Boise, ID

This time of year reminds me of my 2.5 years in Boise, ID. The chilly air would put me in the mood for coffee and a hearty snack. Off I would go to Java Junction for a mocha and a bowl of chili. The 1 mile walk from my North End home to the corner of Harrison BLVD and Hill Road made that warm meal even better.

I always liked walking up Harrison BLVD in the fall. The trees were busy shedding leaves, and the fantastical, classy Halloween decorations adorned the million dollar homes. The chill in the air kept me walking quickly, while my mind wandered to the point in my life where I could live here, instead of the one room house I was renting.

At Java Junction I'd step up to the counter, find my frequent coffee card in their Rolodex (I wonder how many years it stayed there after I moved away), order a large, 2-shot Mocha, get a bowl of Chile, and sit down in a corner with my computer and sales magazines.

I don't know if they had a special recipe, or if it was all just out of a can, but that Chile was fantastic. It was warm, flavorful, and meaty. I warmed me right up from the inside out, forcing out the chill way a fireplace forces the winter air out of a lonely mountain cabin.

A few hours later, warmed, calmed, and freshly educated, I'd head back home, perhaps strolling a little more slowly this time.

Trading movies for pets in Boise

I find it hard to believe I spent only 2.5 years living in Boise, ID.  It's a great town, though it has grown and changed quite a bit in the last 12 years.

I found this story in the Idaho Statesman a bit disappointing.

For years, drivers exiting the Connector at Franklin Road and heading to the mall couldn't miss seeing the big, square, white building with the movie marquees near the railroad tracks at 130 N. Milwaukee Ave.
By next spring, they'll have an updated PetSmart to check out instead.
"It will just be a stimulus, and better-looking for the entrance of the mall," said Harold Hembree, vice president head of development at Rinker Co., the owner of the property.
Rinker, which owned most of the Boise Towne Square property before its development, built the movie theater in 1988.

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I've been to a few movies in that theater, and I don't recall it being a particularly spectacular one.  By no means am I comparing it to the grand theaters.  But still, it seems kind of sad to watch a movie theater closed and be replaced by a retail store.

It certainly sounds like a nice PetSmart that will provide all sorts of awesome services for pet owners.  It will make for lot's of happy cats, dogs, and people.

It just seems like a movie theater should be different from another type of building.  It's purpose built and dedicated to story telling.  It's a modern temple to the hopes and dreams of America's teenagers.  It's a place to connect with others in a nationwide, shared, dream world.

It just seems like it should have a more dignified future.