Chris G.'s Profile

For years I have seen the commercials and listen to our friends from Texas rant about Sonic. So I was excited to say the least when they came to the Puget Sound area. I waited for the initial rush to die down before I headed to the Puyallup Sonic Drive Inn. I have actually been 3 times before I decided to write this review. Each time I have been it has been midweek and not during the normal lunch hours usually after 2:00pm or around 11:00am. I have always walked up to the speaker and ordered rather then eat in my car even though there were plenty of stalls available. My order was taken promptly each time and the food arrived quickly. The last time I went there was a construction worker fixing the canopy from a ladder near the walk up station which was mildly annoying to maneuver around. But he was doing his best not disrupt anything which I can understand. The carhops have all ways been friendly and helpful. And for fast food the meal is much better then I expected. I ordered the Super Sonic Cheese Burger, Onion Rings and a Cherry Limeade all three times and was very satisfied. Though I do need to try some other things they have on there menu next time I go. My 4 year old daughter really enjoys there kids meals. Over all I like Sonic and would like to see one in the Olympia area soon. I diffidently prefer them over any other fast food chain.

To quote Kenny Bania from Seinfeld "The best Jerry the best!" these Hamburgers are simply the best! Even with the odd hours, only being open seasonally, outdoor seating only being a drive-thru and the lines in the evenings. This place is absolutely five stars. A family run business that believes in customer service. Once they made a mistake on the price of an order (which they caught) and they gave me the meal for free. Now the hamburgers are large and come with an array of toppings including a fried egg.  And the fries crispy which I like. Not a huge selection on the milk shake flavors but I always order strawberry no matter where I go so I'm OK with that. So if your in the area stop by you wont be disappointed!

I am not a diehard fan of Starbucks. But I really like this one. It has great freeway access for the northbound I-5 commuter. Most of the time I roll through here at zero dark thirty so I have no problem with parking. Though at certain times of the day the parking is horrible and the back up thru drive thru can extend to the street. The baristas are absolutely great! They remember what I drink and call people by name. If the line is long alot of the times they have my drink waiting for me by the time I get to the counter. Now I believe not all Starbucks stores are the same, but this one is exceptional even with the bad parking.

I will never be mistaken for master carpenter "Norm Abrams" of this "This Old House" but I could easily be mistaken for "Tim the tool man Taylor". With that said I do like to do my own home improvement projects. I have to admit part of what makes this store so great is that it is less then 10 minutes from my house. I have had nothing but great experiences from Lowe's Home Improvement. Unlike there competition Home Depot I all ways get an answer to a question. If the sales associate does not know the answer they find someone who does. Many times I have showed up with parts of plumping from my sink or pictures of something I have broke and gotten the right supplies not to mention instruction on how to fix it. They have people who have extensive knowledge to help do my projects like fix my roof, remodel my bathroom, install a new dish washer to various plumping and construction projects. Now I'm sure I could drive around and get better prices someplace else but, I like the convenience and customer service that Lowe's provides me.

Whoa Whoa  Whoa!  This place can get crazy. I guess that's what you get when your there mid afternoon on a Friday. Now I do like the prices, and there selection of shoes is second to none. But the other shoppers jocking for position for all the designer cloths at bargain prices can just be a little to much for me. Now I'm not one to judge but the "Gay Mafia" was out in force in today. And they are very serious about there discounted fashion. I was in fear of my well being if I wear to interfere with there search for that perfect shirt to go with the "7 for all mankind" jeans they just found for 40% off. So I just backed off and let them have first selection of all the cloths. I kind of felt like a hyena scavenging through what was left after the lions had there feast. Though for an outlet store the "Rack" is definitely organised on how they size and group there brands. I guess I should not complain the crowd are not as bad as Ikea or Costco on a Saturday. And the staff is helpful and honestly seems concerned to help you find what ever you need. Which is worth putting up with the crowds.

Costco is great! I can come here and get every thing I need in bulk. Whether it's my contact lens solution or a bag of frozen chicken breast. The Kirkland brand cost less and has the same quality as the name brands. Now I have a phobia about running out of toilet paper (please don't ask). So I love fact that I can get 36 rolls of toilet paper for $17.99 and what more can you ask for the cheapest lunch around a giant hot dog and a soda for $1.50

Now don't get turned off by the name "ULTIMATE MAN BODY SCRUB SOAP" it sounds like it belongs on one those late night infomercials along with axe body spray and Extenze male enhancement rather then being a Kiehl's product. Let me start off by saying I'm not big on men's products. I don't own any cologne and I buy the Target brand shampoo. I'm pretty much a jeans and t-shirt kind of guy. Though unlike Matthew Mcconaughey I do wear deodorant. Now I have been using this soap for a few years. And every time I breakdown and buy something different I'm disappointed. It's key ingredients are Oat Bran, Oat Kernel Meal, & Pumice. Here are it's claims from the Kiehl's web site.

* "It's a fatigue scrubber!"
* Exhilarates and refreshes
* Cleanses and exfoliates skin
* Helps relax fatigued skin
* Formulated with sloughing bran and oatmeal
* Alleviates roughness on tougher areas like elbows and heels

Do to my job I occasionally spend some time in smoke filled environments for extended periods (I'm a fire fighter). And I come home and smell like a campfire for two or three days. But this is the only product that has been able to get the smell of smoke from my pores almost immediately and it does have an exfoliating quality. Now it is a bit pricey $12.50 for a single bar which you can buy from the Kiehl's web site, the Kiehl's store at University Village (which I have only been to a couple times and had great customer service) or Nordstroms. But I highly recommend this soap and this is one product worth splurging on.

I was in need of a hotel room due to a wedding I was attending. I took a chance got on "priceline" and offered $68.00 dollars for a room and The Red Lion Hotel excepted the offer. I have never stayed at a Red Lion Hotel before, so I really did not have any expectations. The staff was very friendly at check in. I was placed in a room on the second floor near the stairs off the lobby. Now I look for only two things in a hotel "Clean and Quiet". And it lived up to those expectations. I did not hear any one while I was there, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was big. My favorite thing about staying in a hotel is you can take as long a shower as you want because you never run out of hot water. I have to admit I did not spend allot of time in the room due to the wedding preparations but I did use the free WiFi for a few hours (checked in at 3:00pm hung out for a couple of hours went to the wedding rehearsal and got back to the room at 11:00pm then checked out at 10:00am). It was a great place to lay my head for a night. I will defiantly stay at the Red Lion Hotel in the future.