Miscellany of the day

At Thanksgiving I visited San Francisco for the first time, and in wandering down Market Street toward the Bay, found this festive scene. It was in the 50's or 60's that day, so the cooling machinery was working overtime.

Anymore I can never walk by a Macy's without a total lack of desire to go inside. It may be because it swallowed so many locally hallowed names (The Bon Marche, Marshall Field's, etc.), but it is also because the stores that now carry its name are no longer special, or at least I don't perceive them as such. Frango mints are a distinctly Marshall Fieldsian treat, but are now a Macy's exclusive, but why would I want to buy them as a treat for someone when they can head down to the local former Lazarus (now Macy's) and get their own. In my mind, there is no great reason to go Christmas shopping at the local department store (now that it isn't "local"), and I did enjoy shopping at Field's at Christmas in Chicago, and still have my well-worn, in need of replacement front pocket wallet/money clip purchased at Field's in Chicago, but I haven't had the same desire to go to Macy's here in Seattle. I can understand their branding logic, as with everything Macy's, you only have one set of in-store brands as well. Personally, I hope Macy's loses their battle to put a sign up on the State Street store, for no other reason than in the digital mock-ups it looks tacky and out of place. As it is, Macy's plasters their name everywhere on/in their premises, to such a degree that I am constantly being reminded that this isn't really "Macy's" but someplace that has been relabeled. I am sure the management there has heard it all before, and quite honestly I also know I am not a customer they desire, being someone who would shop at Field's for the holidays or for special occasions. I rather miss having a "special" place to go where I know there is a good chance I can find something interesting, but now I am out roaming a multitude of small shops, not always near malls, but also guaranteed to provide me with something interesting, though I might have to spend a bit more time looking.