Convenience Store Heaven--Mira Mesa

Mira Mesa

Capricorn and Camino Ruiz

This one I rank as one of my two favorites. I have yet to find the perfect c-store, though. It's the closest one to my parents' house. It would be the perfect one if that one woman still worked there. No, she wasn't any kind of supermodel, but she gave us reduced prices on the refills. Sometimes it would be a quarter, sometimes it would be free! (by the way, that was several years ago, but it's still a nice story) But speaking of people who work there.. Tommy worked there for a little while. Wow, can you imagine? I guess it was just a matter of time before someone in the family worked for 7-Eleven in one way or another. He worked there only briefly, but he entered into the small world of c-store employees. The ones from Circle K go to 7-Eleven some times, and the ones from 7-Eleven shop at Circle K. It's a mix and match world they live in. I wonder how long it would take (or if it's even possible) for him to earn back the money that we've spent there on gulps (and other items) over the years. It'd be something (and depressing) to try to figure that one out. I'm sure he didn't come close in the several weeks of employment there.
Historical Significance: The first one I ever went to. We used to live in another house in the area, and it was a good 30 minute walk (for a little kid) from our house. I only went there once in a blue moon to get a Slurpee. Back then, it was mostly empty in that area and they didn't have gas pumps. Now there are gas pumps and a buttload of apartment buildings all over. They've even put speed bumps on Capricorn because people have been using it as a freeway.
Update: I just noticed, they've got Sunkist in the fountain now. That's kinda special, eh? I don't know how long it's been there, since I only get down there (Mira Mesa) once or twice a month.
Bonus! -- I've scanned in a couple of photos of this store so you can see the store, as well as Tommy and me. Hopefully I'll get one scanned of Tommy in his work shirt. Bee-you-tiful. Sort of.

Camino Ruiz and Gold Coast

This one is kinda scary. I don't know why, maybe because I thought I saw a guy selling marijuana outside once, like you couldn't see that anywhere in the world. It's a little out of the way from my parents' house, so I don't go there as often. We've lived in 4 houses in Mira Mesa over the years, and one of the houses was just one street over and down a little, so it used to be really close. Also, it's right down the street from Mason Elementary where I went from Kindergarten to 2nd grade.
Historical Significance: This is the one where we got hooked. It started when Tommy would get a 10 oz. New York Seltzer bottle. But then we found out it was much cheaper to get them at Price Club. Also, we found that a Big Gulp (32 oz.) was only a few cents more, much cheaper per ounce. That was way back before they had self-serve fountain drinks. Then, they put Super Big Gulps (44 oz.) on sale for a month or something, so they were cheaper than the Big Gulps. Who could resist that deal? Not us, and so we were on our way to being hooked on Diet Coke. I used to send Tommy there by himself to get those drinks. He'd carry them home, and he was only 8 or 9, so it was a struggle. And he had to endure all these people saying, Mighty thirsty, eh kid? which made him upset, and he would spill a little bit of the stuff, and the ice would melt cuz he walked home slow, and I'd beat him for spilling it all over his shirt so I couldn't drink it and melting the ice so I couldn't eat it. I was a bastard back then, you know. But can you blame me? How could I enjoy Wheel of Fortune without all my frosty beverage? I used to pay for it, after all.
Also, historically speaking, this is where we discovered super sized chocolate chip cookies. At this one, they used to sell Muffies (they're out of business now, I think), which were part cookie, part muffin. They were big ass cookies, and quite the treat for a young man after school. Since then, I have been on the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I haven't found anything like the Muffie, though some are pretty good. I rate some of the next stores based on their cookie selection, since diet coke is diet coke, no matter where you get it (although some don't mix the stuff right or have bad ice cubes, etc.).
They remodeled this 7-Eleven last year so it's bigger and better. It doesn't look quite so depressing anymore. It has gas pumps now and really bright lights. And ample parking (people sometimes would park on the dirt).

Mira Mesa Blvd and Black Mountain Road (AM/PM)

It's okay, nothing special. Since it's AM/PM, they have a wide selection of drinks as well as cheapo food (like those burgers and junk.. 7/11s usually just have old hot dogs and nachos). They have soft serve ice cream, too, so that's a good thing I guess. They don't have Cherry Coke, though, and that's Linda's favorite drink. It used to be convenient in certain situations, like coming off I-15.
Historical Significance: This is where we got our 44 oz. refill bottles. Important, I think. Not only is it cheaper to use the refill bottle, but it helps the environment because you don't have to throw away all those cups. Considering how many my brother and I have had over the years.. well, I'll let you use your imagination. They aren't permanent/indestructable, though, because I've gone through two myself, and Tommy went through a couple, I think. Now, though, I use the 64 oz. one because it costs the same as the 44 oz. refill.

Reagan Road and Camino Ruiz (Circle K)

I remember when they built this place. Somewhere around the time they put in the 7 screen Edwards Cinemas. Before then, all we had was a 4 screen cinema that had old movies, and one of the screens had filipino movies. Sure, it only cost a buck or so, and you could watch two movies, but there were bonbons on the screen. So, this Circle K came at a point when Mira Mesa was becoming a better place. It joined the new conveniences of Target and the Wherehouse. It has a gas station.
Historical Significance: This is where I got my 64 oz. refill cup. It was part of a Coca Cola 'Monsters of the Gridiron promotion,' and it has football guys in cool gear. Mine has 6 guys on it, but most importantly, it features my hero Junior Seau. I still use that cup, even though I have a few other 64 oz (or half gallon, if you like) cups I picked up here and there.
Overall, I suppose this one is okay. They have some good deals there sometimes. We seem to go to this one a lot, even though the 7/11 is closer. But when we go to this one, we get to go home through the mall and look for little girls. Or, we can go there as a precursor to stopping at Alberto's or Rice King.
Update 2001: Well, I say, this one has been giving me trouble of late. For one thing, Alberto's has become Alfonso's, and the allure just isn't quite there anymore. Yeah, the same people work there, but it's just not quite the same. I should be fair, they've gotten better than when they first changed the name over, but I don't think they're open 24 hours anymore. I mean, what's the fucking point? And Rice King.. ugh, I don't know what they hell they were thinking, but it seems like everything has anise in it now. Or something equally offensive. I can't eat that food anymore. Why do they do that? Sheesh.
So coming back to the Circle K. Do you know how many times I've been there where I have to ask them to put more ice in the ice dispenser? Seems like it's fairly often, and I don't even go there as much as I used to. Unless I just have really bad luck and am there right at the wrong time. I say to them, be like 7-Eleven and get a fucking ice maker already. Sheesh. And it's stupid because sometimes there's only one person working there, so they leave the store wide open while the person has to go to the back to get more ice. Seems a bit inconvenient to me. Not only that, but they closed down the 7 screen theater next door in favor of the 18 screen one near I-15. They're doing some kind of work on the building, though, which is fine and dandy of course, but wouldn't you know it, I drive by there and pick up a nail. That sucked.. it totally thrashed my tire. And here's where getting a semi-nice car comes back to haunt you.. to get the same kind of tire to replace it, it cost $165. Sheesh. One tire. I've had a whole set of tires for less than that. And they were cheap ass tires (like the woman who bought them), so they wore out while still under warranty, so we were able to get a whole new set, so I think we got 2 sets of tires for less than that. But I digress...

Somewhere on Black Mountain Rd, maybe Candida St.

Haven't been there too many times myself, but we used to hit this place on the way home from the Family Fitness Center, maybe get some raspberry or peach iced tea to replenish our blood sugar levels. Of course, it's far enough away from the house that with a 44 oz. bottle, we'd be done by the time we get home. It's not that far, really, but you get thirsty stair-steppin' and all.
We went there on the way to Granma's house once, loaded up on soft serve and soda. Whoo-hoo.

Miramar Road (AM/PM)

I don't remember the cross-street, but if you've ever gone down Miramar Road towards La Jolla, you've seen it. It's a good place to stop for a fillup in the middle of the night. I guess. I've done it a few times, even on Christmas. It's also good when helping people move, as long as they're using Miramar Road. There's nothing extra special or horrible about it, though, it's just a store. The parking lot is a little odd since the driveway goes around the store or something.

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