I was wondering the same thing. Did tater tots really triple in cost back then? I know prices fluctuate, and I have seen plenty of food items go up, but I just don't recall something as basic as tots being that extreme of a swing. Maybe it's different going the distributor route as opposed to the stuff you get from Kroger or Aldi, not sure about that.

Have you tried hitting up some non-profits? That might be a great way to help a local org and show strong volunteer/community engagement on your resume as well - win/win.

Property taxes were 9% higher in FY22, which is about double the normal rate of increase. And they are on track for the same increase this year which is substantial. However, Education got an almost 12% bump last year and is budgeted for almost 8% this year, and the property tax rate was chipped down from %0.87 to %0.85, which I know is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but I don't see Richmond or Chesterfield dropping their rates at all. And Henrico is still lower than both of them.

You can work through the previous budgets and actuals to see where the money is being spent, although only big buckets, not detail like salary vs. programming. I'm sure there is a lot of room for improvement, I know it sounds like I am defending Henrico, but it's not that so much as I have lived in all three of these areas, and I think that Henrico simply does a better job.

https://henrico.us/budget/past-approved-budgets/

Having said all that - op is smart to appeal this assessment. Something seems way off there.

https://techfortroops.org/donations/

A permit was filed in September 2022 for a new grocery store in Libbie Place (on Broad near Willow Lawn). Several people speculated this is/was going to be an Amazon Fresh since the article indicated it was a new to Richmond chain grocer. Makes me wonder if this is still happening now. Although it could be a completely different grocer.

That looks really good - I'm going to try that one for sure.

Oh - you are absolutely, 100% on point there and thanks for reminding me. That place is amazing. There is a new Lotte Plaza Market coming sometime in the future (taking the place Stein Mart was on Broad closer to Glenside) that I am hoping will also have a lot of cool foodstuffs. I hear great things but have never been in one.

Edit: I like a little onion but my wife prefers without, so that's the reason with ours. It's still really good without. The garlic with the chicken while cooking adds some flavor.

Christopher's is fantastic. I feel your pain, I used to go there at least once a week.

Good luck!

Adding golden raisins makes me think of Christopher's Runaway Gourmay. Their chicken salad is fantastic.

I fool around with it sometimes, but honestly - it's really basic.

I make the chicken using sous vide with boneless chicken breasts (I do 2 hours at 150, but everyone has an opinion here - this is the texture I like best for chicken salad). The chicken is sprinkled with salt and pepper and lemon zest before going in, and there are a couple of garlic cloves thrown in as well. I make these in several ziplocs, about a pound or a little more per bag. After they are done and cooled down in an ice bath, all but the one I am using go into the freezer. This is a great starter, I just need to pull one out the night before and I have the chicken for the salad the next day whenever I need a fresh batch.

The chicken salad itself is really simple. Coarsely chop the chicken. In a bowl add Duke's mayo, chopped celery, a little celery salt and ground white pepper and mix well to combine (I eyeball all these ingredients). Then fold in the chicken until it's well mixed, and that's it.

I do love adding chopped pickle or relish sometimes. Dill is great but I want a reliable source from the garden this year, it pains me to buy those blister packs of herbs. I do it sometimes - but it hurts.

We've been on a chicken-salad-making kick for a long, long time. We never seem to get tired of it for lunch. So it's a chicken salad sandwich and a side of cantaloupe.

I couldn't recall her by name and did a quick google and then a flood of memories poured in.

For the moment yeah, but Sheetz has 4 new sites under construction and WaWa only has one. Sheetz also will go into smaller areas - they have a location at 60 and 522 for instance, Tappahannock, Roanoke Rapids.

Another happy Sheetz neighborhood!

https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/chesterfield-neighborhood-not-happy-about-new-sheetz/

Oh snap - and that looks like r/dataisbeautiful material.

Nah, there are WaWa locations scattered all over Florida.

Updated map with groovy construction icons showing Sheetz not taking this whole being outnumbered thing getting them down.

You're right, the ones south of there is an Ashland address, but I missed the one way up there closer to the Sheetz. Thanks.

The one going up on Broad replacing the Arby's is about 3/4 mile away from the one on Staples Mill, as the crow flies anyway. But they're both major thoroughfares so I guess their stats people know what they are doing.

Oh man, how did I forget about that thread? That Sheetz is going to ruin the artisanal small batch vibe of the surrounding Food Lion, McDonald’s, etc.

Thanks - I know I am probably missing others under construction - I only know about the WaWa that is taking the Arby's place over near Mekong because it is close by. Apparently they are finally starting demolition this month.

“Mansion-lined” is a little over the top for describing Monument Ave.

Thanks for the incredibly detailed response. I was thinking more of my nieces and nephews with this question - we are incredibly fortunate enough to own our home outright.

Do you think that prospective homebuyers that did not take advantage of high 2% loan rates missed the boat considering that now loans are north of 6% and likely to stay there for a while?