#ChillnFill

  • Chill’n’FillBook 3: Episode 2Presence, Worth, and the Heart of SuccessWritten by: Emmitt Owens    Tuesday night at Chill n’Fill was settling into its familiar rhythm when I looked up from restocking the candy display to see our one-eyed polar bear mascot in its latest incarnation. Bob had outdone himself this time—the bear now sported what Read more

  • Chill’n’FillBook 3: Episode 1New Faces, Old Mysteries, and the Passing of the PenWritten By: Emmitt Owens    The announcement crackled through Chill n’Fill’s speakers with Bob’s characteristic blend of corporate formality and complete detachment from reality. I watched from behind the counter as the handful of evening customers paused their snack selections to listen, their Read more

  • Another Night at Chill n’Fill: Love, Loss, and Labor    It was Friday night at Chill n’Fill, out here where the darkness stretched for miles in every direction and our mechanically-winking polar bear served as the only beacon of civilization for truckers, night shift workers, and the occasional lost soul who’d wandered too far from Read more

  • The Secret Life of Chill n’Fill: After Hours    It was 2:47 AM on a Tuesday, that dead hour when the highway fell silent and the fluorescent lights hummed their loneliest tune. Out here in rural Alabama, 12 miles from the nearest town and surrounded by nothing but pine trees and darkness, I’d just finished Read more

  • Another Night at Chill n’Fill: The Entrepreneur, The Wink Warriors, and The Mirror Mystic   It was Saturday night at Chill n’Fill, and I was three hours into my shift when Bob’s latest masterpiece caught my attention through the front windows. He’d transformed our one-eyed polar bear mascot into what he called “Business Bear” this Read more

  • The Great Doritos Heist and Other Wednesday Night Adventures    It was Wednesday night at Chill n’Fill, and I was two hours into my shift when Bob’s latest creation nearly gave me a heart attack. He’d transformed our one-eyed polar bear mascot into what he called “Detective Bear,” complete with a deerstalker hat that was Read more

  • Another Night at Chill n’Fill: The Joseph Lancour Memorial, The Military Mother, The Veteran and The Protestor    It was Sunday night at Chill n’Fill, the day before Memorial Day, 2025…  and I was two hours into my shift when I discovered Bob’s most solemn tribute yet. Our one-eyed polar bear mascot, the towering figure Read more

  • Another Night at Chill n’Fill: The Culture Warrior, The Evangelical, and The Activist    So, Jennifer called in sick for the sixth time this month—”food poisoning” according to her text, though her TikTok suggests she’s at a political rally downtown. Whatever. More hours for me, Karlee, professional chaos coordinator and now apparently the unwitting referee Read more