Summer is almost over as I have found a new job and will be well on my way to start my life over again and The Tyger will be left to dwell in the thriving city of Atlanta. This summer has been by far the best summer we have ever had together and we can't wait for next year's adventures. That restless Sagittarius in me and The Tyger's conservative but deep down party nature make us a great team! Partners in crime we are as we already have plans to cause more trouble in the future.
I wrote in a post a while back about life being a highway and how the highway of life brought me here to Atlanta. While in that last post I had no clue as to why I was here, after much thought and reflection I now know why that highway led me here. I was brought here to find myself again since I lost who I was after the divorce. I feel as if the divorce killed me but yet somehow I survived it. Divorce is often compared to that of death except that person isn't dead which makes it tougher to deal with. You see, when someone dies it's out of your hands leaving us to believe it was just fate. When you divorce, you're making a conscience decision to leave that person. YOU are the one who decides, not fate which is why it makes it all the harder to heal. Also, with death there is usually a funeral giving one a type of closure. Friends and family offer their condolences as they say they will keep you in their thoughts and prayers while you heal from the pain of your loss. With divorce, there is no special ceremony to give one closure leaving the person to deal with it alone. No one brings you flowers and says they are sorry for what you are going through. Divorce is taboo in our society making it so no one really offers their support. It's truly a lonely way to heal. Because of this, one cannot expect someone to heal from something so traumatic in such a short time. It can take sometimes years for that person to get over a love that went wrong.
From this painful experience I went through, I feel as though I was lost within my turmoil and confusion of grief yet my soul still existed inside me. I just needed to find it again. To be with a good friend who cares about me enough to help me find myself and to heal is why the highway brought me here to Atlanta. As the summer continued and The Tyger and I began getting ourselves into our usual trouble and what not, I felt my inner true self beginning to pop out. Like a seed breaking through the soil seeing the light of day, then sprouting green leaves and eventually blossoming into this beautiful flower is how I see myself right now.
I know I haven't talked about this but the whole dating thing has been a real difficult spot for me to be in. I know everyone back home has been dying to hear about all the men who hit one me and if I've met anyone. Well the truth is that I pretty much blow off every guy who hits on me these days so I don't really have much drama in that department to talk about. The reason for ignoring every guy who approached me came from not only fear of being hurt but also of the confusion I was feeling from trying to find my personality again. In order to give yourself to someone, you need to know who you are and be comfortable with yourself. If you're not able to be comfortable with yourself, you are robbing that other person from getting to know the true you. It's not fair to that other person nor is it honest. Love and trust are both very delicate things in the beginning stages of relationships that can easily go awry if one is not ready to invest their emotions fully with that other person.
HOWEVERRR...Over the summer I did meet someone who really liked me and wanted to date me. The problem was I had so many walls built around myself that I couldn't really see anything past how badly I was still hurting. I really liked him too but was unsure about him until one night when The Tyger and I bumped into him at a restaurant in the area. It was then that I realized what a sweetheart he really is. He has a good heart and a caring side that makes one feel comfortable to be around. Not to mention his down to earth nature allowed me to be myself around him. He is the first person to come around and tear down some of these walls I have around myself. In fact, the more time I spent with him, the more I felt walls coming down to where I began to fully trust him. I believe if given the chance to date, he probably would've made a break through and we could've had a great relationship. The chance never came though and I blame myself for that. Fear got the best of me and by the time I got over that fear of dating him it was too late. I guess I just felt overwhelmed and needed time to figure out what was happening inside of me. Now, I'm leaving Atlanta for a new job so I will never know. I do hope he finds someone who is nice, fun, and treats him well as he truly deserves it.
The Tyger and I realize that once I leave her dwelling, summer will officially be over for us. What a summer it has been too! From the drinking, hangovers, food porn, baseball, tanning, and all the trouble we caused all over the city we really feel as if we conquered summer California style! But with all good things, they have to come to an end. Summer's over and now it's back to reality. But not to worry, The Tyger and I will be back causing more trouble in Atlanta than ever before! How? I won't be broke next time so therefore we will have more ground to cover!
You just wait Atlanta...when we come out of hibernation we will be back in full force ready to take you on!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Mexican Cravings
I was born and raised in a Spanish speaking household in a state where Hispanics are predominate. California has some of the best Mexican and Spanish food I've ever tasted although I still need to visit Texas and New Mexico! Many Taquerias and Mexican restaurants in California come very close if not exact to my grandmother's cooking. I love the combination of chili powder and cumin mixed and simmered in some of my favorite Spanish dishes such as Lengua and Albondigas served with a side of Fideo! Mmmm...Yummy!!! When I was kid, I used to dip my bread in these sauces and let it soak it up so I could taste the spices that went into these dishes. I didn't acquire a taste for corn tortillas until I became a teenager. Now, I gotta have my corn tortillas with some of my other favorites as well to feel at home. Bread doesn't do it for me anymore!
Being away from California, I have found that it has been extremely difficult to find good Mexican food. When I lived in Utah, everything just tasted so bland to me. The spices and heat from the meats were missing. St. Louis didn't quite have it either alhough I could tell they did try with the chili powder. In St. Louis, they even tried to pass ground meat with cheese as a chili relleno as if I wouldn't know any better! What were these people thinking?! Washington DC was the same story as far as taste. Close but no cigar type thing with each restaurant I went into. I always walk out not quite satisfied and longing to be back home eating my mom or grandmother's Spanish cooking. That or at Taco Morenos in Santa Cruz eating my taco carnitas. Oh geez, I'm drooling just thinking about that Taqueria! As you can see, I seriously long for my Spanish food and tend go through some frustrating withdrawals.
My hunger for good Mexican food hasn't changed here in Atlanta. My cravings for spicy food hit me one day so hard a couple weeks ago that I just couldn't shake it. I think it was because my mom had brought me some of her homemade Fideo on the plane when she stopped through Atlanta on her way to New York. Tasting it really made me homesick for some good home cooked Spanish food.
On my walks every morning, I pass by this Mexican restaurant called Matador Cantina which really appealed to me. It's located in this hidden quaint little village in the middle of the suburbs. I have been so curious about this place and then combined with my overwhelming craving for Mexican food got me to say something to The Tyger about it. We decided to make a night of it especially after I had pointed out to her that they have a full bar!
The place is MUCH smaller than it looks from the front. Inside there's about maybe 10 tables with most of the seating being outside. It's decorated very cute-like with all the old road signs written in Spanish, a Mexican blanket, and various other pictures representing Mexico. There's a small TV inside so we weren't too far away from home! The bar is pretty small too and can seat maybe about 6 people total around it The clientele is mostly families with small children coming in. We were the only two single girls hanging out drinking our beer as we waited for our food!
While we were waiting, they brought out chips and salsa to which The Tyger and I quickly devoured! The salsa was very good and even reminded me of home! So right away I was already impressed with this place! I thought to myself, "Finally! I might get something good here!".The Tyger and I both ordered different combo plates so we could get a taste of everything. I ordered the burrito, taco, and chili relleno. I loooove chili rellenos as they are another one of my favorite foods. It's usually the standard I order at a restaurant and tend to base the quality of the restaurant based on the chili relleno.
I hate to admit this but from here is where it took a slight downhill effect for me. The burrito was good and the taco was fine but I felt it lacked a little in seasoning. Basically, I felt they could've used more chili powder or something. The chili relleno was ground beef with cheese and chopped chili relleno. That's where I was disappointed. I was really hoping for a full chili stuffed with cheese and fried in the egg batter. *sigh* The meal itself was not bad nor was it as disappointing as when I lived in Salt Lake but it still didn't measure up to what I'm used to. The Tyger was quite happy with her order despite the overload of cheese they put on her plate! Beer and an abundance of cheese in the stomach is not really a good thing for someone who is slightly lactose intolerant.
So my final thoughts on this place??? I would go back there just to try their carnitas and see how they prepare them. I also did like the fact that the restaurant was a torn jeans and t-shirt casual kind of place where I could be myself. It was actually one of the better Mexican restaurants I've been to since I left California a few years ago. It's really hard to find things that remind you of home when you're somewhere completely different. But it doesn't matter...California will always be there along with all its Taquerias and other Spanish style food for me to enjoy.
Being away from California, I have found that it has been extremely difficult to find good Mexican food. When I lived in Utah, everything just tasted so bland to me. The spices and heat from the meats were missing. St. Louis didn't quite have it either alhough I could tell they did try with the chili powder. In St. Louis, they even tried to pass ground meat with cheese as a chili relleno as if I wouldn't know any better! What were these people thinking?! Washington DC was the same story as far as taste. Close but no cigar type thing with each restaurant I went into. I always walk out not quite satisfied and longing to be back home eating my mom or grandmother's Spanish cooking. That or at Taco Morenos in Santa Cruz eating my taco carnitas. Oh geez, I'm drooling just thinking about that Taqueria! As you can see, I seriously long for my Spanish food and tend go through some frustrating withdrawals.
My hunger for good Mexican food hasn't changed here in Atlanta. My cravings for spicy food hit me one day so hard a couple weeks ago that I just couldn't shake it. I think it was because my mom had brought me some of her homemade Fideo on the plane when she stopped through Atlanta on her way to New York. Tasting it really made me homesick for some good home cooked Spanish food.
On my walks every morning, I pass by this Mexican restaurant called Matador Cantina which really appealed to me. It's located in this hidden quaint little village in the middle of the suburbs. I have been so curious about this place and then combined with my overwhelming craving for Mexican food got me to say something to The Tyger about it. We decided to make a night of it especially after I had pointed out to her that they have a full bar!
The place is MUCH smaller than it looks from the front. Inside there's about maybe 10 tables with most of the seating being outside. It's decorated very cute-like with all the old road signs written in Spanish, a Mexican blanket, and various other pictures representing Mexico. There's a small TV inside so we weren't too far away from home! The bar is pretty small too and can seat maybe about 6 people total around it The clientele is mostly families with small children coming in. We were the only two single girls hanging out drinking our beer as we waited for our food!
While we were waiting, they brought out chips and salsa to which The Tyger and I quickly devoured! The salsa was very good and even reminded me of home! So right away I was already impressed with this place! I thought to myself, "Finally! I might get something good here!".The Tyger and I both ordered different combo plates so we could get a taste of everything. I ordered the burrito, taco, and chili relleno. I loooove chili rellenos as they are another one of my favorite foods. It's usually the standard I order at a restaurant and tend to base the quality of the restaurant based on the chili relleno.
I hate to admit this but from here is where it took a slight downhill effect for me. The burrito was good and the taco was fine but I felt it lacked a little in seasoning. Basically, I felt they could've used more chili powder or something. The chili relleno was ground beef with cheese and chopped chili relleno. That's where I was disappointed. I was really hoping for a full chili stuffed with cheese and fried in the egg batter. *sigh* The meal itself was not bad nor was it as disappointing as when I lived in Salt Lake but it still didn't measure up to what I'm used to. The Tyger was quite happy with her order despite the overload of cheese they put on her plate! Beer and an abundance of cheese in the stomach is not really a good thing for someone who is slightly lactose intolerant.
So my final thoughts on this place??? I would go back there just to try their carnitas and see how they prepare them. I also did like the fact that the restaurant was a torn jeans and t-shirt casual kind of place where I could be myself. It was actually one of the better Mexican restaurants I've been to since I left California a few years ago. It's really hard to find things that remind you of home when you're somewhere completely different. But it doesn't matter...California will always be there along with all its Taquerias and other Spanish style food for me to enjoy.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
War on Bathtub!
The Tyger lives in a very plush apartment complex as I have mentioned before. There is high security with the college police next door always making their hourly rounds on the place. It's a gated community that requires a security code and card key to even get in and out of the place. It's very safe with hardly any crime happening around us. As with all great places though, every apartment has its quirks giving them their own personality. In this case, the biggest quirk here is the bath tub.
My first morning waking up, I did my usual routine of making myself breakfast, relaxing, and watching some TV. I got up to take a shower when The Tyger said, "Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, I only get 8 minutes of hot water so you need to take quick showers." Huh? Eight minutes?!?! Does everyone get the same amount of time? "Oh I don't know, I just get 8 minutes is all I know." Ummm...ok. I can do this. I mean, I don't take long showers to begin with anyway.
Now, to get the 8 minutes of our precious hot water, we have to keep a few things in mind. First, we can't have the dishwasher or washing machine running while taking a shower unless we enjoy having soapy hair as the hot water runs out in the middle of our shower. Second, if one of us is planning to take a shower before we leave anywhere, we have to make sure we're not hand washing dishes for a long time. Basically, we have to conserve on any kind of hot water we use. Really, overall this hasn't much of a problem and I've only screwed up a few times in the beginning causing us to be late to a few places.
The second quirk is how quickly the bathtub clogs up. I have to admit that The Tyger sheds a lot of hair and me with my big hair probably don't contribute to the drain in that tub so well. Once it's unclogged it takes about a week for the tub to start filling up with water as it begins to clog up again. This last time it got so bad that finally it reached a little past my ankles. At this point, I think maybe taking a bath would've been more conducive than taking a shower. The Tyger now has a weekly routine of pouring Liquid Plummer down the drain, waiting the allotted amount of time, then pouring boiling hot water just to unclog whatever it is that is down there. I even once tried to unscrew the plug and get in their with my bare hands but wasn't successful. It's been an endless battle all summer to say the least.
This round was pretty bad though and I think The Tyger has finally had enough of it. This last weekend she spent a better part of the evening in between our baseball and beers making trips of her normal unclogging routine. Back and forth, back and forth she went as I heard the timer going off in between soaks. With each trip to the tub I could hear the Tyger grumpily say things like, "Here I go again!" and "This better damn work!" Well, to our disappointment it didn't and The Tyger finally caved in and called maintenance.
I feel bad for The Tyger. I mean, what a defeated feeling knowing that the bathtub finally won after trying to overcome this all summer. Even though the evil bathtub may have gotten the best of The Tyger, she will still stand on top and win once maintenance comes and permanently fixes the problem. No place is perfect and despite our war on with the bathtub and hot water, I wouldn't want The Tyger to live anywhere else. I mean, if it wasn't for the unique quirks of the bath tub and hot water, this apartment would have no personality. And I wouldn't have something to write about!
My first morning waking up, I did my usual routine of making myself breakfast, relaxing, and watching some TV. I got up to take a shower when The Tyger said, "Oh yeah I forgot to tell you, I only get 8 minutes of hot water so you need to take quick showers." Huh? Eight minutes?!?! Does everyone get the same amount of time? "Oh I don't know, I just get 8 minutes is all I know." Ummm...ok. I can do this. I mean, I don't take long showers to begin with anyway.
Now, to get the 8 minutes of our precious hot water, we have to keep a few things in mind. First, we can't have the dishwasher or washing machine running while taking a shower unless we enjoy having soapy hair as the hot water runs out in the middle of our shower. Second, if one of us is planning to take a shower before we leave anywhere, we have to make sure we're not hand washing dishes for a long time. Basically, we have to conserve on any kind of hot water we use. Really, overall this hasn't much of a problem and I've only screwed up a few times in the beginning causing us to be late to a few places.
The second quirk is how quickly the bathtub clogs up. I have to admit that The Tyger sheds a lot of hair and me with my big hair probably don't contribute to the drain in that tub so well. Once it's unclogged it takes about a week for the tub to start filling up with water as it begins to clog up again. This last time it got so bad that finally it reached a little past my ankles. At this point, I think maybe taking a bath would've been more conducive than taking a shower. The Tyger now has a weekly routine of pouring Liquid Plummer down the drain, waiting the allotted amount of time, then pouring boiling hot water just to unclog whatever it is that is down there. I even once tried to unscrew the plug and get in their with my bare hands but wasn't successful. It's been an endless battle all summer to say the least.
This round was pretty bad though and I think The Tyger has finally had enough of it. This last weekend she spent a better part of the evening in between our baseball and beers making trips of her normal unclogging routine. Back and forth, back and forth she went as I heard the timer going off in between soaks. With each trip to the tub I could hear the Tyger grumpily say things like, "Here I go again!" and "This better damn work!" Well, to our disappointment it didn't and The Tyger finally caved in and called maintenance.
I feel bad for The Tyger. I mean, what a defeated feeling knowing that the bathtub finally won after trying to overcome this all summer. Even though the evil bathtub may have gotten the best of The Tyger, she will still stand on top and win once maintenance comes and permanently fixes the problem. No place is perfect and despite our war on with the bathtub and hot water, I wouldn't want The Tyger to live anywhere else. I mean, if it wasn't for the unique quirks of the bath tub and hot water, this apartment would have no personality. And I wouldn't have something to write about!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Fingerless
*WARNING! PICTURES ON THIS POST ARE EXTREMELY GRAPHIC. NOT FOR THE WEAK!*
About a month ago, I got this real craving for Asian food. The Tyger and I had been watching Anthony Bordaine's travels on No Reservations through the Asian countries. I think this particular episode dealt with the country of Laos or Thailand. Anyway, watching him eat all those spicy noodle dishes gave me the hunger for some good Asian food. It's very difficult to find delicious Asian food in Atlanta unless you make it yourself. And even then you need to be able to know how to do it right. I decided to make Pad Thai for The Tyger and I that night for dinner to cure my craving for soft noodles and that sweet but spicy Thai sauce.
The Tyger arrived home from work as I was busy in the kitchen chopping away at vegetables. I had just sharpened the kitchen knife so that way I could get through all these vegetables much quicker. I'm chopping away at some green onion when all of a sudden a felt a sting and then saw blood on the cutting board. I thought to myself, "Oh I just probably cut my finger a little." I run left middle finger under some water and then noticed my nail was missing! "Oh my God! Where is my nail???" was the first thought that ran through my head.
All of a sudden, I'm in some seriously excruciating pain as I'm screaming and yelling with each throb of my finger. The Tyger comes running out and is like, "What happened???" I told her, "I cut part of my finger off!" The Tyger stands there and I can see her brain at work processing what I had just told her. "Umm..ok. What should we do?" She gets a paper towel and I wrap my finger up applying direct pressure. That's when she's asks, "Where is your finger?" We look over and see this little piece of skin and nail that looks almost like plastic sitting on the cutting board. It was freaky to say the least! This is where I begin to go white so I sat down on the couch as The Tyger is running back and forth around the apartment trying to figure out what to do. In the mean time, I'm in the worst pain you could ever imagine and in complete shock that part of my finger is gone! I decided against going to emergency as I figured there was nothing they could do anyway. The Tyger leaves to get gauze, bandages, and whatever else she thought I might need.
While she's gone I'm freaking out, in pain, and getting scared about cutting off part of my finger. I ended up calling my mom out of despair. I'm such a freaking baby! My phone conversation with her went something like this...
Me: Hi, Are you busy?
Mom: No, what's up?
Me: I'm not doing so well. I just had a really bad accident
Mom: What's wrong??
Me: I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables when all of a sudden I cut part of my finger off!
Mom: *silence*
Me: Hello??
Mom: Yeah I'm here. What do you mean you cut part of your finger off?
Me: I cut it off. It's gone!
Mom:Gone?
Me: Gone
Mom: Gone? *silence* ... Ok, so what do you mean "gone"?
Me: GONE!! As in "Not there any more!!!"
Mom: OH!!!!! Gone! Ok....
Geez! I guess it does take a while for people to process that kind of information. Even though my mom didn't have any real advice, talking to her did make me feel better in the sense I that knew I wasn't going to die! After what seemed like an hour, The Tyger comes back with enough gauze and bandages to wrap a leg! I take off the towel to see that after 40 minutes of direct pressure, the bleeding stopped. Looking at it almost made me faint as the Tyger and I wrapped it up and put it in a splint. Once it was wrapped up, the pain stopped and I went back into the kitchen and finished dinner.
The days and weeks after it were no fun though. For one thing, I never realized how many nerves we have on the tips of our fingers. Cutting just a corner of my finger off damaged the nerves obviously so any kind of touch to it put me in 20 minutes of throbbing pain each time. Also, keeping it clean was painful as well as I applied an astringent to it to keep it from getting infected. Neosporin became my best friend for two weeks! Taking a shower was a pain in the ass to say the least. My left hand was useless and I had to wear a glove anytime I took a shower. Washing my hair and body was tiring on my right side. My arm would get fatigued and I found myself having to frequently stop and rest. This is the one time I wish I had a boyfriend to help me in the shower! I also never realized how much you use your non-dominant hand for driving. It was hard to turn the steering wheel and my finger would continuously bump against the turn signal. It was annoying! Not to mention I had a finger splint on it for a little over 2 weeks making it looked like I was giving everyone "the finger!"
Eventually, it scabbed over and I took the band-aids off at night to keep it aired out. My finger has gotten better with each week as the skin cells replace themselves and the nail growing back. I find the human body amazing when it comes to healing. We may not be like lizards and starfish that can grow limbs back but our bodies can still do some amazing things! As of now, it's been about a month and you can't even tell I had cut part of it off. In fact, I'm now starting to see some of my fingerprints coming back. However, I still don't have any feeling at the tip of my finger. It's still kind of numb and tingly. I was told it would take maybe 2 months to get full feeling back.
Finger after one week
Finger after 2 weeks
The poor Tyger had to endure not only looking at my disgusting mutilated finger but put up with me whining about how much pain I was in and how I couldn't do certain things like take a damn shower! She is truly a good friend for putting up with me and my craziness!
The biggest advice I have for people is to KEEP YOUR FINGERS CURLED WHEN YOU CHOP! I was so stupid. I tell you, now I chop slow and I keep my fingers far away when I chop anything! The Tyger even got me one of those gadget choppers so I wouldn't be using the knife so much.
Oh well, lesson learned.
About a month ago, I got this real craving for Asian food. The Tyger and I had been watching Anthony Bordaine's travels on No Reservations through the Asian countries. I think this particular episode dealt with the country of Laos or Thailand. Anyway, watching him eat all those spicy noodle dishes gave me the hunger for some good Asian food. It's very difficult to find delicious Asian food in Atlanta unless you make it yourself. And even then you need to be able to know how to do it right. I decided to make Pad Thai for The Tyger and I that night for dinner to cure my craving for soft noodles and that sweet but spicy Thai sauce.
The Tyger arrived home from work as I was busy in the kitchen chopping away at vegetables. I had just sharpened the kitchen knife so that way I could get through all these vegetables much quicker. I'm chopping away at some green onion when all of a sudden a felt a sting and then saw blood on the cutting board. I thought to myself, "Oh I just probably cut my finger a little." I run left middle finger under some water and then noticed my nail was missing! "Oh my God! Where is my nail???" was the first thought that ran through my head.
All of a sudden, I'm in some seriously excruciating pain as I'm screaming and yelling with each throb of my finger. The Tyger comes running out and is like, "What happened???" I told her, "I cut part of my finger off!" The Tyger stands there and I can see her brain at work processing what I had just told her. "Umm..ok. What should we do?" She gets a paper towel and I wrap my finger up applying direct pressure. That's when she's asks, "Where is your finger?" We look over and see this little piece of skin and nail that looks almost like plastic sitting on the cutting board. It was freaky to say the least! This is where I begin to go white so I sat down on the couch as The Tyger is running back and forth around the apartment trying to figure out what to do. In the mean time, I'm in the worst pain you could ever imagine and in complete shock that part of my finger is gone! I decided against going to emergency as I figured there was nothing they could do anyway. The Tyger leaves to get gauze, bandages, and whatever else she thought I might need.
While she's gone I'm freaking out, in pain, and getting scared about cutting off part of my finger. I ended up calling my mom out of despair. I'm such a freaking baby! My phone conversation with her went something like this...
Me: Hi, Are you busy?
Mom: No, what's up?
Me: I'm not doing so well. I just had a really bad accident
Mom: What's wrong??
Me: I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables when all of a sudden I cut part of my finger off!
Mom: *silence*
Me: Hello??
Mom: Yeah I'm here. What do you mean you cut part of your finger off?
Me: I cut it off. It's gone!
Mom:Gone?
Me: Gone
Mom: Gone? *silence* ... Ok, so what do you mean "gone"?
Me: GONE!! As in "Not there any more!!!"
Mom: OH!!!!! Gone! Ok....
Geez! I guess it does take a while for people to process that kind of information. Even though my mom didn't have any real advice, talking to her did make me feel better in the sense I that knew I wasn't going to die! After what seemed like an hour, The Tyger comes back with enough gauze and bandages to wrap a leg! I take off the towel to see that after 40 minutes of direct pressure, the bleeding stopped. Looking at it almost made me faint as the Tyger and I wrapped it up and put it in a splint. Once it was wrapped up, the pain stopped and I went back into the kitchen and finished dinner.
The days and weeks after it were no fun though. For one thing, I never realized how many nerves we have on the tips of our fingers. Cutting just a corner of my finger off damaged the nerves obviously so any kind of touch to it put me in 20 minutes of throbbing pain each time. Also, keeping it clean was painful as well as I applied an astringent to it to keep it from getting infected. Neosporin became my best friend for two weeks! Taking a shower was a pain in the ass to say the least. My left hand was useless and I had to wear a glove anytime I took a shower. Washing my hair and body was tiring on my right side. My arm would get fatigued and I found myself having to frequently stop and rest. This is the one time I wish I had a boyfriend to help me in the shower! I also never realized how much you use your non-dominant hand for driving. It was hard to turn the steering wheel and my finger would continuously bump against the turn signal. It was annoying! Not to mention I had a finger splint on it for a little over 2 weeks making it looked like I was giving everyone "the finger!"
Eventually, it scabbed over and I took the band-aids off at night to keep it aired out. My finger has gotten better with each week as the skin cells replace themselves and the nail growing back. I find the human body amazing when it comes to healing. We may not be like lizards and starfish that can grow limbs back but our bodies can still do some amazing things! As of now, it's been about a month and you can't even tell I had cut part of it off. In fact, I'm now starting to see some of my fingerprints coming back. However, I still don't have any feeling at the tip of my finger. It's still kind of numb and tingly. I was told it would take maybe 2 months to get full feeling back.
Finger after one week
Finger after 2 weeksThe biggest advice I have for people is to KEEP YOUR FINGERS CURLED WHEN YOU CHOP! I was so stupid. I tell you, now I chop slow and I keep my fingers far away when I chop anything! The Tyger even got me one of those gadget choppers so I wouldn't be using the knife so much.
Oh well, lesson learned.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
The Braves at Turner Field
The summer is starting to come to an end for The Tyger and myself as the continuation of my job searching is leading me no where and she back at work. Both of us are trying to get the last minute things in before she gets too busy at work and I find a job to where I will have move out and stand on my own two feet. This summer is just flying by way too fast!
We headed out to Marlow's to get away and out of the apartment for a while since they have all those cool TV screens all over the place! As we were there watching Milwaukee kick the Braves's asses, we began reflecting on all the fun and crazy times we've had this summer when we realized that we still hadn't been to a Braves game. We kept talking about it but we just never put the plan into action. I guess we were too satisfied with watching the game on TV! Just as we were sipping our beers and thinking about it, the manager came by asking us if we had bought our tickets to the Braves game yet. We were like, "Umm, no?" Marlow's was having this great package deal that included brunch, a tailgate party, all you can drink beer, tickets to the game, plus a ride there and back all for $50 bucks! Wow! We thought it was a great deal! After mulling it over a few beers we decided to go with it.
The Tyger and I having partied hard at Marlow's the night before got a slow start in the morning but eventually made it back to Marlow's for the breakfast brunch before the game.
The brunch included all kinds of different sweets from croissants to cinnamon bread pudding. There were regular breakfast items such as pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and an omelet/waffle station where you custom order your own omelet or waffle. Then there were some speciality items like Jalapeno Corn Grits, Crab Cakes Benedict, and poached eggs topped with Salmon, and fruit salad. The whole buffet was a little small but delicious and very satisfying to say the least. The Tyger and I were trying to pace ourselves but in the end, we stuffed our bellies to the point that we felt as if we were gonna burst!
The bus came at noon with coolers of beer ready to go as we boarded. I got to try the new Bud Light Lime that has been advertised widely. It was pretty good but then again I'm a light beer kind of girl!
We arrive at Turner field where the tailgate party began. A total of about 25 people were hanging out on the lawn drinking their beers, playing Frisbee, and socializing as we waited for the BBQ to get fired up. Served for lunch was homemade chicken sausage, cheese Brats, roasted pulled pork sandwiches, and chips on the side. Oh, and of course more beer! The Tyger and I made our rounds socializing with everyone and then walked over to the stadium to catch the game. Crowds of people lined the streets as we entered the stadium and got seated in our roasting hot seats.
It was a hot day to say the least with the temperature being in the mid 90's and the humidity lingering at around 80%. Our seats felt like they had been sitting in an oven making it hard for us to even sit down in our little short shorts! I had to put my feet up on the chair in front of me because the backs of my legs were burning so bad from the heat of my seat!
We were seated on right field giving us a great view of Jeff Franceour. Damn that guy is Hot!! But not as hot as as we were sitting out in the miserable heat!
The game is going and The Tyger and I are finally at ease with being able to be as loud and stupid as we want to be without the worry of someone throwing us out of their bar. We were yelling at the players, the scores, the innings, and even singing along to the music playing in the stadium between innings. The game is going along and we're winning against Milwaukee which got our energy more pumped up! With each win, I watched how the audience did "The Chop" with their arms. I'm sorry, I respect the Braves and all but "The Chop" I just don't quite get!
The Tyger and I were sweating worse than pigs out in that intense heat from the sun.
I looked down to see my clothes soaked from all the sweat that had been dripping down my chest, face, and back. Standing up it looked like I had ran through some water sprinklers or something! We were literally marinating in our own juices while watching the game. With each cloud that passed over us, we prayed that it would just stay put and not leave. Unfortunately, it was a pretty clear day with very little cloud activity so we were not spared from the grossly intense heat.
During the 7th inning stretch we decided to get out of the heat for a little bit and walk around since it was my first time to Turner field.
I checked out the "Chop Shop" which is basically a large area filled with concession stands where you can buy food and drinks. We hung out in the shade for a bit which helped a little but not much. Inside the sports shop though is where we finally found relief. The AC was on full blast! The sports shop sells all your regular souvenirs that you would find at a baseball game. I bought a cute baby doll looking Braves shirt that really makes my boobs stand out! I love it!
We headed back in time for the 8th inning to which the Braves were leading 5-0. The Tyger and I were pumped as the Braves had been losing all week to the Brewers. In between the top and bottom of the 8th, the stadium began playing Usher's Yeah! to keep the fans' energy going. I love this song and it's a great one to dance to. Not only is it a great song but Usher is HOT! I began dancing in my seat when I see this camera guy come towards me. He asked me to stand up and dance. As he points the camera on me, I looked up to see myself dancing on the big Jumbo Tron!!! Oh My God!! I was sooo excited and couldn't believe that I finally got onto one of the Jumbo Tron screens at a baseball game!!! Whoohoo!! It was the highlight of my day and couldn't stop talking about it! I ended up texting all my friends back home telling them about my little 10 seconds of fame! Hey, that's how they discovered Pamela Anderson!
A few people from our group came over, got us, and we walked back to the bus where we took it back to Marlow's. On the bus, many people commented on how they saw me shaking my stuff on the Jumbo Tron and how proud they were that I represented us! It's nice to be noticed!
The Tyger and I were so beat! First from partying it up the night before and then spending all day in the blazing hot sun cooking to death. We were so glad and proud of ourselves on how we finally got in a Braves game to help complete our summer. The Braves winning, lots of food and beer, and me getting on the Jumbo Tron made it a great day that we will never forget!
We headed out to Marlow's to get away and out of the apartment for a while since they have all those cool TV screens all over the place! As we were there watching Milwaukee kick the Braves's asses, we began reflecting on all the fun and crazy times we've had this summer when we realized that we still hadn't been to a Braves game. We kept talking about it but we just never put the plan into action. I guess we were too satisfied with watching the game on TV! Just as we were sipping our beers and thinking about it, the manager came by asking us if we had bought our tickets to the Braves game yet. We were like, "Umm, no?" Marlow's was having this great package deal that included brunch, a tailgate party, all you can drink beer, tickets to the game, plus a ride there and back all for $50 bucks! Wow! We thought it was a great deal! After mulling it over a few beers we decided to go with it.
The Tyger and I having partied hard at Marlow's the night before got a slow start in the morning but eventually made it back to Marlow's for the breakfast brunch before the game.
The brunch included all kinds of different sweets from croissants to cinnamon bread pudding. There were regular breakfast items such as pancakes, french toast, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and an omelet/waffle station where you custom order your own omelet or waffle. Then there were some speciality items like Jalapeno Corn Grits, Crab Cakes Benedict, and poached eggs topped with Salmon, and fruit salad. The whole buffet was a little small but delicious and very satisfying to say the least. The Tyger and I were trying to pace ourselves but in the end, we stuffed our bellies to the point that we felt as if we were gonna burst!The bus came at noon with coolers of beer ready to go as we boarded. I got to try the new Bud Light Lime that has been advertised widely. It was pretty good but then again I'm a light beer kind of girl!
We arrive at Turner field where the tailgate party began. A total of about 25 people were hanging out on the lawn drinking their beers, playing Frisbee, and socializing as we waited for the BBQ to get fired up. Served for lunch was homemade chicken sausage, cheese Brats, roasted pulled pork sandwiches, and chips on the side. Oh, and of course more beer! The Tyger and I made our rounds socializing with everyone and then walked over to the stadium to catch the game. Crowds of people lined the streets as we entered the stadium and got seated in our roasting hot seats.
It was a hot day to say the least with the temperature being in the mid 90's and the humidity lingering at around 80%. Our seats felt like they had been sitting in an oven making it hard for us to even sit down in our little short shorts! I had to put my feet up on the chair in front of me because the backs of my legs were burning so bad from the heat of my seat!We were seated on right field giving us a great view of Jeff Franceour. Damn that guy is Hot!! But not as hot as as we were sitting out in the miserable heat!
The game is going and The Tyger and I are finally at ease with being able to be as loud and stupid as we want to be without the worry of someone throwing us out of their bar. We were yelling at the players, the scores, the innings, and even singing along to the music playing in the stadium between innings. The game is going along and we're winning against Milwaukee which got our energy more pumped up! With each win, I watched how the audience did "The Chop" with their arms. I'm sorry, I respect the Braves and all but "The Chop" I just don't quite get!The Tyger and I were sweating worse than pigs out in that intense heat from the sun.
I looked down to see my clothes soaked from all the sweat that had been dripping down my chest, face, and back. Standing up it looked like I had ran through some water sprinklers or something! We were literally marinating in our own juices while watching the game. With each cloud that passed over us, we prayed that it would just stay put and not leave. Unfortunately, it was a pretty clear day with very little cloud activity so we were not spared from the grossly intense heat.During the 7th inning stretch we decided to get out of the heat for a little bit and walk around since it was my first time to Turner field.
I checked out the "Chop Shop" which is basically a large area filled with concession stands where you can buy food and drinks. We hung out in the shade for a bit which helped a little but not much. Inside the sports shop though is where we finally found relief. The AC was on full blast! The sports shop sells all your regular souvenirs that you would find at a baseball game. I bought a cute baby doll looking Braves shirt that really makes my boobs stand out! I love it!We headed back in time for the 8th inning to which the Braves were leading 5-0. The Tyger and I were pumped as the Braves had been losing all week to the Brewers. In between the top and bottom of the 8th, the stadium began playing Usher's Yeah! to keep the fans' energy going. I love this song and it's a great one to dance to. Not only is it a great song but Usher is HOT! I began dancing in my seat when I see this camera guy come towards me. He asked me to stand up and dance. As he points the camera on me, I looked up to see myself dancing on the big Jumbo Tron!!! Oh My God!! I was sooo excited and couldn't believe that I finally got onto one of the Jumbo Tron screens at a baseball game!!! Whoohoo!! It was the highlight of my day and couldn't stop talking about it! I ended up texting all my friends back home telling them about my little 10 seconds of fame! Hey, that's how they discovered Pamela Anderson!
A few people from our group came over, got us, and we walked back to the bus where we took it back to Marlow's. On the bus, many people commented on how they saw me shaking my stuff on the Jumbo Tron and how proud they were that I represented us! It's nice to be noticed!
The Tyger and I were so beat! First from partying it up the night before and then spending all day in the blazing hot sun cooking to death. We were so glad and proud of ourselves on how we finally got in a Braves game to help complete our summer. The Braves winning, lots of food and beer, and me getting on the Jumbo Tron made it a great day that we will never forget!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Night at The Earl
The Tyger and I have really gotten into our baseball this summer. I'm not exactly sure why but I think it's because we have nothing better else to do but check out guys with nice asses and yell our frustrations out at the screen. Either way, our days have been full of beer and baseball. Ah, the boys back home would be so proud of us!
We decided to break up our little routine of drinking beer and watching baseball at the apartment and head off to The Earl just so we could get out for a bit. They have a TV there and PLENTY of beer! We get to The Earl where we take our usual seats at the bar and promptly get served our beer. They know us so well that we don't even have to tell them what we want anymore.
The Braves last night were playing against the St. Louis Cardinals which put The Tyger and I as rivals. I lived in St. Louis last summer and saw many Cards games plus even got the chance to go to the brand new Busch Stadium. Even though the Braves have really grown on me to the point where I would pretty much call them my team, I had to support the Cards that night. Sorry!
The Tyger is ordering beer after beer after beer as the game goes on. As always, I'm trying to keep up with her but painfully not doing too well. The game is going along as both of us are getting more intoxicated with each inning being played. By the time the 5th inning came around, the Tyger was sloshed and me buzzed! Customers were in the lobby area enjoying their meals while we were both screaming at the TV with "YES! NO! AH, SHIT!" and other language that I won't repeat on this post. To put it mildly, we both were behaving obnoxiously as if we were in some ghetto sports bar. Our Girl even came out and told us that she could hear us all the way from the back! Geez, I didn't realize we could get that loud! In the end, the Cards won 7-2 to which I was pleased with while The Tyger drowned herself in the last sips of her beer.
The customers leave and we close the place down with one of the owners and our Girl still guzzling our beers. The owner had a long day struggling with his computer that had crashed, losing all of his information. He needed a drink to say the least. Conveniently, there's a sports bar next door to which the owner said he would treat us all to shots. (Oh, The Earl doesn't sell hard alcohol in case you were wondering! ) The Tyger already far gone was like, "Yea, let's go!" as she jump off her seat and made a bee line for the door. The rest of us followed.
The bar next to The Earl is extremely creepy for all the weird drunk guys hanging out at the bar. I walk past this bar every morning to often find vomit in front of the place. The place inside has a heavy unclean feel to it to say the least. You can tell the men in there haven't been laid in a long time as they stare at you like wolves drooling over their prey. The owner was looking like a pimp walking in with 3 women behind him as the rest of the drunken men at the bar cheered him on. One of them even made a comment to him by saying, "Hey next time bring in 6 women so we can each have one!" Oh that's just gross!
We each order a shot...the owner and Our Girl each had Yeager, The Tyger her tequila, and me my Kamikaze. We take the shot and immediately get the hell out of there! We hang out back at The Earl finishing up the last of our beers while laughing and talking shit about the creepy ass bar we had just left. We eventually leave and stumble back to the apartment with each taking our usual spots, The Tyger on the couch and me on the floor.
The night was good and memorable one to say the least. It was the first time we both were on opposite teams which I feel made the game more exciting! The Earl has really become our place where we can just hang and be ourselves making it more enjoyable for us. Now, hopefully they won't remember how much trouble we caused there!
We decided to break up our little routine of drinking beer and watching baseball at the apartment and head off to The Earl just so we could get out for a bit. They have a TV there and PLENTY of beer! We get to The Earl where we take our usual seats at the bar and promptly get served our beer. They know us so well that we don't even have to tell them what we want anymore.
The Braves last night were playing against the St. Louis Cardinals which put The Tyger and I as rivals. I lived in St. Louis last summer and saw many Cards games plus even got the chance to go to the brand new Busch Stadium. Even though the Braves have really grown on me to the point where I would pretty much call them my team, I had to support the Cards that night. Sorry!
The Tyger is ordering beer after beer after beer as the game goes on. As always, I'm trying to keep up with her but painfully not doing too well. The game is going along as both of us are getting more intoxicated with each inning being played. By the time the 5th inning came around, the Tyger was sloshed and me buzzed! Customers were in the lobby area enjoying their meals while we were both screaming at the TV with "YES! NO! AH, SHIT!" and other language that I won't repeat on this post. To put it mildly, we both were behaving obnoxiously as if we were in some ghetto sports bar. Our Girl even came out and told us that she could hear us all the way from the back! Geez, I didn't realize we could get that loud! In the end, the Cards won 7-2 to which I was pleased with while The Tyger drowned herself in the last sips of her beer.
The customers leave and we close the place down with one of the owners and our Girl still guzzling our beers. The owner had a long day struggling with his computer that had crashed, losing all of his information. He needed a drink to say the least. Conveniently, there's a sports bar next door to which the owner said he would treat us all to shots. (Oh, The Earl doesn't sell hard alcohol in case you were wondering! ) The Tyger already far gone was like, "Yea, let's go!" as she jump off her seat and made a bee line for the door. The rest of us followed.
The bar next to The Earl is extremely creepy for all the weird drunk guys hanging out at the bar. I walk past this bar every morning to often find vomit in front of the place. The place inside has a heavy unclean feel to it to say the least. You can tell the men in there haven't been laid in a long time as they stare at you like wolves drooling over their prey. The owner was looking like a pimp walking in with 3 women behind him as the rest of the drunken men at the bar cheered him on. One of them even made a comment to him by saying, "Hey next time bring in 6 women so we can each have one!" Oh that's just gross!
We each order a shot...the owner and Our Girl each had Yeager, The Tyger her tequila, and me my Kamikaze. We take the shot and immediately get the hell out of there! We hang out back at The Earl finishing up the last of our beers while laughing and talking shit about the creepy ass bar we had just left. We eventually leave and stumble back to the apartment with each taking our usual spots, The Tyger on the couch and me on the floor.
The night was good and memorable one to say the least. It was the first time we both were on opposite teams which I feel made the game more exciting! The Earl has really become our place where we can just hang and be ourselves making it more enjoyable for us. Now, hopefully they won't remember how much trouble we caused there!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Road Trip!!!
Road trips are the best! I love them because I always feel free without a care in the world when I'm on one. This is due to the fact that road trips don't require all that tedious planning of reserving a hotel, figuring out what you're gonna do, see, and other BS associated with it. All you do is jump in the car and take off with maybe some snacks and a bag of clothes. There really isn't any kind of time frame or deadlines you need to meet on a road trip either which is why I find them to be a relaxing way to see some of the country. Of course there are the down falls such as getting lost, the cost of gas, or getting that flat tire (which I have gotten on a road trip). If you put those worries aside though, the feel of freedom on the road is just at the wheel. Wherever that road takes you is where you're supposed to be going.
While it's difficult to get The Tyger and I away from our comfort zone in front of the TV we sometimes do get that motivation to move out of the apartment. In this case, The Tyger's motivation was that she had to take some state certification test for her job in Valdosta which is not too far from the Florida border. This quickly lit a fire up our butts to get out and see parts of Georgia that had nothing to do with Atlanta. Both of us have always wanted to see Savannah for its beauty and epitome for southern tradition so we decided to make a detour and stop there before heading down to Valdosta.
We hit the road late morning beginning our road trip. The drive from Atlanta to Savannah is about 4 hours so really, it wasn't that bad at all. Kind of like driving from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe! The drive getting there was uneventful in the sense that we didn't really talk much. Also, the music The Tyger chose as our driving music was not exactly the "loud guitar, head banging, party it up in your car" kind of music. But the road leading us there was quite scenic with all the green ivy climbing all over bountiful amounts of tall weepy looking trees. Georgia itself is really a beautiful state.
We arrive in Savannah to the historical part where we stopped at the information center. The information center is a tourist place in itself. The dark wooden floors, walls, and old southern style building really makes the visitor's center an attraction. Gifts shops, a place to eat, and tons of information on just about anything you can think of fills the room. Lots of stuff from Gone With the Wind if you're into that!
I was very hungry so we first found this burger place called B&D Burgers which claimed to have won best burger in all of Savannah.
Both of us agree that it was a damn good burger! Then we headed to the historical area of the city which was gorgeous! All the homes, lovely gardens, old buildings, and the waterfront was all just amazing. As I was walking, I kind of felt like I had stepped back in time to the Civil War days and could easily imagine Southern Bells walking around in their tight corsets and lacy dresses. The southern accents were much thicker here than in Atlanta which made me feel even more like I was really in the south.
It was a very hot and humid day in June though and we found ourselves sweating away as if we were in a sauna. Yes we took this trip in June but I just finally got the pictures developed! I seriously lag when it comes to developing pictures! Some of the buildings we passed were old homes that had been converted into restaurants or hotels. I thought "The Pink House" was a cool one so I took a picture of that! It happens to be a restaurant although we never went inside. There were also many different landmarks and statues surrounding each little square park. It's very relaxing to walk around especially with all the tall bushy trees that cover you with some nice shade. Although when it's 80% humidity outside the shade doesn't exactly help.
The waterfront was just beautiful as we strolled down the brick path. You can see many hotels, boats, and other businesses as you walk along the edge. The water front has many shops where you can buy souvenirs, food, drinks, southern trinkets, and other treats to suite your needs. 
The Tyger and I went inside this chocolate and candy store just because we needed to escape the heat! The smell of all that chocolate was so intoxicating that I ended up buying a couple of chocolate covered pretzels. Yummy! I also bought a couple of things to send back home to my family which they greatly appreciated. There are some really peaceful places to sit and enjoy the waterfront where you can eat your goodies and watch the boats go by. 
A place to rest and watch the Boats
A Bell Toll although I forgot the historical reference of it
A statue by the waterfront
We spent the day there then headed down to Valdosta which was another 4 hour drive. The drive there was very interesting. First of all, the highway we took eventually connected with a country highway which wasn't too bad. However, there were many, many small towns that fit that stereotypical view of what we see on TV in California about the south. Lots of run down trailer homes with all kinds of trash out front were pretty common along this highway. Why people put their old tractors, washers, dryers, and other kitchen appliances out front of their homes for them to rust is beyond me! I guess parts of Georgia don't have a trash pick up or dump site? It was unbelievable the kinds of things I was seeing on these people's lawns!
We eventually pull into Valdosta, check into a hotel, and go to sleep. The Tyger spent the next day taking her state exam while I took The Box (that's her car) to the mall and spent the day there. It was soooooooo humid and hot! Wow! It's like breathing water except you're not a fish! Valdosta doesn't really have anything much to write home about except maybe the Applebee's with the cute waiter who kept staring at me. No, I didn't give him my number!
The trip back home was another 4 hours which actually went by pretty quickly. I think it was because The Tyger and I had so much to talk about from her state exam to how beautiful Savannah was and how much we really want to go back. Over all the weekend went by quickly. As soon as we pulled into Atlanta, we were back to our TV watching and beer drinking habits. Hey, we had a long weekend so we were entitled to kick back!
The Tyger and I both agreed that our time in Savannah was definitly too short. You can easily spend a few days there just to see everything. There's quite a bit to see and do in such a small southern city. We both can't wait to go back again! I myself can't wait to take another road trip and see where that highway takes me. Life is a highway...I wanna drive it all night long!
While it's difficult to get The Tyger and I away from our comfort zone in front of the TV we sometimes do get that motivation to move out of the apartment. In this case, The Tyger's motivation was that she had to take some state certification test for her job in Valdosta which is not too far from the Florida border. This quickly lit a fire up our butts to get out and see parts of Georgia that had nothing to do with Atlanta. Both of us have always wanted to see Savannah for its beauty and epitome for southern tradition so we decided to make a detour and stop there before heading down to Valdosta.
We hit the road late morning beginning our road trip. The drive from Atlanta to Savannah is about 4 hours so really, it wasn't that bad at all. Kind of like driving from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe! The drive getting there was uneventful in the sense that we didn't really talk much. Also, the music The Tyger chose as our driving music was not exactly the "loud guitar, head banging, party it up in your car" kind of music. But the road leading us there was quite scenic with all the green ivy climbing all over bountiful amounts of tall weepy looking trees. Georgia itself is really a beautiful state.
We arrive in Savannah to the historical part where we stopped at the information center. The information center is a tourist place in itself. The dark wooden floors, walls, and old southern style building really makes the visitor's center an attraction. Gifts shops, a place to eat, and tons of information on just about anything you can think of fills the room. Lots of stuff from Gone With the Wind if you're into that!
I was very hungry so we first found this burger place called B&D Burgers which claimed to have won best burger in all of Savannah.
Both of us agree that it was a damn good burger! Then we headed to the historical area of the city which was gorgeous! All the homes, lovely gardens, old buildings, and the waterfront was all just amazing. As I was walking, I kind of felt like I had stepped back in time to the Civil War days and could easily imagine Southern Bells walking around in their tight corsets and lacy dresses. The southern accents were much thicker here than in Atlanta which made me feel even more like I was really in the south.
It was a very hot and humid day in June though and we found ourselves sweating away as if we were in a sauna. Yes we took this trip in June but I just finally got the pictures developed! I seriously lag when it comes to developing pictures! Some of the buildings we passed were old homes that had been converted into restaurants or hotels. I thought "The Pink House" was a cool one so I took a picture of that! It happens to be a restaurant although we never went inside. There were also many different landmarks and statues surrounding each little square park. It's very relaxing to walk around especially with all the tall bushy trees that cover you with some nice shade. Although when it's 80% humidity outside the shade doesn't exactly help.
The waterfront was just beautiful as we strolled down the brick path. You can see many hotels, boats, and other businesses as you walk along the edge. The water front has many shops where you can buy souvenirs, food, drinks, southern trinkets, and other treats to suite your needs. 
The Tyger and I went inside this chocolate and candy store just because we needed to escape the heat! The smell of all that chocolate was so intoxicating that I ended up buying a couple of chocolate covered pretzels. Yummy! I also bought a couple of things to send back home to my family which they greatly appreciated. There are some really peaceful places to sit and enjoy the waterfront where you can eat your goodies and watch the boats go by. 
A place to rest and watch the Boats
A Bell Toll although I forgot the historical reference of it
A statue by the waterfront
We spent the day there then headed down to Valdosta which was another 4 hour drive. The drive there was very interesting. First of all, the highway we took eventually connected with a country highway which wasn't too bad. However, there were many, many small towns that fit that stereotypical view of what we see on TV in California about the south. Lots of run down trailer homes with all kinds of trash out front were pretty common along this highway. Why people put their old tractors, washers, dryers, and other kitchen appliances out front of their homes for them to rust is beyond me! I guess parts of Georgia don't have a trash pick up or dump site? It was unbelievable the kinds of things I was seeing on these people's lawns!We eventually pull into Valdosta, check into a hotel, and go to sleep. The Tyger spent the next day taking her state exam while I took The Box (that's her car) to the mall and spent the day there. It was soooooooo humid and hot! Wow! It's like breathing water except you're not a fish! Valdosta doesn't really have anything much to write home about except maybe the Applebee's with the cute waiter who kept staring at me. No, I didn't give him my number!
The trip back home was another 4 hours which actually went by pretty quickly. I think it was because The Tyger and I had so much to talk about from her state exam to how beautiful Savannah was and how much we really want to go back. Over all the weekend went by quickly. As soon as we pulled into Atlanta, we were back to our TV watching and beer drinking habits. Hey, we had a long weekend so we were entitled to kick back!
The Tyger and I both agreed that our time in Savannah was definitly too short. You can easily spend a few days there just to see everything. There's quite a bit to see and do in such a small southern city. We both can't wait to go back again! I myself can't wait to take another road trip and see where that highway takes me. Life is a highway...I wanna drive it all night long!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
What a Weird Night!
The summer is just plugging along and The Tyger and I are having the time of our lives with all of our TV watching, sweating by the pool, and beer guzzling nights. Both of us have to admit that we are truly reliving our 20's again as if we were back in the dorms. The crazy drama we get into and all the trouble associated with it can be compared to that of a tornado. It strikes down causing chaos and destruction for a brief moment then disappears as quickly as it appeared. However, although we do have these wild and insane nights, we do occasionally have our off days. This night was one of them.
Trivia night seems to be something that's really popular here in Atlanta. Personally, I've never heard of Trivia night until I came here but I think it's because I don't get out much. I'm not sure how the whole thing works exactly but I'll try to explain how I understand it to be. So, the a bar usually has a DJ who asks different trivia questions related to all subjects such as sports, movies, people, etc. For each question your team answers correctly you receive points. At the end, the top three teams who have the most points receives a discount on their beer tab based on the amount of points you've accumulated. It's actually pretty fun and it even gets to be more exciting when you're drunk and can't even answer your own name! But hey, anything for a discount on beer, right?
The Tyger's friends had invited us out to this sports bar called Benchwarmers for Trivia night. We had all gone there once before and it seemed to be an ok place to hang out. The Tyger and I were the first to arrive so we decided to sit at the bar, order a beer, and wait for the rest of the crew to show up. The bartender takes our order, gives us our beer, and 5 minutes later everyone arrives. We grab a table in the back and get set up for trivia.
Just then, the waitress comes by asking everyone for their ID's. One of the people in our group forgot his wallet at home and therefore he wasn't able to present it. The waitress tells him, "I'm sorry but I can't serve you without ID. It's our policy to check ALL ID's and we can't serve you if you don't have one." They began discussing it to where she kept repeating the "must check all ID" policy before serving. That's when I stepped in and told her the bartender up front didn't ask for The Tyger's nor my ID when we ordered our beer. She started to throw some attitude and kept on repeating their policy and that it was her job blah, blah, blah. I said to her, "Well if that's your policy then everyone here should really be enforcing it because we weren't checked before being served." She walked off in a huff.
About 10 minutes later, this older woman who looked like the owner came by to "chat" with us. She went on to explain their "strict" policy about checking ID before serving and how they would get in trouble if some official walked in, yada, yada, yada. Again, I spoke up and said, "I understand your policy but if it's really THAT strict then there needs to be consistency in it because my friend and I weren't checked." She didn't say anything. It was like she had a ball stuck in her throat and couldn't speak. She KNEW they had fucked up! In the end, she let our friend stay and got him a beer but the waitress never came by again. In fact, we got no service at all for the rest of the night. When we paid our bill, they wouldn't even bring us our change! The Tyger had to go up and ask for it to which they were like, "Oh yeah, sorry, forgot." Like we would really leave them a $10 tip after all that BS!
We couldn't get over the lousy service and attitudes of the sports bar. I mean, I'm not against their policy and I completely understand that it was part of their job to ask for ID. I have no problem with that. What bothered me was the inconsistency of it all. If you're going to enforce your policies then DO IT! Enforce them!!! None of this checking some people but not others then blaming the customer. Whatever.
As you can tell, this night didn't sit well with us. Not only were my eyes burning from all the cigarette smoke lingering in the air but The Tyger was also parched and cranky from only having one beer. Let me tell you, you don't want to see The Tyger when she doesn't get her beer! It's not a pretty sight!
We drove back to the apartment both feeling odd from the night we had just experienced. The Tyger had made a comment about how she has never been treated so poorly as a customer. We vowed never to go back again and stick with what we know, like The 5th Earl Market. We always have a good experience at "The Earl" and are always treated as if we are special customers. We decided to go there this week to make up for the crappy night we had. At least we know the people there will be nice to us and treat us well!
Trivia night seems to be something that's really popular here in Atlanta. Personally, I've never heard of Trivia night until I came here but I think it's because I don't get out much. I'm not sure how the whole thing works exactly but I'll try to explain how I understand it to be. So, the a bar usually has a DJ who asks different trivia questions related to all subjects such as sports, movies, people, etc. For each question your team answers correctly you receive points. At the end, the top three teams who have the most points receives a discount on their beer tab based on the amount of points you've accumulated. It's actually pretty fun and it even gets to be more exciting when you're drunk and can't even answer your own name! But hey, anything for a discount on beer, right?
The Tyger's friends had invited us out to this sports bar called Benchwarmers for Trivia night. We had all gone there once before and it seemed to be an ok place to hang out. The Tyger and I were the first to arrive so we decided to sit at the bar, order a beer, and wait for the rest of the crew to show up. The bartender takes our order, gives us our beer, and 5 minutes later everyone arrives. We grab a table in the back and get set up for trivia.
Just then, the waitress comes by asking everyone for their ID's. One of the people in our group forgot his wallet at home and therefore he wasn't able to present it. The waitress tells him, "I'm sorry but I can't serve you without ID. It's our policy to check ALL ID's and we can't serve you if you don't have one." They began discussing it to where she kept repeating the "must check all ID" policy before serving. That's when I stepped in and told her the bartender up front didn't ask for The Tyger's nor my ID when we ordered our beer. She started to throw some attitude and kept on repeating their policy and that it was her job blah, blah, blah. I said to her, "Well if that's your policy then everyone here should really be enforcing it because we weren't checked before being served." She walked off in a huff.
About 10 minutes later, this older woman who looked like the owner came by to "chat" with us. She went on to explain their "strict" policy about checking ID before serving and how they would get in trouble if some official walked in, yada, yada, yada. Again, I spoke up and said, "I understand your policy but if it's really THAT strict then there needs to be consistency in it because my friend and I weren't checked." She didn't say anything. It was like she had a ball stuck in her throat and couldn't speak. She KNEW they had fucked up! In the end, she let our friend stay and got him a beer but the waitress never came by again. In fact, we got no service at all for the rest of the night. When we paid our bill, they wouldn't even bring us our change! The Tyger had to go up and ask for it to which they were like, "Oh yeah, sorry, forgot." Like we would really leave them a $10 tip after all that BS!
We couldn't get over the lousy service and attitudes of the sports bar. I mean, I'm not against their policy and I completely understand that it was part of their job to ask for ID. I have no problem with that. What bothered me was the inconsistency of it all. If you're going to enforce your policies then DO IT! Enforce them!!! None of this checking some people but not others then blaming the customer. Whatever.
As you can tell, this night didn't sit well with us. Not only were my eyes burning from all the cigarette smoke lingering in the air but The Tyger was also parched and cranky from only having one beer. Let me tell you, you don't want to see The Tyger when she doesn't get her beer! It's not a pretty sight!
We drove back to the apartment both feeling odd from the night we had just experienced. The Tyger had made a comment about how she has never been treated so poorly as a customer. We vowed never to go back again and stick with what we know, like The 5th Earl Market. We always have a good experience at "The Earl" and are always treated as if we are special customers. We decided to go there this week to make up for the crappy night we had. At least we know the people there will be nice to us and treat us well!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Southern Sweets
I loooove sweets! Nothing cures my my sweet-tooth more than cake though. It's a weakness of mine that I can't seem to resist no matter how hard I try. I can easily indulge in it everyday if you let me and I probably would if it wasn't for the pounds I most likely would pack on! Oh, I don't care what kind of cake it is...chocolate, lemon, vanilla, custard, carrot, or even banana. I love it all! I will admit though that my favorite all time cake is Rum Raspberry which is very difficult to find since most places don't make it. This is probably why most of my friends don't know that this is my favorite kind of cake. But now you know since you're reading this post! So I guess I would have to say my favorite cakes that come in second and third then are chocolate or lemon. I'm not sure what it is about cake that makes it so addicting for me but most likely it's the texture. That soft, moist, but dense texture combined with sugary sweetness always reels me in.
During my first few weeks here in Atlanta, I kept seeing this deep red cake with white frosting on it all over the grocery and convenient stores. I found out that it's called Red Velvet Cake and is very popular in the south. Being from the west coast, I've never really seen Red Velvet cake before as it is not a widely popular cake. In fact, I think if it wasn't for the movie Steel Magnolias I probably never would have heard of it. I've only had Red Velvet cake once which a friend of mine made for my birthday last year and it seemed to be pretty good. However, I'm here in the south now and I really wanted to try the REAL thing! I was about to buy a slice from the local grocery store when the The Tyger stepped in and said, "Don't buy that one. I know of a better place!"
The Tyger introduced me to a bakery about an 8 minute drive from her apartment called Southern Sweets which makes homemade cakes from scratch. They sell a diverse assortment of cakes which include chocolate, peanut butter, lemon, keylime, caramel, gingerbread, strawberry, mint, and of course red velvet! They also sell pies, cookies, different pound cakes, brownies, and even have a variety of vegan cakes! You have the option of buying a full cake or a slice for about $5. Buying the whole cake would send me to the hospital though so I always buy it by the slice. The slices are large enough that I can get about 3 servings out of it! Plenty to cure that sugar craving I get! The menu doesn't stop there though. They also have a lunch menu which includes soups, sandwiches, and salads. I haven't had a chance to try their lunch menu yet but I hope to do so soon!
Finding the bakery is very tricky as it located off of a main road, in a corner behind a bunch of other buildings off a dirt road! If it wasn't for The Tyger bringing me there for the first time, I would have no clue that it was even in this particular location! Even the signs coming from her apartment are small and easy to miss. Walking in you'll find a small area where people are sitting enjoying their meals. The place is no bigger than my last apartment back in California. To order, walk straight to the back to the counter, place your order, pay, then go sit down. They'll bring your food out to you. The people who work there are very friendly and I find myself hanging out for a good 20 minutes chatting with everyone before I leave. They seem to remember me too when I return even though I don't go there as often as I would like!
So what about the Red Velvet cake??? Yes, I did buy a slice of it and dug into southern tradition. To be honest, I was bit surprised by how it tasted. It tasted like a regular cake with a little more denseness than other cakes I've had. That deep color of red fooled me into thinking that I was gonna taste something like cherry or strawberry but I didn't. I believe that's why I was surprised. The frosting though is what gets you since it is made from a cream cheese base. Overall, it was still very good!
In every new city, you always have to find something that makes you feel settled. It's funny how the little things such as finding a favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or even park to hang out can make a person feel at home. I feel Southern Sweets is one of those places that I have found which makes me feel like this. The Tyger and I are fortunate to be so close to a place that not only serves delicious cakes but also can cure my sweet-tooth! Makes it all the easier to feel at home.
During my first few weeks here in Atlanta, I kept seeing this deep red cake with white frosting on it all over the grocery and convenient stores. I found out that it's called Red Velvet Cake and is very popular in the south. Being from the west coast, I've never really seen Red Velvet cake before as it is not a widely popular cake. In fact, I think if it wasn't for the movie Steel Magnolias I probably never would have heard of it. I've only had Red Velvet cake once which a friend of mine made for my birthday last year and it seemed to be pretty good. However, I'm here in the south now and I really wanted to try the REAL thing! I was about to buy a slice from the local grocery store when the The Tyger stepped in and said, "Don't buy that one. I know of a better place!"
The Tyger introduced me to a bakery about an 8 minute drive from her apartment called Southern Sweets which makes homemade cakes from scratch. They sell a diverse assortment of cakes which include chocolate, peanut butter, lemon, keylime, caramel, gingerbread, strawberry, mint, and of course red velvet! They also sell pies, cookies, different pound cakes, brownies, and even have a variety of vegan cakes! You have the option of buying a full cake or a slice for about $5. Buying the whole cake would send me to the hospital though so I always buy it by the slice. The slices are large enough that I can get about 3 servings out of it! Plenty to cure that sugar craving I get! The menu doesn't stop there though. They also have a lunch menu which includes soups, sandwiches, and salads. I haven't had a chance to try their lunch menu yet but I hope to do so soon!
Finding the bakery is very tricky as it located off of a main road, in a corner behind a bunch of other buildings off a dirt road! If it wasn't for The Tyger bringing me there for the first time, I would have no clue that it was even in this particular location! Even the signs coming from her apartment are small and easy to miss. Walking in you'll find a small area where people are sitting enjoying their meals. The place is no bigger than my last apartment back in California. To order, walk straight to the back to the counter, place your order, pay, then go sit down. They'll bring your food out to you. The people who work there are very friendly and I find myself hanging out for a good 20 minutes chatting with everyone before I leave. They seem to remember me too when I return even though I don't go there as often as I would like!
So what about the Red Velvet cake??? Yes, I did buy a slice of it and dug into southern tradition. To be honest, I was bit surprised by how it tasted. It tasted like a regular cake with a little more denseness than other cakes I've had. That deep color of red fooled me into thinking that I was gonna taste something like cherry or strawberry but I didn't. I believe that's why I was surprised. The frosting though is what gets you since it is made from a cream cheese base. Overall, it was still very good!
In every new city, you always have to find something that makes you feel settled. It's funny how the little things such as finding a favorite coffee shop, restaurant, or even park to hang out can make a person feel at home. I feel Southern Sweets is one of those places that I have found which makes me feel like this. The Tyger and I are fortunate to be so close to a place that not only serves delicious cakes but also can cure my sweet-tooth! Makes it all the easier to feel at home.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sick as a Dog
The poor Tyger...she has had this awful cough for over two weeks now and I'm hoping she makes it through. About two weeks ago, The Tyger went to summer camp as a volunteer spending a week with a bunch of teenagers. While she had a great time, I think the combination of not taking her vitamins, being outdoors, and around kids in general got her sick. She came back with this awful sore throat and really run down. The day after returning she had flu like symptoms and ended up in bed out for the count.
The Tyger lives in a very cute one bedroom apartment that is perfect for one person. Having the two of us in here, we're pretty much in each other's faces 24/7. I was surprised that I was doing great and hadn't caught anything! Well, I spoke too soon and next thing I know, a week later I woke up with a scratchy throat and my body feeling kind of achy. The day after, I ended up with a low grade fever and then it was me who was out for the count. It sucked for the both of us to not be able to go out and enjoy our beer like we normally do. Our beer has now been replaced with Airborn and lots of tea with lemon and fresh ginger to help with our sore throats and immune system. I can't taste anything either which makes it no fun to eat. Everything tastes so bland and it seems like no matter how much salt I put on my food, it just isn't enough.
Eventually she picked herself up and seems to be doing much better with the exception of this cough that just won't quit. Whatever she had it really took her energy away but I'm glad it's almost back. As for me, I fully recovered after a week and I'm glad I never got that awful cough that she has. Being sick in the summer is no fun especially when it's really hot outside. It makes it tougher to get well and deal with the heat.
But that won't stop us from getting our beer on! In fact being sick has given us a great excuse to watch baseball and not move off the couch. I guess being sick does have it's positives!
The Tyger lives in a very cute one bedroom apartment that is perfect for one person. Having the two of us in here, we're pretty much in each other's faces 24/7. I was surprised that I was doing great and hadn't caught anything! Well, I spoke too soon and next thing I know, a week later I woke up with a scratchy throat and my body feeling kind of achy. The day after, I ended up with a low grade fever and then it was me who was out for the count. It sucked for the both of us to not be able to go out and enjoy our beer like we normally do. Our beer has now been replaced with Airborn and lots of tea with lemon and fresh ginger to help with our sore throats and immune system. I can't taste anything either which makes it no fun to eat. Everything tastes so bland and it seems like no matter how much salt I put on my food, it just isn't enough.
Eventually she picked herself up and seems to be doing much better with the exception of this cough that just won't quit. Whatever she had it really took her energy away but I'm glad it's almost back. As for me, I fully recovered after a week and I'm glad I never got that awful cough that she has. Being sick in the summer is no fun especially when it's really hot outside. It makes it tougher to get well and deal with the heat.
But that won't stop us from getting our beer on! In fact being sick has given us a great excuse to watch baseball and not move off the couch. I guess being sick does have it's positives!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
A Night Out in A-Town
Baseball has begun to consume our lives this summer as we watch mindlessly into the TV screen. Like I had mentioned in a previous post, The Tyger and I are literally glued to the TV these days and it's pretty hard to pull us away. Pretty sad, huh? We've become addicted to not only our favorite TV shows but also watching the Braves on a regular basis. It's rare when we miss a game and if we do, we usually have a very good reason. What those reasons are, I'll have to get back to you on that! However, we do manage to get off our asses and get out even if it's for a couple of hours. As long as our destination has a TV, we're all set!
This past weekend, The Tyger wanted to take me to this place called Marlow's Tavern located in the trendy area of Midtown so we could watch the Braves play against Houston. This would be our little night out where we would escape from The Tyger's tiny cave that we've grown so comfortable in not leaving. We invited a couple of people as well to join us on our little night out excursion. Like always, we got all dressed up along with our make-up and hair all in place and headed out to the bar. Unlike the Sushi story though, we didn't get lost and found the place without any problems at all. Probably because I wasn't the one who looked up the directions!
Marlow's is pretty much a fancy sports bar with TV screens all over the walls. There isn't a place you can't look without seeing a TV screen in front of your eyes. Of course, this is our kind of bar! The lighting as you walk in is very dark with dimly lit lights and candles on the tables. The main color scheme is black with very dark brown beautiful tables giving it more of a mysterious atmosphere. It's actually smaller inside than I thought without feeling small. The bar does wrap around the place with plenty of seating as well as TVs so you won't miss any action. From the tables you have a decent view of the kitchen where you can watch the chef prepare all the delicious meals to go with your drink of choice. Overall, I really liked Marlow's atmosphere, decorations, and friendly servers.
The Tyger and I plopped ourselves down at one of the tables where we promptly ordered our beer. I had my usual Corona which was very yummy and The Tyger her Guinness. Now anyone who knows me knows that I'm an extreme light weight who gets drunk even off light beer. The Tyger on the other hand can handle 3, 4, 5 on her own without breaking a sweat. It's quite embarrassing to say the least.
I'm drinking my beer and not feeling a thing so I ordered another and another and another. However, I still wasn't feeling anything so I just continued to drink. The Braves were losing anyway so I figured I might as well continue what I had started, right? As the game began to take more of a downhill effect, we ordered the baked Brie with slices of bread which was delicious! The people who we had invited never showed up which was fine with us. We don't need guys to have a good time when we have each other and our beer anyway.
The game ends and we decided to head back. It was then that I stood up and felt all that beer hit me at once! I stumbled to The Tyger's car and we head back to the apartment with me singing to every song that came on the radio. If I'm singing then you KNOW I'm drunk! The poor Tyger had to endure listening to me being loud and obnoxious in her tiny box of a car. Now, if you're thinking that we just went home and The Tyger put me to bed, think again! The night continues on from here...
On the way back, one of the people who we had invited sends me a text asking if we're still at the bar. I reply with "No" to which he invited us over to hang out for a little bit at his house. The Tyger is not easily swayed though and sometimes it takes a little bit of coaxing to get her out of her cave. Simply speaking, there was no way we were going over if there was no alcohol. By our luck though, he said he had PLENTY of wine, beer, and hard alcohol. We were so there!
This person happens to be a close friend of one of The Tyger's co-workers who we had met at a party a few weeks back. He gave us a tour of his very beautiful and cute home, showed us all the little projects he's working on around the house, then brought out the beer. We spent the next couple of hours in the dining area chatting and telling stories about how we met and the adventures we've been having here since my arrival. In the meantime, I'm getting more and more intoxicated with each beer I'm polishing off.
Time really goes by fast when you're having fun or more like when you're in such an inebriated state that you don't even know what time is anymore! We leave at like two in the morning to where I stumble up the stairs to the apartment and immediately crash on the living room floor. Needless to say, I was pretty hungover the next day.
While The Tyger and I don't lead very exciting lives nor are we the biggest party animals on a Saturday night, we do have our moments. The Tyger being from the big city of LA and me from the Bay Area and having lived in Japan and Washington, D.C. , Atlanta is not one of the most exciting cities we've seen. However, The Tyger and I are getting to know all the hidden secret places of the city to spice up our lives enough and enjoy Atlanta to its fullest.
Watch out Atlanta, The Tyger and I have been let loose!
This past weekend, The Tyger wanted to take me to this place called Marlow's Tavern located in the trendy area of Midtown so we could watch the Braves play against Houston. This would be our little night out where we would escape from The Tyger's tiny cave that we've grown so comfortable in not leaving. We invited a couple of people as well to join us on our little night out excursion. Like always, we got all dressed up along with our make-up and hair all in place and headed out to the bar. Unlike the Sushi story though, we didn't get lost and found the place without any problems at all. Probably because I wasn't the one who looked up the directions!
Marlow's is pretty much a fancy sports bar with TV screens all over the walls. There isn't a place you can't look without seeing a TV screen in front of your eyes. Of course, this is our kind of bar! The lighting as you walk in is very dark with dimly lit lights and candles on the tables. The main color scheme is black with very dark brown beautiful tables giving it more of a mysterious atmosphere. It's actually smaller inside than I thought without feeling small. The bar does wrap around the place with plenty of seating as well as TVs so you won't miss any action. From the tables you have a decent view of the kitchen where you can watch the chef prepare all the delicious meals to go with your drink of choice. Overall, I really liked Marlow's atmosphere, decorations, and friendly servers.
The Tyger and I plopped ourselves down at one of the tables where we promptly ordered our beer. I had my usual Corona which was very yummy and The Tyger her Guinness. Now anyone who knows me knows that I'm an extreme light weight who gets drunk even off light beer. The Tyger on the other hand can handle 3, 4, 5 on her own without breaking a sweat. It's quite embarrassing to say the least.
I'm drinking my beer and not feeling a thing so I ordered another and another and another. However, I still wasn't feeling anything so I just continued to drink. The Braves were losing anyway so I figured I might as well continue what I had started, right? As the game began to take more of a downhill effect, we ordered the baked Brie with slices of bread which was delicious! The people who we had invited never showed up which was fine with us. We don't need guys to have a good time when we have each other and our beer anyway.
The game ends and we decided to head back. It was then that I stood up and felt all that beer hit me at once! I stumbled to The Tyger's car and we head back to the apartment with me singing to every song that came on the radio. If I'm singing then you KNOW I'm drunk! The poor Tyger had to endure listening to me being loud and obnoxious in her tiny box of a car. Now, if you're thinking that we just went home and The Tyger put me to bed, think again! The night continues on from here...
On the way back, one of the people who we had invited sends me a text asking if we're still at the bar. I reply with "No" to which he invited us over to hang out for a little bit at his house. The Tyger is not easily swayed though and sometimes it takes a little bit of coaxing to get her out of her cave. Simply speaking, there was no way we were going over if there was no alcohol. By our luck though, he said he had PLENTY of wine, beer, and hard alcohol. We were so there!
This person happens to be a close friend of one of The Tyger's co-workers who we had met at a party a few weeks back. He gave us a tour of his very beautiful and cute home, showed us all the little projects he's working on around the house, then brought out the beer. We spent the next couple of hours in the dining area chatting and telling stories about how we met and the adventures we've been having here since my arrival. In the meantime, I'm getting more and more intoxicated with each beer I'm polishing off.
Time really goes by fast when you're having fun or more like when you're in such an inebriated state that you don't even know what time is anymore! We leave at like two in the morning to where I stumble up the stairs to the apartment and immediately crash on the living room floor. Needless to say, I was pretty hungover the next day.
While The Tyger and I don't lead very exciting lives nor are we the biggest party animals on a Saturday night, we do have our moments. The Tyger being from the big city of LA and me from the Bay Area and having lived in Japan and Washington, D.C. , Atlanta is not one of the most exciting cities we've seen. However, The Tyger and I are getting to know all the hidden secret places of the city to spice up our lives enough and enjoy Atlanta to its fullest.
Watch out Atlanta, The Tyger and I have been let loose!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
4th Of July
Believe it or not, 4th of July is not one of my most exciting holidays. This is largely due to California banning fireworks in most counties making it so no one can really have any kind of fun. Before the banning of fireworks when I was a kid, I remember my dad buying boxes of different fireworks where we would spend hours in the streets with all the other neighbors playing with the sparklers and shooting off various noise makers. Slowly though, the state stopped selling fireworks in certain counties forcing us to join huge crowds of people crammed into stadiums to watch the fireworks together. I remember specifically my dad taking my mom, grandmother, aunt, and I to San Jose State's Spartan Stadium to watch all those gorgeous lights being shot into the air over the football field. Eventually though, this stopped due to budget cuts in the city. Now, the only places you can see fireworks in California are at amusement parks and in the downtown areas. However, with over 6 million people living in the Bay Area alone, the unbelievably huge crowds makes it a deterrent from wanting to even venture out into the city. Most often, my friends and I stay home, BBQ, and forget about seeing any kind of sparks in the air these days.
Atlanta is no different I found out. Fireworks are pretty much banned from people setting them off in their neighborhoods leaving the only places to see them in the downtown areas or public amusement parks. However, The Tyger and I were set to make the best of the situation. This is the first time we've been together for 4th of July in a new city so that alone made it more exciting for us.
First we spent the day relaxing and watching the Braves kick Houston's ass! Then I got to work in the kitchen. Our menu included fat yummy Bratwurst that I grilled using The Tyger's new grill pan, a Caribbean potato salad made with lots of chili powder and fragrant cumin, and an avocado salad that I threw together using left over tomatoes. Of course, what's a 4th of July dinner without beer, right??? With our delicious Brats, we made our usual toast to "summer and us" spliting a six-pack of Coronas. After stuffing ourselves with meat and carbs, we both fell into an overwhelming food coma and continued to watch TV for the evening as we drank our beer. TLC was having marathons on What Not To Wear to which we quickly got sucked into.
At around 9:30pm, we began to hear the booming sounds of fireworks being shot off near the downtown area. We sat there for a minute bummed that we wouldn't be able to see them when I decided to go out on the balcony to check things out. I stepped out, looked to the left, and to my surprise saw that we had a very clear and close view of all the fireworks being sent into the air. Jumping up and down with pure excitement, I called The Tyger outside to where we stood for the next half-hour watching all the those beautiful lights, colors, and sparks being shot over the buildings in downtown. The Tyger's location in her apartment complex really did give us the best seats in the house!
Spending 4th of July with my close friend, getting our beer on, eating Brats, and having the chance to see some amazing fireworks was a great way to spend this holiday in Atlanta. It definitely was a nice change of pace from spending this day in California and I was very glad to have been here in this city to experience that. Atlanta, you're beginning to grow on me!
Atlanta is no different I found out. Fireworks are pretty much banned from people setting them off in their neighborhoods leaving the only places to see them in the downtown areas or public amusement parks. However, The Tyger and I were set to make the best of the situation. This is the first time we've been together for 4th of July in a new city so that alone made it more exciting for us.
First we spent the day relaxing and watching the Braves kick Houston's ass! Then I got to work in the kitchen. Our menu included fat yummy Bratwurst that I grilled using The Tyger's new grill pan, a Caribbean potato salad made with lots of chili powder and fragrant cumin, and an avocado salad that I threw together using left over tomatoes. Of course, what's a 4th of July dinner without beer, right??? With our delicious Brats, we made our usual toast to "summer and us" spliting a six-pack of Coronas. After stuffing ourselves with meat and carbs, we both fell into an overwhelming food coma and continued to watch TV for the evening as we drank our beer. TLC was having marathons on What Not To Wear to which we quickly got sucked into.
At around 9:30pm, we began to hear the booming sounds of fireworks being shot off near the downtown area. We sat there for a minute bummed that we wouldn't be able to see them when I decided to go out on the balcony to check things out. I stepped out, looked to the left, and to my surprise saw that we had a very clear and close view of all the fireworks being sent into the air. Jumping up and down with pure excitement, I called The Tyger outside to where we stood for the next half-hour watching all the those beautiful lights, colors, and sparks being shot over the buildings in downtown. The Tyger's location in her apartment complex really did give us the best seats in the house!
Spending 4th of July with my close friend, getting our beer on, eating Brats, and having the chance to see some amazing fireworks was a great way to spend this holiday in Atlanta. It definitely was a nice change of pace from spending this day in California and I was very glad to have been here in this city to experience that. Atlanta, you're beginning to grow on me!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Mrs. Spider
If there is one thing I can't tolerate it's the sight of spiders. I have THE worst case of arachnophobia you have ever seen in a person. It's awful. I think the fear of spiders might have came from the time when some of the neighborhood kids on my block held me down and let a daddy long leg crawl all over my back. Or maybe it was the time I fell down into a bush when I was 6 years old and felt a bunch of spiders crawling all over my arm. Either way, I've never had a good rapport with spiders. And ironically Atlanta is FULL of them!!! The spiders here are ginormous due to all the humidity and rain. It keeps them well fed with all the larger bugs that fall victim into their devious webs trapping them to their ultimate death. Being from California, we don't have very large spiders or bugs for that matter. Dry weather tends to keep them small and tolerable. Here though it's a very different story. Since I've been here, I've walked into huge webs that stretch across the parking lots, stairs, and trees. I've been bitten numerous times by tiny spiders and other bugs that seem to cross my path. It's times like these when I really wish the spider population didn't exist.
During my first week here, I took a walk onto The Tyger's balcony to check out the view and the weather. It was then that I noticed this decent size spider in the corner between the building and the sliding glass door. Of course, I freaked out and ran into the apartment yelling at The Tyger to kill it immediately. She goes out there and is like, "Oh yeah, it looks ok" and then nonchalantly walks back in. I was like, "KILL IT, KILL IT!!! PLEASE!!!" to which she replied with, "I dunno, I feel sort of guilty doing that. I mean, it's like murder isn't it?" Geez! I just couldn't see it from her point of view but I eventually gave up. I figured as long as it was outside, it was alright.
About a week after that, I noticed this round ball in the web. I called over the Tyger and she says, "Oh no! That's an egg sac!" That's when she took action and removed the egg sac from its web. We didn't want millions of baby spiders finding their way inside the apartment! Since that time, I've kept a closer eye on her to make sure she wasn't laying any more egg sacs. I made it a part of my routine to check up on it to see what it was up to. My routine soon became The Tyger's routine and next thing I know, we started calling her Mrs. Spider.
In the past month, she has caught many bugs including a 2 1/2 inch cockroach to which it took all day for her to suck it dry! Now, just like I'm freaked out by spiders, The Tyger HATES cockroaches so I guess Mrs. Spider is good for something. She has also laid a total of 5 egg sacs to which we have gotten rid of all of them. I guess in that sense we have murdered all of her children. I try not think about that as I sleep at night.
I got so curious about her that I decided to do some research. Like, how many egg sacs can a spider lay up to?? In my research I found out that female spiders have the ability to store sperm in a separate cavity built inside of them. When they're ready to lay their eggs, they release the sperm to fertilize them. We should be so lucky, huh? Basically, how many egg sacs they lay depends on the species. Some lay only one while others can lay up to about 4-5. I guess she had a lot of sperm stored in her! At least she was getting some action! Also, she is a kind of garden spider commonly found in the southern regions of the U.S. and harmless to humans if bitten. Great, at least I know I won't die!
Now that this spider has a name and we frequently check up on her, its become more of a pet. While in the beginning I was so gung-ho to kill that stupid eight-legged creature, now I would really miss her sitting in the corner if anything happened to her. I don't have it in me to kill her and would feel guilty if I did. I can't believe that I've adapted to having a "pet" spider on the balcony. Oh I'm still scared of her! Don't think I'm all laid back about the whole thing. But I will admit a part of me has grown an attachment to her.
During my first week here, I took a walk onto The Tyger's balcony to check out the view and the weather. It was then that I noticed this decent size spider in the corner between the building and the sliding glass door. Of course, I freaked out and ran into the apartment yelling at The Tyger to kill it immediately. She goes out there and is like, "Oh yeah, it looks ok" and then nonchalantly walks back in. I was like, "KILL IT, KILL IT!!! PLEASE!!!" to which she replied with, "I dunno, I feel sort of guilty doing that. I mean, it's like murder isn't it?" Geez! I just couldn't see it from her point of view but I eventually gave up. I figured as long as it was outside, it was alright.
About a week after that, I noticed this round ball in the web. I called over the Tyger and she says, "Oh no! That's an egg sac!" That's when she took action and removed the egg sac from its web. We didn't want millions of baby spiders finding their way inside the apartment! Since that time, I've kept a closer eye on her to make sure she wasn't laying any more egg sacs. I made it a part of my routine to check up on it to see what it was up to. My routine soon became The Tyger's routine and next thing I know, we started calling her Mrs. Spider.
In the past month, she has caught many bugs including a 2 1/2 inch cockroach to which it took all day for her to suck it dry! Now, just like I'm freaked out by spiders, The Tyger HATES cockroaches so I guess Mrs. Spider is good for something. She has also laid a total of 5 egg sacs to which we have gotten rid of all of them. I guess in that sense we have murdered all of her children. I try not think about that as I sleep at night.
I got so curious about her that I decided to do some research. Like, how many egg sacs can a spider lay up to?? In my research I found out that female spiders have the ability to store sperm in a separate cavity built inside of them. When they're ready to lay their eggs, they release the sperm to fertilize them. We should be so lucky, huh? Basically, how many egg sacs they lay depends on the species. Some lay only one while others can lay up to about 4-5. I guess she had a lot of sperm stored in her! At least she was getting some action! Also, she is a kind of garden spider commonly found in the southern regions of the U.S. and harmless to humans if bitten. Great, at least I know I won't die!
Now that this spider has a name and we frequently check up on her, its become more of a pet. While in the beginning I was so gung-ho to kill that stupid eight-legged creature, now I would really miss her sitting in the corner if anything happened to her. I don't have it in me to kill her and would feel guilty if I did. I can't believe that I've adapted to having a "pet" spider on the balcony. Oh I'm still scared of her! Don't think I'm all laid back about the whole thing. But I will admit a part of me has grown an attachment to her.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
As the Whistle Blows
The Tyger lives in a very hip, kind of upscale, and trendy suburb of Atlanta. Within walking distance we can find the cutest restaurants and shops, a laid back atmosphere, and very nice welcoming people. I sometimes take a walk to the downtown area just to get away for something to do. I think one reason why I like it so much is because a part of it reminds me of back home in Santa Cruz except without the beaches, oceans, and pot smoking hippies.
The surrounding area near The Tyger's apartment is occupied with many peaceful neighborhoods filled with beautiful southern style homes. I spend my morning walks in these neighborhoods admiring the large front yards filled with colorful flowers, dark green bushes, and very tall weepy looking trees. I can see why The Tyger chose to live in this suburb even though it's almost an hour drive away from her work. Needless to say, The Tyger also lives in a very nice apartment complex with high security, regular maintenance crews consistently working around the clock, and of course a pool! However the one thing that we don't get is how this beautiful and peaceful area can have one annoying thing...the damn train!
On my first night here when I arrived, The Tyger and I were sitting in her living room catching up when all of a sudden I heard this very loud WHOOOOOOOOOOOO and DING, DING, DING, DING! Even though I recognized it to be a train, it really did sound like it was in her living room. That's when she tells me, "Oh that...yeah. Ummm...It comes like every hour or so, so get used to it". What?!?! Every hour??? How do you sleep through it??? "Ummm, well...I guess you just get used to it." Now this train is not like one of those Amtrak trains or anything. It's one of those heavy metal freight trains carrying cargo, supplies, and such. When the train passes by, the conductor tends to just lay on the horn for about a good minute before letting go. It's VERY LOUD and if you're even closer by, you can feel the ground shake.
Since I've been here, I have grown accustomed to hearing this loud whistle as the train passes by. It's funny with all the little adjustments you learn to make living that close to railroad tracks. For example, The Tyger and I have learned to turn up the volume on the TV for those few minutes, to talk a little louder or just shut up and wait, or go to bed right after the train passes so it doesn't scare you awake just as you're falling into that twilight sleep mode. I also have to make sure on my morning walks to cover my ears as I tend to walk down the same street as the tracks are located. I guess you just learn how to adapt to your surroundings and make the best of it.
Growing up, I spent most of my childhood at my grandparent's home where they lived near a set of train tracks. Now, the train there didn't come every hour or anything nor was it as close to what we're living to now. But late at night I could hear it in the distance as it traveled by reaching its next destination. As a child, it became a very comforting sound for me and I would find myself waiting to hear it just so I could go to sleep. My grandfather would often tell me stories back in the day when he worked on the tracks and sometimes bring me to them and teach me about the trains. He passed away a year ago at the age of 103 years old. Whenever I hear a train, I think of him.
So even though The Tyger and I bitch, moan, and complain about the damn train annoying the shit out of us, inside myself I'm glad the train is here near us. I'd like to think of it as my grandfather watching over me and making sure that I'll be ok. Ah, there goes the train now as I write about him.
The surrounding area near The Tyger's apartment is occupied with many peaceful neighborhoods filled with beautiful southern style homes. I spend my morning walks in these neighborhoods admiring the large front yards filled with colorful flowers, dark green bushes, and very tall weepy looking trees. I can see why The Tyger chose to live in this suburb even though it's almost an hour drive away from her work. Needless to say, The Tyger also lives in a very nice apartment complex with high security, regular maintenance crews consistently working around the clock, and of course a pool! However the one thing that we don't get is how this beautiful and peaceful area can have one annoying thing...the damn train!
On my first night here when I arrived, The Tyger and I were sitting in her living room catching up when all of a sudden I heard this very loud WHOOOOOOOOOOOO and DING, DING, DING, DING! Even though I recognized it to be a train, it really did sound like it was in her living room. That's when she tells me, "Oh that...yeah. Ummm...It comes like every hour or so, so get used to it". What?!?! Every hour??? How do you sleep through it??? "Ummm, well...I guess you just get used to it." Now this train is not like one of those Amtrak trains or anything. It's one of those heavy metal freight trains carrying cargo, supplies, and such. When the train passes by, the conductor tends to just lay on the horn for about a good minute before letting go. It's VERY LOUD and if you're even closer by, you can feel the ground shake.
Since I've been here, I have grown accustomed to hearing this loud whistle as the train passes by. It's funny with all the little adjustments you learn to make living that close to railroad tracks. For example, The Tyger and I have learned to turn up the volume on the TV for those few minutes, to talk a little louder or just shut up and wait, or go to bed right after the train passes so it doesn't scare you awake just as you're falling into that twilight sleep mode. I also have to make sure on my morning walks to cover my ears as I tend to walk down the same street as the tracks are located. I guess you just learn how to adapt to your surroundings and make the best of it.
Growing up, I spent most of my childhood at my grandparent's home where they lived near a set of train tracks. Now, the train there didn't come every hour or anything nor was it as close to what we're living to now. But late at night I could hear it in the distance as it traveled by reaching its next destination. As a child, it became a very comforting sound for me and I would find myself waiting to hear it just so I could go to sleep. My grandfather would often tell me stories back in the day when he worked on the tracks and sometimes bring me to them and teach me about the trains. He passed away a year ago at the age of 103 years old. Whenever I hear a train, I think of him.
So even though The Tyger and I bitch, moan, and complain about the damn train annoying the shit out of us, inside myself I'm glad the train is here near us. I'd like to think of it as my grandfather watching over me and making sure that I'll be ok. Ah, there goes the train now as I write about him.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Sushi That Got Away
Magic Fingers Sushi also known as MF Sushi is considered probably one of the best places in all of Atlanta where you can get fresh tasting and authentic Japanese sushi. Not only is it the best place for sushi, it boasts as being the FIRST sushi bar established in all of Atlanta. It is known for its sophisticated atmosphere and great service which is why it draws crowds of people in at a time. Reservations are required and it's wise to place them as far in advance as possible. Don't even think about showing up even 5 minutes late or else your reservation will be considered non-existent. It's located in Midtown which is a very trendy area of the city with people willing to spend the money for good quality food. Needless to say, this place is VERY EXPENSIVE but the yuppies are willing to pay for it.
The Tyger wanted to take me to this all famous MF Sushi Bar as our little girls night out together. Having lived in Japan for two years, I'm quite the fish and sushi snob. I rarely find a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant that meets the standards I got used to living in the native country. Either way, my friends really enjoy going to Japanese restaurants with me as I can still speak Japanese pretty well and converse with the servers and sushi chefs. My friends also get a little Japanese culture lesson as well with me. Over all, I've been told I'm a lot of fun to eat Japanese food with.
The Tyger had made reservations about a week in advance for 7pm and reminded me about it over and over. However, on the day of our "date", The Tyger got involved with some project and forgot about the time. Next thing I know I hear this, "Damn it!", as she goes running into the shower. She comes out and is rushing around the entire apartment like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get ready in time. In the middle of her frenzied chaos, she asked me to look up the directions. I look them up, she writes them down and we're off and running a little late.
So now we're driving and driving and driving until we finally arrive at where the restaurant was SUPPOSED to be located. We couldn't find it so The Tyger calls for directions only to find out that we're on the other side of town! What I didn't know when I looked up the directions was that MF Sushi also has other affiliates. I basically looked up the wrong location. Doh! By this point, The Tyger and I are lost, hungry, and bummed out that we missed going to this famous and luxurious place. We sat quietly in the car not speaking for a while trying to figure out what to do. We're dressed to the nine's, pumped to be out, and hoping to get some food porn on. What do we do now? Go home and call it a night?? Hell no! This is OUR summer and no obstacle is going to get in our way of spoiling the best summer we've ever had!
My dad's favorite all time quote is, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade", and that's exactly what we did! We ended up going to this burger joint called 5 Guys which makes the best burgers I've ever tasted. I used to eat there all the time with my friend Jersey from back at school in Washington, DC. This place has been awarded as having the best burger for like 8 years straight by the Washington Post. Anyway, we eat our burger and fries then decide to head off to a place called Birdi's located in the downtown area near the Tyger's apartment for Martinis. We have Martinis then decide to each do a shot. From there we were out for the count. We stumbled back to the apartment where we passed out as usual, her on the couch and me on the floor.
While we missed out on the Atlanta sushi experience, we made up for it by having our other comfort food, getting drunk, and waking up the next morning with smiles on our faces.
The Tyger wanted to take me to this all famous MF Sushi Bar as our little girls night out together. Having lived in Japan for two years, I'm quite the fish and sushi snob. I rarely find a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant that meets the standards I got used to living in the native country. Either way, my friends really enjoy going to Japanese restaurants with me as I can still speak Japanese pretty well and converse with the servers and sushi chefs. My friends also get a little Japanese culture lesson as well with me. Over all, I've been told I'm a lot of fun to eat Japanese food with.
The Tyger had made reservations about a week in advance for 7pm and reminded me about it over and over. However, on the day of our "date", The Tyger got involved with some project and forgot about the time. Next thing I know I hear this, "Damn it!", as she goes running into the shower. She comes out and is rushing around the entire apartment like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get ready in time. In the middle of her frenzied chaos, she asked me to look up the directions. I look them up, she writes them down and we're off and running a little late.
So now we're driving and driving and driving until we finally arrive at where the restaurant was SUPPOSED to be located. We couldn't find it so The Tyger calls for directions only to find out that we're on the other side of town! What I didn't know when I looked up the directions was that MF Sushi also has other affiliates. I basically looked up the wrong location. Doh! By this point, The Tyger and I are lost, hungry, and bummed out that we missed going to this famous and luxurious place. We sat quietly in the car not speaking for a while trying to figure out what to do. We're dressed to the nine's, pumped to be out, and hoping to get some food porn on. What do we do now? Go home and call it a night?? Hell no! This is OUR summer and no obstacle is going to get in our way of spoiling the best summer we've ever had!
My dad's favorite all time quote is, "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade", and that's exactly what we did! We ended up going to this burger joint called 5 Guys which makes the best burgers I've ever tasted. I used to eat there all the time with my friend Jersey from back at school in Washington, DC. This place has been awarded as having the best burger for like 8 years straight by the Washington Post. Anyway, we eat our burger and fries then decide to head off to a place called Birdi's located in the downtown area near the Tyger's apartment for Martinis. We have Martinis then decide to each do a shot. From there we were out for the count. We stumbled back to the apartment where we passed out as usual, her on the couch and me on the floor.
While we missed out on the Atlanta sushi experience, we made up for it by having our other comfort food, getting drunk, and waking up the next morning with smiles on our faces.
Here's to us and summer!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Life is a Highway
"Life is a highway, I wanna drive it all night long. If you're going my way, I wanna drive it all night long..."
Oh c'mon sing it with me! You know you know the lyrics to it! This famous song by Tom Cochrane has really influenced not only my perspective of Atlanta but The Tyger's and my outlook on life itself. For example, if I hadn't gone through the divorce, I would've been taking the highway back to the west coast rather than to the good 'ol south. And if I had never taken this highway here to the good 'ol south, we would not be having the adventures that we are having this summer. I guess things in life happen for a reason and there is a reason as to why I ended up here in the first place. What that reason is, I have no clue yet.
But I digress, the real story behind this song is how we view Atlanta roads, highways, and city streets. To put it simply...THE ROADS HERE MAKE NO FUCKING SENSE AT ALL!!! In fact we have changed the lyrics to, "Life is a highway, you can get lost on it in Atlanta all night long!" Main streets have other main streets attached to it that branch out to various parts of the city making it so it looks more like a termite's trail in a piece of wood. Also, I never really thought the saying, "It's the little things that count", as being the ultimate truth. You know those little endings at the name of a street like DRIVE, AVENUE, CIRCLE, STREET, and PLACE? Those make a HUGE difference when taking down directions. For example, they have an East Ponce de Leon, West Ponce de Leon, Ponce de Leon, Ponce De Leon NE, etc. The list of Ponce de Leons go on and on and on. Peachtree is another street name here that has a looooong list. Basically, if you don't write down those little important endings, you're pretty much screwed. It took me 30 minutes to find the library when I first arrived here which is only a 5 minute drive. This was because I turned on Sycamore Place instead of Sycamore Street which happened to be the next street up. And I thought getting around D.C. was bad! Natives of Atlanta tell me that even they sometimes get turned around.
Now if we want to look at it from an intellectual point of view, the city of Atlanta is full of history that can still be seen through its architecture, railroads, and city streets. Roads here were designed to prevent horses from getting stuck in the mud which explains why the city has connected main streets to other main streets. Also, because change is slow in the south which has preserved its history, it is easier for them to just build off of other streets rather than revamping the whole city. Street names back in the day were named so people knew where they were. So street names like Mill Road, Spring Road, and Ferry Road all told a person where they were near. It is not unusual for street names to change within a block of each other or become a completely different city due to the dozens of small communities squashed together. There are streets that meet up with other streets and become other streets. Did that make sense? See, even I'm confused and I'm not even in my car!
All of this does not make it any easier for a person visiting the city or anyone who has just recently relocated here. My advice? Get a GPS unless you don't mind taking that wrong turn and having the highway of life take you on a new adventure. Hey, you never know where life is gonna take you.
Oh c'mon sing it with me! You know you know the lyrics to it! This famous song by Tom Cochrane has really influenced not only my perspective of Atlanta but The Tyger's and my outlook on life itself. For example, if I hadn't gone through the divorce, I would've been taking the highway back to the west coast rather than to the good 'ol south. And if I had never taken this highway here to the good 'ol south, we would not be having the adventures that we are having this summer. I guess things in life happen for a reason and there is a reason as to why I ended up here in the first place. What that reason is, I have no clue yet.
But I digress, the real story behind this song is how we view Atlanta roads, highways, and city streets. To put it simply...THE ROADS HERE MAKE NO FUCKING SENSE AT ALL!!! In fact we have changed the lyrics to, "Life is a highway, you can get lost on it in Atlanta all night long!" Main streets have other main streets attached to it that branch out to various parts of the city making it so it looks more like a termite's trail in a piece of wood. Also, I never really thought the saying, "It's the little things that count", as being the ultimate truth. You know those little endings at the name of a street like DRIVE, AVENUE, CIRCLE, STREET, and PLACE? Those make a HUGE difference when taking down directions. For example, they have an East Ponce de Leon, West Ponce de Leon, Ponce de Leon, Ponce De Leon NE, etc. The list of Ponce de Leons go on and on and on. Peachtree is another street name here that has a looooong list. Basically, if you don't write down those little important endings, you're pretty much screwed. It took me 30 minutes to find the library when I first arrived here which is only a 5 minute drive. This was because I turned on Sycamore Place instead of Sycamore Street which happened to be the next street up. And I thought getting around D.C. was bad! Natives of Atlanta tell me that even they sometimes get turned around.
Now if we want to look at it from an intellectual point of view, the city of Atlanta is full of history that can still be seen through its architecture, railroads, and city streets. Roads here were designed to prevent horses from getting stuck in the mud which explains why the city has connected main streets to other main streets. Also, because change is slow in the south which has preserved its history, it is easier for them to just build off of other streets rather than revamping the whole city. Street names back in the day were named so people knew where they were. So street names like Mill Road, Spring Road, and Ferry Road all told a person where they were near. It is not unusual for street names to change within a block of each other or become a completely different city due to the dozens of small communities squashed together. There are streets that meet up with other streets and become other streets. Did that make sense? See, even I'm confused and I'm not even in my car!
All of this does not make it any easier for a person visiting the city or anyone who has just recently relocated here. My advice? Get a GPS unless you don't mind taking that wrong turn and having the highway of life take you on a new adventure. Hey, you never know where life is gonna take you.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The 5th Earl Market
Just down the street, a literal 5 minute walk from The Tyger's apartment is this small deli/sandwich shop with a wine and beer bar called The 5th Earl Market. We tend to go there so we can drink ourselves to the point where we get obnoxious and stupid, then stumble back to the apartment and pass out without the worries of having to drive.
The first time I walked in I fell in love with the restaurant itself for its atmosphere and beautiful decorations. When you first walk in, it looks like a cute sandwich shop but as you head to the other side towards the back where the bar is, the place darkens with some soft lightening. The cement floors, candles on the tables and bar, and the white Christmas lights that reflect off the mirror behind the bar, I feel is what gives the place its relaxing atmosphere.
The food is so delicious too. Yes, between all the drinking we do manage to get some food into us! I haven't had a chance to try a lot but what I've seen and what I've eaten has been great! Last time I went in, I ordered the special of the night which was shrimp cakes served with mac and cheese and broccoli. The plate came with two perfectly round cakes with their version of a white BBQ sauce. I took one bite of the shrimp cakes and pretty much had a 10 minute foodgasm! With each bite I took, I could feel my tongue tingling with deliciousness. The white BBQ sauce added a slight tang to the cakes which made me savor each bite. I LOVED the shrimp cakes to say the least! I normally don't eat a whole lot and don't even finish half of what is served on my plate when I go out. However, I cleaned my plate to the point where they probably didn't even need to put it in the dishwasher. It was that good and like I said, I normally don't clean my plate like that!
The Tyger and I look forward to each visit we make to "The Earl" as it has become our secret escape away from home. The clientele tends to be mostly families and couples so we usually have the bar to ourselves without the worry of creepy guys picking up on us. The two owners also make the visit enjoyable too. They're very nice, laid back, and friendly making it more welcoming for us. There is also a girl who works there that is just the sweetest and warmest person. The Earl couldn't have found a better person to serve their customers.
She works 5 days a week with two days off so you could say she pretty much is always there. Everytime we come in, she always greets us with a smile and chats with us for a bit...girl gossip stuff! A graduate of Agnes Scott College with a BA degree in Astrophysics, you can say she is one smart young lady. I always look forward to seeing her whenever I walk in just so I can have a few giggles with her. Oh...and she's single! *wink, wink*
So, If you're ever in the Atlanta area, stop by and have a drink and say hello to our girl!
Gee...I feel like I just wrote a restaurant review!
The first time I walked in I fell in love with the restaurant itself for its atmosphere and beautiful decorations. When you first walk in, it looks like a cute sandwich shop but as you head to the other side towards the back where the bar is, the place darkens with some soft lightening. The cement floors, candles on the tables and bar, and the white Christmas lights that reflect off the mirror behind the bar, I feel is what gives the place its relaxing atmosphere.
The food is so delicious too. Yes, between all the drinking we do manage to get some food into us! I haven't had a chance to try a lot but what I've seen and what I've eaten has been great! Last time I went in, I ordered the special of the night which was shrimp cakes served with mac and cheese and broccoli. The plate came with two perfectly round cakes with their version of a white BBQ sauce. I took one bite of the shrimp cakes and pretty much had a 10 minute foodgasm! With each bite I took, I could feel my tongue tingling with deliciousness. The white BBQ sauce added a slight tang to the cakes which made me savor each bite. I LOVED the shrimp cakes to say the least! I normally don't eat a whole lot and don't even finish half of what is served on my plate when I go out. However, I cleaned my plate to the point where they probably didn't even need to put it in the dishwasher. It was that good and like I said, I normally don't clean my plate like that!
The Tyger and I look forward to each visit we make to "The Earl" as it has become our secret escape away from home. The clientele tends to be mostly families and couples so we usually have the bar to ourselves without the worry of creepy guys picking up on us. The two owners also make the visit enjoyable too. They're very nice, laid back, and friendly making it more welcoming for us. There is also a girl who works there that is just the sweetest and warmest person. The Earl couldn't have found a better person to serve their customers.
She works 5 days a week with two days off so you could say she pretty much is always there. Everytime we come in, she always greets us with a smile and chats with us for a bit...girl gossip stuff! A graduate of Agnes Scott College with a BA degree in Astrophysics, you can say she is one smart young lady. I always look forward to seeing her whenever I walk in just so I can have a few giggles with her. Oh...and she's single! *wink, wink*
So, If you're ever in the Atlanta area, stop by and have a drink and say hello to our girl!
Gee...I feel like I just wrote a restaurant review!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The Dog Days of Atlanta Summers
The one definite thing I can say about Atlanta after only being here two weeks is that it's damn hot!!! The humidity just sucks the energy right out of you leaving you to marinade in your own juices. It's pretty disgusting to say the least. It amazes me that at 8am, it feels like it's already 90F and you're just sweating away. It's like Atlanta was designed to be one big sweat factory. I thought I would be used to humidity after living in DC for 2 years but then I realized I normally spend my summers on the dry west coast. At this point, I could really use those California beaches to cool off.
The other thing I don't understand is how fast the weather can change on you here. It will be sunny with a few clouds, hot, and humid as you feel yourself melting away. All of sudden, the wind kicks up, these huge black clouds come in that sit very low in the sky, thunder rattles the apartment and shakes the ground, then buckets and buckets of rain just come pouring down along with all this lightening that lights up the entire sky and knocks out power for a little bit. The storms get so bad that you can't even see more than 8 feet in front of you. The storms last at most 30 minutes then it's back to normal as if nothing ever happened. I equate this with earthquakes in California except we don't get them everyday and they don't last 30 minutes!
The Tyger and I have pretty much established a summer routine that I feel everyone should follow. We basically watch TV all day, sometimes lay out by the pool and sweat some more, drink beer/wine at night, and then repeat the next day. It's kind of like the directions on a shampoo bottle, "Wash, rinse, repeat." It's that simple.
Our TV watching consists of Law & Order marathons specifically SVU (Special Victims Unit) with Mariska Hargitay who plays Detective Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler. To be honest, we watch the show just see Stabler's hot body! *sigh* I would do that guy any day of the week! Other TV watching includes the Atlanta Braves baseball games where we not only keep track of scores but also on who has the best ass on the team. The Food Network channel is where we get in our food porn and foodgasms for the day. Hey, when you're single and not getting any, any kind of porn will do!
That's pretty much what we do and then occasionally we manage to pull ourselves out of the apartment to go drink some place else. Of course we make sure the place we go to has a TV so we don't feel totally lost.
The other thing I don't understand is how fast the weather can change on you here. It will be sunny with a few clouds, hot, and humid as you feel yourself melting away. All of sudden, the wind kicks up, these huge black clouds come in that sit very low in the sky, thunder rattles the apartment and shakes the ground, then buckets and buckets of rain just come pouring down along with all this lightening that lights up the entire sky and knocks out power for a little bit. The storms get so bad that you can't even see more than 8 feet in front of you. The storms last at most 30 minutes then it's back to normal as if nothing ever happened. I equate this with earthquakes in California except we don't get them everyday and they don't last 30 minutes!
The Tyger and I have pretty much established a summer routine that I feel everyone should follow. We basically watch TV all day, sometimes lay out by the pool and sweat some more, drink beer/wine at night, and then repeat the next day. It's kind of like the directions on a shampoo bottle, "Wash, rinse, repeat." It's that simple.
Our TV watching consists of Law & Order marathons specifically SVU (Special Victims Unit) with Mariska Hargitay who plays Detective Olivia Benson and Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler. To be honest, we watch the show just see Stabler's hot body! *sigh* I would do that guy any day of the week! Other TV watching includes the Atlanta Braves baseball games where we not only keep track of scores but also on who has the best ass on the team. The Food Network channel is where we get in our food porn and foodgasms for the day. Hey, when you're single and not getting any, any kind of porn will do!
That's pretty much what we do and then occasionally we manage to pull ourselves out of the apartment to go drink some place else. Of course we make sure the place we go to has a TV so we don't feel totally lost.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
My Profile
Age: 34 years old (Getting old)
Bday: December 9, 1973 (winter time)
Birthplace: San Jose, California born and raised (also known as Silicon Valley)
Horoscope: Sagittarius all the way. Explains why I always move around and get into trouble!
Chinese Horoscope: Ox...so I guess I'm part bull too???
Nationality: Half Italian & Half Spanish (that's that country in Europe called Spain not Mexico!)
Height: 5'3" (That's if I stand completely straight!)
Weight: Stressed out 117lbs...Healthy 125lbs
Body type: Hourglass and sexy!
Shoe Size: 8 1/2 (I have big feet for my height)
Skin color: Olive (Means I tan very nicely!)
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Brown
Favorite Food: My mom's cooking and Japanese food
Favorite Beer: Corona (It's the Spanish blood in me)
Favorite Wine: Blush (I have weak tastebuds)
Hobbies: Yoga, Hiking, cross-stitching, eating, and drinking
Introvert or Extrovert: Extrovert...can't you tell???
Bra size: You be the judge of that
Dress size: 4
Favorite sport: Baseball (no favorite team since I move around too much)
Most outstanding features: My ass. It's very round from what I've been told
Distinguishing characteristics: My hair. It's thick and big
Bday: December 9, 1973 (winter time)
Birthplace: San Jose, California born and raised (also known as Silicon Valley)
Horoscope: Sagittarius all the way. Explains why I always move around and get into trouble!
Chinese Horoscope: Ox...so I guess I'm part bull too???
Nationality: Half Italian & Half Spanish (that's that country in Europe called Spain not Mexico!)
Height: 5'3" (That's if I stand completely straight!)
Weight: Stressed out 117lbs...Healthy 125lbs
Body type: Hourglass and sexy!
Shoe Size: 8 1/2 (I have big feet for my height)
Skin color: Olive (Means I tan very nicely!)
Eye color: Brown
Hair color: Brown
Favorite Food: My mom's cooking and Japanese food
Favorite Beer: Corona (It's the Spanish blood in me)
Favorite Wine: Blush (I have weak tastebuds)
Hobbies: Yoga, Hiking, cross-stitching, eating, and drinking
Introvert or Extrovert: Extrovert...can't you tell???
Bra size: You be the judge of that
Dress size: 4
Favorite sport: Baseball (no favorite team since I move around too much)
Most outstanding features: My ass. It's very round from what I've been told
Distinguishing characteristics: My hair. It's thick and big
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