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!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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.
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