Maybe this will inspire me...

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

A little off-topic today, but my whole purpose is to give back by sharing my good and bad experiences. Last month, I purchased Auburn vs. Kansas State tickets on StubHub for some clients. I normally buy tickets through Empire Tickets, which is a great broker in Atlanta, but they didn't have any good seats at the time, so I decided to go with StubHub. They had the seats I wanted and the Fan Guarantee, which seemed to be good protection.

For those of you who aren't familiar with StubHub, it's a website that let's owners of tickets list them for buyers. They act as the intermediary so that the buyer and seller have peace of mind about their funds, and charge a commission on both ends for this service. It seems like a good service. I ordered the tickets on the web, received a confirmation email with a date to expect the tickets (season tickets aren't mailed out until a certain date), and then I waited.

A day after the tickets were supposed to arrive, my assistant called to check on them. She had trouble getting through on the number, and then waited on hold for quite a while. No worries, the customer service agent assured, the tickets just arrived, and the owner will send them the next day. Fast forward to the next week -- no tickets. Another call (still a long wait) with a similar answer -- they'll go out tomorrow. Is it just me, or does this sound a little like another well-known line about a check? The last calls, made 3 days before the event, each took 30 minutes on hold before reaching a customer service representative. Fortunately, we checked with Empire, who now had almost identical seats for less than we paid before. In the meantime, we received a call back from StubHub, informing us that the owner did not receive the tickets we ordered, and would we accept the tickets he received (a few rows back). There was no offer to lower the price of the tickets or to refund the 10% commission they charged me earlier.

In the end, StubHub agreed to cancel the order. I asked for an email or fax to confirm that they were canceling it and refunding my money, but that just wasn't possible. When I expressed my concern about not having a guarantee of the cancellation in writing, the customer service agent assured me that she had been with the company a long time, was noting it on my account, and that I could trust her. Hmm...I feel much better now. Oh well, I'm sure the credit will come, but I'm still out a few hours of my time.

we wanted to love it

I wanted to love it, but the best I can say after last night is that I like some of the dishes. After hearing great reviews, we went with a couple of our friends to Repast (I think it has a fancy spelling, but I am not motivated enough to look it up.) for dinner.

We decided to ask for the tasting menu, which is usually the best of the chef's best, so our server brought the chef over to speak to us about our upcoming meal (likes - pretty much everything, dislikes - salmon from one of our party, allergies - none, etc.). We decided on 4 courses, because our friend is pregnant and becomes tired early in the night, and wine pairings with each course.

The meal started with a gift from the kitchen of a spoon filled with smoked salmon atop a bed of avocado cream. It was very flavorful and continued our high hopes for the night. The first course was a little bit of a shock when our server brought a different drink and dish for each person. Derek got fried oysters with a sauvignon blanc, I received crab cakes with sake, Scott's plate was foie gras with a red wine and Elizabeth was served dates (pregnant, so only water), stuffed with almonds and wrapped with bacon. Each dish was great, but the variety made everything confusing -- do we each eat our own or do we share with the table? We decided to share, but ran into problems with this -- Derek's plate came with 3 oysters, so I had to split one in half so that everyone had a taste. Also, the thought of sharing drinks freaked some people out, so the pairings no longer had any relevance.

After the first course, we decided to stop sharing so that the wine pairings matched better. I was excited when the server put a bowl in front of mine to hold my mussel shells. When the plates arrived, Scott ended up with squab, Derek had a salmon and goat cheese pizza, I received mussels, and I can't remember what Elizabeth was served. Scott wanted the mussels, and the squab looked interesting (it was so small!), so I traded. The squab was pretty good, but above all was just amazing to see how to dive into this tiny little fowl. The mussels were apparently great, since Scott wolfed them down. Unfortunately, Derek's salmon pizza (they didn't call it a pizza, but it basically was) was disappointing, more like a bagel than a gourmet 2nd course. Our disappointment mounted as the server asked if Derek wanted to take his remainder (3/4 of the whole pizza) home with him, but never thought to ask if he actually liked it. The server had a habit of asking one person at the table if the meal was good, but not making eye contact with anyone else (maybe out of fear of finding out that they didn't like their food).

The 3rd course brought scallops to Elizabeth, veal to Scott, salmon to me and duck to Derek. Derek and Scott decided to trade out, so I knew I was out of luck for a satisfying trade for my salmon. Sitting between Derek and Scott, I ended up trying the veal and duck, which were both tasty, but the veal was sinewy. I'm not a big cooked salmon person (though I love it as sushi), but I hoped for the best. I wanted to like everything, but it just wasn't good.

We were hoping for a last course of cheese, since it was a highlight of the menu and our favorite last course. We didn't get cheese, but instead a trio of ice creams and other desserts. The clear favorite was the bread pudding, with the pumpkin-like (I can't remember the type of fruit/vegetable that was the actual main ingredient) ice cream as the clear loser. Honorable mentions went to the chocolate terrine, melon shiso ice cream and the cheesecake. All of the dessert wine pairings were a hit, so the meal ended on a high note.

All in all, the meal was good, but not worth the $380 (before tip) for the foursome. If you combined the best of the appetizers and each course, it would be a satisfying dinner. Worthy of $100 a head? Maybe or maybe not.

the early bird gets the good mexican food

We have a shortage of good Mexican food ITP. This shortage leads the only really good place to be slammed most of the time with a long wait outside of Nuevo Laredo. Last Friday night, we decided to take on the habits of the senior crowd and go to dinner at 5:15, avoiding the rush. We did miss the lines, but amazingly enough, just barely.

The salsa and chips, served just as we sat down, were fresh and hot. The salsa was just hot enough that we were wishing we had ordered our drinks before digging in and that my tongue still burned when the hot main dishes touched it. The frozen margarita cooled us down, but left us less than satisfied taste-wise with the limeade-like flavor. (We're spoiled with the margaritas we make at home, consisting of a 3-2-1 method -- 3 parts tequila, 2 parts triple sec, 1 part fresh lime juice.)

The food more than made up for the drinks, though. Derek decided to try something new - Diablo Chicken. It was a partially shredded, partially still on the bone chicken dish cooked in a red chili sauce, served with beans, rice and a mexican salad on the side. I went for the same dish that I discovered on our last visit -- the Mexican veggie plate. This is a huge plate filled with Mexican mashed potatoes (covered in shredded cheese), lightly sauteed spinach (still bright green), Mexican salad (lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream), rice and refried beans. Every bite is full of flavor, with a different textures in each one. We've had tacos, tamales, enchiladas and various other dishes at Nuevo Laredo, but I still think this one is the simplest and the best.

The Assessment: the food and service will never disappoint, but expect a wait if you don't get there early

new location...still great

Tonight, after a disappointing viewing of a potential condo, we decided to try out Tamarind Seed Thai Bistro (formerly just Tamarind Thai Bistro) in it's new location at Colony Square. If you overlook the extra parking effort and cost ($7) of the garage, the experience was excellent.

I was a little worried when the hostess asked if we had reservations (which we didn't), especially since the restaurant seemed pretty full, but fortunately they seated us immediately. The new design was light and open, but our table still seemed quiet and cozy.

The low point of the evening was the by-the-glass wine list, which, with choices like Clos du Bois & Sterling, was a little too risky. We decided to play it safe with a Singha Thai beer, which came out ice cold and turned out to be an excellent choice on a hot evening.

Derek immediately spotted the Green Papaya Salad (a favorite of ours that doesn't make it to most Thai restaurants), and we knew we wanted Basil Rolls, but were stumped for our main course. As soon as I heard "three flavored chili sauce" was part of one of the specials, I was sold (and fortunately, my wonderful husband couldn't deny me my favorite sauce).

The basil rolls were served a little differently than usual, looking more like sushi than basil rolls and served with a yellow sauce, but they were just as fresh and flavorful as ever. The papaya salad was light and flavorful, with slices of juicy and delicious lemongrass chicken on the side. Our main dish of sea bass and vegetables in the Thai version of sweet and sour sauce rounded out the meal.

The Assessment: Tamarind, in it's new location, hasn't changed a bit. The service, food and atmosphere is still great, and we'll definitely be back for more.

food for the body and soul

There's an unassuming restaurant called Vatica in an unassuming strip center on the corner of Terrell Mill and Powers Ferry in Marietta that I am absolutely addicted to. I mean it -- I suffer from withdrawal when I can't make it in for lunch in a given week. Meat eaters beware, you'll only find vegetables here.

Walking through the double glass doors, I'm greeted with a big smile and a "where have you been?" from the manager as he motions me back to my favorite booth in the back, following soon after with a pitcher of ice water and a glass. There's a menu lying on the table, but it's really just for add-ons -- the meal will be what the "better half" of the couple that owns Vatica has chosen for the day. Don't worry, though, I've never been disappointed by her choices.

The meal is called thali, and it comes on a platter with bread and rice, surrounded by tiny bowls of vegetables. Although the actual dishes vary, there is always a pattern -- soup, a green vegetable, a legume dish, potatoes and a yogurt dip. I always like the dishes, but the soup is by far my favorite. Don't worry if you have a big appetite -- friendly waitresses bring by carts with seconds of any or all of the items on your platter. They'll keep coming around until you are stuffed!

As great as the food is, that's only one of the things that draws me to Vatica, week after week (I've got a craving for it even as I write!). The real pull is the charming owner, Dhiro (I'm probably not even close on the spelling.), who systematically makes the rounds to every table as lunch is served. He always looks like he's up to something, sort of like my 9 year-old nephew. His favorite joke is to tell me the bill is $50 (it's really $8.99), which makes me laugh every time as I joke back with a similarly corny response. Don't let his goofy manner fool you though -- he's a successful businessman, a devoted husband and father, and a interesting conversationalist.

Lunch is usually one of those choices that is a chore, but Vatica provides an experience that I choose every time I get the chance. The manager asked "see you Thursday?" as I left. I told him I couldn't make Thursday, but this might be the week I go for seconds.

The Assessment: the food nourishes your body and the people nourish your soul

culture on a hot afternoon

Today, Derek and I decided to take in a little culture in Atlanta with a visit to the High Museum of Art. The 100 degree temperature deterred us from walking, so we drove to the museum deck, where we found a surprisingly high rate of $10. Another $30 for two tickets later, and we began our tour of the High. Having come in from the road with no lunch, Derek was hungry, so we headed to the museum cafe. Not a ton of choices, but we finally settled on a 1/2 of a turkey sandwich and the soup of the day, mushroom. I should have followed Derek's lead on ordering a Heineken, but I went for a glass of white wine instead. It seemed like the best drink deal in Atlanta when he sat down a huge plastic glass in front of me, but the quality (as well as the fact that the server combined 2 different types of wine in the same glass!) couldn't stand up to the quantity. I didn't try the sandwich, but the mushroom soup was hot and tasty.

The museum itself has greatly improved over the years, especially with the addition of the items loaned by the Louvre. The detail in the king's ceramic pieces, the intricacy of the tapestries and the creativity of some of the modern works all combined together to make the trip worthwhile. The only criticism is the flow of the museum. Unless we were completely lost and going the wrong way, it seemed as if the natural path through the Louvre exhibit required you to either use the elevator or a set of fire escape-like stairs. In total, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon, and we will go back when the next Louvre collection arrives.

After our tour, we decided to try Table 1280 for a cocktail and snack. The interior of the lounge is light and airy, with a sleek bar and several bistro tables inviting you to take a break. I was delighted to see a good, although pricey, wine list, but disappointed that the lounge menu only included a salad, crab cakes ($16), a burger ($15) and the soup of the day. We were hoping for something we could share and pick up with our fingers, so we decided to skip the snack.

Our hearts were set on a finger food, so we moved on to Eno for a light dinner. I splurged on a glass of Schramsberg, while Derek tried a glass of Newton Chardonnay, along with mussels, fritto misto and an artichoke salad. The salad was dressed properly, with fresh arugula, asparagus, strawberries, almonds and a light cheese that didn't overpower the other ingredients. We were a little concerned about the mussels when they arrived, because the broth looked like honey-mustard dressing. No cause for alarm, though, because the color was due to saffron, and the consistency was as brothy as we hoped and was perfect for foccacia dipping. Eno's fritto misto was just as we remembered -- a blend of calamari, shrimp, onions and lemon slices, lightly coated and golden brown. As usual, we were fulfilled with a treat of delicious appetizers and wine for a special day out.

The Assessment: for light bites and a good, consistent wine list, ENO delivers every time

in search of the perfect bbq chicken

Over the last couple of months, I have experienced a craving for bbq chicken on multiple weekend occasions. Being the researcher that I am, I checked out my usual websites: MSN City Guide (which used to be a pretty good resource, but has become practically useless after the last update), Creative Loafing and Access Atlanta. A few interesting options came to light, so when the craving appeared again yesterday, we chose 5th Street Ribs n Blues from the choices. The website said they were "a family owned and operated business that has become an Atlanta BBQ favorite. We're famous for our "fall off the bones" Ribs with chopped pork, chicken, and all the sides.", and they are located in the hip Tech Square development, so we thought we were safe.

The best part of the experience was the young lady at the counter. She asked if we had questions about the menu, which was a good start. Unfortunately, this was the last remotely acceptable portion of the meal. OK, that's a little harsh -- we ordered bottled water, which was satisfactory, as most bottled water is.

The food was delivered by the young lady, who was still personable as she tried to remember which order belonged to which diner. The first clue that there might be a problem was the absurdly yellow hue of the "rum" baked beans. I'm a mustard lover in side items, so I took it in strides, but frankly, the taste was disappointing. Derek also ordered the beans, and his reaction was way beyond disappointment. My potato salad was ok, but not outstanding. Derek's slaw looked as if it came out of a 5 gallon tub from Sam's Club or Costco, and tasted even worse. The bbq chicken, which we came for in the first place, had no flavor (except for the side bbq sauce, which was average) and seemed as if it had been sitting under the heat lamps since the day before. We picked at our meal for a little while until we decided the $18 we had spent was gone, but we didn't have to waste the calories or lunch experience actually eating crap.

It's too bad for the college students who may not have the money to spend $18 twice on the same meal, but we decided to head to Taqueria del Sol for redemption. As usual, the line was out the door, but not so long as to deter us from our mission of a good lunch. A Memphis taco (bbq pork with jalapeno slaw), veggie taco (refried beans, cheese, etc.), charros beans and jalapeno slaw later, our trust in Atlanta food was restored. Taqueria's strategy is simple: make a few items delicious consistently. They don't vary too much from the norm, and the result is a loyal following. Since they are always packed, I'm sure they know exactly how many of each item will be ordered on any given day. This allows them to have fresh ingredients in proven dishes. Bottom line -- it works! I don't know that I would recommend it on a hot weekday if you have to go back to work after lunch, but otherwise, definitely check it out.

The Assessment: 5th Street Ribs N Blues: wander far away - you'd be better off getting the rotisserie chicken, potato salad and baked beans at the Publix deli

Taqueria del Sol: you'll always get good food, but you might want to go when it's not 100 degrees outside

2000 nakato points = 1 kaseki dinner for 2

A year or two ago, we rediscovered an old classic in Atlanta - Nakato. Derek saw a cooking demonstration from one of their chefs on a local tv show, so we decided to check it out again. The sushi was great, and we signed up for a Nakato card that night. This is a typical customer loyalty card -- you get a point for every dollar you spend, double points on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the points can be used for things like a free appetizer, an entree, a tea ceremony or a trip to Japan. Yep, a trip to Japan -- not your ordinary customer-loyalty prize. Well, after many visits to Nakato, where we are now acknowledged regulars, we earned 2,000 points and decided to cash them in for a kaseki dinner for 2. No, we didn't wait for 25,000 points for one of us to go to Japan.

For the record, we don't just go to Nakato for the points. We have become regulars because it's a great restaurant with fresh, consistently delicious food and friendly service (which shouldn't be hard to find in a city as large as Atlanta, but it is). When Derek is traveling, I go eat and hang out at their bar with Nuk, a sweet and lovely bartender from Thailand. We became friends when I stopped in for dinner last year, hungry and exhausted from shopping for my wedding dress in Buckhead all day. Since then, Nuk has not only provided me a dinner companion, but also introduced us to an amazing, authentic Thai Sunday brunch at Thaicoon on Briarcliff. The catfish salad and bbq chicken is wonderful, but I digress.

So, we headed to Nakato on Wednesday, full of excitement, but with no idea what to expect. All of the staff seemed excited to have us take advantage of the dinner. We were led to the back rooms, instructed to leave our shoes at the door, and directed to sit on cushions resting on the floor at the foot-high table. Obviously, this was the Americanized-room, because there was a pit under the table to put our legs so we didn't have to sit cross-legged. One of our favorite waitresses, Kayo (I hope I'm spelling it correctly), a petite and friendly Japanese woman, came in and prepared us a little for what was coming. We ordered our usual wine, Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio (which is a bargain at $30 a bottle) while we anxiously awaited our first course (Mr. Nakato, please excuse me if I describe any of our food incorrectly.).

Kayo returned with our first two courses -- a fish soup and appetizer plate. The soup had all different types of mushrooms, some veggies and a fish "package" in a clear broth -- delicious! The appetizer plate was made up of (in order of my favorites): a tiger's eye, which consisted of a thinly sliced ring of calamari stuffed with smoked salmon; jellyfish with plum paste, gindara, a meaty snail/shellfish of sorts (which was surprisingly good) and one more item I can't remember.

The next course took our breath away. Kayo came in with a bamboo platter filled with snowcone-like ice, complete with a molded igloo, and 12 pieces of sashimi. It was the freshest and most flavorful sashimi we have ever tasted -- 2 types of fatty tuna, salmon, red snapper, amberjack and scallop. And the presentation was so charming!

Next, came a baked lobster tail with a sea urchin roe topping and a goji berry on the side. The roe was so rich and creamy, almost like a gratin, and the meat was tender and sweet. The meal continued with a smoky-flavored fried eel, perched atop a ring of cucumbers, sliced paper-thin. Derek was extremely impressed with the chef's knife skills on the cucumber, so much that he ate all of his, even though cucumber is one of his least favorite foods.

By the 7th course, sushi, we were getting pretty full. Although it couldn't compete with the earlier sashimi, it was still good. Some eel, salmon, and various other sushi pieces made up the platter, which I couldn't finish. Oh, and I forgot, we received miso soup at some point, which was delicious and also provided entertainment for us as we tried to figure out how the miso always forms into a ball when you let it sit (instead of settling on the bottom).

Green tea and green tea ice cream in a wonton "cone", red bean paste in a translucent gel and baby peaches rounded out the meal.

Only the tasting menu at Restaurant Eugene could compete with such an outstanding meal, but that's for another blog. The entire meal (which we think would have been between $100 and $140 per person and would have been worth every penny) felt like a special occasion with a glimpse into authentic Japanese cuisine. Almost none of the items from the kaseki dinner appear on the regular menu, which added to the exclusivity. We are a little worried that the main dining room experience just isn't going to be enough for us anymore!

Scavenger Hunt

Last Thursday, we had a scavenger hunt at my company. Our team was given a list of items, worth varying point values, to find and bring back for scoring. As we were searching for items at the mall, people kept asking who we worked for and commenting on how cool it was that we had events like this. The funny thing is that my boss had to go around and encourage (aka demand) our employees to participate. I think people were choosing not to participate because it made them appear to be busier, and therefore, more important than those who had time to play frivolous games. You hear about companies like Microsoft or Google that have pool tables or video games in their break rooms so that employees can blow off some steam and hang out together, and you see the creativity that springs from their teams. I think if we could change our employees' attitudes about things like team-building events, we would unleash a creative culture that really would make a difference in how we service our clients.

Enough of my philosophizing, here's some photos that show how much fun my team had.

Human pyramid in front of a fountain...need I say more.

One of our team members helping an elderly man into his car - unfortunately, I think she scared him more than helped him!

These last two weeks have been a little crazy with travel and meetings, so I've missed a few days. I'll break it down into separate blogs, so you don't get too bored with a long entry.

Monday started off with a trip to Blowing Rock, NC via Charlotte. Our CEO invited me and my co-workers (who do the same job as me in Raleigh and Charlotte) to have our quarterly meeting in his town of semi-retirement. The invitation included a 5 mile hike and dinner at his mountain home. Although we were all a little apprehensive about the hike, it turned out to be a lovely afternoon -- one of those things you are glad you did after the fact.
When we arrived at our host's house, a strange site on the rock wall caught my eye. I'm not usually very observant, but luckily I didn't miss this gem. It's probably a little too ugly and mannish to be the virgin Mary, but it does look a little like Jesus, or John Lennon, maybe. I suggested they charge admission to see it to pay off the new house, but think the whole thing freaked out the CEO's wife, and she's probably going to have it removed.

Straight from the airport to our department's annual Braves outing, which consists of beer and hotdogs, but not necessarily any baseball. I don't think I saw an actual play, but did check out the fireworks when we hit a homerun. The Braves aren't fun to watch anymore since we lost all of our great pitchers, except Smoltz.

Fortunately, Wednesday, my meeting at the airport ended early, so I was able to come home and get our weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) with Derek. The CSA is a pretty cool subscription to fresh produce from local farms. The fruit and vegetables all taste amazing, but it is sometimes hard to find recipes to use everything that comes in the bag. This week, we got green beans, pac choi, tomatoes, blueberries, pears and basil.

The Good Stuff at Lenox Mall

Lenox Mall (like most malls) is one of those places where you have to sift through a lot of crap to get to the good stuff. However, there are a few bright spots.

Club Monaco is one of my new favorite stores. I know that as a girl, I'm supposed to love shopping, but it's really just a necessary evil. The problem is that my taste has gone up, but my income hasn't quite kept up with my style. The clothes at Club Monaco seem to be made well from quality materials, they fit, and they don't cost an arm and a leg. It's a good store for basics if you have a hard time paying full-price for Theory, real Calvin Klein (not the sub-standard label in the department stores) or Elie Tahari, but you don't want to wear Banana Republic and end up wearing the same shirt as 5 other girls in your office. Of course, I don't like everything there. Today, as usual, I tried on 1 skirt and 5 shirts, but only left with 2 shirts. 2 classic cap sleeve t-shirts - 1 black, 1 black and white stripe = $50.

One of the big problems I have with blouses, especially button-downs, is my chest. Actually, the problem is not my chest--it's the proportion of my chest to the rest of my upper body. My shoulders and waist are sized for a small or xsmall, but my chest is a medium. A couple of years ago, I discovered why my 36C bras weren't comfortable--I'm actually a 32E! I know, you didn't even know that size existed. Neither did I, but finding out my true size was a dream come true. Finding clothes still isn't easy, because I'm not really into wearing a shirt to work that gapes at all of the top buttonholes or a shirt that is falling off my shoulders and ballooning at the waist. With the popularity of surgical enhancement, I can't believe more designers haven't taken this issue into consideration. Unfortunately, I didn't choose this fate, but I have to live with it. Sorry, I'm rambling, but the point of all of this was to say that the Club Monaco white shirt ($69) did not meet expectations, but the Theory white shirt ($185) at Bloomingdales fit perfectly. Welcome to my life!

After waiting for me to try on 6 items in the dressing room at Club Monaco, Derek deserved a break, so we headed down to the Clubhouse for a break. I was happy to get a bloody mary with real horseradish in it, and the bartender asked what kind of vegetables I wanted in it. While the veggies weren't very creative (olives, celery, cucumber), it was the thought that counts. Derek had a couple of greyhounds, and the bartender gave him the second one on the house and invited us to Sunday brunch for $10 bottomless mimosas sometime. It was a nice gesture, so we'll probably go back.

Third bright spot at Lenox Mall--the Apple Store. Even though it's crowded, it's a great store because you can check out fully-functioning computers, ipods, iphones, etc. without being accosted by salespeople. Also, I had a great experience a few weeks ago at the Genius Bar. One morning, my computer wouldn't boot up completely, and I tried everything I knew to fix it. Derek made an appointment online at the Genius Bar for the next afternoon. I was fully expecting to leave the computer, and either pay a large fee to have it fixed or to find out the hard drive would have to be replaced. We arrived at the Apple Store and saw on the huge screens at the back of the store that we were #3 in line for the Genius Bar. We looked around a little until my name was called, and then went back to see what was going on with my computer. The "genius" said he thought my directory was corrupted and that he would take it into the back to fix it. 10 to 15 minutes later, he came back with the computer, completely fixed. He told us the problem and how to fix it if it happened in the future. I asked what I owed, and he said "Nothing. Let us know if we can help with anything else." For this reason, we went back today to buy a case for my ipod and consider it a great store.

The final bright spot at Lenox is the Bloomingdales' parking deck. Lenox has turned almost every parking lot into a "VIP" pay lot or valet lot, so being able to park close to any part of Lenox is a treat. I don't think there are too many people reading this blog yet, so I'm giving away the secret to great parking at Lenox.

Saturday Night Korean BBQ

There are very few things that entice us to go outside the perimeter (unless it's by plane), but Hae Woon Dae is one of them. Derek took me to this Korean BBQ restaurant on Buford Highway on one of our first dates, and it was just as good tonight as the first time. A little background for those who haven't been to a Korean BBQ: you sit at a table with a hole in the middle of it. A brave young man places a catchpan, a pail with glowing charcoal and a cover that looks somewhat like a hubcap in the hole. Your order is cooked on the grill at your table while you snack on the 7 or 8 side dishes (called hanjungsik). Once the meat is done, you create lettuce wraps with bean curd, hot peppers, garlic, the meat and a dipping sauce.
Tonight, we started with a couple orders of the dumplings, which were delicious, but ended up being way too much food with our main courses. It was a little disappointing initially when they stopped serving Cass, but we found that the alternate Korean beer, Hite, is just as good. For dinner, we decided on the shrimp and the beef (we tried ordering just one dish to share one time, but it was discouraged). Derek threw a few of the garlic cloves and hot peppers on the grill (a technique he learned from the server/cook on our last visit) to spice up the lettuce wraps.
Although the meats are wonderful, I would be completely satisfied to just order the hanjungsik. The side dishes tonight consisted of the usual kim chee, marinated turnips or radishes, potato & carrot salad (probably my favorite), some sort of cooked green leafy vegetable and bean sprouts. We also had a couple of new dishes: broccoli with spicy sauce, scallion cakes and some sort of unidentified crunchy, spicy vegetable.
We were pretty much full by the time the meat was done, but I still managed to eat 3 lettuce wraps. I burned my tongue with the hot peppers, but not to the extent that Derek did. I think he is still recovering hours later. The grilled garlic added a lot of flavor to the wraps too. Grilling it definitely cuts down on the strong flavor (and smell--the first time we ate here, I insisted that Derek have a clove of garlic so I could eat one too ;)).
The meal ended with a couple of slices of watermelon and an easy-to-swallow bill of $53 (before tip). I can't remember the last time we went out for dinner for less than $80, and the meal is not usually this good. Why can't all restaurants be this good? If it wasn't so far away, we would add it to our regular stable of restaurants (which you will hear about in later blogs). Actually, it's probably a good thing, because now it's a special treat to go.
Oh, I forgot one thing: the watermelon wasn't the finale. Each visit to Hae Woon Dae ends with a trip (in the car with doors locked) to the end of the strip center, which houses an adult movie theater (yes, by adult, I mean porn). We check out the movie-goers, then make the loop around the cars to check out the steamy windows, hoping to not be flashed by headlights. Who says there's nothing fun to do in Atlanta on a Saturday night?

Weird things I've seen lately

I like to take pictures of things that strike me as strange, so here are some from the past few weeks...


This is one of my favorites. It is on a car parked in the parking garage at my job, so I see it almost every day. Apparently, God is gate!







I took this in a convenience store somewhere in Georgia. The men's room also had a sign that read "men only!!!!!". I have to assume that they've had a problem with this!









I don't know if you can read the label, but it says "Garbanzo Beans". At least they were the right color.









I found this gem in the parking lot of a Kansas City BBQ joint. Yes, the design is lace! Need I say more?

My First Blog

This is my first blog entry, so I'm not really sure what to write. I was googling "club monaco alterations" to find out if it was really free to have my pants altered at Club Monaco, and I ended up at a blog created by a sub-5 feet girl who took the time to talk about the things she liked. The information was exactly what I needed and saved me a trip to the mall, so I impulsively clicked back to my gmail account, clicked on blogs and here I am. I would guess this blog will end up covering some of favorite things (like good food or good organizing tools), some of my frustrations (my job and finding decent clothes that don't cost a fortune), some of my husband's strange wonderfulness (like his addiction to the Tour de France and selvedge jeans) and various other ramblings. Derek came up with the name, and originally I didn't like it, but I typed it in and thought it was cool enough to keep.