01.30.09
Repentance is over!
Hello, my fine feathered readers! It’s a slap-happy Friday here in TEOTH-land. All I can say is, thank cheeseness that January is over. Bring on the Feb!
It’s freezing cold here in the ATL. When I got up this morning it was 25 degrees out. How shall I celebrate? By going to Boston, of course! Why just be cold, when you can have snow as well?! Yes, it’s high time I visited the fam, since I never got around to it over the holidays. Plus it gives me a chance to hang out with my oldest friends, which, honestly, is usually the highlight of my visits home. I mean, I love to see Grandma and all, but she’s certainly not going to hoist a beer and have a plate of meat with me. Well, actually, she’d probably have no problem with a plate o’ meat.
Anyway.
I’ve already taken stock of the Month of Repentance, so I won’t do that again. However, assuming I run today and tomorrow at same distances I’ve been doing all week, I’ll only log 99 miles this month. I believe I mentioned that the Month of Repentance was a bust? You now have proof.
To celebrate my lameness I’m going out to dinner with the Canadians tonight. I’ve done my 3.5 days of repentance, so I’m ready for a glass of wine and something nibbly. Tomorrow we head north. I had no idea when I scheduled this trip that it was the Superbowl. Fortunately no one in my family would have any idea when the Superbowl was either, so it doesn’t cut into their nacho-eating plans. Our last night in MA should consist of a few hours in Boston proper, which should be a good time, as Boston always is. Then we return to the ATL on Tuesday morning. Triumphant!
01.29.09
Another Thursday in the life of TEOTH.
And one reason why I only repent for three days a week is because it’s frickin’ HARD, yo. It’s like, you go along happy and carefree during the holidays, goin’ out to eat, goin’ to parties, drinkin’ wine, peein’ in bushes, and everything is just grand. Then January hits and you’re suddenly supposed to completely stop the merry-making? Hogwash! Yeah, maybe you need to detox the first couple weeks, but after that, you’re just bored. You can’t teach a fat and drunk dog sober tricks!
Yes, I’m frustrated. I wish I didn’t feel the urge to go out to eat every single night. I wish I could sit quietly at home, eat my salad, and go to bed early every night. Or, as stated yesterday, at least 5 nights a week. But it’s not in my nature. Or, at least, it’s gonna take a while to re-train my nature after the happy-go-lucky holidaze. My dwindling bank account is one teaching aid in the right direction, at least.
Anywho. I’m not sleeping much so I might as well tell y’all about the book I’m reading (because I’m getting a lot of reading done these days). Right now I’m on Orley Farm by Trollope. The action centers around a case of fraud. The main character, Lady Mason, married a really old man when she was really young. Like, she was 20 and he was, like, 70. He already had 4 grown kids, including an elder son who was due to inherit the two properties he owned. But then Lady Mason had a son and she wanted her husband to leave the lesser of the two properties (the Orley Farm of the title) to her son. The old dude dies, and out comes a codicil to his will that leaves that property to the baby. Of course the elder son, who’s quite a sonofabitch, disputes the will in court, but she valiantly braves the trial and comes out on top. Flash forward 20 years later, and new evidence is discovered which casts a shadow on Lady Mason’s veracity. Did she forge the will? Or didn’t she? Trollope doesn’t really care, but what he DOES care about it how all the people around her simultaneously think she’s guilty, and yet still want her to be vindicated. She just happens to be a beautiful woman who’s perfect in every way, including the highest level of virtue. It’s an interesting study in a particular point of human sentimentality, where we want otherwise perfect people, who commit heinous acts, to get away with it. Like when we vote for the best looking contestants on American Idol even though they can’t sing. JUST like that.
Okay, I would just like to state here that I’ve never in my life seen a single episode of American Idol. I would admit it if I did, I admit to watching some pretty craptastic TV.
And thus ends another Thursday.
01.28.09
I’m not very repentant!
So, I would just like to report that the Month of Repentance has been kind of a bust. Really, it’s 3 days of mid-week repentance followed by 4 days of weekend gluttony. I was hoping that during the Month of Repentance the repentance portion would at least be 75% of the time, or 5 days per week of repentance. Some weeks I’ve repented during 4 days, and others, only 2. Disappointing, really. This is why I’m declaring that February shall be the Month of Moderation, during which I will strive for at least half ‘n’ half. Half gluttony + half repentance = Moderation! Right?
Because I know for a fact that this week shall only be 3 days of repentance followed by 4 days of gluttony. And I’m no math whiz, but I’m fairly sure that ain’t half.
In the meantime, my runs have ben fan-frickin’-tastic. It might have something to do with the gluttony, or the extra days off, but I rarely do anything less than 6 miles these days, and they’re 6 blissful miles. And I could do more, but I usually run out of time. So this pleases me, at least, even if my self-control doesn’t.
01.27.09
I did some stuff this past weekend.
Damn, I can’t believe it’s been a week since I last posted! How time flies when you’re having fun. Or busy. Or busy having fun. Which I was.
Last Wednesday evening I picked up Mandy from the airport, as she was coming to visit me from sunny California. We went home for a glass of wine and to pick up Dice, then we went to the Glenwood for a delightful dinner. Mandy wanted to try all sorts of southern foods, so we got the hush puppies to start and they were frickin’ perfect! I was pleased that her first introduction to southern food went so well. Thursday I went to work and left her to amuse herself all day in the East Atlanta Village. Thursday evening we went to Fox Bros. so that she could try barbecue. Of course, I had to explain to her what barbecue is beforehand so she’d know what she was getting into. All three of us had the pork plate and it was, as usual, quite good. The best part about Fox Bros. is that they perfectly cook the meat, but then they allow you to add your own sauce, which means you can add as little or as much as you want. Very effective.
Friday morning Dice got on a plane for Denver and left Mandy and me to go to Athens for a couple days. We got all the way to Athens when I realized I’d forgotten my wallet at home. Mandy was in town for a job interview, so I dropped her at her interview and went all the way home to fetch my wallet. I actually made it in an hour and 10 minutes each way, which I think is pretty spectacular. Mandy was still interviewing when I got back, so I had a snack and waited for her. Once she was done we checked into our hotel and then wandered around the quaintness that is downtown Athens. We took a tour of an historic home and tried, unsuccessfully, to find the river. Then we met our friend Casey for a drink. All three of us know each other from Ithaca, so we reminisced about that and talked about Athens. Casey invited us to a different venue to meet some of his friends, which we did while enjoying $1 PBR drafts, heh. By that time we were hungry and tired, so we went to dinner at a cute little pub before heading back to our hotel room to watch CSI and eat peanut M&Ms. What?
Saturday we checked out of our hotel and then went to The Grit, which is a famous vegetarian restaurant famously owned and patronized by the famously internationally famous band REM. I had the potatoes and veggies with fake sausage and a biscuit. I have to say, it was one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had. For one reason, they used lots of real veggies, like broccoli, instead of just onions and peppers. Second of all, they put in some yeast which gave the dish a whole new dimension of flavor. And third of all, they gave me TWO biscuits, which just puts me over into delirious happiness. I definitely want to go back and try their sweeter options, like the pancakes or French toast.
Then we drove home and picked up the Canadians and went right back up to Alpharetta to go go-karting with the Formula 1 group. Personally, I don’t really like go-karting and I was tired from not sleeping at all in the hotel bed the night before, so I hadn’t planned to race. Then when the Canadians tried to get into the next heat, all the heats were full for the next hour and a quarter. This was too long to wait, so instead we had beverages at the bar (they had beers, I had a diet Coke) and then went home again. It was a rather unsuccessful adventure and I was feeling tired and defeated when we got home. Mandy wanted to go for a run, considering all the eating and sitting in cars we’d done the past two days, so I reluctantly went out. I’m really glad I did, because the weather was a perfect 55 degrees and sunner, and I got a blissfull six-mile run in before dark which totally turned my attitude around. Funny how a sudden influx of endorphins can turn that frown upside down, eh? Heh. That evening we went to Six Feet Under with the Canadians and T&R. It was pretty packed, but we magically found six seats at the bar and ordered apps and drinks until our table was ready. I had the crab cakes, and they were pretty good. They were four smaller cakes served on a bed of greens, which is an improvement to the former basket they used to use. As usual, not the best crab cakes I’ve had but a solid offering. The hush puppies were fabulous, as usual. After dinner Mandy and I went home and watched TV and ate more peanut M&Ms. We are SO cool.
Sunday we went to the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial complex in Old Fourth Ward. I’d never been before so it was an adventure for both of us. It showed a timeline of events that really illustrated his life, as well as some original photographs that were heart-wrenching. Plus I finally got a picture of myself in front of his and Correta Scott King’s graves, to add to my Famous Dead People collection. It was kind of a chilly, raw day, so we went home and had soup and grilled cheese sandwiches before I took Mandy to the airport and said goodbye. It was so nice to see her again after almost four years apart! Hopefully I’ll get a chance to visit her when she gets settled someplace. Sunday afternoon I went grocery shoppping and then sat myself down on the couch and ate chocolate, drank wine and watched the Biggest Loser and other quality TV shows until I passed out. It was not at all a tragic waste of time, heh. Oh well, I enjoyed it.
Yesterday I went to work as usual. Dice arrived home from Denver in the middle of the day. After work he picked me up and we went to the Colonnade for dinner with the Book Nerds. As usual I had the fried chicken with mac ‘n’ cheese and asparagus sides. So delicious. Dinner was fun and we chatted with the Nerds for a while, then went home. I went to bed early and slept like a log. And by “slept like a log” I mean that I only woke up about three or four times the whole night and fell right back to sleep. Who knew that fried chicken was such an effective sleep aid?
01.20.09
Inspira-shiawwwwwn!
Hola! Welcome to a new day! Did everyone watch the inauguration this morning? While I’ve never watched a full inauguration before, I did enjoy this one. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and went to the gym, where I was able to watch everything while running on the treadmill. I’m so smrt!
I have to say, I’m incredibly inspired by President Obama’s inaugural speech. I freely admit that I’m an idealist, but I’m an idealist who never thinks the ideal can ever happen. So I’m carried away by the kind of idealistic and hopeful rhetoric Obama spun early this afternoon. I hope that he is able to fulfill the ideals he professes. And, sadly, I’m just so frickin’ happy that, even if he never does, I still have a President who at least talks about such ideals. The past eight years have been so painful to my psyche. I’m glad that we have a President whom I actually voted for and who also can inspire so many people.
Considering I didn’t do much over the weekend that could be considered insiring, myself. It started out promising enough. Dice had to work all day Saturday and Saturday night. I got up in the morning and scoured the kitchen within an inch of its life. There’s now barely any paint left on the cabinet doors because I scrubbed them so hard. Then I went for a delightful 5-mile run. Then I did yoga for the first time in months, which felt fantastic. After that I went grocery shopping and to the hardware store. When I got home I made a lemon cake with lemon frosting and a bacon and broccoli quiche. By the time I finished cooking it was time to meet the Canadians for dinner, so I ran across the street to meet them. We went to Allegro, which is in midtown across from ONE Midtown Kitchen. Allegro is a fancier Italian place, and I think all three of us enjoyed our food. We shared the mussels to start, and I should note here that the plate of mussels was enormous! There must have been 30 mussels on there. Which was good because we all got to eat plenty. I had an unremarkable salad and then the butternut squash risotto with Italian sausage. The risotto was perfectly done, and it’s creaminess went very well with the saltier sausage. Comparing it to the watery seafood risotto I had at Floataway Cafe back in November, it’s eons better. Which is disappointing since I’ve had nothing but excellent dishes at Floataway. For dessert I had a lemon cake (called Glinda’s cake, or somesuch name) which was quite tasty. A delicious end to a busy day.
Sunday we went to Macon to visit with the other half of the Handitards. We hadn’t seen them since the holidays so hanging out was in order. Since nothing is open in Macon on Sundays we ended up having a late brunch at Moe’s. Yes, that Moe’s. I had a pretty good vegetarian quesadilla, actually. We spent all afternoon there and then went home in time to go over to the Canadians for a dinner party with the Commune, which consists of us, the Canadians, T&R and K&M. I brought over the lemon cake I’d made on Saturday. We had a delightful meal and went home tired and stuffed.
Yesterday I woke up feeling lazy. Dice and I lounged on the couch watching TV almost all day. Then we gathered ourselves up and went to the Brick Store with Tim and the female half of the Canadians. I had the grilled corned beef sandwich again, this is my new favorite thing to order there. On the way home we stopped at Publix for some grocery shopping, then home again to, you guessed it, watch more TV. All in all, a pretty good three-day weekend!
01.16.09
Party on, Wayne!
I hate January. It’s so boring. Especially this year since it’s the Month of Repentance. Dice laughs every time I say that now. And yet, the Month of Repentance makes for boring blog fodder. Guess what I did last night? Went to the gym, ran 6 miles, went home, took a shower, had a spinach and broccoli salad, watched TV and went to bed at a reasonable hour. Yawn.
I’m doing stuff over the weekend (when I give the Repentance a rest) so hopefully I won’t bore myself, and you, on Tuesday. Party on, Garth!
01.15.09
Adjusting.
So, stuff happens. You must adjust, no matter how difficult it is. I’m not sure that I will ever get over the empty feeling I experience every minute when I’m at home. I know this because I’m still not over the empty feeling I experience every time I think about my Aunt Sandy who died in a car accident in May 2006. Which is often. And which still induces emptiness and sadness. I still want to call her to tell her stuff, just like I still want to watch Weaver walk into furniture or stare at walls. Did I mention he was a cool cat?
It’s cold in the ATL this week, temps are going down to the teens at night and 30s during the day. That’s about as cold as it ever gets here in the winter, and it make most people (including me) stay home and bundle up. I went running outside both Monday and Tuesday evenings, which were before the arctic air really hit us. Thank goodness for the gym! I realize I say that several times a year, but mostly I’m just reiterating the fact that my gym membership is money well spent and not taken for granted.
We watched the first four episodes of 24, which they’re calling the Premiere Event. Heh. I mean, I laugh, but it was a thrilling ride, that’s for sure. So many awesome things happened! But mostly, Jack’s back! Getting into and out of endless scrapes! And old characters are back! And, best of all, they’re no longer in LA. This season they’re in DC and it’s oh-so-fresh ‘n’ new. Ca-RAY-ziness!
01.14.09
Goodbye, Weaver.
I have sad news today. Yesterday our aged cat, Weaver, went to the veterinary opthalmologist for surgery to take his eye out. He had developed glaucoma in one eye that eventually turned into an eyeball of pus. While the surgery itself went okay, poor Weaver went into respiratory arrest while under the anesthesia and did not recover. So we said goodbye to the coolest member of our household. He will be greatly missed.
Weaver was really hard to take photos of because he was so all-over black. Here’s a terrible one but it’s the best I’ve got:
Those of you with pets, please give ‘em an extra hug tonight.
01.12.09
It’s Monday.
I have very little to report today. I had a good weekend, but really I did nothing except eat and watch TV. Engine 11 was good on Friday, the food was great and the atmosphere is rockin’. Saturday we went to see a French film called I’ve Loved You So Long, then afterwards went to a new place in the Highlands called Pomodoro with the Canadians and had a wonderful time. Our server was Italian (possibly owner?) who gave wonderful suggestions on wine. I had pasta with a creamy pesto sauce that was very salty, but I like it that way so I was pleased. Sunday we went to the Brick Store where I had the corned beef sandwich. The Brick Store corned beef is my favorite corned beef sandwich in the WORLD, and I really do mean it. The corned beef is so tender that it’s easy to bite! The worst part about eating corned beef sandwiches is that all the meat comes out together because you can’t bite it off.
I was very excited to watch the first two episodes of 24 last night! Okay, to be fair I didn’t even get through the first one before going to bed, but I’m still very excited that it’s started again. Jack Bauer can do no wrong!
01.09.09
One week down, three to go.
Hear that sound? That’s the sound of 18 billion office workers breathing a sigh of relief that they lived through their first week back from vacation. Even if you don’t celebrate the DCRH (which, technically, I don’t) you probably still got some time off, it being a federal holiday and all. Which means coming back this past Monday was grueling. Well, it was for me, anyway. The only saving grace is that I was so busy all week the time went by quickly.
So what’s on the agenda for the weekend? No, I really want to know. What’re you doing? Tonight Dice and I are going to beer club at Engine 11, which is owned by our friend and neighbor, so natually we want to throw money his way. I’m really looking forward to it because, if you remember, we went to the invite-only opening night, but got there so late the kitchen had already closed. Bummer, which should be rectified tonight. Otherwise this weekend I’m going to try really hard to go to the movies. I was reading a “best of 2008″ movie list the other day and realized I hadn’t seen a single one! This is a very sad state of affairs, especially from me, who used to go every weekend!
One other thing I’ll be doing this weekend is giving myself a little bit of a rest from the Month of Repentance. Don’t worry, it’s definitely still the Month of Repentance, but I’ve been very good this week and I deserve a little treat. Not a big treat, naturally. But if I know myself, and I do, if I don’t give myself a break over the weekends then I’ll never get through the month successfully. Gotta have something to look forward to, don’tcha know!
In health news it’s my opinion that my ankle is A-OK. I ran on it yesterday and today, on the treadmill, and not only did it feel fine, it felt like nothing had ever happened. It felt way better than my bum left knee, which always has a minor ache. The real test will be running downhill, which was my issue on Monday night. I could have finished the run on Monday night if it hadn’t been for the downhill. So tomorrow morning I’ll attempt my long run and if the downhills give me problems, I’ll just have to cut it short. So there.
