Fall's Radiance

I lived in Austin for the past nine years, and there were only two things I really missed about the southeast...my family and the seasons. Driving through the northern parts of Georgia and Alabama this past weekend reminded me why it's so good to be back. These autumn leaves may not be that impressive in photos but are absolutley breathtaking in person.

PETA pig

Saw this at Sam & Dave's BBQ1 in Atlanta when I was picking up some barbecue for my dad.

Art in a Can

For the past three months, I have been waiting patiently (sort of) for my husband to move to Atlanta so we could experience all of the exciting cultural opportunities this great city has to offer. By this point, my list has become a tad long, and Eric will probably be exhausted from just reading it. So I decided to embrace ONE activity alone before Eric's arrival next weekend.

Yesterday, I went to an interesting exhibit at the Mason Murer Fine Art museum here in midtown. The second installment of the Red Bull Art of the Can collection is in Atlanta for two weeks, on its way to Dallas and then Minneapolis. It began in Boston in 2005, where the permanent collection is housed.

This is a unique opportunity for artists all over the world to express their creativity using Red Bull cans as their primary material. The collection includes everything from earrings to a foosball table! And the coolest thing to me is that many of the artists are just everyday Joes who felt a little artistic spark and decided to run with it. Or I guess in their case -- fly with it. After all, this is the drink that gives you wings.

By the Numbers

Here is the breakdown of my interaction with the company I really want to work for...

Number of months since my first conversation with the recruiter: 6

Number of jobs I've interviewed for: 3

Number of employees who have interviewed me: 14

Number of hours spent being interviewed: 12

AND, AS OF TODAY, THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER OF ALL...

Number of job offers: 1

I think I earned this one, huh?

Something to Celebrate

Okay, Heidi, here's my crack at a foodie blog post! After returning from Auburn Sunday night (slightly humbled and very sunburned), Eric and I drove just a few miles down the road to celebrate our anniversary in Decatur, GA. What an awesome little town! It's only five miles from our house, but it's really a pretty drive, and there are so many cool shops and restaurants once you arrive.

I had read lots of good things about a place called Wahoo!, so we decided to give it a try. Like several restaurants I've discovered in this area, the place didn't look all that special from the outside. Once inside, however, it was very quaint and charming. It was a perfect fall evening, so we asked for a table in the courtyard out back, which turned out to be about twice as big as the restaurant itself. It was absolutely beautiful!

Now for the good stuff...Even though we were both having fish, we shared a bottle of Red Knot Shiraz from Australia. Eric prefers red wine, and I'm not really a stickler for the "perfect pairing." Actually, when it's cool outside, I prefer red because it warms you up! Next came the homemade breads: cheddar and dill biscuits that they only make on Sundays, as well as kalamata olive and rosemary focaccia bread. I came about my love for bread honestly, thanks to genes passed on my from my grandmother and father. Believe me, these breads did not disappoint!

For our entrees, I went with the house specialty. Any guesses?? It's the Wahoo! It came with buttermilk mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley, but I substituted white cheddar grits and sauteed asparagus because it sounded less boring. Eric had the special catch of the day -- blackened scallops and medallions of hedy fish (I think...I know it was another Hawaiian fish with a similar texture to Wahoo but sweeter in flavor). Eric's dish was served with a chilled pineapple salsa, rice pilaf, and vegetable medley, but he went with the mashed potatoes instead of rice. Our knowledgeable and attentive server, Shelia, offered to bring us champagne in honor of the anniversary celebration, but we opted for the key lime tart instead! Every bite of our meal from bread to tart was absolutely delectable. A nice bonus was that dinner didn't break the bank.

Afterward, we stopped by the Brick Store Pub, thanks to a recommendation from our neighbors. The pub, which specializes in Belgian ales, has a great atmosphere, and our server was extremely helpful in guiding us through the eight-page Belgian ale menu! I tried a Scaldis strong ale, while Eric had a St. Bernardus Abt 12 "quadruppel" followed by a Rochefort 10 trappist ale. Don't ask me to explain those any further...just trust that it was a cool experience and that a good time was had by all.

Wildcat Memory Lane

In my grade school years, I was both a Fort Payne Wildcat and a Saks Wildcat. A couple of "memory lane" conversations recently prompted me to get the old yearbooks out of the closet and spend an evening reminiscing. I skipped over the bad hair pictures and the really bad hair pictures and decided to focus on the sentiments written by my poetic peers.

So here's my own WHO'S WHO of yearbook quotes...

Most Generic: To a very sweet and pretty girl. Stay the way you are and you'll go far in life. (I have about a million of that one in some form or another.)

Creepiest: To a very fine lady. Always stay sexy. (Hello? I was 11!)

Most Honest: To a very sweet girl who I don't like because she is for Auburn.

Best Stream of Consciousness: Hey Babe (Amy). So how are you doing? I'm bored stiff. You know how that is. I hope you have fun over spring break. I'm gonna be looking for some bad boys. I love this pen, it writes so good. Have a good life. Of course you will - being a doctor. You'll probably be so rich it's not even funny. I'll have to borrow some money from ya, huh?

Most Nerdy: I enjoyed sitting next to you in French class and seeing who could answer first. (I also got props for helping people in algebra and chemistry, which should give you some indication of how cool I was.)

Best Shameless Plug: Hey sweets, put in a good word for me with your dad. He probably won't believe you, but it's worth a try. (Dad was my high school principal.)

One of a Kind: I hate that bull about oh you're just the best friend I've ever had, so I'm not writing that crap. It's stupid and so is that corny crap that's supposed to make you laugh. Well ha ha!

Most Inspirational: Do tha rite thang.

WAR EAGLE!

Going to Auburn football games is one of my all-time favorite activities. I started going to games as a kid, and I particularly loved going when my sister was a student. Our family has a lot of great memories from those games (Mom, Sip, and me yelling "dark red!") and some great photos as well (John Q in those bright orange pants with Andy holding him in his arms). My dad even took me to the 1984 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans when Auburn beat Michigan 9-7. Then I went to all the home games as a student, which was practically an out-of-body experience each and every time (especially those first two seasons under Coach Bowden when we won 20 games straight).

So I guess it's no surprise that I was seriously jonesing to go to a game now that I'm back in the southeast. I haven't been to a game for the past eight seasons...UNTIL NOW! My sister and I took a little road trip to Columbia, South Carolina last week to watch our Tigers beat the Gamecocks 24-17. It was such an awesome trip, and I don't think I stopped smiling or laughing or cheering for about three straight days. The South Carolina fans were unbelievably nice - going out of their way to make us feel welcome in Columbia - and we really appreciated their hospitality and sportsmanship.

And it gets even better...I'll be going to the game again this weekend to watch AU take on the Arkansas Razorbacks and tailgating with about 25 friends and family members. This will be Eric's first Auburn football game, so he is mostly excited but also a little scared of what kind of freak show I turn into once I'm in the zone. Ha!