Rocksploitation will perform outside at 3:00 PM and inside at 7:00 PM

http://www.limerickjunction.com for more information

Observations: To state the obvious, I slacked off on my duties last week. I know, I know. But as they say, back on the horse again right?

This weekend my friend came to visit from Athens. This was the first time she had seen my new place and I took it as an opportunity to take her around the city and explore my new neighborhood a little bit myself. The entire weekend was packed with discovering new places to eat and drink all around the city. Everyday we tried somewhere new. The itinerary included Dark Horse Tavern, West Egg Cafe, American Roadhouse, the Corner Tavern in West Midtown and Panita. This is a pic from West Egg where I got the Elvis French toast which features 3 inch slices of French toast sandwiching the ungodly combination of  peanut butter, banana slices, and bacon.

As far as drinks go, we decided to take our first venture to Dark Horse Tavern on Friday night. Those of you who know me, know that I am much more at home in a gay bar than I am at at straight one. There is a very different bar etiquette that I haven’t mastered yet. After an hour and a half of quietly sipping Malibu and diets on what was becoming an exceedingly crowded porch, I had lost any hope that the night was going anywhere. With much resignation I headed to the bar to close my tab and accept my failed attempt at showing my friend a good time. As I was shamelessly staring down the bar tender in hopes of catching his attention, a group of friends beside me struck up some conversation. Now I don’t consider myself a “bar person” in that I don’t usually talk to people that I haven’t come with or know somehow already. For some reason though, I felt particularly fed up with being bored that night. In fact, these friends actually turned out to be really cool people. The night turned out to be a lot of fun despite its rocky (read: boring) start.

I am a pretty firm believer that if you put yourself into situations with even the slightest openness to whatever could come your way that the world will respond in like. I have realized lately how long I have lived shut off, not allowing anything unexpected or different to happen in my life. As a result, I missed out on a lot of experiences that could have been really amazing or hell, could have been really terrible. Either way, I am tired of the predictable and expected. I’m ready for adventure and I’m going to try to open myself up to it in every way I know how.

Number 69 on my Bucket List is to pack my bags and set off to a random place…and this past weekend I checked that one off! Thursday night at about 10 pm I was on the phone with my old roommate Amanda when I decided, “you know what I am going to go to Atlanta this weekend” (note: not the most random place, but whatever) I had no assignments to complete this weekend, no plans, and my Biffle was willing to join me for the 5 hour drive…

After this was decided, I entered PANIC MODE! I was literally freaking out! I had my internship ALL Friday, I hadn’t packed ANYTHING, I had laundry in the dryer, and so many other little things kept popping in my head. Despite all this panic, I decided to just do it, drop everything and go to Atlanta! I am SO glad I decided to go, I really needed a weekend away from Gainesville…plus I missed Amanda!

And now for some fun pictures from the weekend

First we met Amanda’s roommate’s cat Gracie, super cute…but I am not a cat person at all…so the two of us did NOT get along very well…

Gracie, or “Cat” as I call her

Saturday we explored the gorgeous Piedmont Park in Atlanta. This is a giant park complete with tennis courts, lakes, sports fields, and dog parks. It was really nice to walk around and catch up with Amanda, plus we had the most incredible view of downtown Atlanta!

Biffle and I with downtown Atlanta behind us 

Another AWESOME thing about Atlanta? They have TRADER JOE’S! If you are from Florida, you may not know about this incredible store…think Whole Foods but at a fraction of the cost! They have them ALL over California and whenever we head out that way, we make sure to stop at Trader Joe’s. Of course I made a stop in Atlanta…

I treated myself to some DELICIOUS Trail Mix and a tin of Chai Tea mix, plus I love their tea tree products so I got some face cleanser! 

Then we made our way to the Atlanta Cupcake Factory…which I must admit has the BEST cupcakes I have EVER tried…and I have tried my fair share of cupcakes . It was SO hard to decide on which kind of cupcake I wanted…so I got two! The Grasshopper Cupcake looked like a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream had been scooped on top of it and the Bourbon Cupcake (bourbon frosting sweet potato cake) had a GIANT football on it (their superbowl treat). My favorite was the Bourbon, the sweet potato cupcake scared me at first, but oh my goodness! it was delicious!

CUPCAKES!

For dinner we headed down to Decatur, which may be my favorite place in Atlanta. We ate there last time I visited, but we tried a new place called the Square Pub. Being the picky eater I am, I was going to order the Turkey Burger plain, but the waiter talked me into getting it with everything on it. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a cranberry relish…he described it as Thanksgiving in your mouth. IT WAS AMAZING! I was so proud of myself for trying something different too!

Turkey Burger + Sweet Potato Tots 

After dinner, the craziest thing ever happened! We found out that one of Biffle’s BEST friends from home Olivia, was in Atlanta to celebrate a friend’s 21st Birthday. We decided to stop by for a little so Biffle could see her. We went to a place called Buckhead Saloon, and it was a really fun place…minus the oddballs there to watch some fight on tv.

Buckhead Saloon with two of my favorite people!

Sunday morning we went to Highland Bakery. I have heard Amanda talk about this place SEVERAL times, but I have never been…until this morning. I decided the entire city of Atlanta has the BEST food ever! I enjoyed every meal this weekend…but this breakfast was great, and it kept my full the REST OF THE DAY! I got a traditional breakfast (eggs, potatoes, and toast) plus an adorable mini donut (I needed a little sugar). Biffle got the MONSTER PB French Toast (seriously BIGGEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN) needless to say we had LOTS of leftovers!

Breakfast Collage 

And after all that food it was time to say goodbye to Amanda…and hop in the car for the five hour trek back to Gainesville. I am so happy I decided to be SPONTANEOUS and take this random trip. It was really good to see Amanda…this is probably the longest we haven’t seen each other (best friends since FIFTH GRADE, and roommates for the past 2 1/2 years) Now that I am back in Gainesville, I am already looking forward to another trip back to Atlanta…next time I need to bring Nat so we can go to the Georgia Aquarium!

Please come visit The Indie-pendent during the Grand Opening on December 13th at 1052 St Charles, Atlanta Georgia.  The shop is tucked away in an alley but there will be plenty of signs to point you in the right direction.  While you’re at it, like her on Facebook and keep up to speed on the goings-on at this neat little boutique!

Oh, and one more thing…. take a peek at my jewelry while you’re there!  ;o)

A fierce advocate who has served on Atlanta’s Ryan White Planning Council and numerous boards of directors, Ford has spent the last 11 days sleeping outside.

Ford found himself homeless this month after his voucher for two months of emergency housing following a bout of pneumonia expired. The friend he had been staying with before he became ill with pneumonia had moved. Ford, who has AIDS, prostate cancer and neuropathy that leaves him wheelchair-bound, has nowhere to turn.

He slept in his wheelchair on the disabled-access ramp of the nonprofit AID Atlanta Sunday night. A local church allowed him to charge his electric wheelchair in their outlet, but did not give him a place to stay. He eats at AID Atlanta during the day, but has nowhere to go at night.

My first time actually being a patron of The Family Dog was on a Friday night to meet up with some friends already there.  I arrived around 10:00pm to a bustling lively bar.  Their bar was very long and had plenty of seating which I liked.  It was relatively easy to squeeze my way in and order a beer amongst the many choices of beer they had to offer.  This place was crowded with a good mix of people.  Old, young, but mainly in their twenties-early thirties.  You could tell many were Emorites (Emory students) but the bar had a mainly young professional feel to it.  I didn’t feel like it was too collegey and I didn’t feel like it was too old.  It was a perfect age range for myself.  The girl/guy ratio was pretty spot on also.  In most Atlanta bars you will find more Southern Belles than boys, which is very aggravating for the single girl, but at the same time very complimentary of the city and gives you a sense of pride somewhat.  I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard from guys visiting Atlanta of how amazed they are at the amount of beautiful young women.  But like I said, Family Dog does not discriminate and has a great mix of guys and gals.  I enjoyed a few rounds of drinks there that night before wandering down to the main strip of bars further down North Highland.

My second and the last time I visited was on a random Tuesday night.  I was fairly bored and itching to get out for a drink so I decided to meet a friend already there.  Upon arrival I see a live band belting out the all time classic faves such as “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Sweet Caroline” and a couple of people dancing around.  For a Tuesday night I was rather impressed as there actually were a good amount of people there.  We enjoyed some wine that night and listened to the band play and then the loud music that followed once the band stopped. 

All in all this place is a cool hang out spot for those that want to go somewhere and enjoy their favorite drink and socialize with friends.  They play great music and have live bands that play, so it is somewhat hard to carry on a conversation with someone while inside.  But they have a great patio section just in front of the bar which allows you to escape the music and chat.  The staff there was very friendly and attentive both times I went.  And the eye candy was very nice both times too (tall attractive men all over the place- yeaaa!!!).  This bar is a great place to go meet up with friends for a few drinks during the week or perhaps go on a firstsecond date (only because the noise level).  It’s also a great place to grab a few drinks on the weekend before heading down to the main strip of bars further down North Highland.  Family Dog also serves food but I have yet to experience it.  Perhaps next time!  Oh yeah and the name might deceive you, dogs are only allowed on the patio and to tell you the truth I’ve maybe only seen one dog both of the times I went.

Quick and dirty :
What to wear: casual-jeans and a cute top will work and ofcourse the cute sundress!

When to go: anytime really! Weekend-good place to start the night

Who to go with: your group of friends (guys and girls)

Definitely check this place out… you won’t be disappointed!  http://thefamilydogatlanta.com

This is another rainy post!  I hope you have your umbrella with you… or at least, I hope you’ll feel like you need to go grab one after viewing these photographs.  Saturday’s storm in Atlanta, Georgia was beautiful, and I was thrilled it occurred during the day because it made for great lighting.  My husband had just put some burgers on the grill when, all of a sudden, the sky began pouring rain.  I was ready to call our grill-out off and order Chinese… we did have two hungry kids under the age of three after all, but my husband was determined to save the burgers and not let them go to waste.   This was a great moment to photograph because, not only was my husband grilling in the pouring rain under an umbrella, there was steam coming out from our gas grill that was billowing around him.  I thought it made for a superb composition.  My only complaint about this photograph is that it was taken through the window, so it is not as clear as I would have liked (as most of these below are), but it still adds my perspective on the storm while viewing my husband.

A Scattered Composition of Raindrops and Flower Petals. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

When It Rains, It Pours. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

I love the dramatic linearity of the rain captured in some of these photographs… along with the downward pull of the lines.  This was my first attempt at photographing actual rain.  It was raining so intensely that the movement was pretty easy to capture.  I chose to extract the color from many of these photographs because the camera took more vibrant photographs, then what I had actually seen… and it bothered me so I tweaked these a bit.  I gave these a somewhat “white-washed” look to enhance the beautiful haze and ambiance of pouring rain.  This also allowed the streams of rain to be more visible against the subject.  I happen to love storms, and especially thunderstorms, and find it extremely pleasing and peaceful to sit quietly and observe a summer storm… preferably in a screened-in porch on a wooden swing… but our house doesn’t have a porch like that, so I settled for the windowed view.  The glass created a hazy filter, which might have actually worked to my advantage in this instance.  Earlier, when I looked back through these photographs before posting this, I felt as if I wanted to jump into these photographs and run and dance in the rain.  Perhaps, that’s just me but I like that these photographs have that affect on me.

Curtains of Rain. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

A Blissful Flower Shower. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches. 

The Green Tree Glow on Sunny Stormy Days. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

A Broom and Some Petals on a Sweepless Afternoon. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

An Organic Sound Machine. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

My grandfather passed away about a week ago, and photography is one of the ways I cope and heal with death.  I have sought therapy in my camera ever since my grandmother died four years ago.  This storm seemed like an appropriate correlation because it expresses my internal state of self without having to add an external element within these compositions.  Additionally, I photographed the house that sits directly across the street from ours.  The house belonged to an elderly Jewish couple, but now it belongs to a widow and her son.  We moved into this house four years ago and, for years, I observed the old man who lived across the street from me.  I noticed that this couple did everything together… just like both sets of my grandparents did… the love they had for each other was undeniable.  Every time I walked outside to take the dog out, or to get in the car to go somewhere, this man would approach me and begin telling me about his life.  I think he was beginning to lose his mind a little bit at this point because he would tell me the same stories over and over again.  He was fascinating to listen to, however, because he was, unfortunately, a Holocaust survivor, and a former prisoner of Dachau concentration camp during World War II.  He was eighteen years old when the camp was liberated and, soon afterwards, his family immigrated to New York.  I’m not sure how he got to Atlanta but, apparently, he started up a grocery store that generated a great amount of money back in the day.  This man would tell me how he had been living in that exact house for 50 years, and the next year, he would tell me 51 years.

Downpour Over a Virginia Highlands Neighborhood. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

As first-time home buyers, my husband and I bought what we thought was a lovely, cute first home but it turned out to be a money pit.  It had to be completely renovated, everything re-done except the foundation… what a nightmare!  Especially since I was pregnant with my first child and had just become brave enough to give college a second try.  Anyways, back to the point…. the old Jewish man.  I could tell the old man was growing anxious, by the way he would sit on his front stoop and stare at our house day after day, whenever the construction crew and contractor showed up.  He mentioned to me one time that he didn’t want us to do anything to the outside of our house because it had been his view for 5o years.  Sadly, I couldn’t please him because our contractor told us that if we didn’t fix everything about this house, it would fall to pieces… it was built in the 40′s and built cheaply.  It was also cheaply renovated in the late 70s.  Everything was wrong with this house.  The old man across the street passed away about a year ago; the same year I lost my Granddaddy.  I see pain and loneliness in his widow’s walk day after day after day… I cannot imagine being married to someone for so long (and living and overcoming so much with one person), only to lose him all suddenly one day.  I now see this pain in my own grandmother.  These pictures below depict this widow’s house in the pouring rain.  These photographs are meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia and an emphasis on the impermanence of time.  I choose to collect these feelings and fleeting moments in a photographic form… to forever preserve what I’m feeling while I’m looking at what I’m photographing, at that point in time.  I only know the pain I feel as I’ve lost my grandparents one by one over the past 3 years, but I can tell this woman is strong, as my only living grandmother is.  Somehow they will cope and will survive, but I find it hard to believe anyone can ever get over a wound that deep.  Sorry to be a tad depressing with this post, but these photographs are representative of one those moments where I feel myself growing up as I’m thinking more about life and death.  Thank you for taking the time to read and view my blog.  Feel free to leave any and all feedback…

The Car Has No Choice but to Brave the Storm. Polly Nance. PhotoShop digital photograph. 8 x 10 inches.

PEACE, LOVE UNTIL MY NEXT POST, DEAR FELLOW BLOGGING FRIENDS.

Well, some of that’s true.  We ARE in a depressed market.  According to some of my fellow practitioners, it IS the worst market in real estate in their memory.  But no one’s REALLY sure about how much “shadow inventory” there is out there.  Don’t let that one worry you.

Here’s what this means for you.  As a Buyer, you  get record low interest rates, low prices… homeownership has never been this affordable!  (Or at least it hasn’t been for a long time.)  Yes, as a Seller, you might (probably) lose money on your house, especially if you’ve owned it for a relatively short period of time, or you might just break even.  BUT, with the affordability, your house can sell faster with an agent who knows how to market, AND, if you sell and then buy, you’ll recoup some of your losses with your new purchase!

More good news for Metro Atlanta: many areas saw record median sales prices in 1st quarter 2011, but those prices have risen for 2nd quarter 2011.  This information was not gleaned from some faceless national poll, or some large corporation, but right from the sales data in the First Multiple Listing Service, the go-to MLS for Metro Atlanta.

Curious to see how your home might sell, or want a neighborhood market analysis?  Feel free to contact me!  I’ll be happy to meet with you to see how I can help you meet your goals!  For more information, visit http://www.jacobgallman.com

The motto of Yeah! Burger is “Keepin’ It Real.” As stated on their website, they use natural and organic ingredients that are free of antibiotics, growth hormones, synthetic pesticides and herbicides, chemical fertilizers, ammonia and other nasty additives. How can you beat that? Food that is both good and healthy? It’s a win-win for me!

When we entered Yeah! Burger, I was in love with the decor. It was so playful, fun and colorful. It’s all that I would expect a burger joint to be. Upon arriving we took a look at the menu and decided what we wanted to eat. There are so many good toppings and sauces, it was hard to decide what we wanted but we were able to do it. If you’d like a peek at the menu, you can view it HERE. We were so stuffed that we didn’t get to try any of their milkshakes or ice cream products, but we will for sure the next time that we go! I could have been there for days with all the decisions to choose from. I probably could go there 100 times and never eat the same combination twice!

My burger consisted of: The grass-fed beef burger on a whole wheat bun with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled vidalia onions, nitrate-free bacon, and Mississippi mop bbq sauce.

The hubbies burger consisted of: The grass-fed beef burger on a whole wheat bun, blue cheese, grilled vidalia onions, nitrate-free bacon and their famous bacon jam which Walt says is to die for! We also threw in a side of sweet potato fries! Holy Yum!

Our overall experience at Yeah! Burger -Virginia Highlands was amazing. It was all we expected and more. From the outstanding customer service to the tasty food, it is definitely a place that we will recommend to our friends. Can’t wait to visit again!!

Happy Eating!

-Renee

Walt browsing the menu

The t-shirts were adorable

The bar

Our cute table number

My burger

The hubbies burger w/ our sweet potato fries! Yum!

The sweet potato fries again! The best!

My burger again…I want another already

How cute is this sticker?

The menu

The wall decor…I fell in love with it. so playful and fun!

Half eaten burger…looks yummy right?

And the aftermath lol

That’s me

And the hubby Walt

Yeah! Burger lol

Many of you who know me, know that along with being a food junkie…I’m also an iPhone junkie! If I have the opportunity to take mobile pics (via Instagram) during our visits I will also post them here! Enjoy!

After I spoke at the conference panel, I went back to Virginia-Highlands for dinner, and found this cool place call Yeah Burger, whose slogan is “Keeping It Real.” Nice atmosphere, great burgers and reasonable prices. 

The Virginia-Highlands area in Atlanta is home to several coffee bars, and I need caffeine before my conference panel! June 21, 2011

The Place: Red Brick Brewery, Atlanta, GA

The Peeps: Jen R.

The Beers: #89 Dog Days Ale (ABV 5.7%)

                      #90 Laughing Skull (ABV 4.1%)

Red Brick was the first stop of the weekend, well actually Old Navy was the first stop, but we’ll get into that mishap later. 

#89 Dog Days Ale (ABV 5.7%)

I love Hefeweizens!  It has lovely golden yellow color and wonderful summer taste of citrus, wheat orange and hops.  This beer is perfect for a summer day, preferably poolside.  Nice job!  Thumbs up!

#90 Laughing Skull (ABV 4.1%)

Nice  runner-up for the day.  Nice amber color with a sweet and malty taste.  I have wanted to try it for while, so I was glad to finally add it to the list.  Thumbs up!

This was my second time at Red Brick.  Not as big of a crowd as the first time, but it was decent.

The Place: 5 Seasons, Marietta Street, Atlanta, GA

The Peep: Jen R.

The Beer: #91 Jay D Whiskey Imperial Porter (ABV ???)

DARK and SCARY at first sight, but very delicious!  It has wonderful taste of chocolate, caramel, and fruit.  It kind of taste like chocolate whiskey raisin juice.  The beer was aged in a Jack Daniel barrel for 7 months.   I probably should have picked something a little lighter to pair with my shrimp and grit cakes, but it still hit the spot.  Thumbs up!  Shout out to Waiter Will for the suggestion! 

I made it back to 5 Seasons to try out the food (and more beer of or course).  AMAZING!  My food was awesome, the service was great, and the beer only made it better.  I should slap myself for over looking this place for the last 1 and a half.  I’m in love.

The Place: Hand In Hand- Virginia Highlands, Atlanta, GA

The Peeps: Jen R., Jake R.

The Beer: #92 He’ Brew Messiah Bold (ABV 5.6%)

I was reluctant to try the beer because of the name, but what the heck!  Drinking isn’t a sin and I love my Lord!  It was nice dark brown ale to start off  the day and I enjoyed the happy Jewish man on the label.  Nothing amazing, but it was enjoyable. Thumbs up!

Hand In Hand was cool.  My Ruben was delicious and The Snows enjoyed their food as well.  The restaurant has an interesting menu and nice outdoor seating.  This was my first time hanging in Virginia Highlands since I moved to Atlanta.  There are plenty of restaurants and shops in walking distance of homes and tons of food trucks!  It is my dream neighborhood!  

The Place: Sweetwater- Atlanta, GA

The Peeps: Jen R., Jake R., Phonso A., Corey

The Beer:  #93 Sweetwater Road Trip (ABV ???)

Not sure if this is my first pilsner, so I didn’t know what to expect.  Crisp flavor with a dry finish.  I couldn’t pull out any distinct flavors at the time.  It was decent, but not amazing.  The after taste reminded me of High Life (blah).  Side Thumb.

I think I am pretty much over my Sweetwater.  It’s still a cool place to hang out, but I think going there at once or twice a month is getting exhausting.  The heavy crowd and the dehydrated dogs are starting to get old.  The DD cup is defiantly on deck from now on.  It won’t bother me as much if I get in for free.

I want to take this time to apologize to Elizabeth (Jen as I like to call her) and Jake for the murder by heat I pulled on them that weekend.  I hope this doesn’t deter you from coming to visit ATL again.  If I had A/C during your visit, Jen wouldn’t have stuck her arm out the window and I wouldn’t have gotten too close to the bushes and butchered her wrist on the branches nor would her spray tan have melted of her body on the way the way to Red Brick.  I’m sorry that you had to buy a new shirt, Jen.  Steven has A/C again (Thanks to Phons) and now I can go from heat stroke to winter storm in a matter of minutes.  When I visit KY feel free to force me to do outside activities as pay back.

HIGH FIVES and SHOUT OUTS

1. King of Pops!  I finally found you after searching for 6 mos.  I must have not been looking too hard, because after I bought my popsicle I saw like two more stands on my way home.
2. The parents that bring their babies and kids to the bar and beer tasting.  This has inspired my series of Quick Post titled “Baby at the Bar”.  I hope it’s as funny as everyone else as it is to me.  Sidenote:  This is not meant to be controversial, just good humor.
3. Kateshrewsday for the “Like” on my last post.  A lot of people… well not a lot, but a good number of people read my post daily, but you were the first to actually move your mouse to “Like” button.  Thanks!  The rest of you should follow her lead.I

I’m going to leave you with a few pics that I thought were pretty fun from our weekend. Enjoy!

"Better out than in, I always say."- Shrek

For real son?Saw this in Va Hi. No further explanation needed. LOL!