The Empire City Of The South?

During yesterday’s Falcons telecast I thought I heard Dick Stockton say that the locals call Atlanta the “empire city of the South.” In my twelve years of living in Atlanta I have never heard this. Am I the only one who thinks that this is bunk?

Strollin’ Strollin’ Strollin’
On Saturday I made the decision to forgo the annual Fat Boy Athletic Club hash and join the Flickrites for a photostroll through Decatur. The weather was absolutely fantastic and I seized the opportunity to get some blue sky photos.

ITP Flickr Pic

The Decatur Foodie In Me
With my friends Randy and Lisa in town for the Thanksgiving weekend, and meeting up with the Flickerites on Saturday I got to eat out more than usual this weekend.

Taqueria del Sol (in Decatur): A really good meal, especially after walking for over an hour during the stroll. I ordered two tacos (one with pork, the other with fried chicken) and a basket of chips with three types of salsa. All items were quite tasty. The only downside to the meal was that TdS gets so crowded that you feel pressured to eat quickly (even by my fast-eating standards) and turn your table.

Figo (in East Decatur Station): Perhaps the best meal I ate all weekend. I ordered a gimelle (sp) pasta with a tomato-based sauce containing ground lamb. The meal was delicious and quite filling, especially when you eat a few pieces of bread and split an appetizer with friends. The only demerit I’d give Figo is their minimal selection of beer. The only beer that appealed to me was a Hoegaarden.

J. Christopher’s (in Decatur): The most disappointing meal of the weekend. After eating there a while back I was excited to go back. We beat the Sunday church crowd which should have made things much better, but did not. The service was sketchy at best, coffee too far too long to arrive once ordered and we wondered if things we requested would arrive before the meal’s end. I ordered a skillet with corned beef hash (okay), potatoes (not hot enough and dry) and eggs over-easy (not cooked to perfection), all of which should have been hotter. The oddest thing during the meal was when the waitress came to our table and asked us all how our potatoes, which most of us had in one form or another, were. It immediately made us wonder if something was wrong with the potatoes. I’ll go back to a J. Christopher’s but just not with the same optimism that I did yesterday.

A Blonde Farewell?
Oh those cagey blondes… They have fought so hard to be the first all-female team to win The Amazing Race and have ruffled at least one set of Alabama feathers. It amazes me that something like driving can take a team from first to last. I am still hoping that ‘Bama is the next to go. I can’t remember their names but I have narrowed it down to the one who seems to be the team’s navigator that irritates me to no end.

Next week’s episode looks good. I wish I had been around to throw tomatoes at the racers.

I forgot a Survivor wrap-up on Friday. Alan Alda Jonathan flip-flops more than a fish on shore. I thought this might work to in my favor and the newly-merged gang would vote out the Prom King (aka “Adam”) namely the person I picked in my pool this week. But alas, it was poor old uber-controlling Nate who got ousted. It will be fun to hear his line of questioning come jury inquisition time, no?

Thank You For Sucking Falcons’ Secondary
The official ending of the Deadbeat Dads’ season occurred yesterday because not only was I playing the best team in our league, his quarterback Drew Brees got to play against one of the worst secondaries in the NFL : the Atlanta Falcons’.

As the NFL’s season has progressed I have felt smarter with my decision not to spend $750 for a season ticket.

Happy Birthday Andy
My friend Andy crosses over into the 40+ Club today. I always enjoy inviting people into my advanced-age bracket. Given that you already have a beautiful, wonderful wife and precious new(ish) baby girl this greeting is nothing than more than icing on the cake.

My gifts to you may include a fire extinguisher to help put out all of those candles on the cake and the paperwork for AARP.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood – the window of depression has opened and given that I had a head start this year, I already have one leg through
Current Music – Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Cold War Kids — “Hang Me Up To Dry”
Website Of The Day – If you miss your favorite Christmas special don’t blame me because I am now giving you a link to all of the Christmas specials. All you have to do is bookmark this page on HolidayPages4U.
Exercise (b)Log – nothing worth mentioning

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]