Kia Sorento Vegas daydream, #1
Google's French vacation #2

Saints #1
Colts #2

Cakes and ale... I give a 3. The food was good but the service, everywhere except the bar, was disorganized.   If I had to describe the place based on its what little I knew about it before Saturday-- which was what it looked like, and what I has heard from Atlanta Fooduminaries (one of which was at the bar, incognitolike on Saturday)-- I would have said, "bustling hardworking servers, slinging original , forward comfort food, off a small menu, in the kind of place you love to go to before you go somewhere else".   So  the fact that a full meal at  table missed some marks shouldn't concern you too much.  That the 'bustling' staff was still chronically late, should.


But on  a positive note,  Alon's the deli/bakery, out here in Sandy Springs , which I have since learned is an outpost of the original somewhere in the highlands, serves the best soups I have ever had. Yeah, that's saying something. I MAY have had better soups, as one offs from fancy restaurants (Tomato at Jeanty, Carrot Ginger and Scott Howard, and Chestnut and Joel), but Alon's Celery Root, and Alon's Pumpkin-kale were in the same category, and both in one place..   Every few years I look for a good soup kitchen in Atlanta , and wind up and Souper Jenny.  No more.    Alon's is the place.


--

On a side note, and in one sentence, and one pass: Part of my response to certain people who have called my music collection forced, that that the lack of popular music was somewhat explainable by my reluctance to buy something I was going to hear so muchanyway, was validated yesterday, when I heard that darn Arcade Fire where-the-wild-things-are song 8 million times, which is a lot more times that I have played it myself , since buying it a few weeks ago.


 

So let’s see, I finally had a solid meal through-and-through at Rathbun’s. Oh, the food, and Service, and Ambiance is always great, but by the time I get through the yaya fries and muscles I’ve usually  put the entrée in a compromised position.  This time, though, armed with hungry colleagues, I managed to reserve enough appetite such that the Veal Chop and Spaghetti Squash carbonara hit the spot.  The meal was still absent anything green or fibrous, but it sure went down well.  Oh, and it was on the company.

Also,  I  went on  a 5 day ski vacation to  Avon Colorado. We lodged aside arrowhead mountain, skied, played poker , Ra, and Puerto Rico, got massages, hot tubbed, smoked cigars and drank.  Same old script, actually.   It was basically spring skiing conditions:  Warm and patchy snow coverage.  

I think this was the first trip ever where I didn’t end up a better Skier than I was the last trip, but there was a three year gap, and , um, I think my skies were amateurish.   I hesitate to call them  that because I am probably not good enough to  be better than these ‘performance’ skies, but after skiing the last three trips on long volkl 6-stars, these average size k2 Rangers seemed too… ambivalent.  Certainly was harder to maintain Edge Lock on steeps, but one weakness of the mountain is that there really weren’t a lot of long steep groomers to bomb.      I can't blame the music, "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" was in fact the killer ski track I expected it to be.


B-rad, however, was killing it.  He doesn’t have Dave’s recklessness and his mere 3 months of crossfit didn’t build enough leg for him to enjoy the moguls,  but he was scary adept at getting down the bumps he accidentally found himself on.  I mean, anyone can learn to slide down a mountain, be b-rad managed to navigate some gnarly bumps. He’s a natural athlete, and only looked awkward when he was thinking too much.

Little Will found his own legs late the second day  and Alex bottomed out on day three due to foot issues.  He redeemed himself by winning the last three board games.
I’m thinking about getting a single speed mountain bike.   I asked a colleague and he said no.  He said that you have to be a monster to ride one, and that it helps too to be unemployed, since such monstership precludes a job.    This warning, of course, only further set my direction.

 

saw “Up in the Air” last night.  I like George Clooney.  He does this thing where he makes his romantic leads ‘Simple’.  They aren’t all fast talkers, many of them take a few beats to get the jokes, aren’t too cool to laugh when they get it, and are likely to explain it back to prove that they got it. They get momentarily confused not just as a way to make an endearing facial expression (see Hugh Grant) but because they were in fact momentarily confused.  Yes, this is an acting decision designed to ultimately make them appealing, same as grant, but it’s an effect that is affected through the character, not the actor (hugh again).  Anyhow, I saw the movie and was planning on writing a bit about it this morning, and maybe what I just wrote about George, but then I had a dream last night brought on in part by the movie so I have decided to write about that.

So, last night before I went to sleep  I got an email from the company’s heads inviting everyone who was ever a part of the company to come to party, where entertainment would be provided by a musician I recently wrote about.   The president of the company, I may have already noted, is pals (and was pals) with many of the singers I idolize.   I think that email, combined with the movie, which features a man who travels a lot, led me to this dream.  I write this seems less of clear of a proposition. 

Maybe if I describe the dream, it will make more sense to you and me.   Basically I was invited to a ‘jam session’ in a cozy warehouse (the build oxymorons) filled with old curios and ephemera. As the Musician/friends sat around a table they would write songs on a list, and then take turns playing/singing the songs that they wrote.   I am a compulsive doodler during meetings, a fact I had recently made light of at work, and  one that explains why while everyone was writing songs they were going to perform, I, who was only there to observe, was caught scribbling the line “Living on the road my friend”. (It’s  funny thing how writing never actually is legible in a dream, but my doodle almost was. It wasn’t, but almost). They guy sitting next to me read my line out loud, finishing it, and then wrote the song on the list , for me to sing.   Of course when it got to me, I was nervous and though I got to the cusp of actually singing, which felt quite like getting ready to jump out of an airplane,  I ultimately did not sing, instead explaining the people at the table that it my shame that I never have learned to sing or play, especially since the songs I would love to play are all so simple, and easily sung.  I cited Townes and John Prine.     For some reason this admission was very emotional, and the people at the table were emotional too, treating it as if I had shared some deep and personal secret to a support group.

Ok, so that’s the dream. Writing about it, I think revealed that it  has very little to do with the movie, except perhaps the line I scribbled down, though  I may have scribbled it anyway, since it’s one of my favorites.   No, I think the dream was probably brought on by the email, which reminded me that  Office in Austin was a tight community of like minded individuals, that I hate to see dissolved. No one at the table was familiar though, which was interesting.

But the movie was good, and relevant in some other ways .   It was overloaded with short meaningful moments, but saves itself from heavy handedness somehow.    The ‘twist’ was very real.  At least in my experience.  Though  to be clear here, I have never experienced anything similar to that myself, since Orlando circa 1999, a fact that only occurred to me a split second before I wrote it,  three seconds ago. 

 

 

 

 

Alex got me to pay an iota attending to this Massachusetts race, and I found myself clicking on sites I haven't visited in years:  Drudge, National Review, and Lileks.    The last was, of course, the most fun. What a stud



He seems to be back in bleating form.  

The Brown race has breathed life into my political heart, much like the Knowshon draft lured me into watching this Season's Broncos' collapse. Lets hope this story breaks better.

I was thinking today that I should mention that Lucky was put down last year.  That dog was amazing.  Super obedient without any training.  Loved attention but would not press this issue past one brushoff. Would, if allowed, start with her chin, then a paw, then three more, and before you knew it she was curled up in your lap and happy as a clam.  She was athletic too: It was only the  older Coco's superior route running that ever netted her a catch over the upstart Lucky. 

Well, not that I bring up Coco, I should mention that Coco was a better pure frisbee dog. You could trick her and she had great ups.  Ok, so they were both great dogs.

What else... I had something else.... Something runs through the music of  The Arcade Fire such that only their undeniably great songs  really do it for me, the rest is too.... something. Like an exotic sportscar that is too exotic.   I am tempted to say that they are too themed, but that would make me inconsistant.  Can't have that.

And as I found myself nitpicking yet another obviously talented band, I  realized I need to reaffirm that all this music is great.   I think a very mild ear issue has left me irritable these last two months.  I'm gonna get it checked out.

Who was that guy who had a railroad nail through his head and it changed his personality.  Gage, I think it was.  I think I have a mild case of that.  'Cept it's probably ear wax, not a railroad pin.....

Yum.  

The Avett Brothers are the Norah Jones of No Depression. And although that surely isn't a pure compliment, I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Norah and quite a lot of good things to say.  I have only listened to the Brothers' CD twice, so I am going to withhold any specific comments. I do think its safe to say that there are some very good songs on the album.

CNN guy speaking of Bush said , "Until now Bush has been laying low..." Isn't  that what ex-presidents are supposed to do?   nevermind tht Obama  names checks Bush  whenever things don't go his way.     Clinton is completely responsible for this sullying of the presidency. He was a whore in so so many ways.  Do I obsess?  Well, no, I don't think of that man much at all,  but is it wrong to be upset about stuff like this? I'll point out one more time,  Bush never blames anybody, never called out the other side of the isle, nothing.  I love him for it.

Saw Asylum Street Spankers again last night. The first was at Galaxy something something in the mission many years ago.  They left me cold then and now. Talented but clever. Like watching an improv comedy troup repeating their best scenes. Actually, that's my problem with clever music in general.  Rare are the acts who are so gifted at storytelling that you wnt to hear the same joke over and over.. I could listen to John Prine for days..  Ok, but I am confusing jokes and stories with something else.      the latter being the problem.

Two examples: James McMurty works Churchill's famous quip about being sober in the morning, whilst you'll still be ugly, into a song and I am sick of the joke before he finishes the first line.  Old Joke, and he takes to long to tell it. Especially since James spends way to print setting up one line with the other.    Later though, in the standout track, one of his characters speaks of his second cousins .. oh well. I can't actually write about it on a blog, but it's brilliantly done.

Prine telling the story about a Happy enchilada is an object lesson in story telling.

I really have no point this morning.

Bar is well stocked again; I bought some more Applejack, bluecoat Gin, Creme de violette,  lemon and orange bitters,  and some rye whiskey. Oh, and some very expensive sheets and a Display Model Iron for 75% off.  That last one was a great deal. It's exactly like the regular model except it doesn't heat up.

WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING.......still...   a great deal.

I discovered a few new places this week.

Petite Maison is a little french restaurant just  south of Abernathy on roswell Road. The staff is all French, the menu is diverse, the salad was terriffic.. Small little bar... what can I say?

Also, and more typical for me, is the great little TopFlr, just off Ponce. This place's drink menu features a ton of house cocktails all named after classic country music stars and songs. They have a  drink called Poncho and Lefty, for instance.   Don't get confused by the Countryfried drink names though, the place is very modern inside, and perhaps a little...i don't know.. DIY?
Ironically I didn't check upstairs (not checking uostairs at a place called topFlr is irony in my book), so maybe there is something country up there.     Moreover the bartender lady seemed very knowledgeable.   Great liquor selection, lots of fresh ingredients.   I'm stoked that there is something in my neighborhood I can get behind.


The owner and the Host were both fun to talk to.Maybe because they are hi-falutn bigots.   I thought the host's  had a professional demeanor was a bit on airs, but I dug it. I thought he was very effective and personable.  If you like your service cloying, then don't go there.  Don't go to Petite Maison either, actually: There is no pretension THERE, but they aren't going to baby you either.


Speaking of cloying, it turns out TopFlr is following Ecco's lead , making house shots of Strega instead of GrandMa or Fernet.   Ffile that under usless knowledge about  small trend in subculture.

It's hard to break new ground on comfort food but their Sweet Potato Sucatash pretty much rules.      Cubed Sweet Potato, Pancetta, and some sort of corn based cream sauce.....  wow. Bravo guys.
  

Oh. hey. Last night I think I invented my first Cocktail.  I'm either calling it "Let the right one in", "Write One In", or "Right One In".   I need to tidy up one or two things about it, but I am very pleased with it.    Its a cold weather drink, of course.  I'll post it here soon, and be famous shortly after.


Just finished watching MOON, staring Sam Rockwell. Sam Rockwell is awesome.   I want him to star in a movie where he and  Ed Norton out connive each other. 

Also, and finally,  the Pisco Sour at Pura vida is the best I have ever had. Their house made bitter really tie the drink together.

Shit, one more thing.  Lebowski as a shakespearian Play.. JUST WHEN I THOUGHT THE INTERNET WAS FINALLY LOSING STEAM, IT TURNS AROUND AND  COMPLETELY REDEEMS ITSELF.

the money quote:

I have resumed BattleStar Galactica, after two false starts on the fourth Season.  Given that I had no such problems reading the stillborn  Sword OF Truth Series which required a great deal more investment,  that I was having such a hard time resuming the FINAL SEASON of a tv show seems damning, but it's something less, I assure you.


Yes, I have little good to say about the show, and feel that people who do are studiously obtuse: They are suffering the same  problem as a  geek who occasionally receives the attention of the cute girl who is really using him for answers to the math homework.

The attention is nice, but the relationship is pretty one sided.

It's the same kind of tension over and over again. Are you A cylon or arn't you. Should I obey the law or my conscious.  If it isn't one it's the other. If it isn't Tango, its Cash.   Oh, there is the meta conflict, about finding earth or surviving the cyclons, or whatever, but without any longstanding character development arch I really don't care.

So yeah, it has its weaknesses but....   

I don't know what the "but" is.  At least its Sci-fi?

And while I am 'catching up' I should also add that in addition to people listining to my dietary advice,
everyone is reading SOIAF now.  Weird.


I watched two good movies this weekend. In Bruges, and Let the Right one in.

"Let the right one in" is an afterschool special on Lonliness, abuse and eating disorders.
"In Bruges" is hard to describe so snarkily, and I am not up for a serious description.  
Think Snatch (Violence) and Lost in Translation (travelogue) plus a healthy dose of
that one movie where an elder hitman saves the soul of the younger one.

Well , that's not exactly right, but I didn't know anything about either of them before I watched them and you shouldn't either.    They are both good but not for the squeemish.