One more month of 2016. Let’s get this shit over with and try to make 2017 wonderful (assuming it will be possible with the person who will be taking over the reins, or is that reign, of our country). Apparently the new month and chillier morning temperatures inspired me to do no more than stay in bed today.
The $20 Lunch, Gas Not Included
I drove up to some place known as “Peachtree Corners” for lunch yesterday. Okay, to be fair I’ve been there before; I’ve even been to this restaurant.
The reason I drove all that way was to meet up with former coworkers for lunch at Kool Runnings, obviously a Jamaican restaurant. As I do when I eat Jamaican I ordered oxtail. I went large, as this was to be my one “big” meal of the day, by ordering the $16.99 platter. All in all I spent over $20 for lunch. It was like I was employed again! Was the meal worth the price? No, but it was amazingly tasty.
I took no photo of my meal for fear of retribution. What? Well, you see I’d have to post the photo to Instagram and it would be seen by my friend Darren, who is Jamaican. Darren is currently spending time in Miami, and if I know him he would have posted a photo of a lovely looking person wearing a bikini. I don’t think my heart could have taken that hit, especially after eating oxtail.
(Barely) ITP Flickr Pic
“Third Rail Studios” (Doraville, Georgia, United States)
(I wish that I could have pulled out more detail in the sky, but it was really that gray)
Apparently I drove right through the tornado warning area on my way back ITP from Peachtree Corners. The rain was torrential, and my phone issued a National Weather System warning on the drive.
Afraid of tornadoes, as well as car-damaging hail, I made it to the Doraville MARTA station and pulled into their parking garage. Was I “safe”? Not really, but safer than I would have been otherwise.
Want to know the worst place to wait out a tornado warning? A train station. Why? Because you know what is always described as the sound of an oncoming train? A tornado.
Okay, it wasn’t that bad. And, I got a photo for today’s blog.
Hockey Stick Economics
I GET IT! I live in a city that has pissed away two, yes two, NHL teams! And because I live in this hellscape I am unable to walk into a big box sporting goods store, honestly I think Dick’s is the only one left, and purchase a hockey stick.
But why would I want to do such a thing? Am I swatting squirrels? Do I need an extended-handle backscratcher? No, I intend to play hockey, street hockey!
When I was at Revolution Doughnuts the other day I saw a poster for Atlanta Street Hockey, a rag-tag bunch of people who play twice a week. They play goalie-free pickup games on foot (which is good because old men like me don’t belong on skates), and the best thing is that they play at Walker Park which is about a mile from the ITP Estate!
The problems? It’s been about forty years since I’ve owned any hockey gear. Yesterday I stopped in to two Dick’s locations, no luck. And then I remembered Play It Again Sports. For $9 I picked up a (unfortunately right-handed) stick. If I decide that I want to pursue this sport more I’ll look into getting a left-handed stick, as well as some protection for my hands and shins. Given the popularity of lacrosse I should be able to find these items fairly easily.
Stay tuned!
ITP Movie Night
After waiting out the weather I popped into the Chamblee Public library for a while. I did some Swift programming and checked out two movies — Chef, Her.
I watched “Chef” last night; I must be on some sort of Scarlett Johansson kick. Nope, I wouldn’t, she has tattoos… Anyway I agree with the masses who score “Chef” as 7.3 out of 10.0. The movie was good, but nothing spectacular.
ITP Christmas Card Night
Since I’ve received my first Christmas card of the season (thanks ITP-Reader Stacy!) I will be spending tonight at home drinking up a storm, the only storm I hope to see today, listening to some cranked up Christmas carols, and writing out my Christmas cards.
Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]
Yes, the “Cheers” is back! I retired it through the end of November because frankly I wasn’t feeling very cheery. This is my attempt to rectify this.
Did the rain (help) put out the fires around Gatlinburg? I haven’t had the opportunity to read the news yet.
And hey, I mentioned this on Twitter, but this being the first of a month makes it a great day to back up your computers, tablets, phones, etc. Don’t lose all of your precious data. To steal Nike’s slogan — Just Do It!
Yay! You’re welcome. 🙂 Drinking up a storm Christmas card writing is seriously one of my favorite things (which you may have inferred from the state of my messy handwriting? hahaha). I think I may need to do some more, in fact. I recorded the Dolly Parton special last night and watching that, opening a nice barrel-aged stout, and doing more cards under the Christmas tree lights sounds like a pretty fun evening for the Fox household too.
I tried to find a link (but cannot) for the Facebook pictures I posted today that shows a bunch of Before and Afters in Gatlinburg. But this site has a bunch too: http://heavy.com/news/2016/11/gatlinburg-fire-damage-before-and-after-photos-businesses-homes-destroyed-sevier-tennessee-ski-mountain-westgate-smoky-resort-bolze-pictures/ Unreal. It didn’t really hit home until I started looking at all these. 🙁
I don’t like scary storms, and a tornado warning that includes my location in the path is doubly scary. It might have something to do with surviving one when I was just a wee lad in B’ham. The smell of pine sap is an instant trigger for the memory of coming out of the house to find trees down and broken branches everywhere.
Left handed hockey stick? I guess I never thought about a stick having a little curve to it, but I suppose it does. Street hockey sounds like fun.
They have oxtails at the bank cafeteria every so often, but I’ve never partaken. Not something I seek out. I tried chicken feet once. And only once.
Going to head to Richie Bros. auction tomorrow for a little pre-auction inspection. Let me know if you need a back hoe or bull dozer. Looking at the small lots and seeing if there is anything I can live without.
-FP
Wow, those are devastating photos.
542 Wilson Rd.
Luthersville, GA 30251
For anyone interested in spending a stamp.
Hockey stick blades have curves to improve wrist shots.
For beef eaters stewed oxtails are magical, especially if you are not above picking up the chunks and sucking out the marrow. As you have probably correctly guessed, I am not.
I could use a back hoe to start the ITP Estate’s plumbing fixed, but have no desire to own one. 🙂
I double-checked your address in my contacts, you will be getting a card soon. 🙂
Yay Steve! I was just fixin’ to PM you asking for your address again. 🙂
Any other ITP readers, hit me up if you want one too!
Oooh.. I never thought about hammering up your driveway! I’m telling you, a concrete saw will make quick work of that. We just need the plumber to run something so he can mark the line and we can cut it up and he can replace it.
busy morning – I’ve never had oxtails, never really thought about it.
I need to get to work on Chirstmas cards as well -but first I have to find some pictures & design one.
Allan called, the CRV is acting up again, I think we will use our AAA & have it towed from the fire house to Peach Auto. I guess it was jealous I had the Subaru int he shop yesterday for the 30,000 miles service (at 40,000 miles).
Now he jsut has to figure out of he can get a ride home tomorrow morning, or if I get to drive to the city to get him.
Staining started last night – I think its a little dark, but I think I like it – it is a man cave – right? I may do some more tonight, & Sal is coming by to watch Survivor from last ngiht, since she has no big TV & DVR anymore thanks to Marty.
Hockey Sticks -message One Ball or High Dicker. they might have used ones they would give away.
Academy Sports is the replacement for Sports Authority.
I got showered and all so that I could go out for lunch, and then I decided to stay home and eat the remainder of my leftover pork from the weekend.
The greatest thing about making unseasoned pork tenderloin and winter vegetables is that you can add different spices to the leftovers to change up the meal. The other day I added a spicy Indian spice mix given to me a few months ago by the woman I was dating, and today I added a yellow curry mix purchased at Kroger!
My bank account is breathing a sigh of relief for the first time in months…
well – bad news, the CRV might be dead. Needs a new motor.
Allan just doesn’t want to let it die – he’s like – how much is a new motor?
ARGHHHHH
Ugh, sorry to hear that Barb. With all your other vehicles it seems unwise to buy a new engine for the CRV, but then again what do I know… Good luck!
well – Allan wants the Tundra to last forever, so he doesn’t want to drive it everyday. And – he really doesn’t want to drive it to the firehouse down there in the ‘hood, if you know what I mean.
New motor? Sounds like a job for the junkyard- i.e. get a motor. Now that he has that nice workshop, he could do the work himself!
What year is the CRV?
1998
Well, Allan is far more capable than I am so there is a much better chance of him resurrecting it than if I were the owner.
You could find a used motor for under $1k easy. Putting it in might be another $500 at the shop.
Little Paulie Homemaker just started a loaf of bread in his bread machine. By dinner time his non-existent Nuclear Family will have a lovely load of freshly-made bread to go with dinner. Good thing they are gluten-tolerant because, well, they are fictional so why shouldn’t they be?