the economy is scary

Snippets from Glenn Beck:

"And $53 trillion is (drum roll please) the approximate size of this country's bill for the Social Security and Medicare promises we've made.

Realizing that Americans have become pretty much numb to these kinds of ridiculous sounding proposals, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson tried to up the ante this week. "Without change," he said, "Rising costs will drive government spending to unprecedented levels, consume nearly all projected federal revenues, and threaten America's future prosperity."

Translation: Every single tax dollar that is sent to Washington will be used to pay for just these two programs.

That means no money is left for anything else. Nothing."


Is that absolutely scary to anyone else but me?! Is anyone else over the whole Obama/Wright thing and the Clinton/sniper fire thing? I get it, they're both shady and untrustworthy. Can we move on and get to the issues that matter, aka our money & livelihood????

downtown dash rescheduled!

The Downtown Dash for Diabetes has been rescheduled for April 5. Which means I'm running back to back 5Ks (the Pi Mile 5K is the next weekend). Whew! This is gonna be fuuuuuuuuun.

foot

My foot hurts. Just like, the ball of my right foot. It's really bizarre, but it's been hurting for a while now. It doesn't hurt, and then all of a sudden, a shot of pain goes through. Or it gets really tender when I walk or run on it.

I read through a bunch of webpages on running injuries yesterday, and the closest thing I could find to what I feel is bruised or broken sesamoids. But the descriptions I've read say to squeeze or pull up on your big toe, and if that's very painful, you probably have the sesamoid problem. But I did that, and I didn't feel any pain. Then I read up on sesamoiditis, but that is described as a dull, longstanding pain. But this is more of random, sharp pain. So who knows what it could be? It must be my sesamoids!

I tried soaking in epsom salts, and taking 2 days in a row off running (I usually try not to let more than 1 rest day go by). But it doesn't seem any better. And if I compare my right foot to the left, they both look the same. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I guess I should go see a doctor. Sigh.

healthcare

Here is an awesome article from Fortune that compares the Democrats & McCain on healthcare.

Hands down, I'd go with McCain. Out of pure selfishness. The more control I have over my money, the better.

not for the faint of heart

Yesterday after church, I decided to check out the Paces Mill part of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. I had heard they had a nice trail.

So, I drive into the lot, it costs $3 to park, $25 for an annual pass. I think next time, I will bike here, it's not too far from where I live. I find where the trail starts. It's 1.8 miles to the end of the paved trail, so 1.8 miles back for a total of 3.6 miles. I figure I can do it twice. It's so scenic. You see the river the whole time, so you think it's going to be flat as it runs along the river.

Wrong!!! Around mile marker .7 you see the hugest hill ever. So huge that it has to plateau every now and then or risk being vertical. There are yellow warning signs for bikers. This is a mountain I am running up. I figure, that's ok, since the past .7 miles was so nice and easy. But then, as I'm going down the hill I see...another hill!!! And then...another hill!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I wanted to die. I couldn't believe my unluck.

But I just kept running. All the way to 1.8. I turned around to go back up and down those hills. By the time I'm back to the beginning, I feel good, since I finished on flat trail. So I decide to do it again so I can get a long run in for the week. Silly me. I get back to that .7 mile marker again and there is that monster hill. At this point, I think if I can get up to the top of that first hill again, I'll reward myself by not going any further. I make it to the top, and turn around. In total, I ran about 5 miles. Not awesome, but come on. Those hills are not for the faint of heart! And I made it through once and back, so I feel justified :)

All in all, it is a nice trail. It's made out of the synthetic stuff, so it's not hard on the knees. There are boardwalks and bridges you run over the river at various points too. I even saw a couple playing the bagpipes around the big hill, so random, but cool to hear & see! And it was cool to see all the fishermen, people walking their doggies (there were so many doggies!), and families walking together, exploring trails off the main trail together. It made me miss my family! :( I spent most of Easter weekend alone. Tried to get home but couldn't make it. It was good though, got a lot done and sat between two sweet old ladies at church.

There were lots of cool dirt paths off the main trail that would be fun to check out! Any takers? There are tons of picnic tables too so we could have a picnic feast after! :)

happy easter & ezekiel part 2

This will probably be just as long as my previous Ezekiel post ;) Now I heard this sermon back in February, and am just now getting to posting my favorite parts. But I think it’s really appropriate, because it has a lot to do with Easter, resurrection, new life, etc.

So basically, Israel has messed up big time with God, and He scatters them throughout the world. But, He promises that one day He will gather them again and they will have their own land. This is a new covenant that God establishes, and of this time, God says:

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
(Ezekiel 36:25-26)

Then Ezekiel has a vision, a valley of dry bones that comes to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Here are the highlights:

Behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones…’O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.’ … So I (Ezekiel) prophesied…there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone…the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath to them.

Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” …and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet…


How crazy would that be to see! Very dry bones, absolutely no life to them at all, and probably dead for a long time. All of a sudden, they come to life, they get muscles, flesh, skin and then they stand up as God breathes life into them!

The vision is explained in verse 11-14, and there we see God telling a dead nation (Israel) that there is still hope for them and they will rise to new life. This prophecy has been partially fulfilled in that Israel as a physical nation came alive again in 1948. But there is a day when they will come to true spiritual repentance and this prophecy will come to full fulfillment.

What does this vision mean for those of us that are not of Israel? Well first that we should be looking forward to Christ’s return, when this prophecy for Israel will be fulfilled. Second, it’s both a preview of Jesus’ resurrection and our future resurrection. God speaks & raises up these bones to life. Then years and years and years later, Christ rises from the dead. Now we can have hope that one day our bodies will too be resurrected (1 Thess 5).

Last, the valley of dry bones coming to life is a beautiful picture of moving from spiritual death to spiritual life. This is where God really got me. How very dead I was before I knew Him. I was dead, dry bones. No life at all. But then, trusting in Him, He breathed His life into me, and now I’m alive! Really alive! I think of when I didn’t know Him, and thought I was really living, and how very wrong I was! How much we are missing out on when we’re dead bones! The life, abundant life, available in Christ, how awesome, how amazing it is! Life is actually life. To live is more than just going through each day. It’s having a relationship with the God of the universe, a God who can not only raise me to spiritual life, but who will also raise this imperfect, sinful body to a new resurrected body in the future. Knowing that He cares about how many hairs are on my head, being part of His perfect plan that I can't even begin to fathom…the list goes on.

I love love love Ezekiel 36:26, I’ll reiterate it down here:
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

This is what God does for us when we trust Him. He gives us a new heart, a real heart, a feeling heart, a heart that can experience His amazing, boundless, deep love. It takes my breath away just thinking about it.

At the end of the sermon, we sang a hymn – Jesus Paid It All. It brought me to tears when thinking of Ezekiel and the dry bones.

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe

He paid it ALL. He died so my dead bones could come to life. So I could experience life as He intended it to be lived. What sacrifice, what love! How could I not respond by giving Him back all that I am and have?

i got in!

Peachtree Road Race, here I come!

At first, I was really scared to enter, because it's the largest 10K in the world, and you run with 55,000 people. Talk about intimidating and claustrophobic. But then I figured, I should just do it, at least once. It's an Atlanta tradition, you get a "coveted" tshirt, and if I hate it, I never have to do it again. And I'll get to tell my chlidren some day, I ran in the largest 10K in the world. Although I'm sure by that time, it may not be the largest 10K any more. Who knows?

But they cashed my check, so I'm doing it. Yippee!!

I only regret that I didn't get my 10K time down so I could be in a better seed group. :(

race

Obama finally confronts the race issue. Did he gain or lose from his speech? I heard Mike Gallagher say this speech is his grand slam - what will catapult Obama to the Democratic nomination.

Or did he fall short? From Slate's John Dickerson: "Obama didn't come out and say that, though, and so in a speech with lots of first pronouns, he missed a chance to talk in a needed way about his own falling short of his standards. It was another contradiction."

What do I think? I think his speech was very inspiring at times, so deeply personal and bringing up some painful subjects. But at other times, it was very low, taking blows at Hillary and YouTube (even though YouTube arguably has helped him so much in the past). For me, it revealed the reality of who he is; he's not the image he has so carefully built for himself. He is full of words, and he knows how to craft them. He says things that are true and authentic, but he also says things that are questionable and maybe half honest. I question myself. How much do I believe his words? How much do I believe this man can really do in leading and uniting a nation? I will have to listen or read it again - it's a long speech.

Read it here.

new shoes!

Say goodbye to the old Mizunos...

And hello to the new ones!

Here they are compared - Wave Rider 8 vs. Wave Rider 11! hehe


I almost bought some Asics, had heard they were good. But the Mizunos got good reviews and Best Buy on Runner's World. Plus the Asics were $20 more and not as cute. I mean, come on, how can you resist HOT PINK!? I can't. And...I figured I wouldn't have to worry too much about breaking them in, since they're basically the same shoe I've been running in. I guess we'll see when I go for my inaugural run today!

Also if you look really closely, you can kind of see just how worn out the cushioning was on my 8s. The air cushions are almost flattened, whereas my new shoes they are big and open! So, I hope this gives me an extra happy boost in my runs now. I love new shoes!

me & the tornado

Title of my new book: Me & the tornado: Why I didn't run a 5K on Saturday

Fri 3/15
9:30 pm

I checked the dryer, waiting for my running clothes to be done. They should have been, but they were still a little damp. I was frustrated b/c I wanted to be at Ryan's house before 10 to catch Obama on Anderson Cooper.

9:38 pm
The tornado hits.

9:42 pm
Lisa (Ryan's roommate) calls, but he misses it. He later hears the voicemail: are you at home? are you ok? call me back as soon as you get this.

9:50 pm
We leave my apt for Ryan's house, totally oblivious to any severe weather and/or tornado.

9:57 pm
We drive under 10th street, CNN is in view and Ryan's exit is approaching. Lisa calls back and informs Ryan that a tornado has hit Cabbagetown. It also hit CNN, and Lisa has abandoned the rest of the graphics for Anderson Cooper and is also heading to Cabbagetown.

We reach Boulevard & Dekalb. Cars are backed up the tunnel toward the Cotton Mill Lofts.

I lose track of time at this point. As we come to Dekalb, we see the lofts in total darkness, but what looks like a huge chunk missing. I start to cry and beg Ryan to not make me go any further. The fence is flattened in front of us. Debris everywhere. Ryan says we have to keep going. Two cars crashed on Dekalb. The Krog tunnel is pitch black dark. We reach Powell, only to be turned around because a huge tree is on the ground blocking the way. We find our way through to Ryan's house. People are just standing everywhere in shock. The only light comes from headlights. I pull into the driveway, sticks are crunching.

Amazingly, there is no damage. Ryan talks Lisa through what we see. The front yard furniture is toppled, but not broken. The windows are all intact. The power is out, but we find flashlights and candles. Debris litters the backyard, but everything is still there, including the rooftop furniture. Next door, a huge tree has fallen across a front yard. On the other side, the neighbor just wakes up and asks why everyone is in the street. Turns out he slept through the whole thing.

After a couple hours, we go back to my apt for the night. We don't get much sleep. The storms start again early in the morning. Crazy loud thunder and bright hot lightning. Around 5:40 am, I get an email saying the Downtown Dash has been cancelled.

As soon as we can, we head back to Cabbagetown to check out the damage in daylight:

Ryan's front yard

the neighbor's yard



these houses are one block south of Ryan

the lofts in daylight, viewed from Dekalb

So I didn't run a 5K on Saturday. But I did see God's grace and protection. If my laundry had been done at 9:30, like I had planned, we probably would have been in Cabbagetown when the tornado hit. And for Ryan's house to escape literally unscathed, when just a few houses down were completely destroyed...I can't look at that and NOT see how God protected me.

I kept thinking over and over, even if it's a little out of context, how God was holding me in the palm of His hand. Literally, no danger could harm me there. He kept me there, all night, and He keeps me there always.

16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
Is. 49:16

I was so scared, but felt so safe. We kept praying, and still are. But I know God was with us, and He was so good to us this weekend!

scary man

Watch this.

Would you go to a church if you didn't agree with their principles? I sure wouldn't.

Would you go to a church if you did? I sure would.

And here we have Obama, a faithful attender of this church, with this pastor. And he hasn't once thought, maybe I should leave? Maybe I don't agree with the ideas my pastor is espousing?

Obama says that his pastor is more like an old uncle who is sometimes wrong. I just don't know if that's good enough.

we reached our goal!

Our Alpha Gam alum team reached our goal for the Downtown Dash for Diabetes! Yay!

I had a nightmare last night that I overslept the race, and when I finally got there, they had already started taking down the start line and all the tshirts in my size were gone! Then they had TVs and Regis Philbin was the special guest speaker at the finish line ceremonies, and I was missing seeing it in person. Then the race people were like, you can run down there you know. But it was too late, and I was sad!

random thoughts

Lots going on in the nation...

What do we think of a McCain-Romney ticket? I'm not really sure about it. Not that it's set in stone. On one hand, it may unite the conservatives to McCain. On the other hand, it seems that Romney wouldn't want to be so closely tied to McCain, especially if he wants to make another run at the White House.

Listened to Dennis Prager last night. He had a lot of interesting things to say about the race issue in the Dem race. I think he said that 95% of blacks in Mississippi voted for Obama, yet Obama continues to assert that race is not a factor. He said that before this, he liked Obama. But now, if Obama continues to claim that race has nothing to do with his wins, he is a liar. What do you think?

Listened to Laura Ingraham this AM on the way to work. I wholeheartedly agree with her on the way the media has been treating the Spitzer scandal. If you haven't noticed, all the major news outlets have been featuring "Kristen" lately, going so far as to even bemoan prostitution as being wrong. It seems like the media has just taken the sex scandal as an excuse to take America deeper into sexual deviancy. Do we really need to watch the footage? Do we really need to see the website? Do we really need to know all the sordid details? I don't think so. Which is why you see no links here. Spare yourself from the details.

Last thought...have you heard the California court ruling on homeschooling? Very, very disturbing. The LA Times reports that it is not a ban on homeschooling. But it just upsets me that the government thinks they can take away the right of parents to educate their children in the way they see fit. This intrusion on the family...I guess I get really riled up since A. I was homeschooled for 2 years and B. I went to private school all the other years but 1. Why? Because my parents were not interested in sending me to a public school, where as a 6 yr old, I was lost in a class of 30+ students, exposed to things that they did not morally agree with, and generally did not have a good experience. If parents want more for their children, they should have the right to do so. Perhaps I didn't have as many opportunities later on in high school that public school kids got. But I did get a solid education, and I got into the #2 public university in the nation (at that time). So you can't tell me that the State does the best job of educating. Look at the test scores. Look at what homeschoolers have been able to achieve. I have a friend that was homeschooled her whole life, and now she works at NASA. Stop intruding on the family unit and let parents decide what is best for their kids.

ezekiel - part 1

So here it is. My first post with a spiritual bent. Wonder why I haven't written one yet? I just wasn't sure how to go about it.

So then I thought, my first post will probably be about what spirituality is, and how I became a spiritual person. (I hate the word religion and any derivative of it.) But that just seems too concocted. I think it's more fun if I don't spell it out for you and you have to guess. Although it will be pretty obvious from the content what I am :)

What if I just tell you what I've been learning, or thinking about, and you can read & think about it too. You can wonder if I'm right, or wrong, and what that means to you and your ideas of spirituality. You don't have to agree with me, and you can even argue with me; in fact, that would be awesome, I love to discuss!

So here we go. First post. Ezekiel, part 1. Warning! It's long!

I go to this church, it's kind of far from where I live but I love it. The teaching every Sunday is so powerful and provokes my thoughts to no end. Two recent sermons in particular still have me thinking. I think what made them so powerful is their sheer honesty. I love a preacher who can lay the truth out there with no apologies, the hard truth and not just the fuzzy warm feeling truth.

The first sermon was entitled "A Warning for the People of Faith." So you know right off, it can't be good news. To put in a nutshell, Ez. 4-14 is all about Israel, God's chosen people. They decide to rebel against God and start to reflect more of the world than of His Spirit. How do they do this? Physical idolatry, idolatry in the heart, arrogance, violence, wickedness in leaders & spiritual leaders. It gets so bad that God leaves them. His glory departs from them (11:22-23, 10:18-19). And then the judgment falls in chapter 9. In this vision, God shows Ezekiel that every man, woman, and child will be killed for their sins.

At this point I am thinking, wow. First, how nonchalantly I treat the problem of sin in my own life. I don't realize the horror of it, it brings death. Second, what a fearsome God we serve! He is a just God and must punish sin with death. And third, I think...look at us today. As a society. How we are not that much different from the Israel of Ezekiel's time. Aren't we proud? Aren't we all about us? Aren't we wicked - I mean the Governor of NY just got busted in a high end prostitution ring! Our own leaders.

I kind of have a sick feeling in my stomach at this point, when you look at sin so starkly, the bad feeling of it goes deep down in your gut. Not guilt, just an awe of how horrible it is. Is there any hope for us?

9:6 - Utterly slay the old and young men, maidens and little children and women;
But do not come near anyone on whom is the mark...

There is hope. All is not lost! God puts a mark on the foreheads of those who have separated themselves from the sins. And their lives are spared! They are a remnant. God's chosen people survive in this remnant (see also 5:3).

The church today is not the same as Israel. But in God's perfect plan, we see the parallels He so lovingly creates. When one comes to faith in the blood of Christ as the only payment for sin, He is sealed, marked by the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30, 2 Tim 2:19). And in Rev 7:1-3, God seals all of His servants and rescues them from tribulation.

At this point, I'm feeling a lot better, because I know I'm sealed. And I see these parallels and think that God's plan is just so cool. But I'm still troubled, I still can't get over all the people God wanted to destroy, His very own special people. But then we read...(emphasis mine)

Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord God. Therefore turn and live!

18:31-32. In the midst of all these judgments, sins, horrors...this glimmer of hope. This God of Love. He doesn't want anyone to die, He doesn't want to destroy. But He will, because He must carry out justice. But He leaves a way for a remnant, for a people of faith to be warned, and to repent. What an awesome God He truly truly is!

stay tuned for part 2 :)

weekend in review

Had a busy weekend! Ate a lot, did a lot. Here are my reviews! :)

Fri 3/7 - Six Feet Under
kiwis:
taste: N/A
service: 0
ambience: 1

I'm so bummed! I really liked 6 Feet Under and was excited about going back for happy hour with co-workers. When we got there, it was pretty empty. The bar area was a little crowded, but there were still empty tables. The service was horrible!!! Our party took a table by the bar, where we were informed we would have to move if we weren't ordering food and/or they were on a wait. The place was dead. Empty tables everywhere. We all had drinks and probably would have ordered more than enough to cover the cost of food. One of our party ordered an appetizer just to keep the mgmt happy. As more people arrived, we moved to another bar table. We were then informed we couldn't sit there either, because they reserve that table for parties of 15 or more. Well, thanks for telling us. We assured them that we would fill up the tables. Our server was not very nice and served us in a grudging manner. A couple friends and I left after just one drink, we were so disappointed in the service and way we were treated. It wasn't a very happy hour.

I am so sad, because I really liked this place based on previous visit. Oh well :(

Sat 3/8 - Gordon Biersch
kiwis:
taste: 2.5
service: 3
ambience: 3

Went to Gordon Biersch for drinks & appetizers on Saturday. I had a pomegranate drink that was wayyyy sweet. I probably won't get it again, although it was pretty. Ryan & I shared the appetizer platter which was good, but a little pricey. It had potstickers, southwestern eggrolls, and sweet chili wings. The potstickers had a very spicy mustard on them, even when you scraped it off, it was still spicy. I was not happy! The chili wings were pretty good, a little on the fatty side though. But the eggrolls were awesome! Will definitely get them again!

I have to say that the service was awesome. They were really really busy when we first got there (UNC/Duke game). But our server did an awesome job keeping up with us. I also love the ambience there...especially when there are sports fans and Tyler Hansbrough is on the TV! Yay for UNC beating Duke.

Sun 3/9 - Jim 'N Nick's BBQ
kiwis:
taste: 4.5
service: 3
ambience: 4

The first 3 times I visited Jim & Nick's BBQ, it was amazing. I would give it straight 5's. But this past weekend I went, and it wasn't quite as good as it is usually :( Which is sad because I regard it as the best bbq in Atlanta. Yes, even above Fatt Matt's.

It was generally busy, but not horribly so when we were seated. But it took a good 15 minutes for anyone to acknowledge that we had been seated and to take our order. And then, our entrees came out before our drinks even did! What's up with that? The cheese biscuits are my favorite part of the meal - they are like little fluffy cheesy airy things you pop into your mouth and feel all warm and happy inside. Ours were ok - they were a little burnt :( But we got another batch that was much lighter cooked.

Our food arrived lightning fast, and I had the pork plate with fried green tomatoes (veggie of the day) and mac n cheese. It was all excellent! The only thing was the pork was a little more fatty than I remember from my previous meals. But there was plenty of it on my plate, really a great deal for the money. And the fried green tomatoes must be some of the best in Atlanta. Mmmmm...

My friends got chocolate pie that was to die for. Creamy & delicious. Homemade to the core. Loooove Jim & Nicks!

ads

McCain has a new ad - it invokes Winston Churchill. I like it...except for the weird footage of the solar system. Do you think McCain is a new Churchill?

Remember Hillary's 3 am wake up ad? And Barack's counterattack ad? See them both here. Now what's even funnier is this - that the little girl in Clinton's ad is a staunch Obama supporter. You'd think she would have hired a friend's kid to shoot the scene on the fly rather than risk an Obama supporter being featured! I bet it would have been cheaper than buying from Getty anyway, hehe.

another one bites the dust

Ron Paul has withdrawn, following Mike Huckabee's withdrawal Wednesday.

My favorite quote of his:

We must remember, elections are short-term efforts. Revolutions are long-term projects.

oh rush, you disappoint me

Rush Limbaugh. I love you but I hate you. Do you really have to make comments like this? It doesn't make the conservative fight any easier you know.

need suggestions

So I skinned my left knee so badly that it hurts to move it too much. I think I'm going to have to lay off the running, at least til the weekend. Does anyone have any suggestions for some good exercises I can do that do not involve my left leg?

Probably not possible...but I thought I'd throw it out there.

the dark side

So my love affair with the radio continues. Yesterday morning, I heard Laura Ingraham supporting crossover votes for Hillary. Then last night, I heard Hugh Hewitt slamming Republicans who did so. Saying to put the stake in the vampire while it's down. Don't bring out the mummy. Callers saying that once you cross over to the dark side, you can never forgive yourself. You feel dirty, one woman said her son had to take a shower after doing it. That may be a little...extreme. His most valid point I thought was that with the Rezko situation, Obama may already be going down. Do we really want to crossover to the dark side or just let things run their natural course?



Let's imagine that I'm a Texas resident voting yesterday.

The only reason I would vote for John McCain: I vote for the best candidate. And in my opinion, he is the best candidate remaining.

Reasons I would have crossed over & voted Democrat:

A. Because John McCain is the presumptive nominee, vote for the candidate John McCain is more likely to beat in the fall. Assuming my vote does more good this way than just giving the vote to McCain.
1. Obama is definitely more likable, and though we may hate it, electability is a huge factor in who gets voted in. We Americans tend to forget the issues and just go with whoever we like the most. So, I would vote for Hillary because she's not as likable.
2. McCain has a larger lead over Hillary in polls.

B. Because John McCain is the presumptive nominee, vote for the Democrat I would rather have in office in the case that McCain does not win the general election in November.
1. There are many reasons I do not like Obama. Not only is his cult of personality disturbing to me, but he is not as experienced, the most liberal, and as a blank slate, we do not really know where he stands and where he will take us. This unknown is very, very scary to me.
2. I do not like Hillary. But she does have more experience, and she is very clear on where she stands. At least we know what we are getting into if she becomes President.
3. Obama stands for change, Hillary stands for action. I haven't heard Obama speak deeply on any of the plans he has for our country. Hillary's got it all planned out. I'm cool with having a President who is ready to take over with a clear plan of action rather than a President who would have a steep learning curve to climb before getting anything done.
4. Rezko. Obama better come clean, or he's just another politician and his message is empty.

Of course this is all hypothetical. Obviously, I did not crossover in the Georgia primary. But the temptation to do so if I actually were a resident of Texas, Ohio, and yes even Rhode Island or Vermont, is really great! What's a good Republican to do?

Hugh Hewitt made a funny point...that if Democrats are always wrong, then why should Republicans mess with their electoral process, since they will ultimately choose the wrong candidate? Not really a valid point but I had a good laugh.

and then...i fell

I finally did it. I fell while running. I don't even remember it happening, but all of a sudden I was laying face first on a concrete sidewalk. It really hurt! It still hurts...I skinned myself pretty badly :(

I should have known it was coming...first strike, I almost got hit by a biker "waaaaiiiit!" he says while zooming down the street that I'm crossing. Second strike, I almost get run over by another runner. Third strike, I turn the corner of State & Ferst, and down I go. No reason. Just fell.

Glad I got it over with. I've been wondering when my first fall would be!

review: noshville deli

I was so excited about going to Nashville and eating some real local Tennessee food. We were going to try out the Pancake Pantry, but the line was just too long and we were starving! Well, we went to a New York deli for our first lunch out. haha! It's all good because Juli hadn't been to the Noshville Deli yet & always wanted to go.


The Noshville Deli was also busy, but we didn't have to wait too long to be seated. The service was just ok. What we found most interesting were the pickles sitting in an open bowl at the table. I know this is typical of NY delis, so I thought it was cool. I personally don't like pickles but Juli & Kayley tried them. They were pretty much cucumbers sitting in pickle juice. I guess that's good? I can't really comment on that.

I ordered a reuben, and it was delicious!! Chock full of corned beef, cheese melted so perfectly, sauerkraut tasted awesome. My only complaint is that while the bread was toasted just right, it was a little too greasy. The fries were pretty good. Another complaint is that my Diet Coke cost $2.29! Isn't that a little expensive for a Coke?! But the meal hit the spot =)

Juli & Kayley had burgers that were just huge. I wish I had taken a picture.

After the meal I got some black & white cookies to go for Ryan. He affirmed that they were authentic NY style, cakey & delicious.

I really liked the atmosphere, I did feel like I was in a NY deli. Loved the neon lights and the bakery area. The clientele is fun to watch too.

kiwis:

taste: 3
service: 3
ambience: 3.5 - great for people watching!

See? We are happy eaters =)

another day of voting!

"I never thought I'd say this, but good luck today."
- my hero, Laura Ingraham to Terry McAuliffe, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager

I have recently become addicted to news radio. I listen to it on occasion, but now I just love it. It's refreshing. TV has this burning effect on my brain sometimes. I listened to NPR on the way to Nashville and thought about Pakistan all weekend (while still having crazy fun sightseeing and exploring of course).

I loved Laura's radio show this AM, I only heard the Terry McAuliffe segment, but it was great. Discussed the exposing of Obama's "Achilles heel" in his press conference yesterday - his first time to look like a politician, not this nebulous agent of change. Terry says Hillary's going to stay in it all the way to the end - let's hope so!

Laura also took a call from Raul, a Republican who "took one for the team" and voted for Hillary today. I wish I could vote for Hillary today!

forgot the baldasty

Ok so I was going to write up a whole thing on media bias today. Then I forgot my Baldasty at home. I unfortunately do not have internet at home right now and thus cannot post from there. So I have to do it all at work...or a coffee shop. But I promise an intellectually stimulating post soon. haha

Instead, I thought I'd post this interesting little fight going on between Obama & McCain with a little moderating from Pres. G W Bush.

Here's how it went in my head:

Obama: There is no al Qaeda in Iraq. But if there is, then I would invade.
McCain: I have news for you boy! There is al Qaeda in Iraq. And it's called...al Qaeda in Iraq.
(I laugh here. McCain has such a way of communicating.)
Obama: There was no al Qaeda in Iraq until Pres Bush & McCain said there was al Qaeda in Iraq and invaded Iraq.
Bush: Um...have you been living in America for the past couple years? al Qaeda is pretty much everywhere. We're in Iraq now to stop them from building a base. Oh, and al Qaeda in Afghanistan is the same organization as al Qaeda in Iraq. Just in case there's any confusion there.

There's your synopsis if you don't want to read the news articles :) but hey I linked the Washington Post, NY Times, and Wall St. Journal all in one post, so you should!

Also what do we think of Ralph Nader & his running mate Matt Gonzalez?

And...do you think our founding fathers intended us to have a 2 party system?

natural-born citizen?

The President of the United States must be a natural-born citizen. John McCain was born on a military base in Panama. Does this disqualify him? The New York Times raises the issue, and this is my favoritie part of the article:

Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina and one of Mr. McCain’s closest allies, said it would be incomprehensible to him if the son of a military member born in a military station could not run for president.
“He was posted there on orders from the United States government,” Mr. Graham said of Mr. McCain’s father. “If that becomes a problem, we need to tell every military family that your kid can’t be president if they take an overseas assignment.”

I think it will be a travesty if this really becomes an issue!

media bias

Oh, I cannot wait! to pull the Baldasty out on this one...too bad I'm at work or I'd do it right now. Who do you think the media favors? Obama or Clinton?

Or maybe the first question is, do you think the media has a bias at all?

race results

Results from Charles Harris are in...don't worry about looking up mine ;) Nothing worth talking about! haha

But my friend Sammy turned out to be 5th place with a time of 31:57. Sick!

But I of course googled him...here is what he looks like, and he may live in Marietta now, but it also seems like he spent some time in the A-U-G - small world! Also may be an Olympic hopeful...

McCain: take that obama!

Ok so he didn't really say "take that obama!" but might as well have. McCain says the war will end soon. Not in 100 years. Which as I can remember from the Texas debates, Obama took literally. For all his skill at making "good" speeches, you'd think he'd recognize a figure of speech when he heard one. Sorry...just think it's kinda funny! =)

Downtown Dash for Diabetes

Ok now that the 10K is done, time to look forward to my next race! My sorority's alumnae chapter is running in the Downtown Dash for Diabetes. Juvenile diabetes is part of our national philanthropy. And, my dad has diabetes, so yet again, here we have a race that I feel passionate about!

My fundraising goal was $200, and I just surpassed it yesterday! So yay, that is very exciting! But, that's no reason to stop raising $, and we have yet to reach our team goal of $500. So please visit my page if you'd like to contribute to a great cause! Proceeds benefit the Diabetes Association of Atlanta, and their mission is "Improving the quality of life for people with diabetes through screening, education, and medical assistance in a caring, responsive way."

It's just a 5K so I'm looking forward to it, not quite as nervous as I was for the 10K. Isn't that funny? I would never imagined myself ever thinking "It's just a 5K." How far I've come...and how far I've yet to go!

pictures!

Pictures from the run:


My first racing #!

Approaching the finish line - Ryan caught me in mid-air

Crossing the finish line @ 1:05:30

Post-race with Sean's picture

pure exhilaration

So I am done with my very first 10K!!!!! And my first race since high school, which seems like a lifetime ago. It was pretty amazing, and emotional! Here's the play by play...

5:35 am - wake up! brush teeth, throw clothes on, check & double check that I have everything (but later find out that I forgot things of course)

6:00 am - out the door

6:20 am - arrive at North Dekalb Mall shuttles, scope out other racers to see what they are taking with them

6:25 am - go to McD's to use bathroom & sit with Ryan

6:50 am - get on the shuttle! say goodbye to Ryan. Have my race # pinned on and my gel & Sean's picture in my hand.

7:05ish am - shuttle leaves, meet a new person on the bus who actually went to high school with one of my sorority sister - small world!

7:20ish am - arrive at Tucker High school, warm up. Ran around the parking lot a couple times slowly, did some strides, stretched a lot. Met a cool dude, #3, so I knew he was a fast runner, probably one of the "famous" ones. His name was Sammy, he introduced himself to me, I was a little starstruck! Ryan told me he was definitely in the first 5 people to finish, I think in 30 minutes? When the race results are posted, I'll figure out his name. He asked me where I was from, wished me good luck etc.

7:35 am - done warming up. I walk back towards the high school entrance only to see floods of people leaving. I guess we are lining up at the start now!

7:45 am - and we're OFF!!! In that very moment, I realized why I love running, why I ran track so many years ago. It's just this rush of excitement I get. I wasn't even competing, I just wanted to run the whole thing, but there was still a pure, exhilarating joy in starting a race, starting something big, and oh yeah! Starting something that means a lot to me - a race in memory of my cousin Sean, who died from leukemia. Took a look at his picture and folded it into my hand to carry through the race.

7:56 am - Pass the 1st mile

8:06 am - Pass the 2nd mile, feet are starting to get wet! :(

8:15 am - Pass the 3rd mile, water table! Ok so I have never tried to drink water while running...BIG disaster! I took one sip and water went all over me. ALL over me. So I was like...forget this. Threw the water cup in the trash can (boo to all you runners who threw your cups on the street! That's littering! Be a responsible runner!!). Then took my PowerBar gel. Such a weeeeeird sensation. I just squeezed the gel into my mouth and then kinda slurped it down. The green apple flavor wasn't too bad! It kicked in pretty quickly, I definitely felt energized afterward.

8:27 am - Pass 4th mile. At this point I start seeing runners running BACK to the start line. What are you crazy?!?! They had run the whole 10K and turned around to run back to the start line. Sick! I wonder if I'll ever be able to do that! Also I think it was at this point that there was a tent set up with the music from Rocky blaring over speakers. Two guys were there cheering us on. I don't know if they were affiliated with the race or what but at this point I started tearing up. I just started thinking about Sean a lot, and of being a kid and all the things we did, playing together and everything. And what things would be like now if he were still alive. And how I just don't think of him enough, I was so young when he died. But do we ever think about the past and get those feelings out, those losses that we go through together?

8:39 am - Pass 5th mile. Worked through the verging tears :) Now I'm ready to be done!!!! Volunteers, police officers, all cheering us on. It was really awesome! And then...water table #2! I decide to try again, this time I got 2 sips in before I choked on the 3rd. I am definitely going to have to practice this drinking while running thing.

a litte before 8:50 am - Pass 6th mile. I forgot 10K was 6.2 miles for a second and started to get annoyed - where is the finish line!? Because after mile 5 I started to pick up the pace a little more and pass more people...ready to be done. But oh no, there was still .2 miles to go! Duh!

8:50:30 am - 6.2 miles DONE. AWESOME. There was Ryan just yards away from the chutes cheering me on, taking pictures, the tears start welling up again! I swear I was never this emotional at track meets. I run under the finish line - 1:05:30! I'm happy =) Ryan is there at the end of the finish chute. I don't really know what we said to each other, I was so overwhelmed with emotions. I can't even describe them, but they were some of the greatest feelings in the world.

Post-race - took a last look at my picture of Sean...he was there with me the whole time =) what a great experience, getting to run a race with him!

deep thoughts?

try to think beyond Obama's speeches...anything there?

getting nervous

The hours are ticking away...I'm getting closer & closer to my first 10K. I was googling "running first race" and came across a cool blog:

Running Chick

And particularly her articles on Complete Running

Her 5 tips for running your first race, I found very helpful!

1 - Find the start & finish lines

Cool, I think I can remember to do this tomorrow.

2 - Bibs & chips

Bib pins to front, got it. Don't tear off the bottom til I'm in the finish chute, got that too. Don't pass anyone after you finish...sounds like common sense but something I would probably forget to do!

3 - Final check

20 min before race, make sure you have everything you need. Well, being a not so seasoned runner, I have no idea what gel & Body Glide are. Good thing I'm going to Sports Authority tonight! She also gives a little pre-race warm-up: 10 min jog, 10-20 sec sprints, light stretches. I was definitely wondering what to do about this. I was just going to show up, stretch, and get in line for the start. I wasn't really sure what else to do about warming up! But now I'll have to find a little area to do this in. Go to the bathroom! And try to relax. A lot to remember!

4 - Remember manners

Don't think this will be a problem. I intend to line up near the back with the other slowbies and take my time! I'm not in a rush, I just want to finish. Gradual start will probably help me! =)

5 - "All systems are go! Smile. Wish your fellow racers “good luck” and then run your little heart out! Run your little feet off!"

I love this...gotta run my little heart out and run my little feet off tomorrow!

McCain on Castro

McCain wants Fidel dead and doesn't think his brother Raul is much better. Harsh words or good foreign policy?

texas debate - hm #5

moment of crisis? Describe the moment in you life you were tested the most.

Obama stutters...then describes the "trajectory of my life" the choices he made to become who he is. Used the phrase "bring people together" a lot.

Clinton "I think everyone knows I've been through so many challenges in my life...people ask me, how do you do it? I shake my head in wonderment...my challenges are nothing compared to what Americans go through every day...give others the opportunities and blessings I've beeng I've been given...what wakes me up every day...I'm honored to be here with Barack Obama."

I don't think either really answered the question. Or if they did...doesn't make me feel too safe if we ever have a crisis (like 9/11) situation again.

texas debate - hm #4

troops out in 60 days - clinton

wow...probably  not a good idea. do not like it!

obama taking mccain's "100 years" out of context. like we would really try to sustain a war for that long.

texas debate - hm #3

"I wouldn't be running if I didn't think I was ready to be commander-in-chief" Obama

applause!

Just because you think you're ready...does that mean you are?

Hillary's answer comprised the numerous countries & leaders she has worked with, her experience over the years, etc. Quantifying her experience, detailing it. That's the cold hard facts. Not just a nice thought about herself.

"al Qaeda are stronger now than they were in 2001" Obama

I'm pretty sure I've read recently in the news that they are not as strong and that things actually are going well in Iraq. We just never hear about that do we? I'll have to find sources after this debate is over.

texas debate - hm #2

obama wants mandates on healthcare & imposing fines.

clinton wants universal healthcare.

both are going to cost a lot of money!

and i already have insurance...do i really have to start paying for other people's insurance too?

can it be optional?

texas debate - hm #1

So I am sitting here in my bed watching the Texas debate between Obama & Clinton. Yes I am a dork. And no, I don't have a working TV or cable. So yay for cnn.com

So here is my hmmmm #1.

Obama wants to give $1000 to people who make less than $75000/yr. Nice for me since I don't make very much money. But where exactly is this money going to come from?!?! My guess? The taxpayers! Lofty ideas...not very practical or beneficial in the long run.

change in the air?

karl rove on obama's weaknesses

But is it too late to stop him? for once I am cheering for Hillary. Come on girl you can bring him down!

The highlights:

Mr. Obama had not been so effectively criticized before. In the Democratic contest, John Edwards and Mrs. Clinton were unwilling to confront him directly or in a manner that hurt him. Mr. McCain was rightly preoccupied by his own primary. On Tuesday night, things changed.

Mrs. Clinton can do much more to draw attention to Mr. Obama's lack of achievements. She can agree with Mr. Obama's statement Tuesday night that change is difficult to achieve on health care, energy, poverty, schools and immigration -- and then question his failure to provide any leadership on these or other major issues since his arrival in the Senate. His failure to act, advocate or lead on what he now claims are his priorities may be her last chance to make a winning argument.

The truth is that Mr. Obama is unwilling to challenge special interests if they represent the financial and political muscle of the Democratic left. He says yes to the lobbyists of the AFL-CIO when they demand card-check legislation to take away the right of workers to have a secret ballot in unionization efforts, or when they oppose trade deals. He won't break with trial lawyers, even when they demand the ability to sue telecom companies that make it possible for intelligence agencies to intercept communications between terrorists abroad. And he is now going out of his way to proclaim fidelity to the educational unions. This is a disappointment since he'd earlier indicated an openness to education reform. Mr. Obama backs their agenda down the line, even calling for an end to testing, which is the only way parents can know with confidence whether their children are learning and their schools working.
These stands represent not just policy vulnerabilities, but also a real danger to Mr. Obama's credibility and authenticity. He cannot proclaim his goal is the end of influence for lobbies if the only influences he seeks to end are lobbies of the center and the right.
Unlike Bill Clinton in 1992, Mr. Obama is completely unwilling to confront the left wing of the Democratic Party, no matter how outrageous its demands, no matter how out of touch it might be with the American people. And Tuesday night, in a key moment in this race, he dropped the pretense that his was a centrist agenda. His agenda is the agenda of the Democratic left.

For Mr. Obama, words are merely a means to hide a left-leaning agenda behind the cloak of centrist rhetoric. That garment has now been torn. As voters see what his agenda is, his opponents can now far more effectively question his authenticity, credibility, record and fitness to be leader of the free world.

so tired

I am so tired this week!

I ran 6 miles Mon, 5 miles Tues, 6.3 miles yesterday. After I ran yesterday, my legs hurt so bad. It was hard to walk! I ran 2 Pi Miles, which was considerably harder than running the flat Comet trail. oh well. This is only making me stronger, right??

So today I am taking a day off. Then tomorrow I will run a mile, stretch a lot, and eat some spaghetti. Then Saturday is my first race!

my new favorite place

The Silver Comet Trail

So first of all - I just ran 6 miles without stopping! Albeit slowly...the point is I made it!

And I did it in perhaps the most beautiful part of Atlanta I could have run. Seriously the whole time I was thinking, am I dreaming? Is this real?

Ok, a little backstory. So I have been doing really well, running about 4 times a week 3.1 miles or more. Lifting weights twice a week. Etc. But then, my birthday/Valentine's week rolled around. Veeeerrrrry hard to want to do anything when you are eating all the time & make fun plans to celebrate all week long. So this weekend I was really discouraged, b/c I had a long weekend (no work today! thank you presidents) and had not run Fri, Sat, or Sun! I felt like such a lazy bones. (or dundee bones as we kiwis like to call it) But today, I was like, I HAVE to run today. Kind of a do or die moment here. I have my first race this Sat and I still don't even know if I can run 6 miles without stopping! So I decided to run the Silver Comet Trail (or at least part of it, since it's 60 miles long and goes all the way to Alabama).

I get there and I'm like...hmm where do I park? where does the trail actually start? Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. There are a lot of bikers! (So I can't wait to take mine over there! maybe I will make "biking to Alabama" one of my life goals) I park. I stretch. I look up & down the paved trail. I still don't know which way to go. So I venture toward the restroom hut and there is thankfully a map. So I start running.

The trail is awesome. Flat. Paved. Wide. Mile Markers every so often. Friendly people, all sorts (bikers, dogwalkers, walkers, kids, older people, oh yeah and runners!). But the best part is you just don't feel like A. you are in the city. and B. you are working. It's enjoyable! Trees everywhere. Benches & rest areas every once in a while. Oh and awesome - bridges! You run over bridges! Like, old train track bridges. There is one point where I ran over the East/West Connector and looked back toward the East and thought, man, I have run very far! And then there is another point where you run under an old dark wooden bridge and the sound that is made when cars drive across is scary! But scary cool. I guess what it all boils down to for me is that this trail is interesting. There are so many things to take in & enjoy that you don't realize how far you are running or how long you've been gone. I ran the 6 miles in about an hour. Not bad. But it didn't feel like that long at all. All I could think about was how blue the sky was, how pretty the arch of tree boughs over the trail was, how cute that person's dog was, how neat this bridge looked, how serene that creek looked, how pretty the sound of it gurgling...

Ok I was channeling Thoreau there...point is the Silver Comet Trail is by far the coolest thing I have ever run on. It beats the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, and anywhere in Atlanta. In essence, it's just a paved trail through the woods. But it's a getaway, it's a mile & confidence booster, it's a secret. I love it!

And now I feel like this weekend wasn't a total waste, it was just a weekend of rest so I could conquer 6 miles of the Silver Comet Trail =)

review: Bella's Pizza

Bella's Pizza

date of visit: 2/16/08

kiwis:

taste: 2.5

service: 4

ambience: 3.5

So Ryan & I are on a quest to find the best pizza in Atlanta. So far my favorite is Pero's. But I won't talk about why because this post is about Bella's. We've been reading reviews etc and have a short list of pizza places we want to try in the near future. We happened to be hungry late at night and pizza was what we wanted, so we decided to try a new place. Bella's is on Atlanta Rd. right on the edge of Vinings/Smyrna. So, not more than a 10 min drive from my apt.

Now, for me, the perfect pizza is all about ratios. Besides being great tasting, you have to have the right ratio of sauce, cheese, and crust. This is where Bella's failed me. The taste was not all that bad, and I was able to get one of my favorite toppings - eggplant. As in fried, like what you would get for eggplant parmesan. Sounds kinda gross but I promise, it can be soooo good. Bella's did not disappoint on the toppings front. The eggplant, besides being an option which is amazing in itself, was very tasty! Ryan got fresh tomatoes which were equally delicious. However, the pizza ratios were just not right. Not enough sauce, and toooooo much cheese! Like...globs of it. Not good globs. Gross globs. And the crust...oh the crust. The crust is often my favorite part! some pieces had a good amount of crust, other pieces had less than a centimeter of crust at the end :( And the crust, while lightly baked (which I prefer), was pretty tasteless. Same with the sauce. Or maybe, they did have a good flavor, but the cheese was just so overpowering I couldn't taste anything else. Who knows?! It was very frustrating b/c I wanted to like Bella's so much, just for the toppings.

The service was pretty good, our server was a nice, attentive guy. Good on getting us refills. The atmosphere was really nice, very  neighborhood hangout. They have some great specials too that I would like to try - weekday happy hours where you get a free slice with a drink. yum! So Bella's...just kind of your average homey pizza place. I rate it above Fellini's but below say...Giorgio's or Pero's.

review: Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under

date of visit: 2/15/08

kiwis:

taste - 3.5

service - 4

ambience - 4

Mmmm I love seafood. My coworkers took me here for a late birthday lunch. We actually wanted to go to Carvers but it was closed! So this was our back-up. I wasn't disappointed though! We visited the Westside location on 11th Street. Getting into the parking lot/valet (complimentary) was a little tricky. We entered the restaurant to see a very busy lunch crowd. We were promptly seated though, no wait. Had a booth near the bar, which looked very cool, very open. Apparently there is also a rooftop patio that I'll have to check out when it gets warmer.

Our server was awesome, very attentive and shared his favorite picks on the menu. I don't really like catfish, but he said they are known for it, so I tried it. I had the combo taco plate - 1 each of fried calamari, blackened shrimp and catfish. The fried calamari taco was my favorite! Followed by the shrimp, and the catfish. The calamari was very tender, and the cojita cheese complimented it very well. The shrimp alone was very good, but the cucumber wasabi and fried leeks were kind of a strange taste. I didn't think it really complimented the shrimp. But still good. The catfish...was good for catfish. I just don't like catfish that much. The tacos came with a side of salsa (nothing to write home about) and homemade potato chips. The chips were pretty good, especially the ones that were like whole air bubbles. mmm.

My coworkers had a veggie plate and a crabcake po boy. The crabcake po boy was huge, basically exploding with food. The veggie plate didn't look too bad either, the fried okra was actually whole okra, not the tiny little slices.

And one last note, the first cup of sweet tea I had was pretty average. But the refill...oh my goodness. The nectar of the gods. I had to get a to go cup, I just couldn't bear to see such great sweet tea go to waste!

I will definitely be back, good food and such a big, diverse menu. There are so many things I want to try!

review: Canoe

Canoe
date of visit: 2/13/08

kiwis:
taste - 5
service - 5
ambience - 5

My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's, and he could not have made a better choice. I think this has just become my favorite restaurant in Atlanta.

We arrived, valeted (complimentary) and entered the restaurant. The word "Canoe" is arched over the opening in lights, looks very cool. When you enter, the lobby is small, only one bench to sit on by the hostess stand. It opens into a cozy little bar area. There is a canoe hanging upside down from a recess in the ceiling, and a canoe standing upright with a mirror in it. Guess that's where the name comes from, huh? But it's very cozy, feels like a lakehouse or cabin. The wood & carpets are very warm and inviting.

Our reservation was for 8, and we were promptly seated. My boyfriend was addressed as "Mr. Duckworth" and the host offered to check my coat. Yay! Was not expecting that. We were seated in a back corner table along the window. Ryan got a black napkin for his pants, which he loved. I wish it had been light outside so we could have seen the Chattahoochee River. I have heard a lot about how beautiful the view is.

Our server got our drinks, recommended some wines. We settled on a Cab Sav, but then our server told us the specials. After she left to put the drink order in, we discussed how we were both leaning toward seafood. So when she returned, we asked if it was too late to change our wine order. She had already put it in but had no problems changing it for us. Phew! We settled on an Eyrie Pinot Gris from Oregon. Canoe is currently featuring the Eyrie wines, and their Pinot Gris is apparently America's first. We were not disappointed.

Before our appetizers came out, the bread basket came around. We tried the sourdough and the cheese focaccia. Sourdough was good, but the cheese focaccia was amazing. Very rich cheese crust on top. The bread was dense and buttery. Neither bread really needed butter.

Then our appetizers came out in split courses - nice touch! First, the mussels. We each had 6 on each plate, which was the perfect serving, and cooked perfectly. The sourdough bread was great for soaking up the exquisite broth (ginger, soya, and coconut-lemongrass). Our second course, the house smoked salmon. Canoe smokes it on site. And, they know how to pick good salmon. Delicious! Great mix of textures, the smooth salmon, goat cheese, and very crispy potato cakes. Sometimes the cheese could be a little overpowering though, and the cakes too thick. I would have liked to enjoy the salmon by itself. There was also a bleu cheese sauce on the plate that wasn't really necessary.

Ah, the entrees! Beautifully plated and larger portions than I was expecting! I decided to try one of the specials, seared arctic chard with asparagus and meyer lemon risotto. I have never tried arctic chard so I was being very adventurous! It was a lighter pink fish, comparable to salmon. So yummmmmy. The risotto was also cooked perfectly, Chef Ramsay would approve (he is always calling people donkeys for getting his risotto wrong on Hell's Kitchen). The meyer lemon was very faint. Ryan got some Chesapeake bass with creamed potatoes, black trumpet mushrooms, and truffle butter. His was also good, very suited to his palate as it was considerably more salty than my fish. Not oversalted at all, just more salty. And we all know how much Ryan LOVES salt. Also during our meal, we watched our server filet a whole snapper tableside. She was very skilled!

At this point in the meal, we were stuffed. But, we had to get dessert. Ryan had Guinness cake with mulled cider sorbet. I had 3 scoops of ice cream - mint, vanilla, and cinnamon. The mulled cider sorbet was awesome. I would love to have that as a frozen drink every day. The ice cream was also good, especially the mint. It tasted like someone just pureed mint sprigs and magically turned them into ice cream. So fresh & natural.

And thus ended our first visit to Canoe. I love this place. It's everything you want in fine dining, without feeling pretentious.

review: california dreaming

California Dreaming

Augusta, GA
visit: 2/10/08 - my birthday! :)

taste:
appetizers - 5
entrees - 4
service: 3
ambience: 4


review:
We went to California Dreaming for my birthday lunch right after church on Sunday. We entered the lobby to find a 20-30 minute wait, which was fine. We didn't have to wait quite that long, and we were seated at a nice big table. Unfortunately, one of the chairs was greasy. Ryan cleaned it off with a napkin, and then our waiter appeared. He was alarmed at the greasy chair and said he would bring Ryan another napkin, however the napkin did not arrive until our entrees came out. Our waiter was a little slow getting our drink order, getting the drinks, getting the napkin, getting things in general. But then we figured out why. Shane was mentioning how capers taste like car paint (don't ask) and the waiter magically appeared. Hearing the word "paint" he told us a story about eating paint as a child in school. And then he told us there was lead in the paint. So then we knew why the service was not so great at times.

Other than our spotty service, the food was good! We started with seafood nachos (shrimp, salmon, and lobster cream sauce) and the most amazing croissants you will ever have in your life. They taste like little clouds of heaven, almost the consistency of cotton candy. Light, airy, golden, with honey butter drizzled on top. Really, they could be a dessert. The seafood nachos were awesome - plenty of salmon & shrimp, with a perfect cream sauce, dill and capers. So I give the appetizers a perfect 5 kiwis. Delicious and filling - probably could have ended the meal here.

Next up came side salads, accompanied with more croissants! Yum! The salads were a good size, but too much yellow lettuce. I prefer green. Garnished wtih the usual suspects - tomatoes, bacon bits, eggs. Pretty good.

Out came our entrees. There was a little confusion on who got what, I get the feeling our waiter didn't quite put in the seat #s correctly on his ticket. But everything came out hot & delicious. I had the 11 oz prime rib, cooked medium rare and absolutely delicious. Tender and flavorful. The au jus was also good, but honestly the prime rib didn't even need it. Had mashed potatoes on the side, also very good with the skins still on some of the potatoes. Ryan had fried flounder with fries that he enjoyed. The batter was a little different from what he was expecting, but still good. My mom had a rack of ribs, they were excellent. the meat was falling off the bone, and the rub/sauce was sweet and tangy. Not drowning in sauce either. The other 2 people in our party had the grilled chicken salad and bbq chicken. No complaints there.

To end the meal, the waiters came and sang to me - did not want this. I don't know who's idea it was. I got a free cup of ice cream, woohoo! I ate maybe a spoonful. Slow getting the check, then found we got charged for a coffee that my mom ordered and never received. Slow fixing that, slow running the check. Our waiter was really good at running away and making us think that he was coming back soon...but at least all our orders were right and he was funny. So I give the service a 3.

4.25

Ran 4.25 miles yesterday, wasn't too bad! too many hills :) 2 weeks til my 10K. really need some new shoes!!!!

extreme emotion

Does anyone else find this disturbing in the least? I am sure that Obama is a good person, this is nothing against him. But...he has this cult of personality, it creeps me out. Why is Hollywood giving him so much money? And does that really appeal to the American people? I don't really think of Hollywood as having a good grasp on reality. They have lots of money, do whatever they please, etc... And this is coming from someone who works in TV, albeit on a small level. I'll just have to give this some more thought...I don't understand these videos. I get that they're supposed to be funny. But is this the time to make fun of our political system? This is a serious election. This is a serious decision for each and every American (over 18).

Or does anyone find this a little disturbing?Maybe some of you grew up with the things that I did. The Focus on the Family radio show for kids - Adventures in Odyssey - was one of the coolest things ever, better & more exciting than TV shows to me. Stretched my imagination. Then Brio...the girls magazine that I read cover to cover every month. The books my parents read to save their marriage, our family, etc. So you can imagine the respect I have for Dr. Dobson.

But I find it troublesome that he's endorsing Mike Huckabee. Why? Huckabee is conservative in pretty much only one way - his morals. I think that is the folly of the Southern conservatives. They voted for Huckabee based solely on his conservative moral values. We tend to get things confused...Conservative does NOT mean in morals only. To be a true Conservative, you have to face it on several fronts: moral, yes, but also economic, national security, etc. Really, I look more for a candidate who is conservative in the economy first. I don't want the government taking my money and then spending it foolishly. Why couldn't Dr. Dobson have endorsed Mitt Romney? Was it the Mormon thing holding him back?

I guess the thing that irks me the most is that it doesn't really matter if the President is a Christian or not. Christian voters - evangelicals if you will - shouldn't be so enthralled with religion in elections. Instead, just vote for the candidate whose platform most aligns with the values of Christianity. It doesn't matter if the candidate is Christian or not, although it probably helps.

So really I've just been thinking of the extremes of emotion in this election. One one hand you have the people who are swept away by the Obama inspiration & hope. Never mind a hard look at what "hope" he offers or what we have to do to get there. On the other hand you have the moral conservatives who are swept away by the promises of a Baptist minister. When are we going to learn to vote with our heads and not our hearts?

To close...a cool quote from Benjamin Franklin. A man who may or may not have been a Christian. I encountered this in a Bible study I've been going to, and found it very very appropriate for this season:

In the beginning of the contest with Britain when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. ... And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived for a long time (81 years), and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it." I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall proceed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.

1787 Speech to the Convention for Forming a Constitution for the United States

some good thoughts

I like this guy's take on today's events...

Conservatives on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown

Makes you rethink everything...time to collect thoughts and think reasonably about the future! It's not the end of the world...yet.

shocker!

For all his optimism yesterday, I really thought he would go all the way, and that the tides could possibly turn for him.

But now...he's out of the race. I admire his character so much. And I guess it is in the best interest of the party for him to step aside. McCain will need the help.

Mitt Romney suspends White House bid

running break

So I was about to update links for my previous post...but then I thought it would be better to have a quick break to talk about running. Don't want to get too burned out on politics this early in the year ;)

While in Augusta Monday night, I went for a run around the neighborhood. How different it was from my regular runs around GT and Atlanta Memorial Park!

- the air - it smells soooo good! I can't even tell you how good it smells. I seriously did a little leap from my driveway to the street I was so happy when I smelled the air. It just has this sweet fragrance to it that you never ever get in Atlanta because of all the pollution.
- the quiet - it was only 9:30ish when I went for a run, and I saw 2 cars the entire time I was out. Everything was still...I heard crickets.
- stars! I saw stars!!!!
- insanely hard hills. Let's just say I was gasping for air after the last hill up to my house. I had forgotten how steep they can be. But when you're done, you feel awesome!

Bottom line - running in Augusta is a lot more fun than running in Atlanta. You just feel better while you're doing it! Breathing is easier, your legs feel lighter, maybe you even get a spring in your step. Or maybe I was just happy to be home :)

initial reaction

Initial thoughts on Super Tues results...as I sat and watched the returns come in at Mitt Romney's campaign get together at 10 Pin Alley last night. Cool place! Wish it could have been a more joyous occasion...

- Mitt Romney - man just can't catch a break! Could not believe what happened in West Virginia...
- Conservatives? Maybe they don't exist any more?? From McCain's wins and frontrunner status, it seems that no matter what the pundits say, he's the choice of Republicans. Maybe there aren't really Conservatives in the Republican party any more? Just wondering...
- Mitt Romney still in this thing. Says he'll go all the way to convention and then to the presidency. Bold words! But maybe his situation isn't as bad as the media would have us to believe. He is still 2nd in delegates, Huckabee had some good wins last night but not enough to overtake Romney. Huckabee says this is a 2-man race between him and McCain...not sure he checked his numbers on that one.
- I'm so proud of Columbia County. The little dark red Romney county in the Augusta area that was surrounded by McCain red and Huckabee pink on CNN last night. Yeah, that's my stomping ground!
- Rush Limbaugh would rather have a Dem in office next term than McCain, reasoning that he'd rather have them mess it up than the Republicans. Interesting...also interesting is Dr. James Dobson refusing to vote if McCain is the nominee.

More thoughts to come...I'll add links to this later. Class time!

sad

I want to encourage everyone to vote today, but please please please do some research first!

As I was driving back into the city today, I was listening to The Bert Show and they had a segment where they asked people a series of pop culture and political questions. Of course...most people only knew the answers to the pop questions, which ranged in answer from Britney Spears to Heath ledger to Soulja Boy's hit song. I don't know if they purposely pick people who might not look they watch/read the news, or if they feed them answers. But these people didn't even know that today is called "Super Tuesday" and one woman thought Oprah was running for president.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised since it's 3:35 and the top story on CNN.com right now is "General Hospital actress dies." It's the most popular story, beating out 5 Super Tuesday-related articles.

If you don't know what you're voting for, maybe you should skip the vote. If you have a minute, it's not that hard to look up the candidate websites and get the info you need. Or, if you do decide to vote blindly, don't complain for the next 4 years about anything political.

Here, just to help:
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
Mitt Romney
Mike Huckabee
John McCain
Ron Paul

Go vote! You have a few more hours in GA to do so!

a super tuesday to remember

Just a shout out to my sister Holly for waking up at 6 am to vote with me when the polls opened at 7! What a cool thing, I'll carry the memory with me the rest of my life. I've never actually voted in person before - always by absentee. So for my first time to the polls, I got to go with my younger sister! Awesome. Not to mention we had some great political conversations on the way. I only wish the morning could have lasted longer. My sister's a smart cookie!

Now you ask me why in the world I was in Augusta to vote...yeahhhh I'm dumb. Forgot to change my registration in time when I moved to my new place. So I drove to Augusta last night, woke up and voted, and drove back to Atlanta to make it to work at 9:58 am. I made it 2 min earlier than I thought I would, hehe!

tale of 2 rallies

My observations on 2 Republican rallies held prior to Super Tuesday here in Atlanta.

Saturday 2/2 - 12:30 pm - GA Capitol

Ron Paul

Ron Paul was not actually in attendance, but his son Rand was. Unfortunately, I completely missed Rand's speech. So this report is incomplete. We arrived at the rally, the stairs were packed on the West side. We were greeted by several sign holders, a pair holding up a huge joint, a man holding up a Ron Paul blimp, and a patriotic RV that was driven by the Granny Warriors. Fox News covered the rally, no local stations.

What portions we did hear of the rally that stuck out to us:

1 - Libertarian presence - a prominent GA Libertarian (sorry, didn't catch the name) gave his support to Ron Paul. LOTS of Libertarian supporters there.

2 - Ways the secure your vote - what do you think happens when you vote in the electronic booths? We heard from one speaker that your vote may not really be counted! Not sure how I felt about this, but considered it a valid question. The speaker recommended voting absentee, so at least there is a physical record of your vote. He also recommended going in a big group of other similar voters, voting at a certain time of day at the same machine, and going back at the end of the day to check the counts on the machine you all used. Apparently this is legal (never knew that!) Conspiracy theory or valid point? You decide.

3 - Song time - the rally ended with a singer/songwriter from Fayetteville who played a bell, harmonica, and guitar all at the same time. He sang about why we should vote for Ron Paul. I have never seen/heard anything like this before. If I had been alive during the Vietnam War, I might say that it reminded me of those protest songs. The song was original and heartfelt, and probably the most appropriate ending to this rally.

After the rally was over, we heard some Ron Paul supporters planning on meeting up at John McCain's rally later that night with their signs. Awesome.

Monday 2/4 - 12:00 pm - Ga Tech Hotel

Mitt Romney

What immediately stuck out to us at this one was the amount of press. There were several remote trucks for various local & national stations. There were rows upon rows inside the salon reserved for the press. There was also a table outside with info on phone banks, results party, stickers, etc. We arrived on time for this rally and squeezed up to the front, where incidentally, we ran into one of my best friends from college. We got pumped through a couple pre-speakers telling us why they're endorsing Mitt. There was a large group of supporters on stage with signs etc. Then the music plays and in comes Mitt! Everyone goes crazy. The room is so hot with all the people and lights.

What we heard that stuck out to us:

1 - amounts/types of cheering - lots of spontaneous "let's go Mitt" cheers and then speaker led cheers i.e. "are we gonna vote for someone who voted against tax cuts?" "NOOOO!!!"

2 - Mitt's calm & collected demeanor the whole time. You would never guess that he was behind McCain in delegates right now. Every word, part was crafted to drive the point home that he is THE conservative candidate.

3 - Lots of interesting thoughts presented. Governor of a Blue state, able to work with Democrats and effectively get things done. Will stay in Iraq and wants to build up the army - compares himself to Reagan here. Mentioned his success in business several times, and that McCain admitted the economy was not his strong suit. Wants to secure our borders, no amnesty to illegal immigrants, "wait in line" he says.

So two very different rallies, two very different candidates. One Republican nomination up for grabs. Who will it be?!

VOTE!!!

super tuesday in t-minus 13 hours. exercise your right to vote! i don't care who you vote for...well that's not entirely true. but the point is...VOTE!!!! it's what makes our country awesome.