1+1+1+++, oh, who's counting??

I'm on a mission this year: A Literary Year. My minimum goal is to finish at least 20 books, and my stretch goal is to finish 30. Strrreeetttccchhh. Could be do-able, as my free time has increased dramatically since I quit my "real" job, and will increase even more when we move to Germany...

So far, I've devoured (mostly):

1. "Unbroken" - Laura Hillenbrand (great book; I learned a lot more history than I was expecting (as I was expecting to be bored to tears by the talk of war), but I was immediately captivated by this expertly woven tale of hope, redemption, and forgiveness; only complaint is that I had to read it in hardcover, as I'm a paperback devotee!)
2. "The Tiger's Wife" - Tea Obreht (talk about great story telling! The author is reknowned for her youth as well as for her skill as a writer, and in this tale, knits together generations, mystery, folk tales, family, and friendships in a mystical and captivating tale)
3. "Pears on a Willow Tree" - Leslie Pietrzyk (1st book of the year outside the book club! Also a great book of the complexities that come with family. In this case, its 4+ generations of Polish-Americans, especially the relationships between the women, who are the focus. Believe you me, it is a complex web we weave...)
4. "Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls" by Rachel Simmons (1st library book of the year!; excellent topic which doesn't get nearly the cultural attention it needs; Simmons's book is somewhat repetitive and not incredibly well written, but because the subject is otherwise not discussed, it was still a worthy read.)
5. "A Year and a Day" - Leslie Pietrzyk (2nd non-book club book, and we're off! Honestly, I bought this one because "Pears' was recommended by a trusted source, and now that I'm on Amazon Prime, all of the sudden I'm ordering all kinds of books without a care in the world. Am I ever glad that I did... As a therapist, I have worked with people on all sides of the suicide-suicide fallout spectrum, from passive to active ideation with plan, to family members trying to put their lives together following a completed suicide. This book nails it, from top to bottom, without being any more depressing or maudlin than the word suicide entails (neither minimizes nor aggrandizes any of the feelings on any sort, and made it such that I, who meet people in all shades of darkness, thoroughly enjoyed it. Even more than "Pears.")
6. "We Need to Talk About Kevin" - Lionel Shriver (1st time I've ever taken a book recommendation from a client - I will be asking her for more! This book was absolutely stunning. Best (not least dark) so far, this year, hands down, maybe with one arm tied behind its back. Gorgeous, sumptuous words (which I love) detail the horror of a mother who struggles to understand the copious trauma her son has wrought. Looking back, knowing what I know now, I feel like many people wouldn't be surprised towards the end, but I was absolutely rocked out of this world. The character development is exacting, and leaves only the darkness of your own mind in question.)
7. "How to Be A Best Friend Forever" - John Townsend (loaned to me by my best friend following our discussion of some of the principles Dr. Townsend outlines. I was honestly not overly impressed with either the depth or style of the content of this book. He seems to assume that either we have no other real commitments outside of our friendships or that we have more time in our days than just 24 hours. Aside from that, I also am not sure that this book applies to all personality types - for example, as an introvert, I go about my relationships somewhat differently than he outlines. I was also a little disappointed in how he linked the principles of friendship to biblical principles (meaning that it was lacking, based on what I expect from him). I'm not saying that it was all bad, by any means, but read any 1 chapter or so, and you'll have covered the majority of his points.)
8. "Fifty Shades of Gray" - E.L. James (back to book club, which it is worth mentioning was founded as a group of professional women who could read literature, not Jackie Collins novels. "50 Shades" is one of the most popular books in the country right now, largely, I'm sure, because it is salacious and naughty. This is the story of innocence lost, and the desire of love to redeem, with heavy doses of erotica and bdsm for good measure. I am not the world's biggest fan. 500+ pages to get next to nowhere? I didn't dislike or object to the overt sexuality of the text/plot, but it was (to me) contrived and pointless. At least it was a fast read...)

I'm about to start "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes. I've always had a "thing" for reading books that were award winners, and Barnes's novel is the winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize. It also comes highly recommended by one of my most discriminating and literate friends, and as such, is highly anticipated by your's truly.

For my professional edification, I'm also mid-way through "The Eating Disorders Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Causes, Treatments, and Prevention of Eating Disorders" by Carolyn Costin and "8 Keys to Recovery From and Eating Disorder" by the same author.


Any recommendations?


More to come... :-)

Picky, selective, restrictive, or just plain snotty?

Well... I guess that depends on the perspective. I like to think positively, so I'll take selective. If you are also selective, or otherwise have restrictions related to your eating, or maybe you are pizza-curious, you might be interested in Pizza Fusion. Its on P'tree Rd., right in the middle of Heartbreak Hill, and put a little too much emphasis on how wonderful they are, but... I'd still recommend it. These shoes are some that the Pizza Fusion folks would approve of, not ones I own. :)

I joined a fellow food lover for lunch there recently, and I'm quite sure we both walked away satisfied. Our server was also the dude who sat us, and was one of those guys who is really good at acting like he spends half his life in a yoga studio (although he may or may not ever have done the first sun salutation). He briefed us on how the menu works - you can create your own pizza (crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings), choose a specialty pizza, or venture into one of their other options, which include a few starters, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. This was not my first visit to Pizza Fusion, and I've now tried a couple of salads, and that's definitely a good place to start. The greens are very flavorful and fresh, and there are just the right amount of toppings on the salad for my taste.

Of course, you would never make it through 2 paragraphs of conversation with any staff member at Pizza Fusion without hearing about how environmental they are (which is nice, but is not going to affect whether I go to a restaurant, honestly, and to have it rubbed in my face constantly is a bit of a turn-off), or about how they are so very organic and considerate of you, their consumer. To this end, the crust offerings include a gluten-free option (which, again, I really appreciate), an organic white option, as well as a multi-grain crust. On my first visit, we tried the organic-white crust, while on this trip, I had an individual multi-grain crusted pizza. Both were decent - nice and thin, not burnt tasting, but not the most wonderful crust that will inspire my next environmental crusade, either. In order to meet even the most "selective"/"restrictive" diner, they also offer a number of vegan options (go veg!), including soy cheese (they promise that even carnivores love it, but I haven't yet been with a carnivore who was interested).

Their other toppings are definitely worth trying, though... the veggies are fresh and at least some of them are slightly less-than-run of the mill (although there are artichokes, onions, and olives, there are also zuccinis! crimini mushrooms! roasted portabellos! not to mention, um, organic pepperoni. Because everyone I know who craves pepperoni really prefers the purity of the organic... Snarking aside, I do appreciate the organic option, but I just got OVER it because it was in my face ALL THE TIME.

Is it a pizza Al Gore would like? Absolutely. So would many other people! With a side of pretension, of course.

My dining companion on the most recent trip was having a carb-friendly day (off to run 20 miles the next day), so we finished the pizza excursion by walking next door to Cami-cakes, a small cupcakery next door. Absolutely adorable. As each customer exited, she wished to each one, "have a tasty day." To you too!

The toppings

Dancing Dead and Other Fun Things: Bone Garden Cantina

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of joining one of my great friends to celebrate her birthday. Turning 30 is not like dying, contrary to popular belief, but there is some irony that she selected a restaurant themed on "Day of the Dead" to commemorate the occasion. :) It was not my first visit to Bone Garden Cantina, and God willing, it will not be my last. What shoes did this occasion call for? These are some of my favorites...

Last spring, I heard that the owners of the Vortex were opening a Mexican restaurant on the aforementioned hotspot of the Westside of Atlanta. That alone would merit a visit in my book, if only to see if the attitude changes with the ethnicity of the food. And... its less than 1 mile from the working home of your's truly! Score! (just to answer that question right off the bat, the waitstaff/employees at Bone Garden sport a similar look to their compatriots at the Vortex, but I have yet to encounter even a single person at BGC who had an attitude or was less than friendly and accommodating).

One of the differences at Bone Garden, as compared to other "Mexican" or Tex-Mex restaurants in these parts, is that everything is served a la carte. The good news about that is that you get EXACTLY what you want. The bad news is... who doesn't want refried beans? I, for one, can live without the rice. In lieu of the standard "combination" plates or assumed side dishes, the good people at Bone Garden encourage you to order about 3 dishes. Given their complimentary chips and very tasty salsa (very fresh, spicy but not hot, somewhat chunky in a good way), I have yet to even finish 2 dishes. On this most recent trip to BGC, I had the most pleasant occasion to sample their guacamole - I'd definitely get it again. Very tasty. Fresh cilantro! A little too much onion, but its hard to complain about...

By far, my favorite dish are the veggie sopes. The dish is composed upon a small cake made from corn masa - maybe about half an inch thick of goodness. On top of the sope are a scoop of tasty black beans, cabbage, avacado, queso, more of that cilantro I love so much, and some salsa. Very, very good. The textures are all over - creamy, crunchy, and chewy - all in the same bite! Very well complimented by the tastes, which in one mouthful may be sour, sharp, spicy, mild, back of the mouth, front of the mouth. It was explained to me that the chef at Bone Garden Cantina is from Mexico, and doesn't do Tex. Maybe that is the difference. I've also sampled the quesadilla - the mas queso with and without added veggies. It was sold to me as "the best quesadilla you'll ever have," and to this point, I can't disagree. Its very cheesy without being very greasy, the cheese is rich without being pungent or too rich (although I've not yet finished the quesadilla in one sitting), and the tortilla is fresh enough. The poco chihuahua enchilada was also worth a taste - the same cheese that is in the quesadilla shows up in the enchilada with very positive results here, too. The veggie taco I didn't love - it had a sauce that was foreign to me for a taco (peanut based), and I never really warmed up to it. The vegetables are always fresh, though, so if peanut and salsa are flavors you love together - go for it! Mike recently tried the Nopalitos salad, based on cactus and bell pepper, and he immediately moved it to his list of all-time favorite salads. which is saying a lot for a guy who has repeatedly said that he didn't really "get" salads. He also tried a pork sandwich - I don't recall what it is named - that he LOVED. The next day, he said something to the effect of that he was thinking about the next time that he would get to eat it.

The margarita de casa - definitely good. Smooth, sweet but not too sweet, salty... just right. :)

What shoes did this occasion call for? These are some of my favorites...

New Year, New Blog Post

Well. Long time, stranger. Several people have said something to me along the lines of, "you should write a blog. About restaurants. Or about your shoes." So... I'm going to give it a whirl again and see how it goes. Much in my life is radically different than the last time I wrote, so I'm going to consider this starting fresh, rather than continuing on.

I have a long history of being very into dining, so I'm going to explore that more in this space also, but in a little different way than most of the other blogs that I read on the subject. I'm a near life-long vegetarian, but I don't feel the need to eat at vegetarian restaurants. A friend once labeled me a "people-first vegetarian" - I like it. I do care more about the people I'm with than the limits within which I choose to eat. So, I will look at the vegetarian-friendliness of a place, but I hope to say more about the place than just whether its good for veggies.

The 2 restaurants I've been to in the new year worth mentioning are Miller Union (which, come to think of it was on New Year's Eve, not actually in the new year) and Bone Garden Cantina. Miller Union is new on the scene, in the very trendy "westside", and we went the day the AJC review was published. The review was very positive, which helped me make the decision about where to go, and it led to some expectations. Upfront, I was a little put off by the fact that I could hear the people at the table opposite mine better than I could my boyfriend, but as the restaurant continued to fill up, the noise evened out. The space is quite beautiful, but you could still smell paint. They are known for being out front in the "farm to table" movement, which is quite the rage these days, and the space was similarly trendy - but in a good way. The menus are all printed and placed on small boards, which is quite cute. I thought to myself several times during the evening that all of their printed materials (business cards, menus, etc.) looked like something my former roommate, a graphic designer, would have created. It had a style I've seen in her work and in her school materials several times.

Enough about the space, though, right? The food. The FOOD! We shared an order of the radish and feta snack, which was tasty, but not a home run in my book. The radishes were beautiful - cut from several varieties so the plate was colorful and varied. The cheese is a nice complement to the crunch and sweetness of the vegetable. I'm not sure where it lost points, exactly, and I did enjoy it, but... I ordered the seasonal vegetable plate. The vegetables had been the center of wide and high praise, and I was not going to miss that boat! The brussels sprouts were pretty much out of this world. Peppery, perfect texture, very, very well done. There were some greens and broccoli rabe (I think) as well, and those were good, but not especially memorable. The broccoli rabe was extra bitter, which I don't mind.

My dining companion ordered the skate, which he appeared to enjoy. I don't think that he loved it, although I think that was likely more the fish itself than its preparation. Upon sitting down, our waiter came by to welcome us and solicit drink orders. This was our first face-to-face encounter with the "farm-to-table"ness of the restaurant. When he ordered a rattler, he was told that the restaurant only sources small bottlers who use appropriate ingredients. Alas, they only had Mexican Coke, but no Sprite to offset the beer. OK. Only real sugar. Got it. It probably even tastes better (I dislike cola). But... why go all the way to Mexico for Coke? Doesn't that seem a little weird? or out of sorts of a "farm to table" restaurant? Maybe its just me...

AJC reviewer Meredith Ford Goldman writes, "Miller Union stands poised to be one of the city’s finest dining destinations," and I'm reluctant to disagree. Not there yet, but poised.

I was remiss in capturing the evening on film, but... those are the shoes I wore... :)

step-by-step

day by day. I think that that was the theme song to some bad television show in the 80s. In any case, I count it as my approach these days...

I ran 3 last Thursday, 15 on Saturday, and just finished 5 (on the mill) tonight. Its tough - I'm tired. I'm in that space right now where I don't really want to run. Tonight I did, but lately, it just hasn't been there for me. I'm so worn out (mentally) from my internship that nothing else is really getting in. grr. I'm just going to try to push through... I think it'll come back once I settle into a routine. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway.

nothing a good run can't cure

Today was the last leadership team meeting that I will lead as the President of Cornerstone. True to form (of late), I ended up getting massively upset. My feelings get hurt too easily, perhaps, but not only was I angry, I was also really hurt. So my run was well-fueled. I ran 7 miles on the mill. And maybe it wasn't as hard as I have run some of them - it wasn't - but I got to talk about my frustration while I ran, and I think that I may have staved off what was certain to be a stroke by the time I hit 50. Maybe I do need to be that therapist that talks to clients during a run. I don't know that I'd feel ok now or that I would have been able to talk about it without also running. Did I mention that I was running with the person who made me so upset? Yep. That probably helped too. I haven't found many things that were helped by a good run. I'm not sure that I'm completely over it just yet, but I'm well on my way.

I think that my expectations may be too high. In general, for the people on my leadership team, and for friends (and what that means). Eh... I don't know if I can readjust. Maybe I'll just have to learn how to get over it a little better.

In any case, the run was a good one, and I'm really glad that I did it.

these are the days

never before and never since, i promise, will the whole world be warm as this... and as you feel it, you'll know its true that you are blessed and lucky... Those lyrics come from an oldish 10,000 Maniacs song that seems particularly appropriate, weather-wise and personally. I'm a part of the miracles I see in every hour.

Today's temp. reached at least 103 - a string of several 100+ days in a row - and JH and I ran 9 miles. Along one of my favorite routes - along McClendon and Oakdale over to Ponce / East Lake and then back again. Definitely not my fastest run this summer, but I sure did enjoy it. That course is a challenge - hills the whole way, and long hills at that, but it is definitely one of my faves. Very friendly people, every time we run it, beautiful houses, etc. Its a keeper. :)