Baxter Bark Twice

Do as I say, never as I do

Archive for the ‘Imparting Wisdom’ Category

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Million Dollar Idea

Posted by AllieB on October 14, 2010

Tina Casper is forever coming up with the perfect million dollar idea so we can all quit our jobs. She’s had some good ones, but unfortunately they’re all extant – ie, the “mini peanut butter pack.” She was crestfallen when I told her that, starting back in sixth grade,  I used a mini peanut butter pack every day to make my pb&j, so…a million dollar idea it was not.

Anyway – one of my biggest pet peeves is the ever-increasing size of my gmail account. I’m up to 82% now and it’s giving me anxiety. I am wildly OCD about my gmail – people with 2,497 emails in their inbox (KENNEDY) make me insane. I can’t even think about it.

this is to show how organized I am without oversharing. mostly it's giving me a headache

I was reading thru my Google Reader last night, and I came upon this site: http://www.findbigmail.com/. You link it up to your gmail, and it takes about 20 or so minutes – without slowing down your computer or kicking you out of gmail – to sort through all of your stuff, then creates three folders in your inbox: Big Mails, Really Big Mails, and Ultra Big Mails.

Voilà! Now I can easily decide what gets to stay and what gets the ax. I’ve been trying forever to figure out how to purge unnecessary emails without accidentally deleting something important. What the crap – why didn’t we think of this??

**I just deleted 10 or so of my Ultra Big Mails – all of which were lameass forwards from ’07 – and I’m down to 77%…!

***Nerd alert.

Posted in Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , , , | 7 Comments »

Best in Show: Thai

Posted by AllieB on October 13, 2010

Having lived in Thailand for a few months a few years ago, I am a huge fan of all things Thai – the beaches and the noodles, in particular. While the beaches are difficult to re-create in this hemisphere (I do love Tybee, but…it’s not quite the same), the noodles can be – and they often are quite well.

In addition to the noodle dishes – Pad Thai, Pad See Ew (wide, flat noodles in a heavier soy sauce – SO good) – all of  the Thai restaurants do appetizers really well: calamari, satay skewers, fresh basil rolls…and, to top it off, they have the best condiments of any other ethnic cuisine, IMO.

Here are some places of note:

  • Surin of Thailand – N. Highland: it’s a collegey-crowd after hours, but the food is legit. I went there on an awful date once and the guy, midway through the meal, interrupted my story to tell me how poorly my breath smelled and that maybe I should find some gum. I did not prefer his company. ANYway – their stir fry dishes are really good, and when they have 3 – 4 chilis next to an item to denote spiciness, they are not messing around.
  • Tuk Tuk Thai – South Buckhead: trying to emulate the whole “street food” idea of Bangkok; very authentic dishes. The beef skewers and the sticky rice with peanut sauce are two of my faves. I very much like the outdoor seating with the unencumbered view of the ATL skyline. Good for groups.
  • Little Bangkok – Cheshire Bridge: a real gem…I like the Pad Thai, people rave about the stir fry dishes…not much for ambiance, but food is awesome. They also serve Chinese cuisine. Best for: Sunday supper.
  • Rama V – Buckhead: great for a dinner pre-going out because they lost their liquor license and it’s now BYO, they also have an extensive sushi menu good for lighter fare…haven’t had their food in awhile, but it’s still many people’s go-to.
  • Annie’s Thai Castle and Aqua Bistro are also noteworthy and ideal for Sunday Suppers…and other nights, too. I wonder of AquaB still has that fishbowl special on Thursday evenings…?
  • Nan – Midtown: if someone would please take me here, I would be more than happy to go. Not sure I really seem them jumping on the Groupon bandwagon…

Now I’m hungry. And I want to go back to Thailand, preferably back to Rai Leh Beach (shown below). I hate it when I do this.

I didn't Google Image this; I took it with my very own camera. It was awesome.

Posted in Food & Drink, Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Meet & Greet: Wine

Posted by AllieB on September 22, 2010

I like wine. I don’t know anything about it, and when I find something I like it’s because it tastes good, not because the tannins aren’t too acidic, or something – I don’t even know what that means.

What occasion doesn’t warrant a sip or two of vino? Truly, I can think of none. Season premiere of Glee? Obvi. It’s Sunday? Don’t mind if I do! Of course, everything in moderation…..and that’s all I’ll say about that.

Anyway, at my age with my income and lifestyle, it is important to be thrifty and practical when it comes to the purchase and consumption of wine. I’ve done the legwork around town (within, say, a mile radius of Buckhead), and these are my go-to’s, based first on price and taste, then on label aesthetics – there is nothing cultured about my approach to wine drinking.

My favorite reds:

  • La Vieille Ferme: this double bottle of red with the charming label was first recommended to me by a manager at Pearson’s for “drinkability” or something like that. Whatever, it’s a tasty double bottle with a screw top. Allie likes! I’m even a fan on Facebook. $11.99 at Tower; $16.99 at Whole Foods.
  • Gascón Malbec: I love, love, love this wine. John at Tower says it his favorite malbec under $20, which says a lot, IMO. John is incredibly wise. $8.99 at Tower.
  • Mark West: I honestly feel kind of pedestrian even listing this, but I couldn’t leave out my buddy Mark – we’ve been thru a lot together…$9.99 at Tower. $12.99 at Whole Foods.
  • La Granga Tempranillo: It’s a screw top from Trader Joe’s with a charming label and a decent taste. Done and done. $4.99.

even the age verification on the website is charming...

My favorite whites (warning – I don’t branch out much with white grape varietals):

  • NO Sauvignon Blanc: definitely my go-to white. It’s reasonable, v tasty, and a screw top..! $8.99 at Tower.
  • Opala Vinho Verde: I love vinho verde in it’s lightness and very, very slight tinge of carbonation. The alcohol content is also about two percent less than your average  bottle of white, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing…and how pretty is the label! $7.99 at Whole Foods.

I'm a sucker for pretty labels

These six wines are literally the last six bottles I have purchased (toss in a few Two Buck Chucks here and there), and I stand by my selections. Sorry I’m not sorry I don’t venture above $13. I have no idea what foods would go well with what wines, but I can say with utmost certainty that the Tempranillo goes great with Wednesdays.

Posted in Food & Drink, Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

That’s enough, Tenley

Posted by AllieB on September 7, 2010

Summertime TV is not my favorite thing. Networks – especially those of the cable variety – have done a good job of spacing out their programming so that there’re some decent shows during the months that all the major networks are on hiatus, but it’s still tough going. I found Bachelor Pad to be among the worst of these filler shows, and I’m thankful that soon How I Met Your Mother, Gossip Girl, and 90210 will return to my Monday evening line-up.

That said…fall is near; new tv is almost here!! This site provides a complete, comprehensive list of premiere dates, and here are some especially worth noting:

  • Gossip Girl – Mon Sept 13: I hear it’s going to be better than last season – let’s hope so
  • 90210 – Mon Sept 13: will Annie come clean? Will Naomi’s cruel older sister continue to ruin her life? We shall see…
  • Top Chef: Just Desserts – Wed Sept 15: I love all things Top Chef
  • Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Thurs Sept 16: there are no words that could even remotely convey my excitement
  • How I Met Your Mother – Mon Sept 20: I’m about ready to meet this mother, myself
  • Glee – Tues Sept 21: there’s going to be an episode featuring B. Spears and her music this season, and I cannot wait
  • Running Wilde – Tues Sept 21: this new sitcom from the producers of Arrested Development stars Will Arnett and Keri Russell (LOVE Keri Russell – she’s just so pretty, and I really liked her Emmy outfit, too). There are especially high expectations for this one, and a recent blurb in the Wall Street Journal said that the pilot was not a huge hit with a case study group, so cast and script changes were to be made. I will for sure watch.
  • The Middle – Wed Sept 22: surprisingly hilarious, comes on before Modern Family – it’s worth a watch
  • Modern Family – Wed Sept 22: obvi
  • Cougar Town – Wed Sept 22: I love the cast of this show – they have great chemistry. Jennifer Anniston guest stars in season premiere as Jules’s (Courteney Cox) therapist.
  • 30 Rock – Thurs Sept 22: der
  • Grey’s Anatomy – Thurs Sept 23: I still watch this program and it’s really good, esp now that Katherine Heigl is gone
  • My Generation – Thurs Sept 23: a new drama on ABC – people reconvene at a ten year high school reunion, secrets are revealed, pots are stirred…could be good
  • The Office – Thurs Sept 22: Steve Carrell’s final season…sometimes my hyper-sensitive secondhand awkwardness has difficulty with this show
  • Saturday Night Live – Sat Sept 25: Amy Poehler hosts and Katy Perry will provide the music
  • Desperate Housewives – Sun Sept 26: it just keeps getting better, IMO
  • Brothers & Sisters – Sun Sept 26: the season finale was heart-wrenching – can’t wait to see how things turn out
  • The Good Wife – Tues Sept 28: last year’s first season was a huge success, it’s one of my favorites

A gem from Modern Family – it gets real good around 1:08.

Posted in Arbitrary, Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Time to take things down a notch

Posted by AllieB on September 2, 2010

People do stupid things when they drink too much. Fortunately, these bonehead moves rarely make national headlines…unless you’re this guy.

Bloomberg.com’s headline reads:

Man Lost $1.4 Million Corot Painting After Boozing

Ouch. James Carl Haggerty walked into a bar with the painting, drank for several  hours, left with the painting, yet managed to arrive home sans painting. Perhaps he left it in the taxi? This isn’t a Blackberry, James, it’s a $1.4 million, art historically important painting by renowned artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. James was hired by co-owners Tom Doyle and Kristen Trudgeon to have the painting appraised, and earned a nice $25,000 fee for his troubles. Understandably, they are now suing him, deeming his rock-solid explanation unacceptable:

“The next morning, Haggerty informed Doyle that he did not have the painting, and could not recall its whereabouts citing that he had too much to drink the previous evening,” the suit says.

At least he’s being honest. You can’t help but feel sorry for him – I bet his moral hangover was off the charts.

I suppose this story is too outlandishly ridiculous to really teach us a lesson in the perils of over-consumption – maybe Smart Water’s new advertising campaign is more on-level:

that is a very wise billboard

Posted in Imparting Wisdom, Really? | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

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