Baxter Bark Twice

Do as I say, never as I do

Posts Tagged ‘Athens’

Not Cool, Bro

Posted by AllieB on February 27, 2014

Hello! Let’s jump right in. For you today I’ve compiled a list of what’s tickling my fancy, what makes me very angry, and then two things about which I am ambivalent. It’s a little newsworthy, oddly heavy on tunes, and now I’m hungry. Guys, I’m in a great mood – join me, won’t you?

Right Up My Alley:

  • Taco Bell for the WIN:

taco bell waffle taco

  • I watched the first episode of True Detective real time back in January, and I was like nope, do not want. But then I kept seeing all this internet chatter about it and I knew I had to try try again. Mission: accomplished – as of Sunday I’m all caught up and am waiting with breath that is bated for the final two episodes. WHO IS THE YELLOW KING. Also, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are badasses – I think both of them are doing some of their very best work.

ben and jerrys core

  • I’ve become more than a little obsessed with my skincare regimen and have spent a lot of money time and money effort trying to figure out what works best for moi. I’m not yet prepared to endorse any products as they’re still in the testing phase (I’m trying to track changes like they do in magazine ads) but there is one item I can share. I am #blessed not to have pimple-prone skin, but blemishes can happen to anyone…next time you wake up to a red terror, take action with EradiKate Treatment by Kate Somerville. You just dab a teeny little bit on the spot a couple times throughout the day and it will be significantly smaller, if not gone completely, in 12 hours. Seriously. This is good stuff.
  • I don’t know what’s going on here, but my fancies are definitely tickled – this mini pony’s all, “hey man, check out my fairisle knit sweater” (CKB)

fairisle friend

  • The Oscars are Sunday. I am excited about: Ellen as host; what Jessica Biel, Kate Hudson, and Naomi Watts will be wearing; Jared Leto – LOTS of Jared Leto, please; and counting the pile of money I’ll get when my bracket wins out in the Oscar pool. 
  • BBT’s Throwback Music Video of the Week (also a thing): November Rain by Guns N’ Roses. I know we’ve all seen it, but you need to see it again.  I’ve recently added this to my “Walkin” playlist, and it was all I could do to not take out my air guitar in Whole Foods the other night. Just kidding, I don’t play the air guitar. But it’s SO good, and they don’t make music videos like that anymore…I’m looking at you, Kimye.

Not Cool, Bro: 

  • You know what you did.

my will to live 2_Page_1

This might be teeny bit dramatic.

On Notice:

  • Bitcoin. WTF is Bitcoin?
  • A flask bracelet by Cynthia Rowley. A hip flask is an old school tradition – I mean, it’s probably not always appropriate, but they’ve been around forever and your grandfather probably has one. Plus,  it’s not like you’re not walking around masquerading your hidden booze as a piece of jewelry, ya know? Although, this thing on Gameday could be genius…hmm…I think if I were in college I might consider it, but anyone out of school for more than 5 years – might be time to ask yourself if everything’s all right.

cynthia rowley flask bracelet

Love a good listicle.

In other news:

This map shows each state’s favorite band, measured using a method I don’t entirely understand. Full disclosure: I had to Google Georgia’s favorite band…though that should surprise no one. Ohio’s favorite is somewhat ironic, no?

favorite band by state

What Does Your Favorite Athens Bar Say About You? – this is seriously flawed. I haven’t heard of many and really beg to differ on a few others…

Flanagan’s – you’re a socialite

If you came downtown hoping to “run into” your ex, you’ll be posted up at Flan’s. He’s here. Everyone’s here.

The passage of time allows for some changes, I realize, but no. Just – no. Also, the phrase posted up at Flan’s makes me want to light this person on fire.

You’ll be pleased to know that I neither hugged nor sat on any unsuspecting strangers this week – that’s seven full days of keeping my hands/derriere to myself. Way to go, Allie.

Tomorrow is March 1. Fingers crossed for a spike in morale and overall will to live!

Posted in Arbitrary | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

It just makes good sense

Posted by AllieB on August 18, 2011

Last year, I mentioned this article that ranked college towns and had the gall to list GAINESVILLE, FL as #1 spot with Athens, GA coming in at #2. I’m fairly certain the auteur of said article now serves cheeseburgers and fortunately someone infinitely wiser, more normal, and with the ability to tell the difference between the gutter and awesome has come out with a new ranking:

  1. Athens, Georgia

Athensga2_display_image

People who don’t care for college football (which is frankly, unthinkable) will find a rich art and music scene in the southern haven of Athens which also offers some truly unique eateries.

Yes, REM and the B-52s got their start down in Athens, but to the pure at heart, these are just side benefits to a town of 115,000 that keeps Sanford Stadium hopping with over 92,000 screaming fans as the Bulldogs take care of business down “between the hedges” on Saturday’s in the fall.

So, do you crave just one factoid about picturesque Athens?  Well, the university (which opened at the early date of 1785) shut down from 1863-66 due to the Civil War.

Source: Ranking the 31 Coolest College Towns (credit: Miss Bambi via FB – thanks, Miss Bambi!)

Gainesville still made the list, but at a much less respectable #11 or something, and I think I’d quite like to go to Corvallis, Oregon…on that note, Char and SRM – I hope you’re having a nice time driving cross country. I believe this morning finds them in Dallas, TX, home to temperatures above 100 degrees. Safe travels!

I was chatting with Caro yesterday about food (standard), and we were ruminating over the delight that is a fried egg, cheese, eng muffin (I opted for light Havarti and a bagel round), and hot sauce sammy…I did an $83 trip to the grocery store yesterday, just like a real live adult, and purchased all of the ingredients for said treat – YUM. I just made one for breakfast, and, if I had an iphone that could do the meal justice I would’ve shared a photog – my B’berry camera makes even the most delicious meals look like vom. It was quite a day at the grocer – heretofore my biggest purchase has been $30 or so… For awhile I followed around a Hot Mom decked head to toe in Lululemon. She pondered waffles for five minutes; I pondered waffles for five minutes. For the record: frozen waffles are GOOD. BP mentioned them awhile back, and I got some whole-grain varietal that is really, really tasty. Anyway, Miss Lulu got a bit wary of my shadow-game, so I had to forge out on my own…it was a far cry from my Grocery Store Shame of yesteryear, so I think that’s really something to be proud of.

The opposite of good sense: the Today Show is currently airing a section on padded bras and high heels for toddlers. Or, “tods,” right, Katie? Wonder if you’ll be pedaling platform pumps this weekend at the Mart…I blame Toddlers & Tiaras, a show I adamantly refuse to watch. High heels on 5 year olds is something only Suri Cruise can pull off.

I posted this on the BBT FB page yesterday, but this video of Anne Hathaway doing a Lil Wayne style rap is kind of amazing. In the words of Leila: even left field did not see this coming. Obviously need sound.

TGIT!

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

Smelly Cat

Posted by AllieB on June 23, 2011

TGIT. Holla! As is becoming a bi-monthly trend, I bring you today a new guest writer. She’s actually been an invaluable resource for BBT since day 1 (Cuddle Party, an easy target, WaWa, and mucho, mucho más), and I appreciate all of her helpful input via commentary, as well. In the following anecdote, we’ll read about a batsh*t feline and how Chuck Norris Sister dealt with it – I’ll tell you, this is some scary stuff.

I just went on a walk around the Paces property to get some exercise. While I was on the weird side where nobody lives (where Ellis, Dre and Julz used to reside) all of a sudden a black cat came RUNNING out of the bushes, back arched, running sideways all weird how cats do AT ME. Literally eye contact was made. He wanted a piece of me. I screamed and started running and it ran back into the bushes. So then I’m by the tennis courts and was going to have to run back by it. In my head I’m thinking, ok I’m bigger than this thing I just have to scare it away….

I wait a minute to get up my nerve and start running (with authority, big strides), and then it comes out AGAIN running so fast, sideways, back arched again at me. I start screaming and making loud footsteps to scare it….it doesn’t work. It keeps charging me. Plan B- I’m prepared to boot this devil’s pet back to hell as I stopped and reared back to kick it. Normally, I would not hurt an animal. But this is a cat (no offense Tiffany and Mars) and literally it was almost close enough to me to bite me. And I guess when I stopped it got scared (or maybe it was my inhuman screams) and it ran back into the bushes. I ran as fast as I could the rest of the way home. Ok, I couldn’t make it that far running but I ran fast for like 50 yards. I’m still sweating and I hate cats forever. WTF was wrong with that thing?! Is it rabid? It had a collar.

Save for a very special Madison who resides in SoFLA, I am not a fan of cats – at all, whatsoever. Dogs > cheesesteaks > a lot of other stuff > dentist > cats = IMO.

I finally got to try The National (one of Hugh Acheson’s restaurants) in Athens last night. It was so good!!! So good. I’ve been wanting to go forever, but whenever I’m in Athens I can’t not go to Last Resort and then I just run out of time. It’s a menu unlike anything I’ve ever seen: southern fusion with a Mediterranean twist? Or maybe it’s vice versa – it’s more Mediterranean than it is southern, I guess…regardless, it’s damn good. I had no idea what I was going to get – they made even the veggie plate sound awesome (VP’s are usually good, but there’s often something like a hanger steak that trumps it every time), but then our waitress told us about the specials, including: bacon-wrapped cod. Done, sahn. It was SO good….so good – from the bread that they gave us as soon as we sat down (didn’t have to wait til after we ordered – that always annoys me), the dates stuffed with manchego cheese (turns out I love manchego cheese), to the panna cotta we had for dessert…twas a v enjoyable evening.

Ok, this is why I don’t include pictures of my food: when taken with a stupid Blackberry camera, it really doesn’t do a meal justice. If I plan to make anything of all of the time and effort I’ve put into BBT, I clearly need an iPhone.

Also, Hugh, I tweeted you re: my favorable experience and got back a prompt and resounding response of radio silence. :|

Posted in Arbitrary, Food & Drink | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

The FOMO Affliction

Posted by AllieB on October 11, 2010

Once upon a time, nearly eons ago, I suffered from a very serious condition known as FOMO, or “fear of missing out.” I was crippled by the prospect of missing out on anything fun or noteworthy…or really anything at all.

I can see now how immature my fomophobia was. Also, there’s actually no such thing as fomophobia, so I was suffering from a plight that didn’t exist…when I realized that, I felt kind of ridiculous and knew it was time to make a change. Now that I am older, infinitely wiser, and possess all kinds of knowledge about many different things, I have the wherewithal to pump the brakes on my FOMO. Or at least kind of – I’ve certainly gotten a whole lot better.

In unrelated news, I had a really great weekend that included several of my favorite things:

  • The Whigs @ The 40 Watt
  • Last Resort
  • a W for Georgia
  • my first romper
  • Hilbilly Bel (decidedly NOT a favorite but any sighting of Hilary warrants mention)
  • mashing with Sister (she started it!)
  • the new XXL Chalupa from Taco Bell

I absolutely made the right call in going to Athens. Maybe I’m not really over my FOMO – perhaps it’s just that I always make the decision that is best for me, thus have no regrets…

That’s definitely it.

GO BRAVOS!

Posted in Arbitrary | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »