Six (dollars)

I slept until 4 p.m. today. So naturally I wanted to get out of the house. I considered going to Lenox Mall, but the daunting $6 in my wallet stopped me. So instead, I found myself at Starbucks on 7th and Peachtree, which is walking distance from where I call home (I didn't walk). $6 at the mall can get me.... alotta nothin' .... BUT $6 at Starbucks can make a girl feel like a real baller(ette) when the money is spent well. 

The possibilities are endless:

1 grande Iced Tea and a cinnamon scone OR  1 coffee cake and 2 old fashioned doughnuts, OR a Venti Chai Tea Latte and a 7 layer bar OR a Tall Iced Caramel Macchiato and 3 mini Vanilla Scones. Decisions, decisions. 

I finally decided on an unsweetened Black Iced Tea + one and a half Sweet'n'Lows, nixing the Cinnamon Scone (I'm not doing sugar or flour).  I usually opt for the simple things at Starbucks, mostly because refills are $0.54!! And you know what I found out? If you have at least $1 on a Starbucks gift card, refills are free! I happen to have six cents on mine, so I'll wait 'til another day to whip it out because I can't afford to give up another dollar. 

After I grabbed my tea, I grabbed a seat outside. I was happy I'd chosen Starbucks rather than the mall because I saved gas, I could sit outside and enjoy the cool, breezy weather, and I was front and center to the symphony of speeding Range Rovers, chatting passersby, and the woman next to me coughing with a mucilaginous cadence . Ya just can't get that at the mall!! 

And for you ol' folk:

Baller:

1.living large with girls and money. 2. the act of being fly or cool.

urbandictionary.com 

Five

If God ever decided that He wanted all the holiness and majesty of heaven to be readily available for human consumption, I truly believe that He would choose a fish. But not a fish of proud origins or a fish with celebrity like the Salmon, Grouper, or Sea Bass. Oh no! I believe the Lord Our God would choose the lowly, humble Cod..... more specifically the Gindara- Kasu from Hashiguchi Jr.- a gem of a restaurant, and my favorite spot for authentic Japanese food.

 

There are NO words to describe my excitement when the waitress (from Japan!!) delivers me a piece of sake-soaked Cod no more than 4oz. in weight. Each bite makes me dance in my seat (I dance for no one!), and it's not uncommon for me to order two. I can honestly say that no other food in the world (so far) makes me quite as happy. 

Four

Last night, I went to one of my favorite late-night spots, Cafe Intermezzo in mid-town Atlanta. It's the perfect ending to any late night, whether you're on a date or an outing with the girls. Anytime coffee and sweets are a must and Starbucks has shut it's hallowed doors, we find ourselves at Intermezzo. This Viennese-style cafe is locally famous for it's wide array of hot chocolates, teas, coffee drinks and pastries. The Mexican Hot Chocolate and the Belgian Chocolate Tea-yes chocolate tea-are highly recommended. 

No matter how decadent the cheesecake, one thing that isn't always so sweet is how big the check can be at the end of the night. Over-all, Intermezzo is a bit pricey. So, single girls on a budget, who don't have man candy picking up the tab, should opt for EITHER a dessert OR drink. When I'm craving something rich, I head straight for the dessert case for a banana cheesecake or Tiramisu. Otherwise, it's piping hot tea for me ..... and so far, the Belgian Chocolate is winning.  But if you MUST have coffee with your dessert, a regular cup is just $2.85

For those of you who can't afford to indulge at all, I encourage you to go anyway:

1. The cozy atmosphere is created by warm candle light and eclectic tunes.  The patio is especially nice and breezy, and quite enjoyable if your grubbing or not.

2.Water is ALWAYS free, and if anything, scan the menu and at least ACT like you intend to order.

3. If you have cool friends, one of them may offer to treat you to a pecan pie and an ol' cuppa joe!

(One is the new)Three

Tonight, I rounded a new corner in the journey I call "singleness". I have scoffed others who have turned this very same corner and deemed it a personal taboo. I swore I'd never EVER go to the movies alone. It just seems so pitiful: no one to laugh with during the funny scenes, no one to share a giant tub of popcorn with, and no one to go refill that tub of popcorn. Movies are made to be a social affairs, and common date territory. So how does one tackle the silver screen el solo? By dressing up, of course, and finding the pros of going alone. 

I'm glad I finally conjured the courage to whip out my free Regal Cinemas movie pass, which was fossilizing in my wallet, because despite my inner shame and initial embarrassment, it was an empowering experience.

1. There was a plethora of seats to choose from. Let's face it, single movie-goers have the pick of the litter; there are always enough seats for parties of that magic number (Three is not the magic number, so you can just take that 'School House Rock' education and throw it out the window). There were no seating limitations due to the size of my group, one!

2. I didn't have to compromise where I wanted to sit for anyone. I had a sense of independence I  had never felt because I realized something about myself -  Darn it! I like sitting in the last row!

3. I spent my money on myself ($8.50 to be exact), although not rare, it's empowering nonetheless!

4. I had the luxury to choose if I was going to high tail it home OR to linger and enjoy the breezy night. Either way I didn't have to wait for anyone; I was on my own time, and I loved it!!

I used to pity the one who entered a movie theater unaccompanied and dateless, but after my full conversion tonight, I see that solo movie-watchers should not be pitied, but rather, esteemed..... for laughing out loud even when we don't have a "boo" to nudge on the funny parts.... for sitting next to strangers.... and for taking a stand (or seat) and showing others that being alone doesn't make you lonely. 

The real value from tonight was learning to enjoy myself..... BY MYSELF!!! As much as I want (and think I need) a companion to buy my movie tickets and popcorn (and more importantly, refill that popcorn) no one else will enjoy me, if I can't enjoy me. After all, I have to live with myself for the rest of my life; no one else does.

Two

Lately, it seems that Saturday nights at my house are synonymous with 3 a.m. plates of bacon, grits, and delicious cheesy eggs, movies on laptops, lots and lots of loud music, and dishes. After church, the boys come over (5 to be exact), write, and record their music in the studio which happens to occupy the bedroom in our one-bedroom condo! Imagine that. And oddly enough, the number of participants in our "bed-and-breakfast weekends" seems to grow every week as does our grocery list for breakfast foods. The music continues into the dawn- the sun is up by the time we're all settled down to go to sleep. And if its not the laughter that keeps any prudent juvenile from wandering into a lovely sleep, it's the blaring music for sure! 

Needless to say, they sleep here, nestled in large cocoons like snoring speed bumps on the carpet. 

But no one- absolutely no one goes to sleep without first sampling (or inhaling) Lawrence's breakfast creations. This morning's menu included roast beef cheddar eggs, fluffy pancakes, sunny D, and assorted hot teas. His food is simple, always well-seasoned, and comforting. What could be better? Especially at 3 a.m. My friend even harbors the humility to serve his dishes to the salivating partakers. AND cleans up after himself! Ladies, can we say "KEEPER"? 

It's a rare and glorious thing to witness a man grace a kitchen with his presence, whether he wandered in to browse the fridge, or God forbid to wash a dish. It's even rarer and more glorious to witness a man engage the kitchen appliances (all but the microwave) to create rib-sticking deliciousness. One word comes to mind when describing this sight; I'm sure you'd agree the word is "sexy". 

And I say "sexy" in the most platonic sense of the word, objectively. You see, we'd never allow the gang to stay here if they weren't all seen as brothers and cousins. So although I do admire my friend for his belief that "cheese makes everything better"and his stove-top talents, at the end of the day, all I lust over are his roast beef, cheddar eggs. 

One

How does one begin her very first blog ever? It fails me. I am overwhelmed to know that possibly millions of people will have insight to my psyche-something I'll admit I don't have insight to. That type of intimacy is foreign to me; it scares me and welcomes me, and I am tempted to know how it feels.

The purpose of this Blog serves mainly as a therapeutic outlet for me, but I also have hopes that it may be entertaining and perhaps inspiring to all who stumble upon it.

I didn't come into this with a set topic to write on. The truth is you have no reason to ever read any blog I post. I'm not an expert on any topic by any means. I'm not a world-class traveller (yet); I'm not a college graduate; I can't tell you how to look ten years younger; and I can not and will not debate politics with you. And the truth is, none of that matters because I know a little bit about a lot of things, and so the saying "jack of all trades, master of none" is employed here. But I do know two things: I am a single woman in the city, and I LOVE food. These two simple truths are definite. So I'll take these truths, and we'll see where this goes......