Dining Diva

So, I was tagged in this dining meme by LeBlanc (and also promised the Exception), and I'm with him...I don't really know what a meme is, but I'm willing to give it a shot...Here we go!

The rules are as follows:

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country that you are in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, USA)
Todd (Lousiville, Kentucky, USA)
miss kendra (Los Angeles, California, USA)
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, California, USA)
Tits McGee (New England, USA)
Joe (NE Tennessee, USA)
10K Monkeys (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA)
Big Stupid Tommy (Athens, Tennessee, USA)
Newscoma (Weakley County, Tennessee, USA)
Finnspace (Springfield, Tennessee, USA)
LeBlanc (Lewisburg, Tennessee, USA)
I Am DisHeartened by My Jetta (Nashville, TN, USA)

2. List out your top five favorite places to eat at your location.

Phew - Top five?! There are a lot of really good restaurants here in Nashville (I think). The ones that I frequent most aren't necessarily the ones that I like the most. So, humm....

In no particular order my list is as follows:

1. Virago - Such good sushi! Good martinis, too! Monday's are half-priced sushi and martinis. Go then...but tip to the unaware, make reservations ahead of time...you'll need them on Monday's. Oh...and I'm not sure but there is some dress code. Guys can't wear hats or something like that. Don't quote me here...but I think that's right.

2. J. Alexander's - If you can't find something on their menu that suits your fancy...then you're too hard to please. They have a fantastic veggie/black bean burger that even non-vegetarians will like and their spaghetti squash is killer too. For dessert, they have a Snicker's pie thing that will make you wanna smack your mama.

3. Jasmine - One of my mom's favorite restaurants and recently one of mine, Jasmine serves fantastic and creative French-Thai cuisine. The standard Wonton Soup and Pad Thai are phenomenal! Beginner's Tip - Go at lunch when the meals are considerably cheaper and you get soup and an egg roll to boot.

4. Rosepepper Cantina - Located in East Nashville, this trendy "Mexican" restaurant has loads of character. And they have the best fish tacos and margaritas in town. Seriously, don't argue with me on this...it's true. They are the best.

5. Christopher Pizza Co. - Have to include fellow a Belmont grad in here! Christopher's has crazy pizzas if you like to try something a little different and it's located in a prime spot...right on Demonbruen. Awesomeness. Grab a beer, order a dish, sit back and people watch on their porch while live music plays most nights.

3. Tag up to 5 other people, preferably in other states or countries.

Kerpupples - I'm going to Denver in June/July and I need the dish (if you will ) on some good places to go!
BB - Sure, she's in NashVegas...but whatever.
Michael - Sure, he's in Nashville too...
Salmon Pants - Okay I really need to get around more...another Nashville blogger.
The Biscuits - I hear you are the person to go to for restaurant info and I need somewhere new to crave!

Three Thanks

1. Sundresses - I love it when it gets hot enough to break out the sundresses. I wore the first one of the season yesterday and it only left me craving the purchase of more. Here's my issue...tell me if you sympathize. There's comfort in numbers, you know? See, I'm a short girl. Many times, the fashionable shorts are too short for my liking and capris don't always look right (more like too short pants, aka highwaters). So, in the spring and summer, skirts and dresses are my thing. 'Tis the season!

2. Cloudless skies - If you were in Nashville this weekend, you understand how beautiful it was! Hot...but amazing nonetheless. Friday night was beautiful, Saturday and night were the same...and Sunday? Well, it just really took the cake. I played tennis that afternoon and got burned to a crisp...totally unexpected in March. It's what I get for being so dadgum pale complected!

3. Spring trees in bloom - You can't have missed them...the Eastern Redbud trees...they're on fire this time of year! They are just this emblazoned splash of purple on an otherwise natural-colored background. I just love them! Did you know that the Eastern Redbud is sometimes called the Judas tree, because it dates back to biblical times?? Well, whether you did or didn't know that little factoid, here's a montage so those of you not in the area can appreciate...

Tim and Faith! Tim and Faith!

Okay, I’m not one of those people that gets star-struck easily. Living in Nashville, we see country music stars quite often…so there’s no reason to get our panties in a wad over it. Recently, it seems as if Nashville is the cool place to be. It’s like an oasis for the Hollywood crowd. I mean, freakin’ Kid Rock moved here. Kid Rock, Pam Anderson, Katherine Heigel (Izzy from Grey’s Anatomy), Nicole Kidman…that’s all I can think of at the moment.

All this to say, that I have never been the slobbering “Oh my gah…it’s like totally a star…right there, look! Ahhh! I can barely stand it!”

Let me tell you where I just was. You’ll never believe it…okay, maybe you will…

I was just at a movie screening of Tim McGraw’s new movie, Flicka…with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill sitting a few rows back. Ahhh! I can barely stand it! Okay, Tim…take him or leave him. He seems like a nice guy…but Faith! Hello woman crush! She seems like such a genuine person. She has a handsome husband who loves and dotes on her, her children are absolutely gorgeous, oh yeah…and she is incredibly talented and beautiful.

I was able to go to this due to my wonderful friend, Abi, who works for his label. Fabulous!

So, Tim McGraw’s “Number One Fan” was there. (All persons shall remain nameless). She told us when Tim was making his way by, “If he talks to any of you, you have to introduce me. I don’t care what you’re talking about…find a way to segue to me.” Well, shocking to all I’m sure…Tim didn’t stop to talk to us.

After the show we all stood out in the lobby giving NOF the run down of what Tim was doing at that exact moment.

“Okay, he’s facing us now.”

“Okay, Faith is walking this way but Tim is still over there.”

“Ohhh! Ohhh! They are both walking this way! They’re coming!”

And there they came. NOF turns, grabs Tim’s arm and says:

“I just want to thank you for being so wonderful.”

What?! Haha – Oh NOF!

Tim thanks her and walks off…like it is completely normal for people to thank him for being born everyday. Yeah…not something on my daily agenda. Brush teeth, check. Bathe, check. Feed the cat, check. Be idolized, check, check.

Technorati Profile

Oh dear...Thong Girl 3?

For those of you not from Nashville, you may not know where Gallatin is. Apparently, Gallatin Mayor, Don Wright, does not know where Tennessee is. Smack dab in the Bible Belt. According to this article in the Tennessean, Mayor Wright allowed “Thong Girl 3” to be filmed in his office and has subsequently “raised some eyebrows in town.”

Ya think?!

Wright, of course claims he had no knowledge of the film’s subject matter and only knew generally what it was about. "They told me it was a film about a superhero woman and there was no nudity or any kind of offensive stuff in the film," Wright said.

Let me fill you in on this film series.

The superheroine (assuming this would be Thong Girl) dons red underwear and "polices the skies with an iron fist" to keep Nashville safe. This is according to the Thong Girl Web site, thonggirlfilms.com. That’s right, there is a website ladies and gentlemen.

Apparently, a citizen, Jim Hawkins is in support of the Mayor, stating "the idea didn't appeal to him but he has faith in the mayor's judgment.” Really? Are you sure about that? "I would say that I will have to reserve judgment until I see the movie — but since I'm never going to see the movie, I guess I won't be making any judgment about the mayor's cinematic ethics. From knowing Mayor Wright, however, I do not believe that he would knowingly allow City Hall to be used for improper purposes." Then why aren’t you going to see the movie Mr. Hawkins? Inquiring minds want to know.

The filmmaker, Glen Weiss stressed that his movie is "family friendly. This is definitely a PG-13 movie. There's no nudity, no cussing and no sex. The family can go to this."

Friday night, honey, I have an idea! Let’s take the kids to see “Thong Girl 3!” They’ll love it! So it’s got a scantly clad women in nothing but a cape and a red thong? What’s the big deal? I’m sure Superman was risqué in his day too…wearing his underwear outside his pants and all.

Weiss went on to say that at comic book conventions "Kids come up to her. She has a cape on. She's very modest." Yeah, I bet!

Get this though…here’s another kicker to the story –

“The plot line involves Thong Girl's alter ego, Lana Layonme, who went shopping at a lingerie store one day and put on a pair of red thong underwear, which gave her magical powers. In the third installment, Thong Girl faces off against her nemesis, the Dark Widow, who's out to take over country music and turn its artists into rappers.” Seriously? Really? This is a movie? Let’s pronounce Thong Girl’s alter ego. Lana Lay-on-me? Yeah, family friendly. Also, on a side note…why’s the Widow gotta be the bad person? Who gave widows a bad name is what I want to know.

On a side (but so appropriate) note, Wright apparently got into some hot water earlier this year for asking a female employee if she had breast implants.

Wright is quoted as saying, "This is a chance for our people to get in the movies and make some money. I was excited about it."

He shocked when he looked at the Thong Girl Web site and was "surprised" by what he found.

"I didn't have a clue." I’m sorry, but did the title of the film not clue you in?

"If there's something derogatory or sexual in it, I'm not pleased about anything like that being in my office. Of course, nobody would want to see that," the mayor said. Haha, if? IF? The plot centers around a superheroine that flies around in a THONG. A THONG!

To close, a questions begs to be asked. "Thong Girl 3?" Please don't tell me that somewhere out there there is a "Thong Girl 1" and "2." Please don't tell me that these achieved so much success that there would actually be funding to create a third. Sometimes...most times...I worry about the society that I live in. Get a life people and stop watching comic book porn.

Updates!

Here are more pictures from my hiking adventure at Fall Creek Falls this past weekend:


Brian in transit...

Daniel and Christian in the car on the way to the park.

Daniel, Christian and Brian...Seriously, this one's a keeper!

And so is this one! Christian and Daniel dangling their feet off the first falls.

Doug, Christian and Brian swimming at the second falls.

Danielle, Doug, Christian and Brian making their way to the falls.

Group shot!

Katie, Doug, Danielle, Brian, Daniel, and Christian

Fall Creek Falls

I went hiking on Sunday at Fall Creek Falls , a Tennessee state park. My friends and I went back in February when snow was covering the ground, so this time it was considerably different! It was a lot more relaxing and fun because I didn't have to worry about slipping on ice and falling down like 50,000 feet. Yeah, that's right. 50,000 feet.

I took some pictures with my camera and will upload those as soon as I can. Here are some that I have received from my fellow hikers.

Above was our whole group taken overlooking the falls.

Swimming in the falls. A tad chilly for me! Looks like fun though!


I'll post my updates as soon as I get them! Have a great week!

Independence Day 2006

I took a video with my Kodak EasyShare camera on the 4th. Personally, I think it rocks! I hope you do too.

My friend and I got tickets to this, well...kind of...dirty bar downtown Nashville to watch the fireworks. The bar is just skanky. Not somewhere I would go if it weren't in prime firework watching territory...and if the tickets weren't free. Humm...

This being said, when I went to answer the call of nature there was a lady in the bathroom. She was ready and willing to help me with my every bodily need. This is something I expect to see in a nice restaurant, country club, etc...but not here. It's loud in this bathroom, chaos is all around. Girls redoing their hair with the hair spray provided. Gargling with the mouth wash provided. Eating candy out of the bowl provided (gross!!!).

The door to my particular stall wouldn't close all the way but this bathroom attendant (whom I cannot understand) persists to usher me inside and block my door with a stool. So, now I can't get out.

When I finished answering the call I knocked on the stall door, but it was still so loud in there she couldn't hear me! So I push on the door. Push again. The stool doesn't move, but it does go crashing to the ground. Fabulous.

When I make my way to the sink she squirts soap into my hands before I even have a chance to turn on the water. So now I have a handfuls of soap and no water. My soapy fists turn on the faucet...but no water comes out. But I can hear the pipes straining in the walls. Attendant lady dives for the faucet and turns it off. I hear her mutter "this one" as she points to another sink. Okay...

I notice a fish bowl filled with pocket change and it is then that I realize she is doing this for tips. At this crappy place...on the Fourth of July...she is trying to earn a living collecting tips...in a bathroom.

I just didn't feel right celebrating all night.

Hiking in Nashville

Some pictures from hiking around Radnor Lake. If you haven't been there and you live around here...you must go! The Ganier Ridge trail is my favorite. It turns into the Lake trail so you get to see Radnor Lake as well.

Tennessee is beautiful this time of year.