Texans in a Foreign Land

Spring Break

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:14:00 +0000

We went to 'Bama for Spring Break-into the northeast mountains-with mom and dad.
We stopped by the Alabama (music group) museum to see the sights and sounds. Well, there weren't too many sights, though there were some good sounds. Not something I would drive to if I was a long ways away-but something you need to go to if you are in the area. I'm glad we did it. Above is Lauren, dad, Randy Owens, and the gang.

Me, mom, and the boys.

The museum.

This is the view out the back of our cabin in the mountains. Really cool.

The cabin.

Mom and dad, somewhere. By the Little River Canyon, possibly.

Lauren and I at the same not-sure place.

Little River Canyon . . . well if you turn around it is. This is looking upstream.

There it is-the falls. Amazing-I think we put up some pics a couple of years ago--it was basically bone-dry then. Amazing what was some rain can do.

Looking downstream.

This is the gorge the river makes. It was a really long ways down and really beautiful.

The southernmost ski resort in the U.S.A. I kid you not. Yeah, they had to make that snow. I think we have pics from there a couple of years ago, too. This is something I want to come do next year. The skiing is really, really cheap there-the only way I would ever do it. Of course you don't get a whole lot there--this is pretty much it. But still, it's cheap skiing. Lauren would make fun of me-but still, I want to do it.

Falls just outside of Desoto State Park. Again-there wasn't much flowing a couple of years ago.

This is the Hapeville Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House in the Atlanta suburb of Hapeville, close to the airport. This is the first Chick-Fil-A ever.

A good trip . . . as Prudence Jones would say in the newspaper, "A good time was had by all."

The Most Beautiful Place On Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:56:00 +0000

Yeah, I know, it's been a while. So sue us. The goings-on of our lives seem to be less interesting, so we just sort of quick blogging. I guess all of the new things that fascinated us when we first moved to Georgia quit fascinating us so much. Maybe we became less "foreign" in a "foreign land." Who knows.

But I recently had a trip to Charleston, SC for a conference. I wanted to upload some pics to show off. Maybe this will energize our blogging-ness . . . maybe it won't. Who knows.

On my way to Charleston, I realized I would be going by Augusta National. I knew I would be going to Augusta; but somewhere in east Georgia, I had the thought--I should go take some pics.

I have tried this before. Years ago, on a trip to Charlotte, Lauren and I went by the golf course to see what we could see. Basically all we could see was a sign. It was very disappointing. We went hours out of our way . . . to see a sign.

This time around, I knew what to expect. I actually got some better pics this time around--I found a couple of parking lots across the street from the only entrance. Basically, besides this entrance, if you were driving by, you would have no idea you were driving by a golf course . . . much less quite possibly the most famous, most beautiful golf course in the nation, if not the world.

Above is a pic from a nearby street.

This is the view down the famous, "Magnolia Lane." I always imagined this drive down to the clubhouse to be longer. On one drive by, I peered in and could see the driving range. That thing was unbelievably green for the end of January. I mean, it looked better than most golf courses do . . . any time of the year. B-e-a-utiful.

This is the same view, from a different angle--showing the only marker of the golf course (the aforementioned sign) and a little check-in gate. There is a person there, checking people in and out, I guess. I had the fleeting thought of--I wonder what they would do if I just drove in. I decided not to give that a try.
A street sign of Magnolia Lane. This is the island (Daniel Island) I stayed on in Charleston. Really nice. Really beautiful.

Unfortunately, this was about the only picture I got from Charleston. One night, I drove down into the historic part of town, right around sunset. Our memory card on the camera had just filled up from pics. I did not want to take the time to sift through which pictures to delete and miss the town as the sun went down. So, I just decided to forget the camera and enjoy it all--pictures never really capture the true beauty of things anyway.

That night, like I said, I went into Charleston. It is great. I got to see across the water to Fort Sumter (where the Civil War started), ate at a fabulous restaurant, and got to hang-out in that really cool part of town. The next morning, I woke up early and went down to the beach, just as the sun was coming up over the Atlantic Ocean. I wandered down to a little fort, which I found out was the site of the first American victory of the Revolunationary War and where all the slaves came into the south before the Revolutionary War. It was a really cool moment. Charleston . . . if you ever get the chance to go, you gots to.

Sure Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:50:00 +0000

I heard this morning that it was a tornado that came through Carrollton. Wow.

We Were Lucky

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Mon, 12 May 2008 00:16:00 +0000

Last weekend, I took a trip to Macon for a Youth Minister's conference. I took this pic on the way back--it is Barbie Beach. These people have it out in front of their house, on the highway. They change the Barbies and the clothes every so often. A little strange.

Look at that short hair.

Also notice the sign in the background (if you click on the picture, it enlarges).

The above pictures are all from our storm last night. We were awoke at 4:00 a.m. to the storm sirens going off. I took a peek outside to see the strongest winds I have ever seen. We have not yet heard exactly what sort of storm it was--but the pictures above tell the story. Most of these pics are taken within a couple of blocks from our place. The large uprooted tree is about 30 yards from the church. One of the college students from our church lives in the house. In fact, he was in the room the tree smashed down upon.

The town looks much better tonight; but this morning, Carrollton was a mess. Streets were shut down, with trees and power lines down everywhere. Trees smashed into lots of houses. Our power was out for over six hours. Getting ready for this morning for church was an experience. We had worship service in the dark--that was one to remember.

We have heard a tornado went through about 10 miles south of here. We checked that out--and roofs are off of some houses down there.

All in all, we feel lucky. We woke up at the time of the worst part of the storm--but we could not get any TV or radio, so we weren't sure what was going on. The house of some friends of ours, they said, was shaking; and their trampoline was thrown a quarter-mile from their house.

If this was all just a storm, it was quite a storm.

Just thought this picture needed to be taken.

This is a familiar scene around the house these days. Jane had a summer haircut last week. It is basically a burr. She went from long hair to extremely short hair. We think it has affected her personality. She seems to be depressed now. She used to chow down her food; now she sort of grazes on it throughout the day. She sort of mopes around the house. She just, to put it simply, looks sad. Hopefully she will jump out of this quickly. We do now know that Jane is a very fit dog--was difficult to see under all of that hair.

Jane did enjoy this past Friday. We went to Johns Mountain, up north of Rome. Of course, we forgot the camera. But, the drive and the view were incredible. We drove up to the top of a mountain, then hiked a 3.8 mile loop up on top. I got me some SnoBiz--in Cedartown. Just as good as I remember it. A margarita/orange sno-cone mix. Mmmm. There is also a SnoBiz in Bowdon--not far from here. It is a super-duper SnoBiz--I have never seen anything like it.

Now This is Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:09:00 +0000

This past weekend, we went to Callaway Gardens. They are about 60 miles or so south of Carrollton--a large preserve, I guess you would call it. Full of gardens and all sorts of different stuff. They have a few golf courses on it. They hosted the PGA Buick Classic a few years back. An absolutely beautiful place. We have heard about it since we moved to Georgia. Earlier last week, I took a trip with our Senior Adults at church to the area and everyone said we needed to go down there. So, the next day we did. They have an amazing-looking lodge, some cottages, and people live out there, too.

The above picture is from their Azalea Bowl region. The azaleas are in bloom right now--and look amazing. This is what I imagine Augusta National to look like.

This is an overlook from a highway around Callway Gardens. Franklin Delanor Roosevelt moved down to this area right before he began his presidency--and had a little white house--something they now call "Little White House," a play on words from the presidential White House. This is one of the places that the Senior Adult group went to. I have some pictures from there-to post later.

Back to the Gardens . . . this is a picture from the chapel they have on the grounds.

Back to the Azalea Bowl area . . . pictures really do not do it justice.

More azaleas . . .

Have to turn your head sideways--sorry. A really interesting white flower.

They have a building that has butterflies flying all around in it--you can walk around in there. Pretty neat. Lauren loved it. She got to talking to a lady from Alabama in there. The lady told Lauren she drove through Texas once and, "saw some places she would never live in." She asked Lauren if she knew where Abilene is--said she could never live there. She was probably taken back a bit when Lauren told her we lived there seven years.

Jane and Lauren by some statue . . . should probably be able to remember what the statue is.

Jane and I. She had a fun day--walking all around the gardens . . . but wow did she sleep on the way home.

They have a vegetable garden on-site. They did not have much growing right now. They sell what they grow in their Country Store.

About 10 miles south of Callway Gardens. Ha.

Have never seen this before--the little red light in between the two bigger ones. I have seen little lights off to the side in Georgia that you can see as you come around corners, where red lights are located directly on curves. But not this. As best we can tell--we think it is a red-light camera.

Wow, did we see some signs. If we turned around and snapped all of the pictures we saw, we could do a separate blog just for them. We wanted to get a truck painted as an American flag; but it was gone on our way back through.

Afterwards, we went down to Columbus--had never been there before. I got me some Mazzio's Pizza--had not had that in forever. And wow, was it good. Tasted just like I remember it. Must not be too many of those around. I have seen one in Georgia (Newnan). Don't know when the last time I saw one was before that. There used to be a Chicken Express in Columbus--we were pumped about going down there--but it must have went under, because there is no sign of it on the internet anymore. But not to worry--there are some out in eastern Georgia--we'll have to make it to one before too long.

--be

Texas, O Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:48:00 +0000

First, the dog pictures. Miss Jane with us . . .
Jane seems to really be coming to life. She is getting a little more feisty and more animated, which makes us feel good. I think she is liking her new home and new peoples.

Kevin-Dog, celebrating Conley's big day.

Lauren went to Texas a couple of weeks ago to see family over Spring Break . . . and got to go to her niece's (Conley's) first birthday party.

Here is Conley with one of her birthday presents.

This past weekend, we went to Hamilton for Jana's wedding.

It was a long weekend with lots of work to be done--but it was very nice. We got to see lots of friends and family. It was a lot of fun.

Well we are sitting here watching the Mavs play the Lakers. I swear-they better not lose. They play the Lakers, Celtics, and Spurs this week--this week will tell us a lot.

--be

So, It's Been a While

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:09:00 +0000

Yeah, we know--it's been a while. Sorry. We just really have not had much to blog about--no big trips, no big happenings--just good ol', normal life. I started to write after the New Baptist Covenant a couple of weeks ago--but I just never got around to it. That was really cool--we got to see lots of friends--many of them from all around Texas--it was so good to see them all. That was a really great week--great speakers, great sessions, great food, great friends.

Lauren is in the flow of school. I am in the flow of work. Life is moving along. We continue to feel more and more settled in--more and more comfortable.

We took a trip this past weekend--to see Cloudland Canyon State Park in the northwest corner of Georgia, close to Chattanooga, Tennesse, a little over two hours from here. We, along with Miss Jane, hiked five miles. We are feeling it today--but we really enjoyed it.
Lauren, Jane, and a long ways off.

How about that waterfall?

Another waterfall

The best we could do to get us in a picture of the canyon

Having fun

One of many signs that we wanted to get a picture of. I do not think this needs any comment.

Hope all of you out in internet-land are doing well.

--be

Last Wednesday's Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Snowy Winter in the South

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:52:00 +0000

So it snowed today. And it snowed Wednesday. They say it has not done this in years. And, it is supposed to snow again later this next week. Good grief. We called church off Wednesday night and are only having the 11:00 a.m. service tomorrow. Here is snow in Carrollton:

Our front door:

Jane (Yeah, we got us a name):

Lookin' out our front door:

I have some other pictures of the snow from earlier in the week that I hope to post soon.

Lauren and Jane:

Jane has had a bit of a rough week. We took her to the groomer on Thursday, in hopes of cutting down on the shedding around this joint. We did not really accomplish that--we just made her look a bit like a boy. They clipped her hair extremely short--to the point that she was absolutely shivering and shaking from the cold when we picked her up and put her in the truck. While there, the groomers told us they thought she was pregnant (something we had wondered, as her belly has gotten significantly larger over the past week).

Well, yeah, we freaked out. A dog having puppies on a hardwood floor without any sort of access to the outside, a garage, or anything of that short. Well, just not really possible. We were not sure what were going to do. So, she went to the vet on Friday. They said she was not pregnant. She was spayed and given more vaccinations than a newborn (okay, probably not--but this is my first time around the block experiencing first-hand all of the things that actually go into sustaining the life of a dog). She now has a really big scar--and she acted completely loopy yesterday--took a while for the anethesia to wear off (that was really funny).

We found the second place in Carrollton (or Georgia for that matter) that has beef brisket. Not quite as good as the first . . . and definitely no Smoke Shack or Sonny Bryan's or Dickey's. But hey-at least, they are trying. They have seen the light--and it is called beef brisket. I am getting a little more accustomed to this Brunswick Stew stuff. It is a bit weird--but does not taste too bad.

--be

We're Getting Nowhere Here

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:29:00 +0000

We still do not have a name for the dog. Tomorrow will be a week. We have thought of everything we can think of . . . we think. Right now, "Jane" seems to be the frontrunner--but I don't know. She kind of looks like a Jane--but not really sure 'bout that one.

My vote is for "Waffles." The second day we had her, she jumped up and stole three of my waffles off of my plate at dinner, then ran off with them. I figured that should be her name. However, that one did not work out. She has come out of her shell. The first day she was extremely nervous. Not so anymore.

She could be the perfect dog--no barking, no jumping up on you, no going to the bathroom in the house. She just lays there, lets you pet her. No freaking out. Nothing. The only downside is she sheds a good bit. We have swept the house more this last week than we have since we have been here. But we are getting her groomed on Thursday--hopefully that will help.

Lauren is back full into the swing of school . . . I am back into the swing of work. What does that really mean to be back into the "swing" of something. Makes no sense.

Well you might think I would take this opportunity to rant about the Cowboys and their ridiculous performance (if you even want to call it a performance this past Sunday). But, no, I will not do so. I will simply say that living a good distance away from the sports teams you support can be a good thing when they collapse (as Randy Galloway calls it--the biggest collapse in the town of Loserville--bigger even that the Mavs collapse last year)--see, when you live in an area that is dominated by other teams, you do not have to hear about the Cowboys defeat 24/7. It is not all over the TV, radio, and is not what everyone is talking about. People that know you just do not even bring it up because they know you are hurting.

--be

The Unnamed Canine

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Say hello to the newest resident in the Edwards' householdr. We would tell you her name--but we are not sure of it yet. Maybe you have an idea? Let us know. The pound gave her the name, "Cinnabon"--but she does not respond to it--so it seems that we are free to call her what we want. We are not sure yet.

We picked her up this morning from the pound and took her straight to the pet supply store, so we could see which travel carrier she would fit in. She got loose in the parking lot; and (no lie) we came very close to not having our unnamed friend tonight. She shot off; and we are lucky to have gotten her back. Rather traumatic. I think I will move on without talking about it anymore--not a fun experience. Something we will laugh about . . . later on.

She has been pretty nervous all day long. Lauren has been able to stay her at the loft with her all day long. She has spurts of wanting to come out of the corner to say hello and mill about around the loft--but she has stayed fairly close to her new corner of the place throughout the day. She has sat by Lauren some as she has studied.

So . . . there you go.

--be

Our Texas Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:04:00 +0000

We hope you have had a fun-filled, enjoyable holiday season. We sure have. Sorry for the long delay between posts--we have been traveling around our fair nation and have both been swamped with stuff since we have been back.

We were able to spend a good deal of time with friends and family during the holidays--and we feel very grateful for that--we were so glad to be able to see you all. We were able to attend church in special places and see some special dogs and babies. We spent time in Hamilton and in the DFW Metroplex, seeing family and friends. We ate some good Texas food (though we were not able to work in any good Texas barbeque--though I know we will in our next visit here in a couple of months for Jana and Kyle's wedding). We graced the halls of Storm's, Chicken Express, Taco Bueno, and Uncle Julio's to name a few, not to mention all of the good food we ate in our families' homes.

Speaking of special dogs we got to see, we wanted to share two of them above--Kevin and Jake. Jake is wearing the shirt that says, "I Ate Santa's Cookies." Kevin is in the sexy pose. The picture above that is taken behind a restaurant/meat market in Hamilton--they sell Pork Butt sandwiches, along with buffalo meat and all sorts of other goodness and well, we just had to take that picture.

Do we look good or what?

Our favorite niece (okay, our only niece--but still) being pushed around in her new Christmas present by her aunt Lauren.

We enjoyed our time over the holidays; and we are now back into the swing of things in C-Town. Lauren finishes up her first week of school of the spring semester tomorrow. I am back full into the flow of Youth Ministry.

--be

Down with Fellini's

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:49:00 +0000

I was hoping to report on the blog tonight a wonderful culinary experience from today. Rather, I have to warn you--if you are ever in Atlanta, do not eat at Fellini's Pizza. I have seen a few of them around the city. Today, we ate at one on Ponce de Leon Ave. It was gross. The pizza was not that great--sort of a cardboard'y taste. And the calzone was just a big chunk of cheese--with a little bit of crust and some sausage in it. The only good thing, as Lauren reports, is the mariana sauce that came with the calzone. That's about it. Her vote was to go The Varsity. I voted to try something new. We should have stuck with the good ol' grease pit, The Varsity. I highly regret our decision.

We went into town to do a few things and go watch a movie. Then, when we were there, sitting down and watching a movie in a dark theatre right after lunch just made us sleepy (of course, the greasy cheese and pizza mixture in the bottom of our stomachs probably did not help--I know, probably a lovely visual for you). So we explored a bit. We came upon Atlantic Station--an outdoor mall along with lots of different housing, very close to downtown. Was pretty cool. Banana Republic, Express, things like that. Had a really trendy-looking Target--with parking on the first level, then the Target above it. Was pretty cool. I had a Starbuck's Frappucino to salvage our eating experience for the day (we do not have a Starbuck's here in Carrollton--one thing that we do not have but desperately need).

We took the camera to hopefully take some cool pics from our lunch experience--then our stomachs and heads hurt, so we just wanted to get out of there. And, there is this ginormously huge mailbox outside of Douglasville I had hoped to get a shot of--but it was almost dark when we passed through Douglasville--so alas, no picture for this posting.

Hope all is well with you out there in internet-land. As a good friend would put it--remember, we are just 10 minutes east of Dallas, via the internet. We look forward to our Texas voyage, just around the corner. All is well here in Georgia. Lauren is lovin' life now with school being out for the semester. Work is going great for me--we have already had our big youth Christmas shin-dig . . . and I am really enjoying getting out and watching youth's games and concerts around town.

--be

Waffle House, Waffle Yes

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:56:00 +0000

What is amazing to me is that the soft yellow glow of the Waffle House sign still gives me joy. We ate their late last night; and getting out of my car and walking across a Waffle House parking lot still makes me happy--because I know what is inside--pure goodness. There are three here in town--one less than a mile from our loft. Ah . . . yeah.

I remarked to someone the other day that I think every town in Georgia has a Waffle House--it is true. They're everywhere. Heck, less than ten miles from where I sit, there are Waffle Houses across the interstate from each other.

Of course, our visit last night was as good as any. That's the greatness of it--awesome and yet consistent. And, oh my, they have added something to their menu--biscuits and gravy--finally. When you think about it, this is something they should have had all along--being a Southern staple. Waffles, double hashbrowns smothered and covered, and biscuits and gravy (no that was not my entire meal--we shared it). Mmm--that brings me some joy.

Life moves along well for us. Lauren will be finished with school next Tuesday--we are looking forward to that. Has been a good semester. We have a big youth Christmas deal on Saturday--it has been a really busy week at the church for me. We are looking forward to getting to come to Texas for a good visit here in a few weeks. My sister is going to fly out for a few days before we drive to the nation of Texas and then ride back to the Lone Star State with us.

We had a Deacon Christmas Party on Monday night--a bluegrass/western quartet came and played some for us. Was really good. They played this one song, "Cross the Brazos at Waco" that talked a lot about Texas. Lots of people turned around and looked at me. They know the Texan in the room.

I am watching the Mavs struggle through another one. Man, they are not doing well. And, we are not able to see many of their games here of late. Maybe that is for the best, as they go through their woes. My theory is Avery is just sort of playing around, not pushing anyone too much, trying to figure out different line-ups until later in the season--then they will really turn it up later in the season and as the playoffs begin (rather than trying to calm down at the end of the season, then have to really turn it back on when the playoffs begin). At least that is my theory--I guess it makes me feel better about it all.

--be

Holiday Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:25:00 +0000

We have had a nice holiday weekend, so far. We spent yesterday hanging around the house. We did get out during the afternoon to drive around, just to see what all was open around town. Burger King was the only fast-food restaurant open. The Waffle Houses (all three of them) were open (of course). A couple of grocery stores and Blockbuster, along with a few other things.

We woke up and had a marvelous breakfast--french toast casserole. Sorry the pic is sideways--just turn your head:
Lunch was incredible. The picture does not do justice. Turkey stuffed with dressing--unbelievable. Asparagus with ham. Lauren's family's tradition--Irish Potato Casserole. A meal to remember for a while:

A Dallas Cowboys win topped the day off just right. Has been quite a sports weekend, so far. Mavs won. 'Boys set a record, going to 10-1. Right now, though, things do not look that great for the Longhorns. The pesky Aggies are up 10-0 and driving early in the second quarter. That would be just like A & M--they're not having that great of a year, win or lose they will probably make some sorry bowl. Texas has an outside chance to still make the Big 12 Championship--and A & M will probably go on to beat them now. Stinkin' A & M (isn't that right, Janet?). And I've just about given up on Colt McCoy--great as a freshman, he can't remember what sport he is playing as a sophmore--he better shape up before next year (or everyone will be wondering where Jevan Sneed is).

This morning, we woke up early and went shopping for a little bit--here in Carrollton, then over in Newnan. This was my first experience with the Friday-after-Thanksgiving shopping deal. Not too bad. There really were some good deals out there. The amount of people was incredible. Even Carrollton's parking lots were full before 7:00 a.m.

What amazed me most was how inconsiderate people were. That, and how much stores stock their aisles full so that no one can walk down them, when the stores are full. People on cell phones walking around in parking lots, walking in front of cars . . . people walking around department stores with HUGE shopping carts, completely clogging aisles up. People just don't care. Something's wrong with that.

Newnan is really cool. There is a cool stretch of shopping on one of the major roads. Saw a Mazzio's Pizza place that looked to be shut down--but still, been a while since I have seen one of those. We had some breakfast at another Chick-Fil-A Dwarf House. They had a breakfast buffet (which we regret not eating at)--looked incredible--but we did not have a whole lot of time to mess around with Lauren needing to get back to work--so we just went to the fast-food part. Also said the breakfast buffet is on Wednesday night--that's awesome.

Newnan has a really cool downtown; and a pretty good barbeque place. Sprayberry's. Lauren had a barbeque sandwich that she liked. I had ribs (pork, of course--they have not discovered what good beef bbq is here) and brunswick stew. The ribs were pretty good. This stew stuff is everywhere--but we had not had any before today. It was actually pretty good. Seems like they just put some different scraps together and make a stew--pretty good. The bbq sauce was good--different from what we're used to (as is all bbq here--we just had to come to that realization today--it is just different, but good in its own way)--the sauce was vinegar-based. Here is a pic:

Well the sports weekend still has a ways to go, even if the Horns can't come back (this comeback junk is going to catch up to them before too long)--all kinds of good high school football tonight, then some good college football tomorrow--Georgia/Georgia Tech, Kansas/Missouri, etc.

--be

The Leaves, They Are A Changing

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 02:06:00 +0000

We are enjoying fall in the southeast. We believe the best colors of the leaves has probably passed us--but we have a good route to take next year in October to get a good view of the leaves. Here are some pictures from the State Park, just outside of Carrollton:

Below is a picture that disturbed me. As if Christmas means that we must pawn things so that we can buy gifts. I don't really think that is what it is all about. Signs have become very interesting to us here of late. There is one at the bottom this post. It does not really need any description.

Thought you might want to see a little something that we are going to enjoy tomorrow for Thanksgiving. Bourbon Pecan Pie with Chocolate Drizzle. Ah . . . yeah. I hope to post some pics of our T-giving food tomorrow.

This is what we had for tonight. Pizza roll. Yes, it was as good as it looks.

Like I said--needs no description.

We are looking forward to a nice, peaceful Thanksgiving holiday. Turkey with dressing stuffed in it (how? I don't know--Lauren is amazing), Irish Potato Casserole, Asparagus with Bacon, Yeast Rolls, and probably other stuff I cannot remember. Of course, if we can get a Cowboys victory tomorrow, that will make it quite a nice T-giving.

Quite a sports weekend--Mavs tonight (just watched them pull of a 17-point deficit for a win over the pompous Houston Rockets--I cannot stand that Tracy McGrady. Ah, yeah). Tomorrow-'Boys. Friday-Carrollton Trojans host a second-round playoff game, UT-A&M game, and the Hamilton Bulldogs take on Corrigan-Camden (congrats to them on one of the greatest upsets I have ever witnessed last week over Mart--sort of, I took it in on the internet radio--but I know it was amazing), Saturday-Kansas-Missouri game, not to mention the Georgia-Georgia Tech game, among others. Wow, I'm excited just to type it all out. Go Mavs. What a comeback, especially after their 24-point comeback last night. What a way to start the holiday off!

Lauren and I went to the Atlanta Thrashers game Monday night. The Phillips Arena is very cool. The concourse is extremely wide, with all sorts of different food eateries--pizza speciality place, hot dog speciality place, a salad and wraps place, burritos, along with tons of other stuff. The arena itself is really cool, too. The luxury suites (not that we got to see one or anything) look amazing.

I guess there is a reason hockey is a northern sport. It was freezing in there. I guess I should have thought about that more before we entered--but it was more warm outside at night than inside. The game was pretty neat to see. Hockey is like soccer--like Lauren says, they score so few goals that it makes it not nearly as interesting as more fast-paced sports--or even baseball. Baseball is peaceful and serene--but still exciting. We were going to take the camera to take some pics--but it did not fit into our pockets--and I did not really feel like taking it on the subway with us, just carrying it around.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours wherever you may be this holiday weekend!

--be

Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:46:00 +0000

No real news or any big happenings to report. I was going to head to the Alabama mountains to play at a beautiful golf course today--but that did not work out. So, I guess this is sort of a boring report.

We are in the middle of football season in these parts. The regular season of high school football just ended this past weekend, as it did in Texas. The Carrollton Trojans won their region (similar to districts in Texas). They will probably host a few games at home, if they are able to keep winning. They will face their toughtest test of the season in the third week of the playoffs, should they advance that far. They will place Carver-Columbus, the team that knocked them out last year--and I hear it will be there, so that should be difficult.

College football is in full swing, to say the least. We are holding our own for the Texas Longhorns--everyone knows where our allegiances lie. And even though NFL football is not big here, seeing as how the Falcons are lousy, people know of our passion for the Cowboys. Speaking of the Cowboys, How 'Bout Them Cowboys?

We are glad the NBA season is upon us. I expect people will soon learn of our passion for the Mavs. We have gotten to see a couple of their games, so far, as many of their games will be on national TV this year. We are thinking about getting NBA League Pass, so we can see all of their games. But if we do that, we will probably wait until later in the season--when it is cheaper, plus I do not know if I could keep up with all of that basketball. Their games come on so stinkin' late here. The other night, they were on TNT--against Golden State--but it did not come on until 10:30 p.m. here. 10:30 p.m.!

The leaves are beautiful here. Fall is spectacular. We expect spring to be, as well.

--be

The Lone Star Nation of Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:24:00 +0000

I travelled to the great nation of Texas this past weekend. Flew out of Birmingham, into Houston, then to Dallas Love Field on Thursday night. Then a straight shot back to B-ham on Saturday. I think my new favorite airport (since I have such a wide ranging repertoire to choose from!) is Houston Hobby Airport. They have a Pappas Burger restaurant, a Pappasito's food stand, and a lot of other restaurants. Small enough to be cozy and not hard to get around--and not too big.

I got to see family and friends over the weekend--it was really nice. Got to see mom, dad, Jana, and Jake the dog, along with lots of other family, youth, and friends. It was so good to see you all. We just hung out, for the most part; and I made a few quick trips around town. I saw the Hamilton Bulldogs defeat one of their rivals, the Clifton Cubs, in one of the greatest high school games I have ever seen. It was awesome. We had a goal-line stand as time expired. So much drama. And I got to see some of my former youth get the victory. Now they have to win this week and get a little help to make it into the playoffs.

Was very nice. On the way back to the airport, we stopped at Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth. Got to see our old stomping grounds and ate at one of our favorite FW restaurants--Uno Pizzeria. Mmmm. Sauceless pizza. I also got some good beef brisket during my TX stay. I cannot tell you how much I have missed that beef brisket goodness--thank you, Texas, thank you for beef brisket drowned in sauce.

Lauren is in the midst of what seems to be a horribly, extremely (any other adjectives?) difficult take-home test. She worked all weekend while I was away in the nation of Texas. She registered for her spring classes today--has the exact same schedule as this semester, just different classes. So that is great. She did not have class today-so she was able to stay at home all day, working.

--be

Biscuits, A Phantom Road, and Cheaha

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:27:00 +0000

This past Thursday, I had to go to Atlanta for a conference--so Lauren and I had dinner Thursday night up in the Buckhead District. We went to Uncle Julio's Casa Grande--of the same Uncle Julio's in the DFW Metroplex. And the food was the same. The chips were the same. The salsa was the same. Some good ol' Tex-Mex right here in the heart of Atlanta. T'was just what we needed.

On Friday, we had our crosstown football rivalrly--the two schools here in town played each other. It was surprisingly close in the first half--Carrollton was behind--but they came back to win, 29-3.

On Saturday, we headed out for the Cheaha Wilderness in Alabama. We were going to go hike the mountains--but Lauren has been sick, so we just drove around.

We began the day at one of Lauren's favorite southeast restaurants--Jack's. People in the southeast love their biscuits--and Jack's makes good ones. While we were there, it hit me--there are no Whataburger's in the southeast--that is sad.

After stopping at Jack's in Bowdon, we headed off for Alabama (only 15-20 minutes west of Carrollton). We saw this Sno-Biz in Bowdon. I worked at one of these in high school and have loved their sno cone goodness since. This isprobably the largest one I have ever seen--complete with their own ice cream. Interesting.

We drove through some really pretty country--really pretty country. All sorts of colors in the trees this time of year. Rolling hills. In Wedowee, Alabama, we saw this Bill's Dollar Store. It has been years since either of us have seen one of these. Lauren had a good point--it's like time stands still, to a point, in the southeast--many of the stores we grew up seeing (Bill's, Piggly Wiggly, etc.) still thrive in this part of the country.

On the way to Cheaha, we basically got lost. Or wait, to put it better--our map got lost. Did you know maps lie? Well the two we have sure do. We made it to Lineville, AL, from where Highway 46 was supposed to head off for the State Park. We now know Highway 46 DOES NOT EXIST. We drove around town looking for it for 30 min's, then finally stopped and asked at a gas station. The first two people I talked to had both never heard of this highway or the town on this highway that is shown to be five miles away from the town. Good grief.

Well, I finally talked to a guy who knew what he was talking about. I knew he was legit--when he said to come outside and he would show me where to go, then he sat his Mello Yello bottle down. I knew to trust to him. His instructions were to go down that road over there (he pointed in the direction), go down the hill for about a mile, down the hill, then turn right on the paved road. We did. We got to that other town (Pyriton), but then the highway just ended. Inexplicably. So we drove around for a while, then finally decided to turn on a road that was on the map.

The lesson we learned is to always check google maps. We had two maps--one showed highway 46 connecting to a highway (though this map left highway 46 unnamed). The map that named highway 46 did not show it connecting. I thought I would combine the knowledge of the two maps. Stupid. Always check with google maps and go with what it has--google knows all.

We finally made it to Cheaha State Park--probably a little over an hour east of Birmingham. The drive is spectaular--up mountains. This is the view from the restaurant at the State Park--we had a sack lunch here. There is a bit of a hue--sort of like what makes the Smoky Mountains so smoky. Sort of hard to see in this picture--but look in the horizon. Supposedly, on a clear day, you can see five to six surrounding states from up here.

You can see some of the different colors in the trees here.

This is the observation tower on the very top of Cheaha Mountain--the highest point in Alabama.

We climbed all the way to the top--up a very narrow set of stairs. We got to the top and were very disappointed in the view. So, I wanted to take a picture of something--so I chose this graffiti. I found it interesting for two things: 1. the misspelling of this great name of American cinema history & 2. we were probably less than 20 miles from talladega speedway.

This is at the bottom of Cheaha Mountain--at Cheaha Lake.

A nice day.

Like I said, Lauren is sick right now. We're hoping she can get better before tomorrow--she has a really difficult week ahead at school. School has been really intensive for her--but she is hanging in there.

Things at church are going well for me. We continue to feel more and more settled, more and more normal here in Carrollton. I am looking forward to heading to Texas this coming weekend for a quick weekend trip to see family.

--be

Weekend in the Southeast

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:19:00 +0000

On Friday night, Lauren and I went to the Carrollton football game in Sandy Creek, just south of Atlanta. We actually lost--it was strange. The stars aligned just right on that night for us to lose. Oh well. It is always strange to go to road games where we have twice as many people at the game than the home team. I bet they did not have one-third of their stands full. The P.A. announcer was the biggest homer I have ever heard--ridiculous--that stuff should not be allowed. He was continually telling the Sandy Creek crowd to yell and support their team. To the point of it being stupid. Also, they allow artificial noise-makers at high school games in Georgia, which is a bit different.

After the game, we went through Peachtree City on the way back. Peachtree City is the aforementioned city with over 100 miles of golf cart trails. Many of their residents just have a golf cart they drive around town, rather than a car. We have heard stories of some of them really souping their golf carts up--with shocks, speakers, etc.--just keeping up with the Jones', I guess. Anyway, it was funny to see a golf cart parked at Kroger's.

On Saturday, Lauren studied all day--fun, huh? I went to my first SEC football game. Wow. That's all I have to say. Tennesse at Alabama. Bryant-Denny Stadium holds 92,1832 people. It was incredible. We grabbed a pork bbq sandwich on the walk over to the stadium. I figured out my error in trying to eat bbq in the southeast. I keep expecting the beef bbq to be good here--like Texas beef brisket good. Rather than doing that, I should just go with the pork, I guess. It was awesome. This stuff had been cooking all night long. And, they did right what so many places do wrong here--they actually doused it in bbq sauce. So many places around here believe the sauce should not be poured all over it--they think the bbq should stand for itself. Whatever--that's just cause they must not have good sauce. This was incredible.

Then, I grabbed a hot dog at the game--very interesting. Can't say that I really liked it this way--but it was interesting. It was full of sweet onions and a mixture of chili and mustard. Different. But interesting. On the way home, we stopped at a Golden Rule BBQ--in Pell City, not the one in Birmingham. They have great fries. I had a double stack burger--with mustard and barbeque sauce. Was not the best burger ever--but it got me to thinking--barbeque sauce on a burger. Why, yes, brilliant! I have had it before but this reminded me about it--what a great idea.

'Bama started the game off with an onside kick that they recovered. It was pure awesomeness from then on. They kicked Tennessee all over the field, 42-17. Was close for a while, then it just got funny. 'Bama has a pretty good team. Give Saban a few years; and they will be contending for a national championship. Roll tide roll.

Today, I was reminded that we really do live in a beautiful place. I went up to Clarkesville for a funeral for some church members--a little over two hours northeast of here, in the foothills of the Appalachians, almost in South Carolina. It is a beautiful place. It's close to the town of Helen, which I have heard is an absolutely gorgeous place.

--be

Falcons Game

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:52:00 +0000

I went to my first NFL game on Monday night. I went to the Falcons-Giants game on Monday Night Football. Pretty dang cool. The Georgia Dome is huge. There were lots of things different about an NFL game--I was surprised how few players the teams had on their sidelines. The head coaches seem to be on their own little islands--not a whole lot of interaction with other coaches and players on the sidelines. Saw Stuart Scott, Emmitt Smith, and Steve Young--even though it was through binoculars.

The TV timeouts take FOREVER there at the game--and the teams, of course, just have to stand out on the field waiting for the commericals to be over. The Falcons are horrible--I mean, horrible. They cannot block. I hope to have some more pictures to post from the game soon. One of the best things about the Falcons game is Atlanta has a great subway/rail system. So, we were able to park out by the loop around town and ride it in to the game (downtown). We had dinner in the CNN Center--where all the CNN stuff goes down, they have a huge food court on the first floor. Pretty cool. We had great seats--they were behind the end-zone, so you could see everything develop.

--be

Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:41:00 +0000

It was a nice chilly 40 degrees this morning and is supposed to be a nice balmy mid-70s this afternoon.

Just thought you might like a weather report.

--be

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:49:00 +0000

A couple of weekends ago, Chuck (Lauren's dad) came in for a visit. 'Twas a nice weekend of showing him around town and hanging out. He got in town on Friday night and was able to stay until Sunday morning. He ate his first Krystal burger (oh yeah). They ate at Miller's on Friday night, a restaurant on the square here in town that we have been wanting to try for a while. There is a Miller's restaurant, the same Miller's that is here, in Virginia--the town U of Virginia is in (can't think of it right now) in which Dave Matthews Band basically came to be. How is that for a little trivia.

That same weekend, a friend of ours from the great state of Texas was also in town. Angela was in seeing some family that lives here. We had a great time at lunch with them; and then I went to the Carrollton game that night with them at a football stadium literally out in the middle of the country. It was pretty interesting--it was the largest crowd they have ever had at that stadium--so they had a plane flying overhead taking pictures all night. A fun night. Good to hang out with Angela and her aunt and uncle--they are all great people. Carrollton High is dominating football in the great state of Georgia. They are ranked third in the state; and they beat the team that was supposed to give them the most difficult game of the year last week, 42-0. Ought to be a fun run this season!

Last week, I went to a really cool exhibit at Emory University in Atlanta (Lauren went to it today with a friend). The exhibit is on artifacts of early Christianity. There was part of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls there (the temple scroll)--that was incredible. The world's largest, oldest menorah was there. Lots of old pieces of the first Christian churches of the Constantinople era. Some of the utensils similar to what was probably used at the Lord's Supper were there. A decomposed ankle bone with a nail from a cross in it--similar to how Jesus was probably crucified. I realize I am probably boring many of you and probably grossing the rest of you out with that last tidbit--so I will move on. But suffice it to say--it was really, really cool.

Matthew, Lindsay, and Conley came in this past weekend. They came in on Thursday morning and headed back out on Saturday evening. Thursday, they all chilled here in town. On Friday, we headed into Atlanta and messed around. Had lunch at the Flying Biscuit Cafe. Both Lindsay and I had some really creamy grits there--unlike anything I had had before. Matthew had some chicken that looked great and some good sides. Lauren had a really good breakfast. And, of course, we all had wonderful biscuits. We also went to the DeKalb Farmers Market/World Market. By far, the biggest market we have ever been to. Was really cool--huge, all sorts of food, produce, and stuff. Then, we all enjoyed hot dogs, onion rings, and orange frosties (mmm) at The Varsity--what they call the World's Largest Drive-In.

Friday night, Matt and I went to the Carrollton game and saw them drum up on the Cass Colonels.

Saturday, we messed around town, including going to the State Park here outside of town. Below is a good picture of us in the forest.

Lauren and our niece, Conley, on a bridge.

Conley and I

Saturday night, we headed into Birmingham and dropped them off at the airport. Afterwards, Lauren and I drove around B-ham for a little bit. We saw the restaurant that inspired the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes" (Irondale Cafe):

And, this is the only Waffle House I have ever seen that is not in a Waffle House building. Looks like they used some sort of an existing structure for it.

We saw a few sites around B-ham (which, by the way, is a really cool town--lots of rolling hills and trees and cool stuff), then headed back. We ate at a famous Alabama BBQ place--Golden Rule. After eating at a few BBQ places in the southeast-we are basically sort of disappointed. We miss the beef brisket, which they do not have out here. We have eaten at a few places so far that are pretty good--Fat Matt's in Atlanta, Bilbo's in Bremen, and Shane's Rib Shack here in town--but it is a chain, so it is all over. The rest have been a bit of a disappointment.

Oh well. On the way back, we also drove by Talladega on race weekend. The race track is only a mile or two off of I-20. Talladega on a Saturday night of race weekend is a pretty rocking place. Tons of campers in these enormous fields, all waiting for the race the next day. I mean, there were a TON of people out there. Pretty crazy sight.

One other thing before I wrap this one up--I have noticed that there are not really many dirt roads (on state-maintained roads) in the southeast, well at least in Georgia, but probably other states, as well. All of the county roads are paved. Interesting. 'Til next time . . .

--be

Amicalola Falls

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:58:00 +0000

Yesterday, I went with our senior adult group here at the church to Amicalola Falls--the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. B-e-a-utiful. Up in the mountains, where the north Georgia mountains start. The foothills of the Appalachians--in fact, the start of the Applachian Trail (remember that from Oregon Trail, anybody?) starts seven miles from this state park. That trail goes all the way to Maine--2,140 miles of hiking trail. Wow, would that be cool. Anyway, this is looking out the window of the lodge we ate at.

Again, the lodge. This was our view during lunch.

This is the trail to the actual falls. This trail is made out of recycled tires--really cool, really squishy. There were some stairs (420 of them to be exact) to climb to the top of the falls. I went up part of the way and realized it was going to take a while to get up there. Probably would have done it--but did not want to slow the group down.

The falls.

Our church bus in the parking lot of the trail.

We stopped at a pumpkin farm on the way back. A lot of pumpkins. Had a hay-ride and all sorts of pumpkin stuff there. Pretty cool.

That is one big pumpkin.

We hope to share some pictures and tales from the past couple of weeks with you soon--just have to find some time to sit down and do it.

How 'bout them Cowboys????

--be

Grits, Grits, Grits

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Edwards) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:05:00 +0000

They're awesome. Grits, grits, grits. They go with everything--and they're good with everything. You want just plain grits to go with eggs and bacon--awesomeness. How bout some cheese grits with basically any entree--tastes great. Everywhere you go-grits.

Grits are basically everything the southeast is about--and that's fine by me. Not sure I totally understand grits--but that's okay-I don't need to.

-be