Last Friday (the 12th), I got to go see the Black Eyed Peas in concert at the Sommet Center. Now, that was a freakin blast. My good friend Leslie arranged for a limo to take us (she and I, and a few girls from her office) downtown; it’s always fun to ride in style. Opening acts were LMFAO and Ludacris. That may sound like an odd combination, but it was a great way to kick off the night. I was surprised at how many songs I knew by both groups. Well, and then the BEPs came out and it was all over. Damn they know how to put on a good show. Fergie was amazing; I kept saying “Its really her, its really her”. Haha. will.i.am rocked it out and I heard he DJ’d later at one of the clubs downtown. We just limo-ed it to Whiskey Kitchen for a drink or two after the show. Overall, it was a spectacular night and a great extension of my birthday (as the ticket was a bday present from Leslie).

Speaking of my birthday, I have to say it has got to be one of my best birthdays ever (my Sweet 16 on a boat was pretty sweet). On my actual birthday, a small group of friends and I enjoyed a delicious, relaxing meal at Flyte and ended the night at Mafiaoza’s for an additional cocktail. I took it easy on Thursday in order to prepare for Friday, which was the main event! Another good friend, Kristin, used her inside connections to secure us two King Suites at the Hutton Hotel and arranged for 12 of my girlfriends to party on the town and then crash at the hotel. We started out with tipsy madlibs and then got all dolled up in the suite before calling up our favorite taxi driver, who just happened to be driving his limo that night (same one as above). So we all piled in to the limo to go three blocks to midtown where we partied it up at Broadway Brewhouse and Hollywood Disco. Afterwords, we headed to Broadway and danced our hearts out at Decades. Altogether I think we danced for about three hours.

And my feet were not happy with me the next day. The next week really. I guess wearing heels that are slightly too small and constrict your toes is not a great idea. From the ball of my foot to the tip of my toes, I had a tingling sensation, like when they get super cold, for 8 days. I had them checked out and found out it could last for weeks, but luckily I recovered quickly. I will, however, use that as a lesson and not subject my feet to such torture ever again. Here’s to good intentions.

This weekend I’m participating in a Habitat for Humanity home build with my co-workers. I’ve never done one before (and now realize how difficult it is to arrange/sponsor a build) so I’m pretty excited. I’m just hoping for somewhat nice weather, as the build will happen no matter what. I’ll try to get some pictures posted afterwords!

Friday night I attended the “Taste of Nashville” with my friends Kristin and Emily, along with hundreds of other people. After a quick pre-party at Mafiaoza’s, we cabbed it down to the Cannery Ballroom, aka Mercy Lounge, to join the crowd. I managed to score a free ticket (thanks Kristin!), so I ate and drank to my heart’s content. We even got seats in the VIP section, which were large white fabric couches, not necessarily the smartest choice for a food/wine event. I did manage to snap a shot of the wine stain that appeared on the couch nearby.

Said eating and drinking made volunteering early Saturday morning quite a painful task at first. Kristin, Kerry, Terry and a few others teamed up with Hands on Nashville to paint the interior hallways of Thomas A Edison Elementary in Antioch. Terry’s son attends school there and she also works in the administration office, so it was very nice to be able to volunteer at a location where friends spend most of their waking hours! After a few hours of painting and cleaning (and we would’ve been mulching if it hadn’t poured down rain the whole time), we headed back to Limelight where HON hosted a buffet lunch from Whole Foods and live entertainment. I lasted about 30 minutes before begging to go home for a nap and Kerry graciously obliged.

After a quick snooze on the couch, I readied myself for (another) night of fun and festivities, this time at an 80′s Anniversary Party for my friends Stacey and Rickey. I met them about a year ago and have celebrated the 4th of July as well as other holidays with them and their kids. Their 18th wedding anniversary party was no disappointment either, blazing the 80′s rock, fun outfits and plenty of food. The after-party landed us at the USA Sports Grill for karaoke. I managed to stick it out long enough to sing my signature song and then headed home to crash.

Sunday morning marked the beginning of the fall soccer season and the AC Rhinos pulled off a win of 3-2 against the Flying Saucer team. I was surprised I remembered how to play after a season resting my knee, but I think I did alright. Immediately afterwords, I joined up with Emily and friends for a birthday brunch at Bosco‘s where we thoroughly confused our waiter with some coupons, but still had a delightful lunch…which was simply a pre-cursor to the night’s festivities ahead. As it was Em’s birthday, we celebrated not just with a girl’s brunch, but also with pizza and drinks at her place, then more food and drink at Mafs. Good times were had by all.

So, see? I’m not that lazy.

Next door to the liquor store is a new arrival to not only Belle Meade, but Nashville as a whole. As far as I know it is the first of it’s kind. Sweet CeCe’s is a self-serve frozen yogurt buffet, if you will. Those of you who know me know that I have a huge weakness for frozen yogurt, and I’d kinda been putting it off visiting the store because I knew I’d be hooked. Well, yesterday I tried it and I know I’ll be back. All of the flavors are made there in the store and are fat-free…except for the peanut butter, of course. However, I have to say that the peanut butter yogurt is probably the best of it’s kind that I’ve ever tasted. Usually PB yogurt has a slight coffee taste, but this one was all PB. It is still low-fat, but just not fat-free. There are a plethora of toppings, including all the standards plus gummy worms, golden grahams, and sour ropes. I’m not exactly sure how one has a sour rope as a topping to eat with their dessert, but I may try it myself next time. I settled for the Country Vanilla and rainbow sprinkles and was very pleased. The vanilla was creamy, which is sometimes not the case with fat-free yogurts, and not bitter at all. The staff was very friendly and welcoming, meeting me as I walked in and offering up samples to help me decide. I will definitely be back!

The hair salon I mentioned last time is actually a barbershop, Uncle Classic Barbershop to be more specific. It is a small shop, but since their main focus is men’s hair cuts, shoe shines, and straight razor shaves, I suspect they don’t need as much room as a full-service salon.

Last in this edition is the scoop about the new Harris Teeter. They had their grand opening yesterday, and, being a frequent HT customer and just curious to find out, I went for a shopping trip (after getting my CeCe’s yogurt). The first impression as you drive in is not a great one. Everyone is directed to an underground parking lot on an immediate downward slope (can you say “runaway carts”???). It’s a spacious garage, but still a garage. I recommend making the first turn and then parking at the far end of the straight away. There are elevators that go back up to the street level just outside the store, but also an escalator that goes right into the store. The escalator makes a great impression and made me forget about the parking lot. The store is bi-level, as I suspected it might be, and I did not venture up to see what was on the 2nd floor. Although, it looks like there is some sort of cafe in addition to the beauty products, cards, and pharmacy. The store itself is quite impressive. The aisles are nice and wide, the produce department seemed to have every variety of pepper, and the number of organic/health food options was almost overwhelming. Every product had the organic version (if it exists) right along with the “regular” kind…which is great, and probably getting more common, but it was definitely noticeable. Because I’m a VIC card holder, I got a promotion in the mail for $20 off a $50 purchase and there’s one for each of the next four weeks. Um, yeah. Saving $20 on a $50 bill, which is easy for me to rack up, is a deal I will not pass up. If it means I’m stocking my shelves for winter, I’ll still use them.

Happy shopping, fellow Belle Meadeans!
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Edited 7/27/09 – I stand corrected. CeCe’s is not the first of its kind in Nashville. There has actually been another self-serve yogurt shop near Vanderbilt for quite some time called Yogurt Oasis. And they even have fat-free peanut butter yogurt…although it doesn’t really taste like peanut butter, which, I find, is pretty common about most peanut butter yogurts. Anyhoo…

First is the new Publix in Hill Center. For some time, the closest Publix was way down in Bellevue (I don’t like to drive more than 5 minutes to get anywhere), and I’d only make that trek for special occasions to get some good deli meat or a fancy cake or something. But now I have one right around the corner! It’s a little smaller than the one in Bellevue, and the layout is a little confusing upon first visit, but eventually it starts to make sense. Of course, they have samples and demo stations, fresh sushi all day, a moderate seafood selection and a large deli and bakery section. The food does generally seem to be a little pricier for premium items, but they have a good line of value generic store brands that have matched the name brands in quality so far. Parking is pretty easy, although on a busy Saturday or Friday night, the smallish parking lot gets pretty full/congested. Plus, it is shared by the other businesses…which leads me to Moe’s.

Moe’s Southwestern Grill is a very welcomed addition to this area. Every other neighborhood seems to have their version of the build-your-own-burrito joint or, at the very minimum, a Baja Fresh. Yes, there’s one of those in Green Hills which is also very close, but still. Anyway. If you’ve ever been to Moe’s, you know that you’ll be welcomed by a cry of “Welcome to Moe’s!!!” when you walk in the door. It’s equally inviting and embarrassing at the same time, because if it’s been a bit since someone’s walked through the door, the welcome usually draws attention to your entrance. Which is why I dress up to go eat at Moe’s. Not really. Anyway. The menu items are creatively named like “Art Vandelay” (Seinfeld) and “The Homewrecker” and can be made with or without the meat of your choice. They also serve up some tasty frozen margaritas, which I guess kind of negates my less-than-enthusiastic opinion of The Local Taco‘s service of margaritas. I guess because they are pre-made and just have to be poured makes the ones at Moe’s more enjoyable; you don’t have to stand and wait for yours to be ready. But yes, back to my point, Moe’s shares the parking lot with Publix and….

A new wine and spirits shop. According to my bank statement, it’s just called West Meade Liquors but I think they had a fancier name than that. They are two doors down from Publix and seem to have a very good selection of wine and a liquor selection that ranges from the standard to the little more unique or hard to find variety. I only stopped in for a moment, but I’m glad they’re there. If Tennessee is going to keep up this “can’t sell wine or liquor in the grocery store” thing, every grocery store should have a liquor store within walking distance. It just makes sense.

In between Publix and the liquor store is a frame shop, I believe. I might have to do a little more homework on that one to be more exact. Next to Moe’s, there appears to be a new hair salon in the works, but it is yet to be named. There are still some vacancies in Hill Center, but I think it’s a great use of that land.

The Picnic Cafe had to suffer through all the construction, but their new building is way cute (even though I’ve never been inside since they’re really only open for lunch or catering).

Across Harding is a new Great Clips, but the highlight on that side of the road is the new Harris Teeter that’s about to open! Yes, that’s right, West Meade is about to have a Kroger, Publix and Harris Teeter all within eye shot of the White Bridge/Harding intersection. It may seem a little excessive, but really its all about variety. HT generally seems to run midway between Kroger and Publix in price and variety. I just hope they aren’t planning on putting their personal items section on the second floor like they did on 21st Avenue. That’s majorly annoying.

There are a few new things on the other side of White Bridge, but I don’t know enough about them to even list them here, so this will have to do! I’m just glad my neighborhood continues to expand it’s options. Now to just replace that Taco Bell/Pizza Hut with something more appetizing….

1. I learned how to play real Chinese Mahjong. Not the kind you play online where you match pairs of symbols. Its actually a lot like Gin Rummy, at least the version we played. My mom has an old authentic set of real ivory and bamboo pieces that made the game very entertaining.

2. I am not a Monkey. All the placemats in Chinese restaurants told me I was a Monkey growing up, because I was born in 1980. However, they don’t bother to get into the details of the Chinese New Year and the fact that it is actually in February. So, in fact, I am a sheep. We read stories behind all the signs and I think the Sheep actually fits me a little better. At first I was a little irritated because I thought the sheep would be the herd animal or the “follower”, but I guess that’s a very European interpretation.

3. Our humble Christmas morning ritual is really a special tradition. Shen Wei had never spent a Christmas morning with an American family before and was really very gracious and grateful to be included. It was a bit inspiring to have someone with us who’d never experienced a Christmas morning like that before and gave me a renewed sense of appreciation for my family and our intimate gathering.

This holiday I also got to see 4 movies and I guess I could do a little review of each. Spoilers are guaranteed.
1. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – I had my doubts about this one, just due to the obscure plot about a baby born as an old man who ages backwards and gets younger as everyone around him gets old. However, it does star Brad Pitt and that’s usually enough to get me and my mom into a theater. As my mom observed as we exited the theater, the movie had a distinct “Titanic” feeling, since the entire movie is told from the perspective of a old, dying woman. The story unfolds from a diary of Benjamin Button as his life is recounted for us. It plays out exactly as you might suspect, so I guess you could call it predictable. Benjamin is born old, grows younger and younger until he dies of young age as an infant in his lover’s arms. The acting, I will say, was quite good. Cate Blanchett ages well and carries off all stages of her character’s life. Of course, Brad Pitt reverse-ages VERY well. It was a bit difficult to buy into the fact he was a child caught in an old person’s body when he was young, though. The curiousness and youthfulness of a teenager was not visible in his eyes or expressions, but it may have been completely abstracted by the hours worth of makeup he had to don. All in all, it was a slightly above average holiday flick, but nothing I’d demand you go and see before it comes out on DVD.

2. “Slumdog Millionaire” – Unlike the previous movie, this one I demand you go and see. Now. As soon as possible. “Slumdog Millionaire” is also told as a visual flashback but with much more substance and creativity. Jamal Malik is a young Indian man who is about to win 20 million rupees on the Hindi version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, but who gets arrested after the end of the first episode (which ends right before his last question), being accused of cheating since he comes from the slums of India. He recounts his brutal childhood and teenage years which led him to know the answers to each question as they are presented to him. It is a story of ultimate poverty, liberation , and, ultimately, victory. It is a story everyone should see.

More to come….

It’s really not that exciting…that’s why it’s stupid.

My new office is about 1 mile from the main campus, so I take a shuttle back and forth multiple times a day, depending on how many meetings I have on campus. The shuttle ride takes about 10 minutes to get there, but like 20 minutes to get back because of all the stops. I had just missed the 12:15 shuttle from campus and decided, you know what, I’m gonna walk. I know its hot, I know I’m wearing business-casual attire, but I have on comfortable shoes and I don’t have another meeting until 3pm so I can handle being a little sweaty for a bit.

So, I did. And I am. Sweaty. Very. Like a slick pig. And it only took me 25 minutes, only FIVE minutes longer than the shuttle. The cool, air conditioned, cushy seated shuttle. Yeah….

Friday we went and saw a matinee, Vicky Christina Barcelona, the new Woody Allen film. I thought it was quite perfect and Javier Bardem sold himself as a romantic Spaniard following his role as a serial killer. Scarily, both were very believable. Scarlett Johansson was superb as always, and Penelope Cruz was a raving lunatic, which she does quite well. Anyway, the story had a few flaws, or maybe there just wasn’t enough time to show the full character development, but I found the lead’s role a little hard to believe.

Friday night we had dinner with my best friend Meredith and then she and I headed to 2nd Street for a few drinks without mom. We ended up at a bar where they were playing the Titans vs. Raiders game, so I had a good time watching the Titans win in the last few seconds. As always, it was wonderful to see Meredith, I just wish I could’ve stayed longer!

Saturday mom and I saw another movie, this time one with a little more hilarity. Tropic Thunder. Ben Stiller. Robert Downey Jr. What else do you need? It was pretty ridiculous, but we laughed the whole time. I love that I can watch stuff like that with my mom.

Saturday night was the actual reunion at the Queen Mary and it was a pretty nice event. There were probably about 175 people there (out of a class of 650), and I recognized all but maybe 5 people. Although not too many of my theater friends were there, I did get to see a few of them and then a whole bunch of people I “kinda” knew.

After the main event, we went down to Seal Beach and hung out at O’Malley’s, a local Irish Pub, until they closed. It must be a pretty popular hangout because it was packed with people our age. I made some new friends and chilled with some old friends and overall had a great night.

Next….my 5-year college reunion! That’s already coming up in October, I can hardly believe it! I’ll know even less people from my college class, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be just as much fun! Plus, my friend Angelo is coming down from Chicago since he graduated the same year, so I’ll get to see him again! Stay tuned!

In case you’re wondering why I am going home (like one needs a reason to go to California!), this weekend is my High School reunion. I’ll let you guess how many years. I’m pretty excited. I haven’t really seen anyone from HS since…well, HS. Should be quite a trip. I hope a lot of people go to the event. We’re having it at the Queen Mary, which should be an elegant location. It may be a little weird at first, showing up alone, but I’m sure I’ll get over that quick enough. I’ll be sure to post an update when I return!

My mom arrived in Nashville on Saturday so she got to see my new apartment and sleep in my brand new guest bed. It was nice to have her here, if only for one day, to see my new digs and know that I’m safe.

We left for Norfolk on Sunday around 4pm and arrived on time around 6:30pm. Got our rental car and drove to Nags Head, NC where my brother had already checked in to our hotel. My mom had found this cute hotel called the “Surf Side Hotel”. Its a beach-front hotel, with 3 pools, and a 2-bedroom suite that faces the ocean. We were only staying for 4 nights, so my mom didn’t want to rent a condo (but let me tell you, if I ever go back, we’re renting a condo or beach house. Those things are AWESOME!).

The room was really cute and comfortable, but there was one unfortunate circumstance we had not anticipated. The fires in NC had driven all the little gnats to the ocean. And the ocean wetness drove all the little gnats into the nearest hotels. So, when we arrived, we noticed a few dead gnats on the tile floors (where there was tile, because the room was mostly carpet). At first it was just a few, but as the night went on, I noticed them on the bedspread, desk, and in the bathroom. By the morning, there were HUNDREDS of dead gnats and many live ones in the room. We called a few other beach-front hotels and they were all having the same problem.

Those of you who know me know I’m not great with bugs. Okay, I really despise the little creatures. But I can deal with them when I am in their territory…you know, hiking, camping, whatever. But when they invade MY safe, clean hotel room and make it unbearable, I cannot stand it. Luckily I wasn’t the only one with qualms, so my mom and brother and I decided to find another place.

My brother’s friends, Sam & Bea, just happened to be staying on Roanoke Island, which is still the “Outer Banks”, but is on the Sound instead of the ocean. His friends confirmed that they were NOT having the gnat problem there, so we went to visit the little inn where they were staying. Located right on the Sound’s edge in the town of Manteo, the Tranquil House Inn is an adorable 4-story inn with single, double, and suite rooms. My mom was really intent on having an ocean view to begin with, so when we were forced to flee to the island, she was glad to see they had a sound-front room available. The room was so pretty and they have a gorgeous deck that looks out over the marina.

We were very pleased with our choice to move to Manteo, even though we were no longer right on the ocean and away from the hustle and bustle of the main drag, still only an 8-minute drive away. Monday and Tuesday were unbearably hot though. We barely did anything those first two days. I went to the beach once with Sam & Bea, but it was just too hot to stay outside very long.

Luckily, Wednesday and Thursday turned out to be gorgeous days, so we took advantage of it by going to the beach and checking out some of the local tourist sites, such as The Elizabethan Gardens, named after Queen Elizabeth I, The Aquarium, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the oldest and tallest brick lighthouse in the country, and the Wright Brothers’ National Memorial.

We also got to know a few locals and spent our nights at “Poor Richards“, a sandwich shop by day, a hopping locals bar at night. I almost went parasailing, but was told, compared to skydiving, it’s really not that exciting, so I saved my $80 for something else!

All in all, we had a really great time in the Outer Banks. I can see why people fall in love with it and go back year after year. Although next time I’ll probably try to stay on the beach, I highly recommend Manteo for small families or romantic getaways.