Been Traveling...

I hope to be back in the swing of posting Tally things in a couple of weeks. August just seems to be packed with "must do" things on the weekends and during the week. Feel free to stop by my main blog to see what I've been up to: www.QuirkyKitschGirl.com.

I will say, I'm ready for cooler temps!

Cheers!

Is Tallahassee an Expensive Place to Vacation?

This month, Frommers.com ran an article titled, "Where Does the Dollar Do Best? Frommer's Global Price Index for August" and guess what? Tallahassee's listed!

The article compares cities around the globe showing where the U.S. dollar has the most bang for the buck. The price of a Tallahassee cup of coffee (among other things) is compared against the price of coffee in other cities such as Split (Croatia), Pembrokeshire (Wales) and Pierre (South Dakota). While hotel rates may be cheaper in say Vientiane, Laos, remember to factor in the cost to travel there. Tallahassee is still a deal.

Keeping Cool in Tallahassee

I'm over these outrageous heat indexes of 100 degrees and more. It's a workout going outside and cutting through the thick humidity. No need to visit the sauna at the gym, it already IS a sauna outside.

I wonder if anyone has tried to fry an egg on the Tallahassee asphalt? When living in Death Valley, we had the crew from Good Morning America come out and our chef (attempted to) fried an egg in the parking lot. Problem was it was 5:00 a.m. and although overnight temperatures were in the 110s, it hadn't reached peak heat, so the chef ended up scrambling the egg. I bet we can make some nice poached eggs this week in Tallahassee!

Other ways to keep cool? Some gal pals and I met at Los Compadres (2690 N Monroe St) earlier this week to chill over $1.99 margaritas (they have free Wi-Fi, too!). Although they were a bright green color, they were mighty tasty. I was excited most of the staff speak Spanish, giving me time to practice my muddled Spanglish, and the cashier told me he'd give me private lessons twice a week *wink*wink.* It's been a long time since someone's flirted with me, or that I've recognized it...

...and other ways to keep cool? There's always the swimming pool and my apartment complex neighbors seem to find the need to cool off at 2:00 a.m. each night, along with scream, yell and have a jolly good time while the rest of us sleep. Now, the point of swimming is to cool off, right?

Check out these swimsuits from WholesomeWear.com. From the name you can guess what they sell. One of my African-American co-workers exclaimed how she wouldn't wear them (and neither would anyone who's white, black, yellow, purple, etc. in the office). Of course she wouldn't! I found another site with demographics, stating mostly youthful, Caucasian women visit the site. Would you wear one of these during the Tallahassee heat wave?

Tomorrow Will Be...

...for catching up: emails, writing, etc. My offices are moving this week so we have the next couple of days off. Which means, sleeping in until 8 a.m. (YES!), morning workouts and writing, writing, writing. I then leave for Chicago Saturday for a conference.

Of course, with the Tallahassee heat index over a hundred (this is almost as bad as a Death Valley hot), I'll be finding a place to keep cool. Ciao for now!

Touching the Paranormal with S.I.T.E.

Last Friday I did one of the coolest things I've ever done in Tallahassee, interacted with the paranormal with the folks of S.I.T.E. (Supernatural Investigations/Technical Evaluations). Anna and Mike, co-founders of the group, found me through this post, we communicated and met up so I could see what the group does. I brought along my friend Michele and you'll just have to wait for my "official" article to learn more about the experience.

All I can say is, if I hadn't had seen what I saw that night, I would be a non-believer in Earth-bound spirits. If you wonder about life in the after life, have an interest in the paranormal or maybe a skeptic and don't believe in ghosts, the S.I.T.E. group may be for you. This is their hobby and looking for at least a couple of people to join them on their investigations.

Or, if you suspect your house, office, shed, etc. is haunted, the S.I.T.E. folks will come out and asses the situation for you and how you can live in harmony with the paranormal, for free. They're not out to make money, they're out to helping people. They're about the science and craft, not the entertainment value. While they capture the visual, they specialize in the audio, called Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP). Yes, the spirits spoke to us that night and I heard some of the recordings this week, ran chills up my spine.

And if you do invite S.I.T.E. over, don't worry about your neighbors finding out and thinking you're crazy (you're probably not crazy), S.I.T.E. keeps their assessments confidential.

Stay tuned! The experience was amazing!

Don't Forget the Sales Tax Holiday!

I've been out of town for most of the week, up in the north Georgia mountains. Returning to Tallahassee, advertising reminded me about the sales tax holiday this week - yippee! If you're not sure of the dates, they're 12:01 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 4 through midnight, Monday, Aug. 13. Items eligible are:

• Clothing and related items with a sales price of $50 or less
• Books with a sales price of $50 or less
• School supplies with a sales price of $10 or less
  

For more info, visit the Florida Department of Revenue's Web site here.

Since I'll be out of the state next weekend, I knew today was my day to find a dress for a wedding I'm attending in Buffalo later this month. First was a stop at the downtown market for fresh fruits and veggies then off to Macy's to use a $50 gift card. Wandering through the store I was reminded how much I loath shopping. Suppose my shopping hatred is because:

• My youngest sister inherited the fashion gene, leaving me fashionably challenged.
• I'm between sizes and things don't seem to fit quite right. I'm too small for "fluffy women" clothing and while I can fit into "regular" sizes, my body hasn't been losing inches proportionally so things don't fit right.

Because of those two factors, I have a limited box I shop in - I usually look for black, dark and practical. But I wanted to get outside the box today and shop for something with color.

I found a dress I LOVED and I felt like a super hero wearing it. It was a polyester, spandex blend and something Supergirl would wear out on the town. It fit me perfectly and was peacock blue with big black circles, hemline above the knee, skirt flared out and neck line tastefully showed off the girls. Unfortunately, the price was over $100 (of course). *sigh*

I found a comparable dress, not as eye-popping as the peacock-super hero dress, but it's nice a few steps outside my fashion box. Best of all, with the sale and no tax, I have a little bit left on my gift card. Happy shopping!

What's Been Shakin'?

I meant to follow up sooner with my Tallahassee adventures during my friend Kathy's visit last weekend, but I've been busy reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Sooo...

Saturday morning we wandered through the Tallahassee Downtown Marketplace. I love getting my produce for the week from the local vendors. This week I picked up some figs. Another female asked what I was going to with them. I wanted to reply, "How should I know?" But politely replied I could saute them up in brown sugar and butter to top some ice cream. In reality, I ate them in their natural state.

Lunch followed at Barnhill's and I hate to admit, but it was my first experience at the eat-until-your-pants-split-country-style-buffet and we were thoroughly pleased. A stop at Goodwill's new used bookstore on Thomasville was next (the store is new, not the books) followed by an afternoon of browsing and minimal shopping in Havana. We chilled at a friend's place, reading Harry Potter and napping (well, I napped, we were up until 3 that morning).

Dinner at Carlos' Cuban Cafe was the most interesting part of the day. The meal rocked and I'd definitely visit again. We even got to meet Carlos, a pleasant and entertaining character, not shy about sharing his perspectives about relationships. We'll just leave it at. Heading back to our evening dwellings, Krispy Kreme had the "fresh" light on so we HAD to stop and pick up a dozen.

We stuffed ourselves with a late lunch on Sunday at the China Super Buffet, another Tallahassee mainstay I hadn't tried, then Kathy was on her way home. I'm so glad she visited and I realized how much I miss my friends.

And the rest of the week? I'm happy to say it went by quickly, beginning with Zumba class on Monday at Women's World. It's a bit of Latin dance and aerobics, excellent workout! My legs still hurt, that's how I know it does something.

Tonight? Well, something really cool I hope! Sssshhh...can't tell...yet!

[Photos are from downtown Havana]

When Friends Visit

My friend Kathy is visiting this weekend which means I come outta my shell a bit. We had a blast!

Started off with dinner at San Miguel (mmm, Mexican food and margaritas), laughed our asses off at the Comedy Zone Tallahassee (Spanky Brown, the headliner, is an extremely funny guy), chilled with Italian sodas and hookah at Aladdin's Sheesha Cafe (I felt a little old) and went to Barnes & Noble for the Harry Potter festivities.

It was crazy! So many kids, young adults and adults dressed up. B&N did have it pretty well organized and the lines moved quickly. Got home around 1:30, read two chapters and called it a night. Off to read more Harry Potter...


BTW - even after talking to the dude, still didn't get the connection between Harry Potter and the Freaky King, other than he's a big fan; I on the other hand, am disturbed by the Freaky King...

Who Do You Meet?

Moving to a new town without knowing anyone is intimidating. We're lucky to live in the 21st century and have more means to meet people, like using MeetUp.com.

MeetUp.com is an international site broken down by city, almost like Craigslist. Within each city, various clubs and organizations are listed. These range from groups to study Wicca to the Republican party and "single again" to "bee keeping." Anyone can join a group, registration is free. What I like about it is the weekly calendar emailed to me so I can see all the happenings going on this week.

Another site I like is Eventful.com. I originally registered because I "demanded" to have John Edwards visit Tally. (That's what you do on the site, "demand" performers, politicians, etc. to visit your town.) Like MeetUp.com, a weekly calendar of events is emailed but the Eventful.com list contains things like concerts around town, outreach programs and parties. It crosses over with MeetUp, too.

Stay in the know!

Boo! Ghost Hunting 101 - Wish I Could Go!

I have to give kudos to the Tallahassee Democrat's Calendar Girl. She really does find some cool stuff to do in Tally and posts an awesome weekly calendar in the Democrat- keep it up girl! One thing which caught my eye for tomorrow is the:

Ghost Hunting 101 Workshop at the Monticello Chamber of Commerce.
Cost is $35 to learn how to photograph ghosts, capture their voices (which would be kinda spooky) and learn the tricks of the ghost hunting trade. The class is during daylight hours, 10 a.m. and reservations required. Call: (850) 508.8109.
Historic Monticello Chamber of Commerce
420 Washington St.
Monticello, Fla.

Monticello is one of the most haunted/spiritually active places in Florida. Went on a ghost walk last October and was fascinated with everything I learned. Yet, I haven't returned. I sure hope another ghost hunting class will be offered. I'd go tomorrow but have this yard sale thing going on.

Hello? Any Campers Out There? Writing Contest!

I received info on this today. Even though I'm going to enter (and win; I have a great story!), I'm still sharing this with my outdoor writing buddies. But hurry, submissions are due Aug. 31, 2007. Good luck!

Calling campers, wannabe campers, and writers with a sense of humor. Have a run-in with a raccoon? Forget your camp stove at home? Wake up to find your tent pitched in the middle of a trail and piss off a lot of hikers . . . wait, that happened to me.

To celebrate the publication of Let’s Get Primitive, Ten Speed Press is running a 500-word essay contest. Tell us your worst camping trauma. Share your backcountry disaster. Spill the beans and you could win a nifty 2-person Coleman tent, an unbreakable camp cocktail set (complete with shaker), and a copy of Let's Get Primitive: The Urban Girl’s Guide to Camping!

Essays will be judged on originality, humor, writing style, and degree of calamity by the Queen of Camping Mishap, me! (That would be Heather Menicucci)

No purchase (or chest-beating) is necessary, just email your very best camping disaster story of 500 words or less to camping@tenspeed.com between July 1 and August 31, 2007.

Visit www.tenspeed.com for more details and www.letsgetprimitive.com to read more about the book.

Things One Finds While Walking

Sunday afternoon I walked over to the Tallahassee Mall, about a two mile walk. It was hotter than Hades and humidity a brick wall, but I made the trek. Coming back, I cut across a parking lot and I found something new to me, Aladdin's Sheesha Cafe.

It's a hookah bar and yes, I've smoked a [legal] hookah or two in my time, especially in Afghanistan. Desserts and hot tea are served, too. Anyway, it's located on Silver Slipper Lane off of John Knox. I don't know how long it's been there (at least a year, I guess) and would have never found it unless I was walking. I just wish Tally was more pedestrian friendly.

Speaking of walking, ran some errands with a friend today and we past Kim Denmark of Ohio. She's walking across America raising awareness about welfare reform, homelessness and poverty. God bless that woman! Today was another hot and humid day but determination was on her face as she walked for her cause.

I am curious, though. The Tallahassee Democrat ran a clip about her on June 19 stating she's in Tallahassee, today's July 11. Maybe she enjoyed Tallahassee so much she spent about a month here?

Keeping Cool in Tally

The hot, humid days of a Tallahassee summer are here. This summer marks my second anniversary living and working in Florida's Capital City. It's been an interesting ride, to say the least.

Getting caught up on things, last week's Bark & Wine seemed to be a success. I "heard" the Animal Service Center was anticipating around 50 people and from what I saw, there were well more than that. The wine tasting byKillearn Liquors & Fine Wine was fun, the wines had either animals names or animals on the labels, to fit with the event's theme. Wines like Porcupine Ridge Sauv Blanc from South Africa and Arrogant Frog Chardonnay from France were served.

Although it was hard to reach the catered food provided by Saucy, it was probably some of the best catered food I've tasted in a while (and I mean outside of Tallahassee, too). Most of the ditties were vegan and I can't remember a single thing, other than it was really tasty.

The artwork ranged from colorful and abstract to classical. Many great pieces are on display (and for sale) now through Oct. 1, 2007.

I received an email from someone asking me about my blueberry picking adventure two year s and if I'd remembered where I went. I replied and discovered this weekend Publix has five containers of blueberries for $10. I'm all for manual labor to pick my own stuff but when it's easier to pick it up in the grocery store than off a spider-infested bush, I'm going with the grocery store!

I see that the Comedy Zone Tallahassee is now open, has anyone been yet?

Sharing a few things brought to my attention lately which I think are pretty cool:

Nolefood.com: If you're the total recluse (or just don't feel like leaving the house for an evening), order a meal from area favorites like Po' Boys and Bella Bella and have it delivered to your door. Pretty cool.

Are you a creative living in Tallahassee? The Council on Culture & Arts is asking all the creative-types to fill out this survey (www.artspacetallahassee.org) as part of the Artspace Project to study the needs of the cultural and creative community.

Oh! And those paintings posted around the Lake Ella area, I think I MAY be a step closer in figuring out where they're from (still clueless about why). When I was at Railroad Square a couple of weeks ago, one was posted there, maybe it's a trail leading to Railroad Square? But what's the connection?

And if you're trying to save a few bucks here and there, here's my latest article about free things to do in Tallahassee.

Bark & Wine: Art for the Animals

I've been a slug lately, but am planning on attending the opening reception for "Bark & Wine: Art for the Animals" this Friday. Can't miss it, some of my favorite things will be there: groovy and colorful art by pet-loving artists, music and wine, all for ten bucks. The Animal Shelter Foundation, Inc. is the benefactor.

Since I don't have any fur-children of my own, I gonna have to see if there's an image of one I need for my pad. The exhibit will be available for FREE viewing June 29 - October 1, 2007 at the Animal Service Center.

More info can be found on the Tally Government Web site: http://www.talgov.com/dncs/asc/news.cfm

Animal Service Center
1125 Eastwood Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32311
Gallery Hours:
Tues. - Fri.: 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sun. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Mon. closed

Laugh Often and Much: The Tallahassee Comedy Zone is Almost Here!

Over the past month or so, I've noticed storage units outside the Chinese-looking building which will house the Tallahassee Comedy Zone. I've seen people go in and out and there's even a porta-potty in the parking lot today.

I was sooooo happy to get this comment today. The Tallahassee Comedy Zone is opening next week, July 7. So add one more cool thing to do in the Capital City. Have to say, next would have been my ninth wedding anniversary, so going somewhere for a few laughs would be a great diversion.

I hope they have improv and hope they'll be offering improv classes. I'm sharing a secret, on my life's to-do list, being on stage doing comedy is one of them. We'll see if it happens in Tallahassee...

Anyway, check out the site, looks like they're giving away tickets during the grand open.

Spam I Am Not (and I Like Blueberries)

June's been a wild month and I can't wait for it to be over. Vacation out West rocked. (Photos are still being uploaded) but searching for "other opportunities" has drained me. Anyway, I went to make this post but Blogger had this blog locked as a potential spam blog! Long story short, Blogger has now verified this is NOT a spam blog so I can go on my merry way to posting...

And what do I have to say? Well, it's blueberry season so ya better get pickin! One of the first things I did when I moved to Tallahassee two years ago was go blueberry picking. Somehow I missed blueberry season last year and was determined not to miss it this year. So, off I went this morning to Beare's Berries in Havana (7858 Havana Highway, Havana, FL 32333, Tel: 850 539-5346).

Was told the bushes had been picked over but to reach high in the bigger bushes. About an hour later, I left with four pounds of luscious little berries and a few spiders in my hair (yuck!). If you head over to Beare's Berries, call to make sure they have berries, bring some bug spray if you can't tolerate bugs, sunscreen and water.

Not sure what I'll be doing with them but read on Tallahassee.com that this Tuesday, June 26, there's a blueberry wine making workshop at New Leaf Market. Begins at 7:30. Don't think I have enough blueberries to make wine but should be interesting.

Since it's been a while, enjoy a recent article I wrote called, "Guide to Trashy Tallahassee: Three Must-See Attractions."

Color Me Happy

Things have been "interesting" in my life lately and hopefully I can say what it is by mid-June. Anyway, I visited the Aveda Institute today for a fabu pedicure. It was my first visit and was pleased.

If you haven't been, the Tallahassee Aveda Institute is located in the same plaza as Sumo Sabi Rolls & Bowls on the corner of Ocala and Pensacola. Students train in the art of making people pretty - hair, skin and nails, primarily. They dress in all black and I love everyone's hair. I imagine the students all practice on each other and experiment with funky cuts and multi color. Almost in a goth-chic way. I really think theAveda peeps should hook-up with the MAC folks (they like to dress in black, too, with their bold, goth make up - which I love).

The salon has a hint of feng shui going on with its natural look. It smells nice, too.

Services are discounted, well, discounted if you compare to visiting an Aveda salon. But, it's well worth it. My toes are pretty and feet are revitalized for my big trip tomorrow, which I'll be blogging about (hopefully) along the way at my other blog: www.QuirkyKitschGirl.com.

When I return from my trip, I'm trusting an Aveda masters student with my hair - cut and multi-color for a very important "appointment."

Do I Really Live in the Ghetto?

When I moved to my Tallahassee apartment, I joked it was "ghetto-kitsch." It's not bad, I actually love my apartment and its spaciousness. I can live without "dance party U.S.A." on one side and "head banger's ball" on the other (note: I'm referring to the volume - I don't want to FEEL music at midnight on a Tuesday).

Anyway, last week when heading to work, I noticed the trash dumpsters were "decorated." Hmm. Was this the only available canvas in Tally?

When I returned home that afternoon, the graffiti was gone. Does this indicate I live in the ghetto or just have some really creative neighbors looking for an outlet?

Puppies & Flowers: What a Beautiful Day

So yesterday, the Tallahassee Area CVB coordinated "Get Out & See Tallahassee," an opportunity for residents to enjoy some FREE area attractions in hopes of them becoming unofficial tourism ambassadors for the city. This also kicked off the beginning of National Tourism Week (May 12 - 20).

How did I spend my day? At Pebble Hill Plantation (I better not be getting any lip with the fact it's in Georgia) and Maclay Gardens State Park. Enjoy my little day here.

May I just had how humid it was? I don't think the smoke from the wild fires helped but when it rained early in the evening, I went and splashed in some puddles.

Pictured are puppies at Pebble Hill and the cemetery on the plantation.

A&J Blues Cafe

I finally got myself over to A&J Blues Cafe over a week ago. Couple of gals from the office and I enjoyed a tasty lunch. Needless to say, we rolled outta the cafe. I posted my review. Can't wait to try it for dinner during the live entertainment.