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“I’m From Atlanta”

May 20, 2010 in Suburban Life with 3 Comments

Has this ever happened to you? You’re out of town on business, maybe at a conference or seminar somewhere. You’re in the elevator making small talk with someone very important, someone you hope to impress or maybe land as a client. The conversation starts off like this…

Very Important Person: “So, Lee, where are you from?”

Lee: (thinking quickly) “um, I’m from Atlanta.”

VIP: “Oh really? My wife’s family is from Roswell.”

Lee: (totally busted in a lie) “Oh, um, well really I’m, um, from Alpharetta.”

VIP: “How about that, small world. I know all about Alpharetta. You probably live in Windward or something, right?”

Lee: “No sir, I actually live in Cherokee county.”

And just like that, your thirty seconds to make a good impression are gone while you are explaining that you don’t really live where you said you lived. Things would have gone so much better had you admitted to actually being from Alpharetta. But who’s heard of Alpharetta outside of this area?

Do you identify as living in Atlanta or one of the eighty cities surrounding Atlanta? Downtown Alpharetta is twenty five miles, as the crow flies, from downtown Atlanta. It seems a little dishonest to claim Atlanta as your own, right?

Then again, the census bureau defines the the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area as being as being a vast area of up to 31 counties. The land area of it is greater than many states. We also have the largest local telephone calling area in the universe. I can call my in-laws in Rockdale county for free, yet it takes an hour to drive there without traffic. And we’re all from Atlanta, right?

Combine all this with the fact that metro Atlanta is in a rush to incorporate every last bit of land into new cities. It is a mess. Some people don’t like the ‘city’ they live in and will claim citizenship in the next town over. People in Smyrna say they are from Vinings. People from the panhandle of Sandy Springs say they are from Dunwoody, etc. It is confusing and complicated.

Even the Real Housewives of Atlanta don’t truly live in the city limits of Atlanta. I guess “Real Housewives of the Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it? Then again, they aren’t real housewives anyway, but I digress.

So I don’t know what to think. Maybe next time I’m faced with the question above, I’m going to approach it like this:

Very Important Person: “So, Lee, where are you from?”

Lee: (answering confidently) “I’m from Alpharetta.”

VIP: “Where the *$#& is Alpharetta?”

Lee: (lowering head a bit) “We are 25 miles north of Atlanta.”

VIP: “Oh wow, out there with the hillbillies and rebel flags?”

Lee: “Not exactly. We are an affluent, high tech suburb.”

VIP: “Sure, right. That’s fascinating, Lee. Bye now.”

The Aliens Looking Down on Windward Parkway

May 18, 2010 in Cubicle Life, Suburban Life with 11 Comments

I’m convinced there are aliens looking down on Windward Parkway in befuddled amazement. They are studying us and our ways, and cubicle life on Windward has them completely dumbfounded.

Millions of square feet of indoor space remains empty most of the time, except for about fifty hours a week. It is during those times that the mass migration occurs. Even though Alpharetta is a moderate sized city, tens of thousands of people drive scores of miles to get here. From all over metropolitan Atlanta they come. They drive vehicles that hold four or more people, yet they ride alone on overcrowded roads. By the time they arrive, they are already frazzled and ticked off.

They walk past security guards as they enter the buildings. I suppose someone of authority thinks unauthorized people actually want to enter these buildings. Nevertheless electronic credentials are flashed and folks enter. Next they navigate an endless maze of walls only five feet tall. Finally they arrive at a space marked 5B069 on a sticker left by the networking guys.

Next they enter their own little world. It’s fifty square feet that belongs almost exclusively to them. They are surrounded on four of six sides by what is essentially rigid carpet. Privacy? Almost nonexistent. The fabric walls are dingy and dirty from years of occupants long gone. They’ll spent over two thousand hours a year in these pale neutral colored confines.

A zipper opens a bag and reveals a mobile computing device. It is a wonder of technology that includes the capability of wireless connectivity. Yet it is of little need because they connect it to a dizzying array of wires. Those wires connect it to routers, which are connected to more routers, which are eventually connected to nearly every computer on the planet. While it is booting up, the employee removes a small black iPhone from their pocket. This is not a company-issued or approved device, yet its somewhat limited technology is used beyond its means to communicate trivial personal details over Twitter and Facebook. A greater level of collaboration is achieved with this device in ten minutes than in eight hours working in the cubicle (even though they collaborate about the meatloaf dinner from last night).

Once the laptop computer is finished booting up, this person uses it to communicate with other employees, over a wire, to the adjacent fabric covered box. This communication continues for hours and hours, using technology that is decades old, running on a computer capable of putting a man on the moon… wirelessly. The employees labor to produce software that is used internally by other cubicle critters in unseen parts of the building. These other workers curse the software for being prone to defects and otherwise difficult to use. Little do they know that the people responsible for making it sit yards away and are just as miserable in their cubicle-bound careers.

Steven Hawking recently said we should be fearful of possible alien contact. I’m not losing any sleep over it. After witnessing the above, the little green men probably think we are all morons. Soon they’ll move forward with plans to enslave us to do their work. I just hope they give me an office with a door.

Taste of Alpharetta 2010 – Restaurants Worth Your Tickets

May 12, 2010 in Foodie Friday, Suburban Life with 1 Comment

Taste of Alpharetta is upon us. This is kind of a big deal. If you read all the blog and newspaper articles you’ll be reminded that this is the biggest <something> event in all of <something>. Fill in the blank for <something> and it is probably true for Taste of Alpharetta. That’s terrific and all but I’m just here for the food, okay? If you want to know about all the stuff to do, check out this link.

There will be a gazillion restaurants at this event all trying to compete for your attention. If that isn’t enough, the city will throw in their little rouse by forcing you to buy tickets. Combine all that with a huge crowd, music, politicians shaking hands and the “Temple of Doom Obstacle Course”… it can be a confusing event.

But fear not my dear readers, for I’m here to guide you through it all! In all seriousness, this event can be a great way to sample a lot of different food. In my case I’m looking forward to trying places that might otherwise be difficult with young kids in tow. Keep in mind that this event can be rather expensive. Tickets are only fifty cents each, but some items will set you back six tickets. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most of the stuff you will actually want to eat will cost the maximum of six tickets. Just be prepared.

It will also help to browse the restaurant list at the link above and make a mental note of the places you want to try. Otherwise you’re likely to blow valuable tickets on worthless places like the Varsity or Smoothie King. Here’s my list of joints I think are of interest and worth your tickets.

52 Bistro – This place still hasn’t opened, but they are participating in the event. I’m very curious to see what they are all about. I’m likely to make a beeline straight to their booth when I arrive.

Wildflour – My favorite sandwich joint in Alpharetta. If you’re never tried them then they’d be worth a few tickets. I doubt they would offer it at Taste of, but their crabcake sandwich is to die for.

Milton’s – They kick ass at this event and will probably have a lot to offer festival goers. If you don’t try something from their booth, you might as well just stay home.

Sip Wine and Tapas – I’ve never been but based on reviews and their online menu, this place looks like a winner. Their tapas-based menu plays well with a festival of this theme.

Sage Woodfire Tavern – I’ve never been super impressed with the cuisine here. To me they are more about the atmosphere they create in their restaurant and bar. Their booth at Taste of is worth a glance but maybe not a ticket.

Pappadeaux – Yeah, it is kind of a chain, but this place is delicious. I wouldn’t blow a ton of tickets here, but if you can score something like blackened fish for a few tickets you won’t be disappointed.

Logan Farms – Along the same lines as Pappadeaux but probably a tad closer to the authentic side. I haven’t been here since they changed ownership, but I was a fan. They are a small and underrated Cajun restaurant. If they bring anything Cajun or creole then try it. Pass on catering items like smoked ham.

Smokejack – Probably the best Q at Taste of, but that’s not saying much considering the competition. Shane’s, Dickey’s, Pig-n-Chick? Ick. If you’re hard up for Q then they’d be worth a visit at this event. I’d be more likely to blow a ticket here for something like their fried pickles. Yum. Now, if ‘Cue were at this event, we’d be having a different conversation!

Kozmo’s Gastro Pub – Both trendy and delicious. Again, your tickets will be well spent here regardless of what they offer.

Taste of Alpharetta is Thursday May 13, 2010 at 5:00pm at Old Milton and Wills Park.

Alpharetta in Pop Culture

April 18, 2010 in Suburban Life, The Joneses with 0 Comments

The release of the movie The Joneses has brought Alpharetta some attention recently. It got me thinking about how our area is portrayed in movies and popular culture. I started making a list of movies and TV shows that were filmed here or other northern burbs of Atlanta. Here’s what I came up with. I figured there would be more to this, but I can’t think of anything else. Add a comment if you know of a movie or TV show I’ve missed.

The Joneses

I wrote about this last week but still haven’t seen the flick. The neighborhood shots are from The Manor in Milton. There were other on-location scenes that I hope to write about.

Celebrity Residences

Alpharetta and Johns Creek are home to an above-average number of celebrities, mostly from professional sports and the R&B music scene. This is probably a topic I could take up in a post of its own. Our local celebs want to live as quiet a life as they can, and thus pick neighborhoods like Country Club of the South. For the most part they stay out of sight except for…

Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston

These misfits lived in Country Club of the South back in the early 2000′s. In 2005 they had a reality show on Bravo called Being Bobby Brown. I didn’t watch much of it, but I remember seeing some local haunts. But what got Alpharetta into the news was Bobby’s trouble with the law. Remember when he hit Whitney and was brought before Fulton County court? Or what about the time he was arrested while eating at Atlantic Seafood in Alpharetta? This all made national news back in the day. Were you shocked when this marriage ended in divorce? Hardly. Today Bobby and Whitney are long gone from Alpharetta but they left their mark.

Real Housewives of Atlanta

This show proves that there is very little ‘real’ about reality shows. I also didn’t watch a lot of this glorified soap opera. I guess you could split hairs and say this isn’t about Alpharetta. But nearly every one of these women lived in the northern burbs in places like Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Sugarloaf in Duluth, The Manor in Milton, and St. Marlo in south Forsyth.

Good Eats – Alton Brown

Now here’s a show I watch! Alton Brown lives in Cobb County and films his Food Network show locally. It is fairly common for him to film grocery store scenes in places like Harry’s on Hembree Road or various Kroger locations in Alpharetta. He’s filmed episodes in places like the In Your Dreams horse farm in Milton and the Art Institute in Dunwoody.

The Joneses to Open Next Week

April 9, 2010 in Affluence, Suburban Life, The Joneses with 0 Comments

Alpharetta is set to make its debut on the silver screen. Roll out the red carpet. Are you ready? And what better way for this to happen than with a movie about materialism and keeping up with the Joneses? Can this play any better with my blog’s theme? I love it!

This movie starring David Duchovny and Demi Moore was filmed all over Alpharetta almost a year and a half ago. I’m surprised it took them this long to finally open. But nonetheless it is here. The premise is that Duchovny and Moore are new neighbors in a posh gated community in the burbs. But looks are deceiving. They are really slick marketeers trying to sell high-end merchandise and toys to the affluent locals. The story sounds interesting and strangely believable. You can read reviews for the movie here or check out the trailer.

The neighborhood shots were filmed at The Manor Golf and Country Club in Milton. This neighborhood is no stranger to pop culture. One of the Real Housewives of Atlanta lives here. There were also scenes filmed at Muse Hair Salon in Alpharetta. Muse got a lot of publicity out of this, something which I’m sure will make for good business in the future.

I can’t wait to see the movie and pick out other locations around town. And while Alpharetta will be duly proud of its new movie stardom, will the joke actually be on us?

The Joneses opens on Friday, April 16th at a theater near you. Look for me there. I’ll be the one driving the new BMW (yeah I wish).

Alpharetta to Extend Greenway… a Little Bit

April 8, 2010 in Cubicle Life, Suburban Life with 0 Comments

The city of Alpharetta has voted to extend the Big Creek Greenway from its current end at Webb Bridge Road up to the end of Marconi Drive. This is only about three quarters of a mile. Doesn’t seem like a lot really, but it is one step closer to Forsyth’s Greenway. It also opens up access to Windward. There will be a very small parking area here at the cul-de-sac on Marconi. They are also building a tunnel under Webb Bridge Road just for the path.

The trail is starting to get very close to cubicle land. This might be a nice lunchtime diversion for folks working at McKesson. But from here, the path is uncertain. Crossing Windward will be a problem. If the city is willing to spend the dough to tunnel under Webb Bridge, then you’ve gotta think they would be willing to do the same for Windward. Or perhaps a pedestrian bridge?

It appears that the future path from Forsyth’s current end at McFarland will follow the new Ronald Reagan Blvd. If they ever build it, this will be real close to the proposed Taubman Mall. I think this will take away from the woodsy feel of the path. It also means that Alpharetta will have some choices to make on how to get to McGinnis Ferry Road. Will they continue to follow the creek and cut through the Windward golf course? Or perhaps they can go north and follow Alderman Drive near LexisNexis and Equifax? Stay tuned.

Blogs in Alpharetta

March 27, 2010 in Reviews, Suburban Life with 2 Comments

One of the reasons I started blogging was because of the lack of decent blog content in Alpharetta. I suppose all the relos here are too busy to write about their rootless lives. But nevertheless, there are a few terrific blogs in this area. Here are the ones I like. I’ll also add them to my newly created blogroll.

Live in Alpharetta – Bob Strader

Hands down the best blog in Alpharetta. Yeah, Bob is a realtor. You might expect his blog entries to look like… “I just listed this fabulous four bedroom house with wall-to-wall carpet and central air conditioning…” Unlike a lot of professionals who have a blog, his isn’t a shameless shill for his business. You can tell he puts time and effort into coming up with useful and timely content. Yeah some of it is about real estate in general, but in this market I appreciate his perspective.

Every marketing book out these days will tell you to create a blog about your business. This blog is a case study on how to do that the right way. Kudos Bob.

Northside Food

One of the better food blogs that is specific to this area. She reviews a lot of restaurants, especially in the Roswell area. I really should eat out down that way more often. She’s also got some great content on local farmer’s markets and stuff like that.

Atlanta With Kid Travel Blog

The mom behind this blog is Amy. She occupies the fabric covered box adjacent to mine in cubicle land. She also encouraged me to start my blog, so I’m grateful. Her blog has some great ideas for things to do with the kids here in the northern burbs. She’s got some terrific suggestions, many of which are free or inexpensive.

Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

Okay, this isn’t exactly a blog about Alpharetta. But the author of this blog lives here and attends North Point Community Church. Reading his blog gives me a lot of insight into life in an evangelical mega church. Jon is a funny and gifted writer. His stuff about metrosexual worship leaders cracks me up.

Live Apartment Fire – Doug Richards

I don’t think my wife likes watching the evening news with me. Why? Because I’m always making fun of how poorly produced and ridiculously stupid local news reporting can be. Thankfully I’m not alone in my scorn. Doug Richards is a 20 year veteran of Atlanta television reporting. His blog pokes fun at this business, from the inside! Very funny stuff.

View from the Cop – Steve Rose

Okay, this is part of the AJC. Can you really call it a blog? I suppose so. Steve Rose works for the Sandy Springs police department. I never get tired of reading about stupid criminals, especially when they are in my neck of the woods.

Big Creek Greenway – Forsyth

March 15, 2010 in Reviews, Suburban Life with 1 Comment

I lead what some would call a “sedentary lifestyle”. My days usually involve sitting in a fabric covered box looking at a computer, followed by unwinding on the couch watching the tube. But you might be surprised that I’ve actually explored both greenways. Yes indeed it is true. I’ve walked literally hundreds of feet on the greenway before turning back to the parking lot. So I’m sure that qualifies me to write about it, right?

Or maybe not. Please take what I have to say with a grain of salt. Just wanted to get that out of the way.

Forsyth County now has a greenway! It is a lot like Alpharetta’s version. It follows the same creek. It is about the same width. There are lots of trees and nature and stuff. A mere trace of rain will make it flood. There are mosquitoes. And both make me huff and puff. I need more of this (the huffing and puffing part).

Here are some differences I noted between the two. The Forsyth side seems to have more raised wood deck surfaces that Alpharetta. It seems that the creek is more spread out here and not confined so much to its banks. That isn’t a huge deal unless you are in roller blades. We went with our neighbors a few weeks ago and they seemed to struggle a bit with this.

Forsyth’s greenway also has more road crossings. By this I mean the greenway doesn’t follow the creek under road bridges, you have to cross the street yourself. Alpharett’a trail does this at Kimball Bridge road but no where else as far as I know. Might want to keep this in mind if you have young kids.

Forsyth’s trail is still in its early phases and will be longer than Alpharetta’s upon completion. The next phase is still in the planning stages and may not follow the creek. The trail will probably head north towards Sawnee Mountain, which would create a bit of a climb. That’s something not seen elsewhere on the trails.

Alpharetta seems to have better facilities at the trailheads. I’ve yet to see decent parking lots or bathrooms on the Forsyth side. Hopefully that is in the works.

Will the trails ever connect? Everyone says they eventually will. I think the tough part is on Alpharetta’s side. They have longer to go to reach the county line. They would also have to cross a portion of Windward’s golf course (or go around it). I’m not sure how that would work.

www.bigcreekgreenway.com is a cool website/blog with information on both segments of the trail. It’s one stop shopping for maps and such without having to bounce between Alpharetta and Forsyth’s websites.

In Defense of Cell Towers

February 18, 2010 in Suburban Life with 0 Comments

When I walk out my front door at night, I can clearly see the red blinking light atop a cell phone tower. It is a short distance outside our neighborhood. My reaction to this should be:

A – Petition my city, county, Congressmen, etc and demand it be removed.
B – Ask that they make it look like a giant pine tree.
C – Fear for my children’s safety because of unseen radio waves.
D – Enjoy perfect cell coverage in all spots of my home and flawless 3G data.

If you said D, you’d be right! I love my little cell tower. From any corner of my house I can use my cell phone without fear of a dropped call. If I ever wanted to go totally wireless (ditching the land line) I could do it without a problem.

I like my wireless technology and I like when it works! I think most people do too, even if they won’t admit it. Cell towers make this possible. Your iPhone isn’t worth the plastic it’s made of without the cell towers to give you a signal. I also believe that most people ignore the presence of cell towers. I’ve lived in my current home for four years and I never really paid attention to my nearby tower.

Some residents of Milton have their underpants in a bunch over some proposed towers in their new city. I suppose their attempts to preserve the agrarian feel explains it. I can almost understand their concern. The disguised towers (that look like trees) are a decent compromise. But an outright ban on towers threaten property rights as well as my ability to get a signal!

But also in the news you’ll find the Forsyth County school board. In an effort to make a few bucks for the schools, they are floating the idea of installing cell towers on school property. I appreciate administrators’ efforts to be creative in finding dollars. But in this case, concerned citizens (about 15 of them) are worried about safety issues. Not that there are any studies to suggest that cell signals are harmful or anything. Nah! The risk of the tower falling on kids is greater than that of the radio waves. I’m sorry folks, but the most dangerous part of school is merely driving your children there in the car. They could install a farm of cell towers and this would still be a fact.

The City of Milton and the Forsyth County school board have yet to decide the cell tower issues before them. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. In the meantime, the same “concerned citizens” are probably deciding on cell plans based on coverage maps. How many bars do you have?

Valentine’s Day – Dark Chocolate Souffle

February 12, 2010 in Foodie Friday, Suburban Life with 1 Comment

Every Friday, Roots in Alpharetta features an article on food and dining in a series I like to call Foodie Friday.

Happy wife, happy life. That’s something I hear Clark Howard say from time to time. In the hustle and bustle of suburban life, sometimes I think romance falls by the wayside. This is a topic I want to address in more detail later on. Would Valentine’s Day be a good time to start that conversation? Perhaps. But I think being romantic is not something saved for one day a year.

Nevertheless, I want to offer one idea for Valentine’s Day this year. It would be easy to suggest a delicious restaurant, but who likes the crowds on February 14? I suggest staying home and make something challenging in the kitchen.

Dark Chocolate Souffle

Maybe it is the engineer in me, but I enjoy trying new techniques in the kitchen. Following a simple recipe is boring! I see these chefs on TV screw up souffle all the time, so I wanted to try it. When I found this recipe for dark chocolate souffle on the Cooking for Engineers website, I had to give it a try.

Check out the link and follow along with his detailed steps and pictures. I’ll let all that speak for itself. But I’ll add a few things. First, don’t let the fact that this is a souffle scare you. I’ve made this three times now without it falling. It really isn’t that hard, yet will impress whoever is lucky enough to try it. Here are a few more gotchas…

Ramekins

Remember all that practically useless stuff you got as wedding gifts? Most of it is buried in your dining room still in the boxes. Somewhere in there you’ll probably find ramekins or perhaps a creme brulee set that’s never been used. Dig out those ramekins and give them a good wash. It took me forever to scrape the price tags off. I think over the years the glue on the price tags had turned to cement.

Egg White Foam

That’s the key to making this stuff rise. If you’ve never beat these things, just know that you’ve gotta beat this stuff forever. First time I tried these, I used a hand whisk. Big mistake! Use a powered kitchen hand mixer with whisk attachment. Hit those egg whites on high speed. Stiff peaks are the key to the rise. And the rise of your souffle is what will get a rise out of your sweetheart!

Chocolate

Don’t worry too much about the chocolate. I know the recipe calls for higher quality stuff. I made this with cheap stuff from Trader Joe’s one time and Ghirardelli from Publix another time. Unless you are a serious chocolate snob, I don’t think you’re gonna taste the difference. And if you don’t like the taste of dark chocolate, I wouldn’t fret. This stuff is so rich, it doesn’t taste like eating a bar of dark chocolate.

Also don’t stress if this doesn’t work. Worse case if it doesn’t rise, you call it molten chocolate cake! But if you do manage to get a good rise out of it, your sweetheart will be impressed.

Photo credit: Robyn Guy Photography

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