Best Kept Secret in Atlanta

I have found the best kept secret in Atlanta - Castleberry Hill. It is a very transitional area but has great trendy restaurants. I went to No Mas Cantina last night and not only does it have great Mexican food and great margaritas, the atmosphere is unlike any othere Mexican restaurant in Atlanta. No where else can you order a lounge chair along with your tacos. They have a warehouse right next to the restaurant with eclectic furniture and some of that furniture is advertised right in their menu. The area also sports a sushi restaurant - Wasabi - and a pizza place - Slice (the original). Definitely an area of town worth checking out.

How did I do in 2006?

I am reposting my "Things to Do in 2006" list now that the year is coming to a close. I am busy working on my 2007 list and will be posting that soon. In the meantime, here is a recap of my year. I think I did pretty good on accomplishing and doing some "new" things this year.

In 2004, I decided to create a "Things to Do List" every year. That idea was really born out of the Summer of 1999 when a bunch of us girls lived in Atlanta and decided to have weekly dinners at a new restaurant that we had always wanted to try. It was a good way to get to know the city around us and enjoy all good places to eat. The list started with restaurants we wanted to try and has expanded across many areas. The only rule is that whatever is on the list should be something brand new to you so that you are doing something new and enjoying the city around you. So, my 2006 list is a work in progress but this is what I have so far...

Restaurants to try:

• Agave - Done, would definitely recommend
• Alfredo's - Done, would NOT recommend
• Six Feet Under - Done, I love this place. It is such a hole in the wall and has great food.
• Mosaic - Didn't make it
• Soleil - Didn't make it
• Portofino - Didn't make it
• Misto - Didn't make it
• McKendrick's - Didn't make it
• Vino - Didn't make it
• Pura Vida (Fri nights salsa dancing) - Didn't make it
• Rathbun's - Didn't make it
• A new restaurant featured in Atlanta's Restaurant Week - Done, went to 2 restaurants for Restaurant Week (Dailey's and Trader Vic's, also went to a restaurant in DC for their Restaurant Week- Zatinya's).
• Fun restaurants that I did try but weren't on the list. Most of these are in DC: Lauriol Plaza, Matchbox, Pizza Paradiso, Old Ebbitt's Grill, French Bistro.

Events to go to:

• Steeplechase in Atlanta - Missed it because it is always around Easter
• Smyrna Beerfest (this isn't a new to do but it was fun so I have to include it) - Missed it but went to the Decatur Winefest for the first time in Nov
• Art Walk on the First Thursday - Missed it because I am on an airplane every Thurs
• Cirque Dreams in May - Done, wasn't as good as Cirque but it was cool to go to the Fox and see a singing/crazy stunts event. Also going to a Cirque show in 2007 - Corteo
• ACC Tournament in Jacksonville, FL - Went and saw the Jackets lose to Wake, so sad!
• Away Football game - Went to Clemson and the ACC tournament
• Atlanta Aquarium - Went twice and once in 2005 - very cool place to visit
• Thrashers game - Always a good time to see hockey
• Gig on the Grass - Very good times in the summer with great music
• Summer Movies at the Fox - Saw Pride and Prejudice for the 2nd time and still loved it! Very fun wine and cheese event beforehand.
• Screen on the Green - Done in both Atlanta and DC.
• Number of weddings attended: 5

Goals:

• Learn Italian before I go in Sept - I bought the CDs but didn't learn it, shame on me. It would have been helpful.
• Complete a sprint triathalon - Moved to the 2007 list along with running a marathon.
• Take a dance class (Yes, I have been inspired by Dancing with the Stars) - Moved to the 2007 list.

Movies to see/rent:

• Brokeback Mountain - Done, the more I thought about it after the movie, the more I liked it
• Just Like Heaven - Done. An okay movie, Definitely a renter.
• Elizabethtown - Started but had to turn off because I wasn't a fan of the coffin scene
• End of the Spear - Done
• Walk the Line - Done, it was very good. I even bought the DVD.
• Failure to Launch - Done. What can you expect from a romantic comedy.
• Pride and Prejudice - Done, also very good.
• Derailed - Done, better than the critics gave it credit for
• The Break-up - Done. What can I say, I like Jennifer Aniston.
• The Sentinel - Done. Very action packed.
• Talledega Nights - Still haven't seen.
• Casino Royale - Hope to see soon.
• Dejavu - Done. Liked it better than the critics did. But definitely not sure the chain of events are possible or even make sense.

Trips:

• Skiing in Vail - Done. The most beautiful skiing ever!
• Wedding in Italy (not mine but a friend's) - Done. Very awesome trip. The most gorgeous scenery that I have ever seen.
• Beach trip - Done (Destin, FL, Ocean Isle, NC and Tybee Island, GA)
• Skiing in Chile (this may move to my '07 list, it has been a rollover since '04!) - Moving to 2007
• Bed in Breakfast at Lookout Mtn - Not going to do, but did go to a Bed and Breakfast in Hendersonville, NC for a wedding in Dec.

Runner's High

What they say is true. After running for a significant distance, when you are done you feel like you have accomplished something. I just finished running about 4.8 miles for about 50 minutes. That may not seem like much but that is the most and longest I have fun without stopping for a walking break in probably 3 years. I started training for a half marathon that is in March and this week is the 5 mile week. I estimated I ran 5 miles and when I drove it, I came up short so good to know for next time. I feel good though. My feet and right knee hurt but I am going to the doctor soon so hopefully I will be able to remedy that problem and continue with my training program. I wanted to write this up in my blog so when I think I can't do it or don't want to run, I will be reminded of the Runner's High. Of course I was outside running in 65 degree weather in December - not sure how many 65 degree days we will have between now and March but the important thing to remember that I can do it. I probably would have kept on running except I had to get home to meet some friends. Some days I don't even want to run the 1 mile but today I was in the zone and gosh it feels good. Half marathon, here I come!

Team Aniston

I really can't stand Angelina Jolie - anyone that knows me knows that I am definitely on Team Aniston. I can't believe the latest entertainment news where Angelina's says that she didn't mean to break up Brad's marriage but that they just had a special bond on the set of "Mr and Mrs Smith". Come on! If the other person is married then you shouldn't even consider any romantic relationship with them. They are MARRIED! You should only ever look at them as friends. Now I don't think Mr Pitt is blameless by any means - he decided to open up to Jolie and essentially let her in and push Jennifer out. You wonder why there are so many divorces out there because no one really means "Until Death Do We Part", they really mean "Until I find something better" or "Unit I find my True Soulmate", whatever that means. Sometimes folks get married and it doesn't work out for whatever reason but to me it should never be because of another person. Once you are married, you should respect your husband/wife and do everything in your powe not to stray. Even if you have to make rules that seem crazy to others to keep you in check, like not riding alone in a car with a female. Sure that sounds extreme but if you aren't alone with a female in the car that isn't your wife then would you ever end up at that person's house? Would you ever end up letting them into your heart where only your wife should be? Sure it sounds crazy but really it is a protiective marriage. Jolie even says in the article that she know Pitt was already married to his best friend yet she chose to bond with him in a "special way". I think the respect for the institution of marriage needs to become important in our society again. Set crazy rules. Protect your marriage. Protect your wife!

You can check out the article I read on Q100's website or the MSN article. An exert from Q100 is below:
Angelina & Brad's Family PhotoFor the first time, Angelina Jolie explained how she fell for Brad on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." She insists she never meant to break up his marriage to Jennifer Aniston. Angelina says when she met him, she “knew he was with his best friend, someone he loved and respected.” She says that’s why she was so surprised when they formed “this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened."

The Mystery of Men

I saw this article Mystery of Men by David Zinczenko on MSN today so I thought I would get back to my SATC writing roots since I haven't touched on the subject of men lately. This article came at the perfect time because I was thinking of blogging about "Are men really that clueless or are they just not into you". While Mr Zinczenko addresses some good points about men, I want to know why they act clueless all the time. If you are throwing hints their way, does the guy just miss them? Is he ignoring them? Does he just want to be your friend? I don't get it. If you have thoughts on whether men are just clueless or maybe they aren't into you or maybe it is something else, feel free to post.