Free-For-All Friday 1/6/12
Decatur Metro | January 6, 2012Feel free to use this post to ask questions and make comments about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
Feel free to use this post to ask questions and make comments about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
Latest from Decaturish
First! Wish I had something to say.
Here ya go- Make/kept any resolutions? Set an all time record for breaking my resolution to give up coffee 4 hours upon waking in the New Year. Decided switching to decaf may be more practical. Now I have $20 worth of fancy decaf (caramel truffle) collecting dust, I’ll start decaf on Monday…. And from now have decided that starting resolutions on the 1st is completely impractical, heh.
I read this earlier this week and couldn’t resist passing it on.
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html
One of my favorite blogs on this planet. Alli is such an immensely gifted writer!
That’s very funny. The writing style reminds me of Tina Fey.
Now that I am not sweating the small stuff…I got nothing!
Every morning I drive by the newly constructed crosswalk on College Ave at Agnes Scott. Why would you build such a nice crosswalk and then put in traffic barrels and caution tape across the part you are supposed to walk through? You have to walk outside the crosswalk to get around the barrels. It really bothers me for some reason. Maybe I just needed to vent a little. Thanks for listening.
Well, now I have something to say. Hate that thing! It is going to bottleneck traffic! Whose idea was that?
LOL! Funny how people feel differently about things. From a biker and pedestrian perspective, it’s hopefully going to be a lifesaver. I am pretty sure the tape and barrels will be there long enough to get everyone’s attention so that people know it’s there.
Most likely, part of my reaction comes from the fact I went to Agnes Scott and I have a hard time accepting change around campus! When they tore down the walls around the quad, where I smoked away youth, I was devastated!
I feel the same way about my alma mater — the whole place should remain a shrine to my own experience!
I am not sure why my statue has yet to be erected….
Hehehe…she said “erected”…hehehehehe!
And to think that that was my response before even realizing it was Agnes Scott that we were talking about. You people really are trying to get me sent to moderation time-out today, aren’t you?!?
If you get put in teh box, we’ll sit outside and keep you company. That’s what good eggers-on do, right?
Oh YES. You are ALL coming with me! As soon as I take a 12-hour nap…
Heh heh heh. Nelliebelle, I was there when those walls were erected. You wouldn’t believe the indignance they engendered. They killed the Hub, by golly!
agree +1
No. What bottlenecks traffic are all the faux-liberal, Hummer-like monstrosity drivers who should have stayed in Dunwoody or Alpharetta but moved here because their demon spawn were about to enter kindergarten and now spend half their damned time circling the Square looking for a parking spot when there are a thousand empty free ones in the courthouse deck, which they would never use because a) they don’t know about it or, b) it’s really scary and they would have to walk past *gasp* MARTA riders to get from their car to the Brick Store and back!
Amiright?!?
On an unrelated note, I didn’t get any sleep last night and just gulped down 60 ounces of coffee on my out the door to work. Thank God* it’s Friday! See you at Trackside later if my obviously impending DM moderation does not reduce me to social paralysis, in which case I’ll be at Ruby Tuesdays.
————————-
*Or Allah, Krisna, Flying Spaghetti Monster or whatever deity you deem worthy of your support.
I have nothing left to say. You have left me speechless and in awe. Next time I get arrested, I am so calling you to bail me out.
Good luck with that. I’ll probably be sitting next to you in the holding cell!
It will be an cheap call then.
I’m such a fan.
J_T, you just made my day.
Now the big Q is where can I get a fish-like symbol for the back of my car that represents the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
I believe that retail wonderland known as “Junkman’s Daughter” in L5P can supply all your “Pastafarian” needs
http://www.venganza.org/
It seems funny to me that a presumed liberal takes to a message board to stereotype and criticize others who don’t fit their definition or preferences for behavior.
Golly! You’re totally missing out (or choosing to be a sourpuss) by overlooking J-T’s amazing talent for merging the absurdities that crop up in the threads! Think of it as op-ed cartoons come to life!
(Is it possible to love the regulars on here too much? There are days when some of y’all make my heart feel like it’s just gonna burst from adoration and happiness!)
Make that the one & only Junderscore T!
Op-ed cartoons come to life? I like it! And not just because I have no drawing ability whatsoever.
My apologies to anyone who might not “get” it. I pretty much just amuse myself and sometimes do so out loud, or in print. Most people find it humorous and I ignore those who don’t
I totally should have invited you to dinner with me at Saba tonight. I home alone with two kids and I think you’d be a perfect tamer for a four year old. At least I could ply you with alcohol and caffeine long enough chase him around the restaurant while I watch Shameless reruns on my phone.
BTW, how’s the rash, JT?
Yes, I have been known to chase toddlers around restaurants, and not in a creepy or malevolent way either! Small kids and dogs do seem to love the J_T. The older I get, though, the more I need the caffeine and less the alcohol to keep up with them! You just let me know when you need some kid-taming and I’ll load up with a few venti macchiatos!
And thanks for asking, yes, the rash is gone. Of course, I have to venture to Northlake Mall this afternoon to exchange some Christmas gifts so I would’t be surprised if I had a small recurrence. I’m hoping a few cesina and al pastor tacos at Los Hermanos will counteract the almost-OTP experience!
Now, THERE’S the J_T I know & love! Bring on the curmudgeon, Brother Bear!
I am new to the area but only have a minivan! However, I didnt know about that parking and where to do. Where is this deck?
corner of Commerce and Trinity, next to the courthouse, enter from Trinity. it’s free at night and on weekends. Exit on foot at the northeast corner of the structure, next to the MARTA bus turnaround (which is the dead end of Swanton Way), walk easily to any place in the downtown area.
For the more skittish folks (like me when out solo at night), park near the deck’s entrance and exit there. Yes, it’s a longer walk up Trinity to McDonough to the Square, but it’s a more publicly traveled path, and it keeps you from being so isolated while in the parking deck.
Thanks!
I was one of the gripers about that deck and the isolated walk as I am often alone (no its not the MARTA folks – I take MARTA regularly too – its my history having been jumped and mugged leaving a “well secured” parking deck at the Woodruff Arts Center – but I digress…
Thanks for this – I had honestly never noticed that exit.
Gotta stick together! (I just use the vehicles entrance/exit.) I like that there are 3 deck levels with street exposure, boosting my odds of making a run for it or being heard if I ever encounter trouble. Don’t know if it also increases car break-in potential, but I’m guessing that thieves would go a little further in to avoid detection. Like you, it’s not the folks at the MARTA stop that bug me (I’ve always enjoyed a good “Hello” exchange ratio there :0); I’m just not a fan of isolated shadowy areas or smelly stairwells.
I went through there last evening at rush hour and have 2 observations. First, the first car through car still didn’t stop for me — probably texting, applying makeup and had a beer in her lap… Second, unless I was hallucinating due to low oxygen intake on my run, why not align the ‘ramp’ part of the cross walk with the existing sidewalk? I get the staggering mid street, but the ramp thing mystifies me.
And on a vaguely related note — anyone ever tried acupuncture for knee pain? I plan to give it a shot next week and am hoping it works, even if it is just the old placebo effect!
i have done acupuncture (not for knee pain but for foot pain) and absolutely loved it…it was the most zen i’ve felt in my whole life and wish i could afford to go as often as i would like to go. i was seeing a podiatrist as well as the acupuncturist so can’t be certain which was more helpful…highly recommend judith at intown acupuncture if you’re looking for someone..she was the b.o.m.b. !
I can back up anniefannie, except mine wasn’t for knee, it was for a sprained tendon in my right shoulder. It just wasn’t healing right, and was so stiff I could barely lift my arm above shoulder height without terrible pain. I got NO relief until I broke down & tried acupuncture. 5 sessions later, pain & stiffness were GONE. My innate skepticism of all alternative medicines had a big chunk knocked out of it with that experience. I went to a Chinese doctor (she has a US MD, as well as a Chinese MD & acupuncture certificate) on North Decatur Road. Her office isn’t fancy at all, but it doesn’t matter– she got skillz! I cannot recall her name, unfortunately (early onset senility, probably), but I’m sure I can go back through my checkbook & find it.
Thanks yall, Cuba – I am guessing you mean the place near Publix/Holiday Inn. I will check it out, thanks.
Cant speak to acupuncture—but being a 47 year old runner who has been running since age 14, I can suggest taking glucosamine in combo with fish oil. I was having some pretty severe pain in both knees last year and was fearing the dreaded knee replacement surgery when I took the advise of a runner friend and tried the Glucosamine/fish oil —within a few days the pain was cut by half and within a few weeks it was gone. I continue to take it daily and run 20+ miles a week pain free.
Acupuncture is fabulous! I’ve walked in with migraines, knee pain, foot pain, back pain, and always leave pain-free. Bonus: amazing feeling of well-being. Try Dr. Jiang Li at the Center for Wholistic Health on Winn Way: 404-697-6886.
As a pedestrian (who is also a Scottie alum!) that uses that crosswalk every morning and evening, it has made a world of difference and has definitely reduced the number of close calls I’ve experienced from impatient drivers going around the ones who politely stop to let me cross.
I hope the students will find it just as handy when they return to campus in 2 weeks.
It bugs me to see Christmas trees discarded on the curb on trash day! If a person manages to get it home before Christmas why can’t they manage to take it to the recycling location at ASC?
Even worse, I saw a television sitting on the curb last night.
Did you watch it?
Urban recycling. SIt anything on the curb on Saturday morning which has any useful life left or can be repurposed, and it will be picked up within hours by the various scavengers who patrol the neighborhoods.
+1
On the tree recycling – for several years I’ve noticed that there’s always someone with a pickup truck (different each time) who will just stop and pick up trees placed at the curb on our street. Always assumed they were just being neighborly, grabbing the trees on their way to recycle their own tree. I’d do it if I had a truck – I enjoy taking mine to the recycling area if we get it down on time. Kinda closes out the season for me. This year it’s a little too crunchy to stuff into the back of the van, so I’m hoping for the kindly neighbor with a truck to come by.
As we have to leave Decatur, does anyone know a neighborhood in San Francisco with the same feel?
It’s called Portland. I hope you don’t mind a little commute
Well played sir.
+1
Talking Portland, I just discovered a new (to me) comedy on streaming Netflix called Portlandia. Not sure I’m hooked, but this bit about organic chicken had me laughing:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=portlandia+is+the+chicken+local&view=detail&mid=230E08EF774F323D1C8A230E08EF774F323D1C8A&first=0&FORM=LKVR
Season 2 of Portlandia starts on IFC tonight!
+1000
Put a bird on it.
I am the hide and seek champion!
Thanks for the chuckle!
Personally I think the whole city is like Decatur in feel…kinda (hard to compare a tiny city to a major metropolis)….but painfully more expensive. Better seafood too.
Also, even though I don’t understand the love for it, they do have Trader Joes
You don;t like Trader Joe’s? ME EITHER! Brother!
I love the Mission district in San Francisco. Is the East Bay out of the question? There are some really nice cities like El Cerrito and Albany with decent access to SF by BART and the goodies of Berkeley are even closer.
+1 on the Mission District. Lived there just before moving to Atlanta oh so long ago. Best weather in the City, best selection of restaurants, and easy access to everywhere. Outer Mission is a bit quieter but also look at Bernal Heights or Noe Valley for that neighborhood feel. Cole Valley, UCSF, Inner Sunset nice too.
A couple things to remember: (1) yes, City is generally capitalized there; (2) be ready for some serious sticker shock; and (3) Frisco is in Texas (you’ll hear that a lot out there. Oh, and LA is still stealing our water…
If you have kids, Mission might not be the best area. If kids, I’d say more Noe Valley/Bernal. I’d also echo the East Bay options- far more sunlight/warmth than SF, easy BART access to the City, and much more non-big-city feel. I’d agree with Albany/Solano Ave. area (Berkeley city limits on other side of Solano Ave., and for Oakland, the Rockridge and Piedmont Ave. areas.
I you want small town feel, head north to Healdsburg (70 miles) or Petaluma (40 miles), or one of the small Marin towns.
or, smallish town/good school district still on BART line, I have several friends who are very happy in Lafayette.
I might have missed this in a previous post, but does anyone know anything about the work being done on the old BlockBuster location in Emory Commons? Definitely doing exterior work and maybe interior. I would be surprised if they were doing anything before signing a tenant…any scoops?
Wasn’t a plastic surgery center going in there? Or has that already happened in the Chapter 13/old Blue Elephant space?
Supposed to be a Petco.
I guess God is getting even with Pet Supermaket for the Melton’s/rat incident…
A thought: I find the local discussions on this blog invaluable. Sometimes I learn things I need to know but would never find out otherwise. Other times our discussions shine a light on something than needs a light shined on. But when it comes to the political discussions that go beyond, oh say, the Perimeter, the heated and passionate discussions seem futile to me. I don’t think anyone is changing anyone else’s mind or heart. Why do we do it?
Cerebral ossification.
(I’m hoping STG has an insightful response.)
Why do we do it? I say, why not?
Wondering if anyone has heard any factual updates vs. assumptions on two recent happenings and subjects:
House break in on Fayetteville – any arrests?
Family Dollar at Big H
Let the flood gates open..
If y’all are getting a Family Dollar just as ..sniffsniff… we’ll be losing ours :0( … I hope they’ll transfer the Suburban Plaza staff to Oakhurst. They’re so darn nice and hard workers too.
(And if you don’t already have a workout regimen going, plan on gaining 5 lbs after Nubbs shares their cookies secret…)
According to the Suburban Frame folks in Suburban Plaza, only half of their building is going to become Walmart. The Hancock Fabrics side of the building is not. The Suburban Frame half is. (They are still looking at possible new locations in area.) I think the dividing line will be at Picadilly (which is going). Of course, whether establishments choose to remain in the side not being converted to Walmart is another question. Maybe rents will be going up. Don’t remember which side of the dividing line Family Dollar is on.
No arrests on Fayetteville break in yet
I’ve said it before but must say it again. What’s with the people who refuse to say hello or even acknowledge my existence when we meet face-to-face on the neighborhood sidewalk? Last year I decided to cultivate a positive attitude about it and extend a warm, friendly greeting regardless of the other person’s demeanor. Instead of getting offended, just make it my mission in life to help newcomers learn our culture. Most of the time, that elicits some kind of positive response. But there are still those who ignore a friendly “Hello,” either casting their eyes off to the side or down, or occasionally just looking right through me. Since these are obviously neighbors–pushing strollers, walking dogs, commuters going to/from the East Lake station–I just can’t understand the aloofness.
After having run literally thousands of miles here and in other parts of the world, I’ve decided that naturally acknowledging someone on the street is either a small town or southern thing.
Plus, I also think it’s a momentary-shyness thing i. e. ” I dunno if I should/shouldn’t/is it creepy/am I being creepy/will they ignore me/oh, I’m so conflicted” kinda thing.
And by that time, the person has long passed by. I find that a subtle nod is good compromise when in doubt.
Yup, I was wondering if it was the culture clash thing. My husband (born in South) doesn’t overthink it–he says a generic “How’s it goin’?” to absolutely everyone on earth and yet he’s a misanthrope at heart. The only time that’s been a problem is when we went to NYC years ago and people looked at him like he was intellectually challenged or very, very foolish. I’ve gotten braver and braver the longer I’ve lived here and pretty much get a nice reply from folks. There’s a little more ignoring going on in Downtown Decatur and of course Downtown Atlanta.
Hmm, no– I think you’re being much too kind about it. I think most people simply don’t have proper manners. Ignoring someone who openly and directly greets you is just rude. Now, whether these people are being rude because they’re “shy”, or because they’re just silly snobs who don’t deign to acknowledge people whom they deem different or unworthy or whatever is anyone’s guess, but either way, it’s rude. No excuses. I’d rather err on the side of caution & be pleasant, even if it turns out that someone was speaking to the person behind me (but from what STG said, it doesn’t appear that this was that kind of situation).
[And please don't take this as a rant directed toward you, runs-- I'm just happening to break into this particular rant as a segue from my initial response that I thought you were being too kind!
]
Sometimes I kind of ignore people because I am afraid they are smiling at the person behind me and I have been embarrassed that way a couple of times….
Kinda like when you think the hot girl across the room is waving at you, but right after you make a fool of yourself, you realize she is waving at the guy behing you? That kind of embarassed?:)
Pretty much :p
Mmmm, hmmm. Been there, done that. Hot guy thing too. Then you start yoo-hooing everybody in the vicinity so it looks like you’re just a generally friendly idiot and meant to do that.
Just to be clear….I allow for obvious shy moments, additional distractions (other people in the vicinity, passing traffic, etc.), coming upon each other unexpectedly, etc. What I’m talking about is strolling down a straightaway, meeting someone who obviously lives nearby strolling in the other direction, smiling and saying hello and getting nothing (or worse than nothing) back. As I said before, it doesn’t happen all the time. But it happens more than it used to, which I find disconcerting.
Ah, that’s the kind of circumstance that I took your initial statement to mean. Sent me off into a right rant, it did! You just gotta brush the dust from your shoulder, sistah, and keep on keepin’ on. The day I realized I bore no responsibility for either the insertion or removal of the large stick some people have lodged in their arses was a good day indeed.
Maybe I can help (I know, not bloody likely, but whatevs). I have a related but slightly different problem. I find that I’ll be walking around the neighborhood or the square or the library (OK, Trackside) for weeks at a time and people will be all nice and friendly. Then one day, bam, people start looking away and walking to the other side of the street when they see me.
Freaked me way out until I realized that it almost 100% correlated with when I shaved my head (I say almost 100% because there was that day in October when Nubbs gave me her magic ticket that made those people give me all the beer I could drink for like 12 hours (OK, maybe it was only 4 hours but it felt like at least 10!) and I totally had a good hair day that day yet I still scared everyone I came into contact with (OK, maybe not everyone, but at least the neighbors who watched in horror as I had to break into my own house to let out the dogs – and some amazingly pressurized bodily fluids – because Mrs. J_T apparently did not understand the difference between BACK screen door and FRONT screen door which are actually burglar doors with separate keys for some stupid reason).
Anyway, wait, where was I? Oh yeah, smalltowngal (NOT “girl” like the song, made that mistake before, not gonna do *that* again), I don’t know who you are in real life but just in case your situation is like mine I will be on the lookout for bald chicks in Decatur and every time I see one I’ll think “Sinead? No, it’s smalltowngal!” And I will totally say hello!
Hmmm, just realized that it’s very unlikely that anyone is still reading this rambling but, in the off chance you’ve made that mistake, let me assure you that I did not lie before when I said I did not sleep last night. Haven’t done that in about 10 years and boy is it a lot more fun than I remembered! Also just realized that I used “whatevs” in casual conversation. That was not the sleep deprivation but rather spending 3 days with the 12 year old niece. I am NOT having kids…
Wow, there was really a LOT there to go through. I enjoyed it though.
J_T, how many ounces of coffee now?
Well, I never got around to shaving my head and haven’t even considered it since the mid-80s. At this point, I think that ship has probably sailed without me. I do have plenty of scarey-bad hair days, so maybe there’s something to this notion…
I’ve thought about printing up little cards to hand out as appropriate, that say something along the lines of, “Welcome to Decatur, neighborly city of homes, schools, places of worship and SAYING HELLO (especially when somebody else says it first!)”
[A somewhat nicer concept, I think, than another idea I've had, for a little screed to hand out to people who are sitting in a parked car with the engine running, windows closed and a/c roaring, in a parking lot in the middle of the summer in the middle of the day. (And it seems like more often than not, it's a giant SUV with "Support the Troops" plastered all over the back. Is everybody just completely losing their sense of irony?)]
I think you’re taking it way too seriously. Not everyone was raised to speak to everyone they pass. I wasn’t…. and I was raised in the south! I do say hello a lot to strangers, if they don’t speak back, no big deal. Why get upset over it? I don’t think people are being rude, they just aren’t used to having to speak to everyone they pass.
Are you saying you were raised to ignore a person who greets you face to face?
Nope. But what I’m saying is that while some people are raised to say hello to every single person they walk past, whether they know them or not, I wasn’t. I say hello back when someone speaks to me, and quite often I speak first, but I certainly don’t get offended if someone doesn’t speak back. It’s just not the way everyone is raised and some people find it a little strange that a random person is speaking to them. Or they’re not sure it’s for them and don’t respond right away and then the moment is gone. I really don’t think people are being rude, it’s just a cultural difference.
I agree. I also find the tone in many of stg’s posts comes across as judgemental and scolding. If this attitude is apparent in stg’s countenance then she may seem more intimidating than open and friendly.
smells- Yep, what Cubalibre said below. Ugly and uncalled for. smalltowngal’s one of the most respected folks on this board. While I’ll grant you that there’s probably a handful of others who are silently cheering you on, you probably wouldn’t care too much for their company. But then again, maybe you’d fit right in.
What she said.
Unless you’re talking somewhere outside the US, then there’s no “cultural difference” that would excuse someone from returning a direct greeting with silence, or worse, silence with a “Why are you talking to me?” stare. It’s rude, rude, rude, and regardless of where one lives in the contiuous Unites States, it’s just plain good manners to return a greeting, especially when the greeter is neither approaching you with a weapon in his/her hand, behaving in a threatening manner, or doing anything other than saying a passing “hello”. It’s this behaviour, and not an expectation that she be greeted first by passers-by, that STG was talking about. Anyone who’s making any attempt to defend or explain this behaviour is simply engaging in deflection, because it’s unacceptable, period.
Smells, your snarky comment about your alleged perception of STG’s “judgmental” tone in her comments here (which you then segued into an implication that she’s somehow responsible for the rudeness of others toward her) was gratuitously nasty, and uncalled for.
Good Job, Cupcake.
Thanks, ladies! Grateful you’ve got my back and even more happy at the way you each are prompt in calling out deflectors and distractors and keeping the conversation on point (not just this one, but in general around here).
I’ll say it differently: I don’t think people are purposely not returning the greeting. They’re not used to it and not sure it’s directed at them, or are not paying attention, caught up in their own thoughts, so on and so forth. Why not give the benefit of the doubt instead of assuming a person is purposefully being rude?
It’s not a question of not giving people the benefit of the doubt– at least, not from the facts that were relayed. YMMV. I stand by what I said. Moving on…
I know we are in dead horse territory, but the honest to God’s truth in this matter is that some people are just rude as hell.
I will never forget, I was in a crowded car on a Marta train and a blind lady and her dog get on. The conductor came over the train intercom and said the train will not be moving until someone gives this woman a seat, and no one moved. He leaves his station, walks into the car, and repeats himself, and still no one gave up a seat, not even the jack***** in the handicapped seats! You have a 100 people in 1 space, and not one person can get up and give a blind woman a seat. I’m sorry to say, but people are just rude as hell.
I have lived up north, down here, and been far and wide to places so desolate using the public restroom was peeing in a hole in the floor. And in all those places a “hi” or similar gets something back.
People do space out, but witnessing the rudeness that people show no hesitancy is displaying on a daily basis (loud as hell cellphone & restaurant talkers), giving people the benefit of the doubt almost seems naive. In general this is a very simple matter of manners, lots of people have them, but an equal number of people don’t.
As a new resident and former Yankee, I have to say that it IS different here. People up North (and yes, I’m generalizing) just usually don’t say Hello to strangers. I don’t know why, but walking down the street, passing someone, most people just don’t say anything. So many have moved here and just do NOT want to change. I hate that.
I LOVE that folks here smile and say Hello. Anyone (anywhere) that blatantly ignores you when you say Hello is just plain rude. My son, five years old, says Hi to EVERYONE and he always looks at me when someone doesn’t say anything back. I tell him that I want him to keep being friendly and that some people are just too busy or too self-absorbed to say anything back. I think that would be my same advice to you, STG. You seem like a very nice person and I hope you won’t let a few crabapples spoil your disposition.
Welcome South, brother. Your advice to your son is spot-on. As a native, I am just used to greeting people on the street and can’t imagine it any other way. However, when I have visited New York, nobody has ever been rude to me.
In my experience as a bike commuter, I’d say everyone is friendlier on Friday.
STG, what you need is cookies.
Well, yes, I do need cookies. Everybody needs cookies!
Welcome! And kudos on teaching your son good manners.
No such thing as a Former Yankee, by the way.
I’d had to have blocked their way and forced an acknowledgement on your behalf. (Street’s just not the same since we moved to the northside
You must live near me. I walk everywhere and take MARTA, etc. and I get the same lack of response from most of the many new neighbors that I greet. It is like they have PTSD or something. Then I look at the license plate on their big SUV in the driveway of their big new home, and I have to just smile. I understand.
I moved down here in 2008 from the great state of NJ and thought it was so strange that people would say hello. I got annoyed at the supermarket when cashiers would talk to me, couldn’t they see I was in a rush?! This never happened up north. We only occasionally spoke with our neighbors. My inlaws only just must their neighbors after living next door to them for 20 years. I now like the whole neighborly thing but just be aware that others may not be used to it. It’s not a rude thing. It’s a we don’t talk to strangers thing cause you could be crazy. So no offense.
Just cause we say hey don’t mean we aint crazy
+1 and I have totally gotten that after getting a few questionable heys
The Questionable Heys would make a damn fine band name.
My husband and I are also amazed at the (presumed) area neighbors who do not say hello in response to our own greeting while walking around (we’re in Lenox Place). Most do respond, and we have had many nice conversations with neighbors of the surrounding blocks, which is nice and gives me the Decatur glow. Those that ignore a greeting I find sad. I understand differing customs, and can definitely see someone from say the NE not initiating the greeting, but not to respond makes me think they must be in the world-is-out-to-get-me mode. btw, neither of us is Southern born, it must be the small town in each of us that bred the friendliness factor:)
Lenox Place here as well, and I always say hi/hello or if i’m in the middle of something at least smile/nod or wave, i figure people will either think i’m crazy or say hi back, it’s about 50/50 in lenox place.
On transplanted grown folks- I’m wondering if it’s a Big Northern City/Walking as Transit mindset. In Southern towns and cities (and other special places like the towns where y’all are from! :0), a friendly Hello comes as natural as breathing, but I’ve probably never done it when in NY because I’m so focused on hoofing it to my next destination. Not that folks shouldn’t be receptive to adapting a bit once they’re here– Hey, they picked us!– but it does make some sense as far as having to retrain your brain. That said, repeatedly ignored Hello’s = @&!&#^ neighbor. (Got one, so I just say Hi to keep up my end, and keep on going.) Mostly in my neighborhood travels, it’s kids who refuse to make eye contact or return a Hello. I put it down to them taking “Don’t talk to strangers!” to heart– maybe a little too much. With Decatur embracing being a walkable community, it’d be cool if families would consider relaxing the rule a little to allow for some New Scott parenting nuances- Hi’s, head nods, or waves while passing. As smalltowngal’s put it so well before, there are well meaning neighbors all around helping to keep an eye out for the youngsters. An occasional smile to let us know that they see us too would be pretty dang neat!
I think non-responsiveness to a friendly hello from a fellow pedestrian, especially a female, is a lot worse than not initiating the hellos in the first place. A distant memory from being a teen or young adult female in northern cities just came back to me. In some cities, if one made eye contact with certain males on the street, never mind actually responded to them verbally, one would get a fairly lewd response, kind of like the comment between the two dogs on the latest “Eye on the Street” dog thread “Hey, baby! How YOU doin’? How’s about a little sugar??” plus a lot of smooching and whistling sounds. You learned to walk with your eyes straight ahead, never making eye contact, acting like you didn’t see, hear, or even perceive any males around you. That doesn’t explain unresponsiveness to friendly hellos from a female pedestrian in Oakhurst but perhaps gives some insight into why regional differences exist. When I moved from living in NYC for awhile to Southern California, I was bowled over initially by all the “Have a nice day”s. All that smiling was a shock to my system.
Can anyone here recommend a guitar teacher (preferably with flexible hours) for someone new to the instrument? Thanks!
Jeff Holt in Oakhurst
+1 for Jeff. And I have two guitars for sale if you (or anyone else) has an interest.
What flavor of guitars?
IHB-
Sorry i didn’t see this ’til today. I have two “starter” guitars (I guess…they were my son’s…I am not musical) An acoustic and electric. Acoustic Classic Valencia AMBER (VG-160), Electric Guitar RED Charvel Charvette (9050146). I don’t want to turn this into a classified section, so if you have an interest, we can figure out a way to communicate.
+1 for Jeff
Julia Carroll @ inTune Studio in Grant Park is good – she’s my biz partner at Decatur Screenprint and teaches on the side.
I took lessons with Eddie at Decatur Guitar until I couldn’t afford to any more. He’s not their primary rock guitar teacher; I went to learn more about chord substitution and improvisational theory. For that stuff, he was awesome, so I’m sure he’d be great if you wanted to learn whatever else he specializes in.
If you’re looking for a guitar, I’m selling one. Reverend Club King 290.
Does anyone know where to buy Kerosene heating fuel other than the Citgo at the corner of College and Commerce? The last time I bought some, it was $5.00 a gallon and I don’t think their pumps have been inspected in awhile since I purchased $15.00 prepaid inside and the pump shut off at $14.96.
Happy Friday! Can anyone recommend someone to clean our townhome? I am looking for an independent….and someone that people have experience with and trust. I’d rather hire someone who does it for themselves versus a company…..with the economy being so crappy, I know that there are people out there!!
Been looking for an excuse to recommend my cleaning guy. Luciano Costa 678-520-2541. They do a great job with deep cleaning (tried out a few other cleaners back when I was nursing every two hours… somehow no one else could get all of the milk off of the floor). They were a bit pricier than some of the others, but we’ve been happy.
We have a wonderful cleaning lady. She’s been on her own (sometimes she gets her adult children to help on big jobs) for the last 20 years.
Her name is Laura Batista #678-977-5793
We have used her services for the last 5 1/2 years and she followed us when we moved to Decatur. She’s reliable, trustworthy, and does a great job. You can tell her I referred you.
We’re planning on tiling our kitchen floor. It is currently linoleum that is NOT in good shape.
Any recommendations for someone we should call to do the installation?
Many thanks!
Torre Van Lear
970.691.0181
he’s awesome!
Decatur PD to look and mark vulnerable cars in the Oakhurst leaflet? This is a waste of time. How about working to get criminals behind bars?
Somebody backed into my car yesterday and though it doesnt look like I have any damage, I still want to get it checked out. Who do people recommend here?
Definitely get it checked out. That once happened to me and I thought there was no damage. Turned out that everything had been pushed in so slightly and symmetrically that it was hard to detect the damage.
decatur paint & body is FABULOUS!
Thanks – I have a 03 saab – Is there a body shop that caters to them?
give them a shout and see what they can do for you…we have a 2000 volvo and they were able to do wonders with salvageable parts…
Visited Melton’s yesterday evening and the neighborhood has still returned with a passion!
Hardwood floors in the main room are a vast improvement over the old worn carpet.
Oh, it was so nice to have a Melton’s veggie burger this week! They were running out of food at 6PM on Sunday, so I’d say that’s a good sign. Mr. Melton himself delivered my food. So glad to have them back in the neighborhood!
Now for something a little different I am looking to take Waltz classes with the wife.
The instructor really needs to be patent as I cannot dance worth a flip. Any suggestions where to go or who to call?
Would prefer someplace in Decatur walking/biking distance.
Excellent question. I don’t have an answer but I’d like to add to your question. I need to learn some Brazilian dance moves by June. (My niece is marrying into a Brazilian family and I don’t want to disgrace the home team.) Any help out there?
http://maculeleatlanta.com/class-information
These folks have Brazilian dance classes at Several Dancers Core on Fridays at 7:00.
Thanks for the response, FMFats. That looks a little scary to me. I know the troupe from their capoeira demonstrations at various festivals. Although perhaps I could master the dance/martial art form by June. That would wow the new relatives when Aunt Parker (dressed in demure beige) hit the dance floor with Uncle Bic drumming!
It’s been years but when my husband and I took waltz lessons, it was from someone who was a dance teacher and avid contra dancer, and they came to our house for private lessons. I bet you could find a good teacher recommendation there; they have a yahoo group linked from their page:
http://www.contradance.org/
Hope the Decatur Post Office has fixed the package drop chute by now. It was beyond demoralizing on Wednesday when I used the Automated Postal Center to buy the postage for my package but then had to wait in line for 30 minutes TO HAND IT TO SOMEONE BEHIND THE COUNTER. They would not just take it from me, saying it needed to be scanned. It didn’t make sense to me as I don’t believe there are elves residing in the package chute that scan the packages on the way down. Maybe they are invisible?
Oh, good grief.
It seems to me that most of the times in my life that I thought I’d passed out and waked up in the middle of an SNL skit, I was in the post office.
3 postal trucks came racing down Woodlawn this morning… driving way too fast.
There *were* elves in the box but I hired them to put away my Christmas decorations. The PO box will open when we’re done.
I’ve been waiting all week to ask a question on FFAF and now I forgot what it was.
The answer to your question is yes.
The answer is 42.
Jackie Robinson.
It moved.
1968.
Hear to sing the praises of Brightlan, the new Decatur Wifi provider!!! Thank you Andrea Arnold and City of Decatur for providing this option for us folks who just need email and websites access!!!
I signed up at the beginning of December, and it’s been terrific– 4-5 bars when it used to show 2-3! So far only one teensy outage blip– and I just got off the phone from the followup call, and the service guy rocks too! After inquiring about my service, he shared their plans for ensuring every area’s performing at its best. Turns out Brightlan’s a family business that really takes pride in their work. (The rep’s also very observant while out in the bucket truck– he’s up on all the characters in my neighborhood, including me! :0) Something else cool is that their main page has been featuring the Christmas Day burglars for the past week.
(For anyone who wants to check out their service: Click on Decatur Wifi, ignore log in, and visit http://www.apple.com, their “open” site. $19.95/month with no contract required. Can’t beat it!)
What’s the download speed?
What else does one want WiFi for besides internet access and email? I’m so-o-o-o-o out of it technology wise…….
Does Decatur WiFi use the pole-access points that they has set up a few years ago? Sorry–not easy for me to describe those poles except that there was one installed 100 feet from our house and we were never able to get internet. Thanks for the heads-up-I am looking for a new on-corporate company to get internet when promo rate from Comcast expires.
Hi Y’all-
nelliebelle- Heckfire, I don’t know nuthin’ ’bout no download speeds! I’ve left a message for my new Brightlan buddy to try to find out, but maybe someone else on here can answer.
At Home(maybe)- Online gamers would probably want a higher speed- maybe downloaders too. As long as I can get email, read my favorite blogs, and… uh… can check out the many silly cable reality shows I’ve missed out on the past few years (Lurve Storage Wars! Barry rocks!!!), I’m about as happy as a person can be!
trish- They’re using the existing pole access points, and there’s a possibility they might add a few more. (Brightlan’s actually the company that was contracted by the first provider to install them. Unfortunately, they weren’t kept on to regularly maintain them.) Right now, they’re working their way through Decatur to check out/ reset every point– they’re focused on the Southside now, so if y’all see their bucket truck, be sure to say Hi! The service guy also notices who’s friendly and who’s not! :0)
*I wasn’t able to test the speed via http://www.apple.com, so if anyone else has the same problem: Select Decatur Wifi and when the Brightlan page comes up, just click the City of Decatur link to test it.
Is anyone else finding DM really slow to load lately?
It’s been down right terrible this morning.
I am trying to find some links to the new Buckhead Bank proposed for d’town. Thought I had read about putting down a deposit on a location, Are they opening up in the old DFB location?
The location sounds like it might be announced next week. It will not be the former DFB location – that’s twice as big as they want.
Our street was blanketed with fliers by the verminators at gotsquirrels.com. Of all the sources of attic noises listed — rats, chipmunks, bats, raccoons — one’s missing: Ghosts. Funny ad, though: http://flic.kr/p/b8Zat2
Ghosts are definitely a problem, especially around Agnes Scott. There is Elizabeth, the screaming girl who runs in circles, the old woman in Inman, the Victorian girl in Rebekah, the priest in bushes and the shrieking THING in the basement of Winship.
Wow. The Falcons. Just wow. Start firing and don’t quit till you get to the people who wash the practice towels.
Unfortunately agree. Mike Mularkey absolutely needs to go. Mike Smith is starting to look like not such a great head coach. I think he’s a great football guy and he is obviously well liked and respected by his players, but wow does he make some head scratching strategic decisions.
Happy Monday, Decatur peeps! Can anyone recommend a good cement/driveway repair company? My neighbor (who…gasp…doesn’t read DM!) is in need. I told her I’d ask the wise local board. Thanks!
Seems like we’ve got a lot of requests for contractor recommendations this week. I’m in need too, so I’ll jump on the bandwagon:
Hit me up with your best and brightest recs for:
1. Tree Removal — We’ve got a difficult job — Hard to reach backyard on a hill and a towering tree that is starting to lean — YIKES!
2. Chimney repair — Need someone to install a cap and insert a tube down an existing chimney
3. Critter removal — Hearing some sounds in the attic
4. Guitar lessons — For an experienced player who wants to get even better.
Thanks in advance, and Happy Monday.
RNH
Action Critter Removal – 678-644-0234
Appleseed Tree Service – 404-378-2774
Tree Removal: King Tree Experts, (404) 366-6770, (404) 289-6770
Guitar Lessons: Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp, furpeaceranch.com
Anyone know if preK kids have to register for kindergarten as if they are new CSD students?
I remember having the same question in the past. At that time, the answer was no. Nonetheless, I documented my willingness to register again with all possible official parties just in case I misunderstood or the rules changed. I remembered what happened when some kindergartners new to the system registered late back when there was a crunch for kindergarten slots at some schools.