Thursday, September 27, 2007

Kingsized

Now I could be talking about the band, or rather the orchestra, but I’m not I’m talking about the bed the brilliant couple is having built. It’s big and white and old looking.

So, the couple known here as “Julie and Chris” had me build a table for their beach house and then we got together and planned a bed. Like I said it’s big. The foot and headboard have 6″ square, antique pine post on each corner. The headboard is almost 6′ tall. They both have slats, 7″ wide, used for the panels, the panels are 70″ wide, so there are ten slats in each the head and footboard. The slats are pine that was used as decking on a Mardi Gras float in Mobile. The rails are made from antique pine, they are 2″ x 5″, 80″ long.

Each piece of lumber was planed with a hand held electric planer. Then it was all sanded with 50 grit paper on a 4″ hand held belt sander. Then all the lumber was sanded with 80 grit paper on a 5″ disc sander and then with 12o grit on same sander. After all that sanding I painted the whole bed white with flat latex paint and once it dried I sanded it for the last time using 120 grit paper and giving it a distressed finish.

Julie brought to my workshop eight antique tin ceiling tiles which are about 8″ square each. They are gonna look great mounted in the headboard. Each has a different design and each has a different distressed finish. Together, in two rows of four they will really make the bed.

I have just about finished this bed. I got a few other fun things I am working on and would like to finish a coffee table for the market this Saturday. I just finished a painting a fellow ordered. I will post a photo of the bed and this painting soon.

I also met with a lady today and she ordered a painting of her dogs. Two dogs in the same painting which is gonna be 3′ tall and 4′ across. That size should work well for what she has in mind I will try and remember to post a photo of that painting when I finish it.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Hotel Talisi

The Hotel Talisi is in beautiful downtown Tallessee, Alabama. It has been there since 1928. Stacey and I have been there many times as it is on the way to Mobile, not to far off the Interstate and the traffic or crowds are never a problem. Except once we stopped on Mothers Day, it was so crowded we got it to go ($4.25 per pound) and we found a nice spot by the mighty Tallapoosa River to sit and enjoy. Oh yea, there’s food at the Talisi Hotel and John T. Edge mentions it in Southern Belly.

The food is good, real good. They have the same menu everyday with some specials a few days a week. Like on Fridays, you can get the regular menu along with fried catfish and fried shrimp. We haven’t been on a Friday but I bet the catfish is really fresh.

Anyway, after that Brunch we had Sunday at Mom and Dads we hit the road back to Atlanta. By the time we got through Montgomery and came upon the Tallassee exit sign, we decided we could eat again. So we made a left hand turn towards the Hotel Talisi.

The place was right where it was last time we were there. The Hotel Talisi is a 19 room inn with antiques everywhere and in every room. The front desk is awesome. It reminds me of something from a movie. I love the mail and key slots on the large hutch behind the desk. Every time I walk through the lobby, I want to get a room and stay a few days.

Like I said, we’ve been here before and the menu is the same: Fried Chicken, Baked Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Blackeyed Peas, Cornbread Dressing, Cornbread Muffins, Rolls, Salad Bar and Desserts.

The Cornbread Dressing is my favorite on the menu, that and the Fried Chicken. They are both a true testament to Southern Cooking. The dressing is always the same. Perfect in texture and never dry. The chicken is crisp and a little greasy, like I said a true testament to Southern Cooking.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Sunday Brunch

So after the wedding Saturday night I was in need of a really good meal to soak up some of that leftover alcohol still coursing through my veins. Good thing Dad was cooking, I knew it would be a lot of food and I knew it would be good. Dad didn’t let us down.

Mom and Dad have a really large dinning room table, I would say it’s 20 feet long or there about. And it needed to be for the crowd we had there for brunch Sunday, down there in Mobile. Everyone was there. Pam and her two children were in from Little Rock and Kim, Bob and Scottie Mike came in from Birmingham. Sister and Cecil were there, as well as Cheryl and her three little ones. Lisa was in from NYC. Man I haven’t seen her in a coons age and she looked great. Of course Jeff, Jacob and Taylor were there, as they are most Sunday mornings. Al, from across the street joined us, he is like one of the family. Mike and Holly came by for a bite before leaving on their honeymoon. Big Daddy came back from the boats just in time to sit down with us. And Sam, as in “Lil Sis” was there. What a beautiful bunch of people!

So check out this menu. Can you say Osso Bucco, everybody all at once, OSSO BUCCO! Very good, thank you very much. There was also 25 gallons of grits, 60 biscuits, 6 dozen scrambled eggs with cheese, 10 pounds each of bacon, Conecuh County sausage, and andouille sausage. Homemade fig, strawberry, and peach jellies. 5 gallons of Bloody Marys and 5 gallons of fresh orange juice. I almost forgot the sliced fresh tomato’s.

We had the time of our lives. They don’t call us the “Loud Family” for nothing. The Mimosa’s kinda got us going, Pam mixed about 15 gallons of those and they were gone before we sat at the table. It was kind of like the wedding, we laughed, we cried and some of us threw up and started all over again. Mom was really proud. Dad was really tried, after all that cooking. Good thing they got 2 dishwashers in their kitchen.

I tell ya, it’s times like this I live for. Ain’t nothing like having good friends and family around a table like that. We must have spent 3 or 4 hours just eating, and talking, laughing and being real loud. It was a hoot and I can’t wait to do it again.

We all then went out front and played a long game of touch football. That kind of helped us work up our appetite and then it was back to the table for a third and fourth helping. Marion, thanks for all that great food, and please start planning your next menu!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Mobile

So the wedding was gonna be outside in Spanish Plaza, but just like everywhere Stacey and I try to go these days bad weather follows. The tropical storm never developed like it was supposed to but it was enough to cause the wedding party to have a huge tent setup. Which they did right behind the Mardi Gras Museum, which is where the reception was held.

Now this was a great wedding for lots of reasons. Mostly I am very happy for my friends Mike and Holly and I know they will live from now on in total bliss, that’s what happens when you get married, total bliss, just ask Stacey. Another important part that made it so great was that during the ceremony I could hear the cooker boiling hot oil and the cooking of fried chicken and fried shrimp happen behind the tent. Talk about total bliss!

The weather held off and all the old gang showed up and it was reunion as well as a wedding. Holly was beautiful in the gown that she and her mother handmade. We ate, we drank, we laughed, we cried.

Oh the fried chicken and shrimp? Well that was part of the fare served at the reception. That and lots of other southern goodies. There was boiled shrimp, spinach casserole. speckled butter-beans, and tons of other food, and it was all very good and very southern. I can’t wait til they do it again!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

On The Road Again

I’m outa here. Going down where all the monkeys are. One of those monkeys will be gettin married. God love him.

So I hope to have something cool to tell ya about when I get back. Like I said yesterday, this is the old gang and I’m sure some of them haven’t slowed down since I saw them 20 or so years ago. Hope I can keep up, old man that I am.

So I’m gonna get me a poboy and hit the road. George saw me loading the truck and I went in for another suitcase, came out and he’s sitting in the front seat. Sorry buddy, not this time. He would have to spend to much time on his own, in a strange house so it’s best he stays and keeps Brownie and She She company. Man he looks sad.

Found a fried chicken joint in Montgomery I am gonna try and find. I’ll let ya know.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Are You Ready To Wed?

Got a wedding in Mobile this weekend. My oldest friend is getting married and I have the honour of being best man. He is not actually my “oldest” friend, I have friends that are older then him, but he has been my friend longer then anyone. But he is old don’t get me wrong, very, very old.

I like weddings, always a happy occasion. I am also looking forward to seeing friends I haven’t seen for years. Some of these folks I haven’t seen in 20 yrs or so. I hope their not still mad at me.

So I’m looking forward to a big weekend. Mobile isn’t the best food town in the world, but I’m sure I will do ok. I’m gonna pull out my guide for places to eat in the south, Southern Belly, it will tell me of 4 or 5 places I can stop between Atlanta and Mobile for some good eats. Now I can always get good oysters in Mobile, my favorite place is Wintzells Oyster House. It’s in Downtown and Willy has been shucking and serving at the bar for as long as I can remember. There’s some good bar b que down there as well, so I got that going for me.

Anyway, no telling who I’m gonna see, what I’m gonna eat and what the hell I’m in for. Down there in South Alabama their all monkeys and you just never know!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Enough Already

Sorry about the rant’s lately. I’m tired of it as well and had a long talk with myself and I think I got through to myself. “Self ” I said, “shut-up and write something the people can enjoy”. So from now on expect more positive and less bitching.

The Saturday dinner was not really bad, just way over priced. That’s what gets me so mad, I blame myself. “Self ” I said ” You know better then that”. There are not a lot of restaurants in hotels that are worth dining at. Like I said the food was ok and the service was ok, but $115.00 for two people was to much for this level of food. Don’t get me wrong, we often spend $100-$125 for a meal and have no problem because it was worth it. But it’s been happening way to much lately and again, I blame myself. “Self ” I said ”I blame you”.

But like I said I am gonna be more positive and like my Mom always said, If you have got nothing nice to say shut the hell up.

Thanks Mom I will.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Sport Eating

Stacey and I are good at eating at restaurants. We consider it a sport and put lots of thought into where we want to eat. Stacey is very serious about this and even has a special sweat suit she wears when she is researching and making dinner plans. She spends hours at the computer reading reviews and menus. Searching for the right restaurant is tough work and it’s important for us to get it right.

There is a lot to consider when looking for that “right” restaurant. You have to think about who you will be dining with and their likes and dislikes. We can get just about any style food in Atlanta and sometimes this just makes it a tougher decision. You have also got to consider budget, as well as variety in foods there is also a very wide variety in what you can spend. Also the wine list is something to think about, I need old world and some places don’t offer very much.

So this past weekend we needed a place to go with friends both Friday and Saturday nights. After much research, sometimes this is referring to notes on restaurant we have been to, we chose a couple. One we had been to before and another we had heard good things about for years.

The first was a french bistro in downtown Atlanta, we had been before and really enjoyed. Well there is not a lot of positive to say about dinner that night. Lets start with wine. They did not have any. THAT’S RIGHT THEY WERE OUT OF RED WINE! How in the hell does a restaurant run out of wine. I know how, it’s a cash flow problem, but it should not be my problem. The bad part is that Stacey spoke with restaurant twice the night we went, the last time being 7:45 and I bet the guy could have let us know then. We were lucky enough to have carried a bottle with us, but it took an act of congress to get the waitron to open it for us. Oh, he did have one bottle of wine available, it was $90 and he started to drop the price as the night went on, that was one of the strangest things I have experienced at a restaurant.

The food was o.k. The meat a couple of us ordered was not cook to order. One ask for medium, the other med-rare. Well they both came out as steak tartar, already sliced which made me think the chef seared one steak and split it between us. Then the waitron offered us desert and gave us five to choose from, one vanilla and four chocolate, we ordered two different chocolates only to be told by waitron after his return from the kitchen that only the vanilla was available. What the fuck? If I ran my business like this guy did I would be out of business, which I bet this guy is real soon.

Look I would like to tell you about the second, Saturday night disappointment, but I have gotten so mad writing about Friday night my head is about to explode. I will continue tomorrow.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

So So Tired

I’m so tired of all the bullshit. The war, the price of gas, the damn 2008 elections, it’s more then a year away, what the hell are we doing. Gas is at $80 a barrel and it’s gonna go over $85 soon. It’s as if those running this idiot circus are out to get us. Nobody has a straight answer for ya. Nobody can get along with each other. I see it in my neighborhood and I see it on the news every day. If you are someone or some entity that’s trying to be proactive instead of reactive, your labeled a trouble maker.

I am glad I don’t have kids I am gonna leave this world to. It’s a sin against the earth what we have done. It ain’t getting any better, I think we are all just getting better at ignoring the situation. I think it starts small and by the time your an adult you have learned to view things through rose tinted glasses or otherwise you go crazy trying to deal.

Sometimes I think things are o.k. Sometimes I just pay attention to my small part of this so called life and kid my self into contentment. And that’s all it is, being content, which is a cop out. I am as guilty as anyone, just doing enough to keep things right in my world.

I know I got it good and should not complain. But that’s just the problem! We should all complain. I mean really raise hell about the conditions around the world. Boarders are nothing but lines drawn in the sand and just because your skin is a different color then mine does not mean you ain’t my brother.

Man, I got to stop watching CNN first thing in the morning.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

That was stupid!

So I heard on the news yesterday a lady died from eating a bad raw oyster. Yes, that’s right, not only did she eat the oyster in August, but she had it in Atlanta. Come on people I need ya to think first and then eat it. Everyone knows you don’t eat raw oysters if the month does not have an “R” in it. And you should be smart enough to know you have to have them fresh and I have yet to find a oyster bed in Atlanta.

You have got to be careful when and where you eat your raw seafood. I love sushi, but I don’t eat at $1 sushi joints. There is a reason it’s only a dollar a piece and the reason is not good. I must have eaten 30-40 raw oysters last week at the beach, but I bought them basically “off the boat”, and kept them ice cold at all times. I bet that lady that died will think twice about that next time.

I am amazed at the price of seafood when I go to the beach. If your not a local and don’t know where to go, then it’s not cheap. Shrimp were about $3 a pound more in Port St. Joe than in Atlanta. I guess if I knew where the locals go I could do better, but who’s got time for that when your on vacation. Grouper was $13 a pound, I haven’t bought Grouper here in Atlanta lately, but $13 seems high.

But man it was all good. We had shrimp and grits a couple of times and oysters diablo once. We boiled some shrimp and made a shrimp salad and ate on that all week long. So don’t get me wrong, a few extra dollars ain’t gonna stop me from having good, fresh seafood. One night Stacey took a couple fillets of that high priced Grouper along with tomato’s, garlic, black olives, artichoke hearts, capers, lemons and olive oil, wrapped it in tin foil and baked it. It did not suck!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

OYSTERS

Oysters are good! Raw is best. I like mine with a horseradish heavy cocktail sauce on a saltine. Fried is good and we often do them on the front porch. Talk about white trash, but yea we cook a lot on the front porch.

We got up Tuesday morning and it was about the time I was mixing the second Bloody Mary, about 10:30 a.m, that I was thinking about oysters. Seeing as we were in one of the top producing oyster areas in America. We had been told to eat at the Raw Bar, the funky local oyster bar and seafood joint.

So after sitting on the beach for a few hours, reading, swimming, drinking beers, making out and stuff like that, we thought some oysters would be good. We were pretty excited about having oysters, knowing how fresh they would be. I like gulf coast oysters best. They are salty and usually the perfect size, not to big not to small. The cold water oysters I have had are to small and don’t have that briney flavor.

Wouldn’t ya know it, the Raw Bar is closed for a week after the Labor Day Holiday. Damn.

So I ask the some guy cutting the grass where to get oysters? He sends us to Boss Oysters in Apalachicola. We have been to Apalach a few times before and had no problem finding it. So we had beers and tequila and raw oysters.
oysters on the half shell
Stacey ordered fancy raw oysters with a salsa like mixture on them, called “oysters ceviche”. They were good.
oysters ceviche

So we blew that joint and stop at the hardware store and got some copper wire and red spray paint, it’s not what you think. Then we stopped at a retail seafood place. The boats were right out back, it was late in the afternoon and they were cleaning them. We got two pints of oysters, shucked and headed to Cloud Nine for sunset on the beach.

And that’s just what we did. Sat and watched the sun go down for hours. Again we hardly saw a soul. Later we had both raw and fried oysters for dinner. We laid in the hammock on the front porch and watched a movie. Stacey went to bed but I spent about half the night on the screened in porch, in the hammock. Woke up about 3am and climbed into the real bed. Thinking about how to have my oysters for breakfast…

Monday, September 10, 2007

How to get to Cloud Nine

Well what we did was, caught a plane to Panama City, rented a car and drove to the beach. It was really easy and the plane was close to being on time, and I think that’s all you can ask for these days.

Cloud Nine is our friends beach house at Indian Pass in Gulf County Fla. It sits right across the street from the beach. It was built in 1926 and used to be a hunting and fishing camp for men. There were no bathrooms when our friend bought the house about 5 years ago. The floors, the walls and the ceilings are all made from the same material. 1″ x 3.5″ pine slats. It is really cool and so different than any beach house I’ve ever been to.

The Beach is a 1 minute walk across the street and it is a very deep beach. Lots of it, in both directions. There are some large ugly houses here and there but no large condo units. Because of zoning there never will be. Not many people around as the holiday just past and there just aren’t as many houses as you see at most beaches.

So, of course I love this place and want to move here, just like most neat places I visit. But 4 nights will do for now. Stacey and I drive through Eglin Air Force Base coming out of Panama City. Then we go through Mexico Beach, it looked like a cool town. Small,very small. We don’t stop, we are ready to get to Indian Pass.

We then come to Port St. Joe. I guess it’s the largest city near Cloud Nine. We stop at the Piggly Wiggly and get food and a few other items. The Pig dosen’t sell beer, so we have to go to another store for that. Food total $63.00.

We drive towards Indian Pass keeping an eye out for some where to get beer and spirits. There it is, Triple Tails. They advertise beer, bait, liquor and beach stuff. Perfect. We pull in and they have everything we’re gonna need. Grab a little Patron, a little Absolut, a couple six packs and a bottle of wine. We were only here for four nights so we don’t need much. Beverge total $110.00.

We get to the house and check things out. Really like what we see. The place reminds me of the houses we used to rent on Mobile Bay. Not a slick beach house, but a old warm, wooden bay house. We unpack the car, grab a few drinks, two beach chairs and head straight to the beach. Not a soul in sight. When we head back to the house a few hours later as it was getting dark, we had still not seen anyone.

sea gulls at indian pass

Oh joy!!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

No plans at all

So, Stacey and I were gonna make our second attempt to go to Belize. Hurricane Dean stopped us the first time and today another one has stopped us again. Damn, what to do? Don’t panic, aren’t you the one who said something like, the best plans are no plans at all? Well, no, I have never said that, but I gotta admit it’s a good one.

So I cut the grass and I trim the hedges. I edge the sidewalk and I blow it all into my neighbors yard and still I haven’t come up with a plan B. Damn, what to do? Think Tracy, think man. Wait it’s coming, hang on it’s coming to me. Wait for it. Wait for it. That’s it. Remember the lady you traded a painting for a stay at her beach house. Find her card man, find it now. Now call her, call her now man. Yes, yes says it so, yes man it is so, you can go. Now I hope the flights are open!

The flights look good and we are off. Port St. Joe here we come. I think we are in for a treat. The nice lady who owns this house has been a client for a while and has a table I made, at this house. It’s a old house and she has been anxious for me to see it. She knows I like old stuff and is happy to share.

So we will be there for about 4 or 5 days, I ‘ll let ya know what we do and all about the place. There are all kind if good places to eat and I have a list, with a few names, so we will be eating good.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Shutter Table

So I have finished the Shutter Table that I wrote about a few weeks back.

Julie and Chris decided to go with a natural finish for the shutters and the frame around the shutters. This part makes up the top of the table, the part the glass top will sit on. The undercarriage has been painted white and distressed. Everything but the shutters has a light clear coat for clean up purposes. I like the way the table turned out. shutter table
Remember I had been offered some large pine posts from a building in downtown Atlanta ? I went to get these posts and was very happy with what I found. Most of the posts are 6″ x 6″. A few are 4″ x 6″ and one is almost 10″ square ! That’s big. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get the post out of this basement, up to street level and into my truck. The guy I bought them from helped and it wasn’t too bad. At home I am lucky enough to be able to back my truck into my shop and unload them. The large one I put right onto a furniture mover and have left it on it for now so I can’t move it around shop until I do something with it. That’s gonna be a fun job. Can’t wait to see what I get to make out of that piece!

posts

The building these posts came out of is 90 years old, so the trees these posts came from were at least 150 years old. I also have used one of the posts for a coffee table top. I sold it to a guy yesterday at the Serenbe Market. He said his office was right up the block from the spot they came from. People like it when I can tell them where materials came from.

Anyway, the brilliant couple liked their table very much. They have ordered a king sized bed and I plan on using some of the 6″ square post for the corners of the foot and headboards. Stay tuned and I will post photos of the bed soon.