Today's random observation: most streets in this town contain the words "Bridge" or "Ferry" (if they're not "Peach" something) and many of them have directions that do not correspond to the actual direction they go. That is all.
Last Monday, a piano got delivered to our house. We knew it was coming so it's not like it just randomly showed up. My mom has two grand pianos and since they are downsizing, they can only take one with them. I'm slated to get the Steinway when my mom passes away (I'm in no hurry to get it) but for now I have a beautiful Mason&Hamlin in our living room. Now if I can only remember how to play that dang thing...
We finally got our fence put up! YAY! Our boys can go out without having to be on leashes. We can highly recommend the Chamblee Fence Company:
http://www.chambleefence.com/
Our July 4th weekend was a combination of organizing the basement, unpacking some remnant boxes, and working.
I was hired to play with the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra for their July 4th Pops:
http://www.gainesvillesymphony.com/press/
Nice group, super nice musicians, steamy hot weather. I literally was drenched with sweat before the downbeat. But I loved the crowd who was happy to have us there on the campus of Brenau University.
We had a good BBQ with the Andersen family and their neighbors on Monday. There were some thunderstorms so we didn't see fireworks and came home on the early side to comfort a storm-phobic golden retriever but we had a nice long weekend.
It's hard to start over with things you've had for years in another city: dentists, physicians, veterinarians, etc. To me, you can't just pick one from the internet and go with it. So I've been gathering recommendations and contact info so that I have someone when I need it. And this last week, I needed it.
Found myself at Atlanta Women's Specialists: http://www.awsphysicians.com/
Nice office, very efficient staff, and a great website where you can fill out forms in advance (and they actually don't make you do it again in person - I hate when they make you do it again!) The doc I saw was extremely professional and very nice. I hope I don't have to see her more than once a year but I'm glad I have a "go to" now.
We were given awesome free tickets (thanks, Dave and Nancy Andersen) to the Braves for last Tuesday night:
http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=atl
They were "Club Level" which meant I could go into the AC when I felt like it and have a beer and use a nice bathroom. It also meant free parking in a relatively close lot where people were tailgating. Good seats along the first base line too. Turner Field ("The Ted" as it's called around these parts) is a beautiful ball park. Lots of decent options for food and drink (bars and restaurants as well as concession stands) and it was really clean. What struck me the most was how NICE every single employee was. It was "how are you tonight?" and "we're glad you're here!" and "have a great night!" - and they MEAN it!!! I can't help but wonder how many more fans would come to games at other places if they were treated like this? It was really nice. I love GABP (Great American Ball Park) in Cincinnati, I love Comerica Park in Detroit, and I thought that the Giants Stadium in San Fran was really cool but honestly, they're not like The Ted. I'm excited to go back!
We found a vet clinic that I love and feel comfortable with - something that is important to me since I have high maintenance dogs. Dr. Mike and a tech spent over an hour with us examining the boys, going over their records, addressing our concerns. They take a photo of your pet every time you are there and you get a paper outlining what happened at that visit with your dogs photo and vitals from the day every time.
http://www.allcreaturesanimalhospital.com/
It may seem a little weird to segue from the vet clinic to a Chinese restaurant but one does want to know what they're eating....so it's good to have recommendations for Chinese food too!
We tried Sunny China at the corner of Peachtree Parkway and Peachtree Corners Circle NW (see I really wasn't kidding!) It was really good and we pretty much had the place to ourselves because everyone else was at their lake houses or something.
http://www.sunnychinarestaurant.com/
Got my hair cut which is almost as nerve-wracking as finding a gynecologist (the ladies understand this):
http://www.vanmichael.com/
They did a good job - it's expensive but they have options too. You can go with "New Talent" which is someone who has completed their training school but is now being trained additionally by the salon or with a regular employee. I went with "new talent" but the girl got sick and they put me with Ginger, a full-blown employee. She was nice and they still charged me the cheaper rate. I'm used to having the same person cut and color me but this place has two people for the two services. We'll see how that goes when it's time for a color. They even called yesterday to ask how my experience had been!
Lastly and possibly most important to me - I found a kennel that I trust for the boys. I drove 45 minutes each direction to get to it but we went for a visit today and it's fabulous. Now I can go on vacation feeling confident that Shanahan and Sammy will be well-cared for.
http://atlantadogworks.com/
OK, folks - that's all for this peach! Please send me more suggestions about things to do, places to go, and whatnot!
Peace.
