Friends, Food, Fresh Starts

Happy New Year!

We've been celebrating the passing of 2009 with craft beers and the company of friends. The rain and sleet of Wednesday evening (New Year's Eve Eve) didn't stop me from meeting some friends at Twain's, a Decatur pub that brews its own beer and has a convenient bicycle rack located at the front door. Most of my friends cycled there too; note the plethora of fenders, racks, and other handy things. Also, a shower cap will keep your seat dry.

The trip was made easier by MARTA, which I took most of the way there and back.

The following day, I ran some errands with the Beau. We had to do some grocery shopping, so I tried out a pair of panniers that he actually made by hand. The workmanship is fantastic - I think he has a potential side business here! But they are definitely his style, not mine, and I tried futilely to convince him of the merits of things like sequins, patent leather, and embroidery. The purpose of borrowing the panniers, in addition to grocery transport, was for me to test them and to figure out how I would want my own panniers to be designed. For that purpose they were a smashing success. Hopefully, someday, I will be able to post pictures of my dream panniers. I wouldn't want to use them all the time, though, just for trips that require extra cargo space.

Anyway, we took a circuitous route through town. It included a stop at the video store, where I stayed outside to guard the groceries. When I got bored waiting, I started to take some photos.
 
We also stopped at the Sweet Auburn Curb Market near Grady Hospital. I hadn't been there in a while, and I really have to recommend it to any intown bicyclists (or potential bicyclists). There are plenty of oddly-shaped but convenient bicycle racks out front. It is accessible by several low-volume streets (Edgewood Ave., Hill/Bell St., and Jesse Hill Dr.). It is barely a mile from the neighborhoods of Grant Park, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, and Castleberry Hill. And, while it is nothing like the big farmer's markets, it does have fresh local food at good prices. Yum! I also recommend Grindhouse Burgers, located in the market.

So, the year is off to a good start. Thoughts for 2010: No matter what the past has been, the next moment is still undetermined. Every choice, every action we take in the present changes the world, if only slightly. Choose wisely.