Never Again: Circuit City
After Jonathan and I purchased our Samsung TV at the Buckhead Circuit City last night, we went over to pick it up today. Our friend Schiller was nice enough to offer his ride to help us transport it, since Jonathan and I don’t have a big enough ride. When we got to the store, we handed them our receipt, and they went to the back to get our TV. Or so we thought.
When they returned, they let us know that our TV had been sold after we had already purchased it. SOLD! After we bought it! We specifically got a duplicate receipt to put on the TV so that it was shown as sold (the TV was the floor model). The sales guy who sold it to us told us that was all we needed to do. Put the receipt on the TV and they would take it to the back to store it. So, we gave him the receipt and watched him tape it to the TV. As we were walking out of the store, the guy was unplugging the TV to take it to the back. Some where between that point and this morning, the TV was sold to someone else. I was furious.
The staff at the Circuit City was beyond unhelpful. I still can not figure out how they can sell a TV that was already sold. The pretty much had nothing to tell us other than “sorry”. This being the holiday season and all, I am flabbergasted that someone blatantly ripped the sales receipt off and resold the TV. This is why Circuit City is going out of business. ‘Good riddance”, I say. If a store has that poor customer service, they do not deserve anyone’s business.
I plan on calling corporate tomorrow morning to give them a piece of my mind. I certainly will never shop at a Circuit City again, and urge everyone else to do the same.
Goodbye Gainesville
As I continue to put my life into boxes, I feel more and more sadness about leaving. Gainesville has been a great place to call home. It’s like a warm blanket on a cold night. It just feels comfortable. The city and its inhabitants are laid back and always united. No matter where you go, you always feel at home.
As I have driven around these last few weeks, I have made it a point to be keenly aware of what I am about to leave. I am glad that I am not in Atlanta yet wishing I had one more day in G’ville. Instead, I feel like I’ve been able to give my goodbyes. An of all the great characteristics in this town, these are what I will miss the most:
1. Gator Football: There is no better place to watch Gator games then right here in Titletown. The city is absolutely electric on game days. And (rarely) when the Gators loose, the entire city is sad. You can feel it in the air. Everyone here is untied by a shared love for a team that means so much to this city. I will always be a Gator fan, and if we make it to the National Title game, there is only one place I want to be to watch the game – right here in Gainesville.
2. Downtown: I’ve had some really great times downtown. Living here is wonderful. Not having to worry about how I’m getting home makes the evening so much more enjoyable. Although the area of downtown isn’t very large, there are definitely different things to do. Some of my favorite hangouts are Common Grounds, Dirty Nellys, and Market Street. And because they are so close, its easy to visit them all in a night. Of course, the best part of going out is the company with you. I will definitely miss most the third in our trio, who always makes every night downtown memorable.
3. The Top: One of the best, unique restaurants here in town. I have not met anyone who lives Downtown who doesn’t adore this place. It has so much character and fantastic food. As a vegetarian, I love their menu’s equality. Jonathan will tell you they have great meat, but they also have plenty of great meals for me to choose from. And as my great friend D-Wed first taught me, the double drinks are the best deal in town. And hands down, The Top has served me the best Vanilla Stoli and coke. Period.
4. Small Town Charm: Although I am excited about moving to Atlanta because it’s a big city, there is something about Gainesville small town charm that will be hard to leave. Anywhere you go, people are friendly. The city doesn’t overwhelm you. The streets are easy to navigate around. Gainesville is in its own world, contained in north-central Florida. A part of me will always have a place in my heart for this town.
5. The Greenery: One of the things I loved most about going to UF was the campus. Growing up in South Florida, I was used to concrete streets. But when I got to UF, I felt like I was on a northeastern campus. The brick and the old buildings are great, but it’s really the greenery and trees that make it. The greenery continues throughout the city. I believe it’s a law here that you can’t cut down a tree without planing another, so you can only image how beautiful it is to drive around. Although my drive to work each day is long, I don’t mind when I’m cruising down 8th under the canopy of trees.
The Not-So-Comeback Kid
I watched “Britney: For the Record” last night, and I still don’t know how I feel about it. At first, I thought she looked pissed to be have to answer questions. And yet, the film was apparently her idea. So that was a bit confusing. I gave it the benefit of the doubt, though, and continued watching.
I have to admit when she first came on to the scene, I wanted to be Britney Spears. I mean, who wouldn’t? She was on top of the world, doing what she loved, and looking great. Then a few years ago, she seemed to lose her mind. She went through a divorce, which would be hard on anyone. Despite her fame and fortune, the girl is human. I certainly have not agreed with her recent actions, but I can understand them. The poor woman can’t even walk to her car without needing an army of security guards. She lives in a very strange world only a few can even begin to understand. So when she began to cry as the interviewer asked how she felt and she mustered up “I’m really sad”, my heart went out to her. I hope that her distant exterior throughout the film was just a front – her way of defending herself against the always-peering-in world. I hope she is not entirely jaded and just full of shit. I hope she’s not taking advantage of her misfortune to try and make some fortune. I hope she decided to make the film to begin to show the world what it was really like in hers.
So for that, I am rooting for Ms. Spears. I hope she has begun her road to recovery. I hope she turns her life back around for herself. Not for Vogue or E! or the tabloids, but for herself. I agree with her when she gets frustrated at being associated with a ‘comeback’. She’s not the comeback kid. She’s a woman who went through a very tough and terrible time in her life. She just wasn’t able to hide in her room like the rest of us. She had to suffer in front of everyone. She’s learned from her mistakes and is paying the consequences. And I hope in a few more years, Britney Spears will be back on top, showing the world that we can rise above the ashes we leave behind. I really do hope.
Fantastic
“No matter what your heartache may be, laughing helps you forget it for a few seconds.”
- Red Skelton
Getting My Learn On
On Friday we had Jeff Croft come speak to our designers at work. I sat in on the lecture because I’m never one to pass up an opportunity to learn. Although the discussion was obviously geared towards our developers, I learned a lot about the user experience on the Web. I left the lecture feeling excited and craving more knowledge. I loved the idea of digging into how the user experiences the Web and what we can do in our development company to cater to – and hopefully enhance – their experience. I was almost sad that I was no longer really a Project Manager and couldn’t have these conversations with my client. However, I knew that my current job would give me the freedom to keep learning more on this topic and really become an expert.
I’m hoping to find some books on the user experience topic so that I can start to read them. I’m not sure if there is a degree one can earn in this field, but I am definitely interested in that as well. I’ve always known I would go back to school, I just haven’t figured out what for yet. However, I really do love the Web industry. I just sort of fell into it looking for a job while in school. But I’ve really come to love it and see a ton of potential. It’s the wave of the future and we are communicating now more than ever over the internet. Hell, Barack Obama knew it and ran part of his campaign through the Web, reaching out to his younger voters. The next generation is online, and that’s where I want to be.
Shake Ya Tailfeather
I’m not one to continue a workout regiment for a long period of time. Not because I don’t like working out, but because I get bored very easily. Running on the treadmill for 30 minutes is awful if you ask me. I like working out when I don’t realize I’m working out. Weird, I know.
So in my search to find the ultimate non-workout workout, I stumbled across Zumba. One lazy Sunday morning while flipping through the channels, this infomercial caught my eye. I don’t typically buy things off infomercials, because they seem like slimy politicians with an outspoken agenda. But after I found myself still glued to the television 20 minutes later, I figured I’d give it a try.
I’d always had a secret wish to be a dancer – like Britney Spears before she lost it. However, I’ve finally admitted to myself that I’m just not that coordinated. However, I can do Zumba. The Latin/Spanish dances are fun and easy to pick up. Their tag line is “Ditch the workout, join the party,” and that’s just what Zumba is all about. The DVD set that you can buy online comes with 4 DVDs that include two 1-hour workouts and two 20-minute workouts. So, you can switch things up depending on your mood. At first, I felt a little funny dancing in my bedroom by myself, but now it’s something I look forward to. According to the video, you can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I certainly am drenched by the time I’m done, but I never feel like I’m struggling to get through it. The cardio workout is great, and because the focus is often on your core, the tummy melts away. All without feeling like you are walking to no where!
The gym here in Gainesville has started offering live Zumba classes 4 days a week. I went to my first one last Friday, and it was great. It was nice to switch it up and spend a class with other people. Plus, the hardwood floors were a lot easier to move on than the carpet in my bedroom.
I would highly recommend Zumba to anyone interested in having fun and loosing some weight. As soon as I get to ATL, my buddy T-Baggs is going to hook me up with some of her non-workout workouts. I’ll blog about those and let you know the good ones I find. Hopefully I can also find a gym in ATL that offers Zumba classes so I can keep up with the flava!
In all, my non-workout workout searching has taught me something very valuable: Being healthy is not about killing yourself. It’s just about making small adjustments and getting out and moving around. Have fun, and I’ll see you soon minus some of those L-Bs!
For more information on Zumba, check out their Web site.
Laugh Out Loud
Last night, Jonathan and I traveled to JAX to see Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy show. (Did I mention that I won’t miss having to drive 2 hours to go do anything?) The show was at the Moran Theater at the Times Union Center. For all you college kids – it’s a block from The Landing. The drive wasn’t too terrible, although I’ve never seen so many speed limit changes. It would literally go from 55 to 45 to 55 again just through an intersection – in the middle of nowhere. You’d like they’d get a better route to Jacksonville from G’ville.
But I digress. The show was great. The opening act, Mario Joyner, was great. I’d never heard of him before, but I liked him. He and Seinfeld seemed to have some of the same jokes, though, so they might want to listen to each other’s shows once and a while.
Jerry was on stage for about an hour and a half. My favorite bits were about the evil cookies in the kitchen and the “joys” of being in a couple. Some parts of the routine dragged a little, but they were quickly picked back up. My favorite part of the entire show was the end when Seinfeld came out for the encore. He took questions from the audience, which made the show feel very intimate. Someone sitting up in the balcony yelled out to have Seinfeld say “Hello Newman”. One of the other great questions was why he doesn’t bring the show back. In the simplest of terms, Seinfeld answered, “Honestly, I’m old, I’m rich, and I’m lazy.” Classic.
Overall, even though the tickets were a little pricey, they were worth it.
After the show, we drove over to P.F. Chang’s. I had the Chang’s Spicy Chicken. It was delicious. Highly recommended. Very excited about having those options in Atlanta. Very excited.
The Search Continues
After living in a small town like Gainesville, moving to a big city like Atlanta is exciting. As much as I love Gainesville and will miss its small town charm, I’ve always felt I was a big city girl. I love the idea of being able to eat in a different restaurant each night and attend shows, concerts, and events without having to drive 2 hours. I’m excited to finally get to ATL, but the date is quickly approaching, and the feeling of anxiety is coming even quicker.
For the last few weeks, Jonathan and I have been searching online for an apartment to live in. We made a trip up about two weeks ago and began actually visiting some of the places we really liked. After driving around for two straight days, we left feeling overwhelmed but had a much better sense of the neighborhoods we wanted to reside in. We loved both the Buckhead area and the Perimeter area. Because our work is in Norcross, just off 85, we know its necessary to live near the highway. Luckily, we will normally be going against traffic, but we still don’t want to spend more than 20 minutes to get to the office. We live in downtown Gainesville right now, so we have grown accustom (not to mention love) living near restaurants and bars. It’s a balancing act between work and play, but hopefully we can find something we love right in the middle.
This weekend, we traveled back to Atlanta to continue our search. The apartments ranged from great to so-so. At this point, we have a handful that we will compare side-by-side to make a final decision. We plan to move the first few weeks in December, so the pressure is on to pick a place soon.
Here are our top picks right now:
The Estates of Dunwoody
We like this apartment a lot. The layout is great and you get a lot of space for a great price. The kitchen is large with black appliances and wood cabinets. The balcony is huge, which Jake and Puck will love. The master suite is wonderful. The bathroom is huge with two sinks and a separate shower. There are two – yes two – walk in closets in the master bedroom, which is awesome. The W/D is in the guest bathroom, which is a little weird. The carpets are really light, which I worry about with Jake’s dark coat. Overall, we really like this place, and its definitely the front runner right now.
Two Blocks
This apartment complex is brand new. The layout we really liked was the 2/2 floorplan “Seven”. We loved the way the guest bed and bath were in a suite all to themselves, but this made the living area a little smaller. The master area was again very nice with the double sink and separate shower. This shower, however, was more like a coffin, as Jonathan – who is 6′4” – put it. The location was great, and I would have felt safe walking the dog. Granted, we only saw it during the day, so if we pick this place, we will certainly visit it at night again.
Gables Sheridan
We loved the location of this apartment. The floorplan was nice, centering the bedrooms around the kitchen. The living area was quite small, however. Overall, the community was very nice, however, we felt for the price, it was rather expensive. Most additional features were chared for, so we felt very nickled and dimed. We lliked it enough to continue to consider it, though, so we’ll see what happens.
There are a few more places we are going to look at today so our list may continue to grow. Hopefully the decision will end up being a clear, easy one. Right now, I’m not so sure that’s how it will go, but I have my hopes. In any case, we will only have to be there a year. Then the hunt for a house will begin, and this process will start all over again.
Oh, the joys of being an adult.
Book Review: Eat Pray Love
Just finished Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Check out my review here.
Gators, Blisters, and a Night in Jax
Go Gators!
Another Florida/Georgia weekend under my belt. One of the things I love most about being a Gator fan is that there are so many healthy rivalries. Almost every weekend is a game that could go either way mostly because the other team is so juiced on the adrenaline of possibly beating us. It’s definitely a testament to the Gator team, not because they are necessarily the absolute best, but because they are able to continue to put W’s in the win column. Without a doubt, they play with heart, and that always makes for an exiting Saturday afternoon.
While making the two and a half mile trek (I should have worn sneakers) to the tailgate, I can’t count the number of times I was literally barked at by Georgia fans. I understand they are the Bulldogs, but seriously? Barking at me? Of course there were the loud, obnoxious Gator fans as well. But thankfully, the Gators really just have the chomp and a lot of smack talk. No animal imitations needed.
I should have brought a leash.
Despite the barking, I’m not much of a back-talker. I let the game speak for itself, and that it did. I really only a smack talk with friends whom I know will dish it right back. Most of my friends are Gator fans though, so we just talk about how we love the Gators and play the fight song over and over. I do have one dear friend who, for unknown reasons, is a die-hard Miami fan. He spent most of our marathon walk looking up the Miami-VT game stats and randomly yelling in response. Here I am thinking he’s keeping up with the Gator game. Of course not. I guess some people we love not because of their football loyalties, but because they are willing to walk across Jacksonville to watch a football game they are impartial to. Plus, what has Miami done lately?
Go Gators!
