Adventures in Birmingham, AL

Friday, January 16, 2009:

Our trip started off by waking up at 3am to wash-up, drive and park at the airport, and be ready to board a 6am flight to Atlanta, GA. Not so bad until you realize when you get to the airport at 4am-something-er-other that the Starbucks and Tully's coffee stands are still closed... and to think that people probably stood in line for at least 45 minutes waiting for their cup of caffiene. While waiting at gate A13, I was lucky enough to sit next to a young woman who has been blessed with a very high pitched super southern voice. She was on her cell phone openly complaining to her mother about food, weather, clothing, work, the upcoming flight, shoes - you see where this is going. Other people around us were getting up from their coveted seats and choosing to stand because of this young woman. I passed the time by trying not to fall asleep.

I slept most of the way to Atlanta. Once we arrived, I made a beeline to Chik-Fil-A where I managed to stand in line for 10 minutes. When I thought I was going to order, there was a small kerfuffle with some woman around me. Note, Woman #2 is standing behind me.

Chik-Fil-A employee: Next in line please.
Woman #1: Hold on, you can't say next in line please, there are 2 lines here!Woman #2: That's right, who's next, her or her?
Woman #1: I dunno, we both been waiting a looooooooooooong time, so where is the order? We need order here!
Woman #2: That's right, who's next, there has to be order with these lines - that ain't right.
Me: That is OK - you go next ma'am.
Woman #1: OK can do, just wanna make sure I ain't gettin' in your business because you took a step forward there.
Me: It is OK, please.

Another conversation took place with an angered man who apparently had waited over 15 minutes for some Chik-Fil-A nuggets. To top off the experience, their ice machine was out of ice. Good times. After enjoying our sandwiches we hoofed it over to Terminal B. It was then I decided that the Atlanta airport needs stronger air conditioning because it is warm in all of the other terminals. Our Back to the Future moment - we arrived in Birmingham (3:54PM CST) before we left Atlanta (4:00PM EST). The flight was great it was 37 minutes packed with snacks and 2 beverages. Andrew was very prompt in picking us up, so prompt that he didn't even have to pay to park at the Birmingham airport, of course they only charge $1 per hour and Andrew was only at the airport for 5 minutes. Nice huh? I don't know if we could ever get away with that in Seattle. We quickly checked into the Best Western and then drove around eventually ending up at SuperTarget!!!!!

SuperTarget deserves its own paragraph. What can I say, this place is HUGE. It is a Target Greatland with groceries. Target Greatland is about 1/3 larger than a regular everyday Target store. I thought it would be a lot more like a Fred Meyer or even a Super Walmart, pleasantly it was not. The store still had that wonderful Target quality of white, wide, and clean aisles. The products were well stocked, clearly lableled and marked, and all faced perfectly (faced means - perfectly lined with labels facing front). The aisles were clean and easy to read. The groceries were not bad looking and were reasonably priced. We managed to pick up a box of Blueberry Pancakes wrapped around breakfast sausages, I deemed them Sweet Corn Doggies.

Finally it was time for Cracker Barrel. Oh the Cracker Barrel, how I have missed your biscuits, how every side comes in its own dish, the endless sweet tea and rocking chairs...the store of crap in front I do not miss, but the food was delicious. I had the chicken and dumplings platter with all sorts of goodies. We finished the night by walking through a Whole Foods and being introduced to a card game called Phase 10. I say introduced because apparently both Chris and I are the only two people who have never heard of this card game. I believe it is designed by the same people who have made SkipBo and Uno, somehow in my childhood I never heard of the game Phase 10.

Saturday, January 17, 2009:

Our day started with a 90 minute drive to Huntsville. We decided to have lunch at a chicken restaurant called Tenders - where the chicken is kickin'!

It is here where I realized the south has an obsession with chicken as it was very clear that chicken places outnumber hamburger joints. Onto the US Space & Rocket Museum, it was great as they staged a replica of a Saturn V rocket in full-size and available to walk around.

Now I know y'all be disappointed, but I do not have any photos of Decatur. Andrew had planned for us to visit the Cook's Natural Science Museum. Lots of dead bugs, dead stuffed wildlife, etc. Decatur is also the home of Meow Mix. On the way home we stopped at a Sonic (mmm... cherry lime-aid) and then we had dinner at the original Golden Rule BBQ. Delicious BBQ followed up with Banana Pudding. It was indulgence at its finest followed up with more Phase 10.

Sunday, January 18, 2009:

Andrew made a great breakfast with the largest pile of sausage gravy, ever. We feasted on biscuits, fruits, juice, pan-fried potatoes and onions, homemade preserves from his sister-in-law, and somehow we forgot about the Sweet Corn Doggies. One short gravy-induced-nap later we headed to the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, walked around Kelly Ingrahm park and a wonderful homeless man named James "Dredd" Bonds gave us an impromptu lecture of the park and the history of what happened in the park during the civil rights movement.

The museum was impressive - part of it were closed though for touch-ups which we all thought odd since it was MLK Jr. weekend and Obama's Inauguration coming up and all. We then ventured to the Sloss Furnances.

Another trip to Sonic we had decided that we had consumed enough gravy and fried foods. We went to Whole Foods and purchased some delicious items to make a homemade pasta dish with 16-20 count shrimps, carrots, peas, onions, mushrooms, milk and lemon juice. I finally won at Phase 10, although I convinced that Andrew cheats.

Monday, January 19, 2009:

Had a great homemade breakfast with Andrew, we unfortunately tried the Sweet Corn Doggies - I still can't believe that Andrew and Chris ate theirs, I took one bite and that was one too many. It tasted like the blueberry krispy kreme donut wrapped around a swift and serve sausage. Why we thought it was a good idea to buy and try I do not know, but I do like saying Sweet Corn Doggies.

Flew back to Atlanta to fly back to Seattle. I managed to stay awake to see two in-flight movies, Tropic Thunder and Batman Dark Knight. Both were good in their own rights - I have the song where Les Grossman dances stuck in my head still. Had a fog-filled drive home around 10pm, relaxed and fell promptly asleep at 11pm.

Our next adventures? Who knows. I just hope it doesn't involve anymore Sweet Corn Doggies. Thanks again Andrew for being such a gracious host!