Being Amber Rhea

Spotted in Decatur last weekend:

“I Volunteered at Sex, Wine and Chocolate!”

That’s what you’ll be able to say when the night is done!

We’ll need all kinds of volunteers for this event! From set-up starting at 5pm to clean-up at 11:30pm and everything in between. It doesn’t matter if you love people or would rather work behind the scenes, there’s something for every one.

We’ll need volunteers for 2 hour shifts and you’ll receive free admission (that means more money for prize drawing tickets!) and we will give you all the information you’ll need.

Volunteer Shifts for SWC (Thursday, October 18):

• 5pm - 7pm — Set-Up
• 7pm - 9pm — 1st Shift
• 9pm - 11pm — 2nd Shift
• 11pm - 1am — Clean-Up

If you’re interested, contact Mia at miamingus@gmail.com and we will get you hooked up with a job in no time!

Can’t make it to SWC? Join us for an early Volunteer Night from 3-7pm, Wednesday, October 17.

We will be stuffing goodie bags, assembling programs and more for Sex, Wine and Chocolate the next night. RSVP for food and drinks–walk-ins welcome, too.

Contact Mia at miamingus@gmail.com or 404-532-0022 to RSVP!

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes!

Here is a sampling of some of the prizes you can win at Sex, Wine and Chocolate:

• Grand Prize: three-night stay at Sand Castle on the Beach Hotel & Resort, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
• ONLY for prize-drawing tickets bought in advance: iPod Video Nano
• Classes from PoleLaTeaz
• Themis Personal Organizing gift certificate
• Smart Glass Jewelry by Kathleen Plate
• One-hour health consultation from Sustainable Wellness
• Jewelry by Shirin Style
• Two tickets to Sex 2.0
• Additional prizes from Dr. Sketchy’s Atlanta, Aphroditie’s Toy Box and more!

Buy your tickets now!

(Fellow ATL bloggers… please re-post!)

Wow, I was just reading about Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America’s Soul at Viviane’s blog, and then Thomas IMed me and we were talking about something completely unrelated, and then he mentioned that he was reading a book he thought I’d like, and by the way, the author lives in Atlanta and is doing a reading tonight.

How is it that I never know about all the cool things that are going on in my city, right under my nose? At least I found out about it ahead of time this time, instead of the morning after, which is usually the case.

So, I’ll be there tonight, with camera and recorder in tow, hoping to snag an interview. Here are the details; if you can come, please do!

August 2
7:15 p.m.
Discussion & Signing
Georgia Center for the Book
Dekalb County Public Library
215 Sycamore Street
Decatur, GA
404-370-8450, ext. 2285
gcb@dekalblibrary.org

There’s also a longish excerpt on the book’s web site.

Thanks, Thomas!

Check out my interview with Raye Andrews, owner of Aphrodite’s Toybox. Remembering that people like her are out there makes me feel a little less pissed off at the world today.

I am so glad this is a three-day weekend. I really needed some time off - and although this weekend certainly hasn’t been all ass-sitting, it’s still nice not to have to get up for work on Monday morning.

Actually, it’s been a pretty busy weekend, up until today. Friday night Rusty and I went to see Vicki Blankenship’s Indiegrrl Showcase at Eddie’s Attic. Even though we got there late, we were still able to take in a lot of awesomeness. And I bought two CDs, because I’m all about supporting independent musicians. Not coincidentally, you can also hear my interview with Vicki on the Georgia Podcast Network.

Saturday morning I had to get up early to get my hair did at 9:30. At 10:30 Rusty did a Skype interview w/ an independent candidate for governor. Skype rocks my socks.

After that it was off to lunch at the Brickstore Pub, where we did another interview (seriously, we have been a couple of interviewin’ fools lately) with a porn dude, which will hopefully be available later this week. Then we took in some of the Decatur Arts Festival until we realized it was just too damn hot to be out walking around. Rusty got a few photos, though.

Saturday night was the Doll Squad’s Spring Fling show at Smith’s - and guess what, that coincides w/ another interview we did. Unfortunately, we had to suffer through two crappy bands beforehand, and so it was almost 12:30 by the time the Doll Squad actually started their show. Which meant we weren’t able to stay for the entire thing, because we’re old fogies. That pissed us off, because we wanted to see it, but I don’t understand why everything has to start so goddamn late. It’s like the shows at the 40 Watt in Athens… there is no need to wait until the middle of the goddamn night. It would be just as cool at 9:00 p.m.

Yesterday was back to the Decatur Arts Festival again, where Rusty scored some interviews while I sat in Starbucks appreciating the AC. And… well, now this recap has gotten way too long, which should give you an idea of our weekend overall. And now, I must go put away my laundry and do some cleaning; then I’ll have earned the right to lie on the couch watching Grey’s Anatomy on Tivo.

Spotted on the way back from dinner tonight:

Saturday before I left Augusta, I visited my grandmother. She told me that my great-great-aunt Katherine lived in Decatur for a while, and she (Gran) visited Katherine there in the early 1940s. She remembered downtown Decatur and the square, and venturing into Atlanta to eat at The Varsity. I pressed her for any more details, such as where Katherine lived; but all she could remember was that she lived in “a cute little white house on a nice street,” and it was “not too far” from downtown.

So, now I am determined to find out where she lived, and photograph the house if it’s still standing (kind of like how I photographed the house where my grandmother grew up, and her elementary school).

The only info I have is her name, her husband’s name, the fact that her husband had 7 children (from a previous marriage), and that she lived in Decatur in the 40s, before moving to Florida. A Google search turned up nothing, but I didn’t really expect it to. Does anyone have any ideas of how I can track down my great-great-aunt’s whereabouts ~60 years ago? I’m thinking there must be records and such at the courthouse, but where to start…?

Other, unrelated items:

• I think my car is leaking coolant again. This after dropping a few hundred dollars on it last week for new brake pads and rotors, ghatdammit.
• Next week, I attempt taking MARTA to work. East/West line to Georgia State, then transfer to the #1 bus… here’s hoping I don’t miss the 8:15 bus.
• Chick-Fil-A fruit cups now come with strawberries. Yippee!
• Last night’s podcast party was a rousing success. Photos to come.

Snapped these yesterday on Commerce Drive in Decatur, near my soon-to-be new home.

This is why I haven’t been doing much blogging this weekend.

And I see Duane has spring fever, too.

Since I know at least one person out there in blog land wants to be a voyeur about my living situation (I’m looking at you, Joseph) I’ll go ahead and give an update, since I actually have info worth mentioning now.

I’m still moving at the end of March. I had been holding out for the Bass Lofts in Little Five Points, and had gotten all prematurely excited about living there - but alas, they’re too damn expensive. I’m just not willing to bend over for them on a monthly basis, no matter how much lube they say they’ll use.

So, while I was briefly sad about that, I’m now v. excited about moving into the Ice House Lofts in Decatur. Yes, that’s where the GDBF lives; most likely I’ll be moving into an apartment on the same floor as him, at the other end of the hall. In this diagram, his apartment would be the one in the top right, and mine would be the one in the bottom left. Yeah, we’ve got the building covered.

So now I just have to call the management company and sign a lease and all that good stuff. Decatur, here I come!

Update: Oops, I had linked to the wrong floorplans. Here’s the correct link.

The other day, Garrett sent me this piece by Penn Jillette (yes, of Penn and Teller fame), entitled “There Is No God.” Here’s an excerpt:

Believing there is no God means the suffering I’ve seen in my family, and indeed all the suffering in the world, isn’t caused by an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent force that isn’t bothered to help or is just testing us, but rather something we all may be able to help others with in the future. No God means the possibility of less suffering in the future.

It’s a good read, and not too long. Check it out.

On a less serious note, here’s a photo I snapped in Decatur last night:

The only way it could’ve been better is if there had been a ‘1′ and another ‘!’ on the end.

Pictures from yesterday’s excursion to Decatur are up (including this one of me with a weapon of mass destruction). Check ‘em out!

And I am hereby officially endorsing Crescent Moon as somewhere you must eat.