Athens Twilight Weekend

This past weekend was the my first weekend in Athens in about eight months, and I felt good to be back in my college home.

I went with a group of fellows and we stayed at the lovely Foundry. I used to work there, so it was fun to stay as a guest. We weren't there much, but the beds were super comfy and the price tag was just right. There was a wedding there the same weekend, and the hotel was definitely full, but I didn't feel like we experienced a lot of noise.

I'm sad to report that Saturday was rainy and cold! We had lunch at Doc Chey's -- yay! -- and shared the lettuce wraps and I had Chinese Lo Mein with fried tofu. I can't believe how much I missed Doc Chey's, but I inhaled my noodles.

Amy and I took Lisa and Ashley on the usual round of shops, ending at Junkman's Daughter's Brother before heading back to the hotel. Then I headed over to Terrapin with Lisa and Ashley to partake in some delicious Athens brew. The one in the picture is the Pumpkinfest. It has a full flavor, but it's not bitter at all. Oh, and you can really taste pumpkin and spices. Yum!


Afterward, the three of us raced back downtown for dinner at Last Resort -- we even had to climb over some barricades to get there! It was worth it, as always. I had the shrimp quesadilla and garden salad with the jalapeno honey mustard.

It started raining again as soon as we left Last Resort, but we headed over to the race course just as the women's race began. I stayed for a bit, but decided to head back to the hotel as I wasn't exactly dressed for the weather and didn't want to get sick!


For brunch on Sunday, we stopped at The Grit. I opted for the veggie omelet with grits and biscuits. Claire ordered a couple of their "sausage" patties, and I don't know how they make them, but they are delicious, and taste almost exactly like real sausage.

To end our Twilight weekend and take advantage of the gorgeous weather, we gave Ashley and Lisa a tour of North Campus, Tate and the stadium.

A Collection of Thoughts

Time flies: Wow, so, in case you hadn't heard, Thanksgiving is here (here, meaning close enough that I can talk about it in the present tense) and you know what that means -- one more year has gone by. This one has been especially memorable for me since I graduated from college in May and have been struggling to find a place in my industry since then.

PETA shoots themselves in the foot again: Today, PETA suggested to Damon Evans (I really wish I could have heard his reaction) that instead of replacing Uga VII with another dog, UGA should build an animatronic Bulldog for our mascot. What? Clearly, none of the people working at PETA graduated from UGA, or this never would have been brought up.

They are glossing over a nearly 54-year tradition at UGA. These dogs are an institution -- they are lovable, friendly, and pettable -- and yes, they have health issues. We knew that. Did anyone really expect the current Uga to pass away? No. His predecessors all lived an average of 8 years (only one died under 9 years of age). The Seilers are certainly going through a rough time now, and with absolute confidence I can say that they love their dogs and if there's something they can do to help them, they will.

RIP UGA VII

I arrived home today and my dad had horrible news he'd heard on Fox 5: Uga VII "Loran's Best" died suddenly today. My eyes nearly bugged out -- Uga was only a couple games away from finishing his second season, and only four years old. Bulldogs have serious health issues, I know, but by my estimation, all the Ugas have lived at least seven years.

This is sad news, especially for the Seiler family. I had the opportunity to interview three family members this past year for an article, and they truly care about their dogs. These dogs are beloved family pets, and for anyone who's grown up with dogs, you know what that feels like. It must be particularly difficult to lose two dogs so close together.

It's also a bit disheartening as a Dawg fan, because Uga is such an integral part of Gameday events, and in many ways, a representative of UGA as much as Michael Adams is. I don't know how many people know, but the Seilers and Uga are at every football game, individual college events, other miscellaneous sporting events, and other University festivities. And mind you, they come from Savannah, which is four-five hours from Athens.

My thoughts turn to the Seilers, and if you have a beloved pet of your own, give him or her and extra pat tonight.

Red & Black article
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AJC article