It's an interesting time to be alive. It feels like something is going on in the country. I think it's a wave of possibility reverberating through red and blue states, hitting some areas and people a little harder than others. I tried to buy a copy of the NYT to have a tangible document of the occasion. They were completely sold out across the country, as I'm not original as I thought. On the flip side of that, there's also a lot of negative factors facing the country, mostly dealing with the economic crisis, including the threat of and actual loss of jobs and homes. We have decided, in my house, that since helping others consists of giving money or time, in lieu of buying everyone (excluding children) Christmas presents this year, we will be refocusing that money and time on volunteer work and local charities. Sticking with the category of not as original as I thought, Michelle at Consuming Louisville feels the same way, inspired by President-Elect Barack Obama: "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other." Louisville has a lot of organizations that are in place to feed, clothe, and shelter those who are without: Wayside, Kentucky Harvest, Salvation Army. This could mean working in a soup kitchen handing out food, or delivering meals, clothes, kids toys, or anything. It just seems that no one person will make the country better without a change of attitudes and willingness on the part of individuals be the hands of the country.
b
Friday, November 7, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Philosophies of Food While Traveling
We drove to Bowling Green KY yesterday to play for a big outdoor WKU homecoming event across the street from the stadium. The drive there was remarkable for a few reasons: how hard I laughed on the way there in a car full of guys I have arguably spent way too much time with; that it has to be near fall peak, and while mostly beautiful on a near perfect day, it was more notable that most trees were either empty or still green; and also that it is still good to play music.
When you're in a band and travel, room must be made to accommodate different philosophies of food. A tier system is set up in terms of preferences and absolute refusals. Traveling on a limited budget means that meals must be convenient, moderately healthy, and delicious. After years of honing the system, here's how we typically fare:
Morning: Coffee is mandatory. I mean substantial coffee, which excludes hotel coffee. Independent, local option first, although not usually available. Starbucks second. Cracker Barrel or Dunkin Donuts coffee in a pinch, as in none of the others are available. A good everything bagel is as close to mandatory as you can make something without it being mandatory. I've found that bagels are one of the most perfect things in the world that aren't as available or in-demand as one would think. Cream Cheese, Veggie spread, or even with lox. It makes me want to open my own bagel shop and find out what a person who makes bagels is called so I can put it on my business card.
Afternoon or evening: McDonald's was never really an option with our band. On the road, you can't avoid fast food. We at least are as selective as we can be. Chick-fil-a is our go to for comparative health and quality. You really can't beat their chicken sandwich and waffle fries with a Pibb. Except on Sunday. How many times did we make plans to stop a few hundred miles up the road and let our mouths water for hours only to be met with severe disappointment. Too many to count. Makes me want to open up a Chick-fil-a and violate what I'm sure is their franchise agreement not to be open on Sundays. And sell blankets. Panera or Atlanta Bread Co. is an option, as is Jimmy John's and the occasional in-a-pinch Subway. We were fortunate that WKU provided us with Jimmy Johns, my preference being the Beach Club, made up of turkey, provolone, avocado, cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. Some got a cookie. I did not that a cookie was optional, therefore I was cookieless.
We don't normally do big dinners. The occasional University would take us out, and we've had some incredible meals. We just recently went to Artemesia here in Louisville for some discussion. It's located in the East Market art district of town and has such a great feel to it. The standout mind blower of the meal turned out to be one of the appetizers we got, Bruchetta a la Ann, described on the menu as "Toasted Focaccia, Homemade Marinara, Goat Cheese, Kalamata Olives". If you're ever in the area, go if only to indulge in an appetizer. But for now, I'm just trying to figure out where to camp out Tuesday and watch Election Results come in.
b
When you're in a band and travel, room must be made to accommodate different philosophies of food. A tier system is set up in terms of preferences and absolute refusals. Traveling on a limited budget means that meals must be convenient, moderately healthy, and delicious. After years of honing the system, here's how we typically fare:
Morning: Coffee is mandatory. I mean substantial coffee, which excludes hotel coffee. Independent, local option first, although not usually available. Starbucks second. Cracker Barrel or Dunkin Donuts coffee in a pinch, as in none of the others are available. A good everything bagel is as close to mandatory as you can make something without it being mandatory. I've found that bagels are one of the most perfect things in the world that aren't as available or in-demand as one would think. Cream Cheese, Veggie spread, or even with lox. It makes me want to open my own bagel shop and find out what a person who makes bagels is called so I can put it on my business card.
Afternoon or evening: McDonald's was never really an option with our band. On the road, you can't avoid fast food. We at least are as selective as we can be. Chick-fil-a is our go to for comparative health and quality. You really can't beat their chicken sandwich and waffle fries with a Pibb. Except on Sunday. How many times did we make plans to stop a few hundred miles up the road and let our mouths water for hours only to be met with severe disappointment. Too many to count. Makes me want to open up a Chick-fil-a and violate what I'm sure is their franchise agreement not to be open on Sundays. And sell blankets. Panera or Atlanta Bread Co. is an option, as is Jimmy John's and the occasional in-a-pinch Subway. We were fortunate that WKU provided us with Jimmy Johns, my preference being the Beach Club, made up of turkey, provolone, avocado, cucumber, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, & mayo. Some got a cookie. I did not that a cookie was optional, therefore I was cookieless.
We don't normally do big dinners. The occasional University would take us out, and we've had some incredible meals. We just recently went to Artemesia here in Louisville for some discussion. It's located in the East Market art district of town and has such a great feel to it. The standout mind blower of the meal turned out to be one of the appetizers we got, Bruchetta a la Ann, described on the menu as "Toasted Focaccia, Homemade Marinara, Goat Cheese, Kalamata Olives". If you're ever in the area, go if only to indulge in an appetizer. But for now, I'm just trying to figure out where to camp out Tuesday and watch Election Results come in.
b
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