Turkey Tales

Last week it was back to HOT-lanta for family, fun, friends, football and food.  I won't bore you with every detail of the five days but here are some highlights.

It's always hard to find a restaurant that offers a lot of healthy vegetarian variety, especially in a city that is known for its fried chicken and Waffle House greasy goodness, but I found TWO! When I got in on Wednesday I met Meryl and Joel at R. Thomas, which describes itself as "funky burger joint with a little healthy California flair", and funky and full of flair it is.  Greeted at the entrance with cages of tropical parrots, the twenty-four hour restaurant itself is a covered patio with lush gardens and bright colors.  I only had time for coffee at my first stop of the trip, yes I went twice, and opted for the Blue Moon latte, no it did not contain the beer.  They had ordered the quinoa bowl and flax seed chips, both of which looked delicious.  The second time around I got the omelet as well as the privilege of seeing the real R. Thomas and dining with some flying birds.  My only complaint is that I didn't know about this restaurant during high school as I chowed down late night on beignets next door at Huey's.  The second treasure I found was Top Flr in Midtown, located on the quaint Myrtle street a few blocks from Piedmont Park.  The restaurant offers a chique and romantic interior, a delectable tofu entree, and tasty sides (burnt mac n' cheese and shaved brussel sprouts were my favorites). 

Another highlight of the trip was taking a class at Pure Barre Buckhead with my sister.  The pure barre technique is a recent phenomenon in the exercise community, combining weights and ballet bar with quick isometric movements, its popularity has risen because its low-impact, tones and creates a lean look.  Though the company has yet to open a studio in Manhattan, there are several studios that provide a similar work out like Physique 57 and Bar Method. I felt awesome after one class, it flew by and was a great workout.  My friend Jess has been taking Physique 57 classes for a while and I think I might have to join in from now on!

Beyond a doubt the best part was spending time with family and friends.  It's always great to catch up with old friends, and this time around we got to spend quality time with ones we hadn't seen in years.  We took a trip up to the our family friend's lake house in Gainsville, which is a nice escape when my idea of nature is limited to a twenty block radius known as Central Park.  To sum up my trip, I am thankful for: my mom's cooking and loving heart, my dad's cheesy jokes and Cosby sweaters, passing sobriety tests, my siblings (everything about them), CatchPhrase, slipping on leaves, having a sister equally as klutzy as me and having matching scars, Jake Gyllenhall but not his new dirty movie, trivia at TJ's, SEC football, HUE leggings, Target, cognac and fireplaces, SoundHound and satellite radio, Jenny, deers and having an amazing place to call home.  Things I'm not thankful for:  6 a.m. flights.  I. am. beat.

Before:                                                                  After:

Hope ya'll had an equally wonderful Thanksgiving!!