Inspired Thoughts from the MIA Blogger

I have decided to call myself a blogger now, since I can no longer call myself a bookend. I am now just one of those guys in the middle, or at least will be VERY SOON! A few things have spurred some thoughts, and of course opinions, and I would like to share them with you, dedicated blog-readers.

1. Friendliness vs. Flirtiness: We have all been faced with this situation. How far is too far? This is mainly focused at waitresses and waiters in restaurants. Specifically The Olive Garden. I only go to this fine establishment maybe once a year, and with the way the staff is, once is enough. Courtney, Julie, Kathy, and I went there for dinner recently and were greeted with a strange situation: The waitress flirting with Julie. Julie, in an attempt for free food, returned the affection. Sick. Our group could not decided whether the waitress' actions were friendly in an attempt to become friends with us, to secure a big tip, or perhaps she had some same sex attraction to Julie or perhaps another member of our party. This made me think: what is normal for a waiter or waitress and what is not?
THINGS THAT ARE OK: friendly smile, attentiveness to a certain degree, bringing the meals in an orderly fashion, asking if we need anything...ONCE AND ONLY ONCE, and that is pretty much all that your job entails.

THINGS THAT ARE NOT OK: telling people that they are not 21 when they obviously are holding valid IDs (yes, this happened), giving an excessive amount of information about yourself (chances are, the people you are serving are just hungry and do not care what your cat's name is or how long it will take you to pay off your student loans by working at Olive Garden), lingering too long at the table, flirting with any member of the party (you cannot assume that any person at the table is interested in you and never flirt with someone who is obviously on a date, unless you want to get cut...that is get your tip cut...)

2. People Liking Odd things on Facebook:
Everyday my mini feed in filled with the strange things that people "like" on facebook. Kathy contributes to a lot of this liking, which is why I would like to dedicate this portion of my blog to her. First I will compose a list of some CRAZY things that Kathy is a fan of, this will blow your mind.

Kathy likes....Icing on the cookie, Party City, The University of Alabama Action Card Office, TCBY Tuscaloosa, Monograms Plus in Vestavia.....shall I continue....oh Kathy what will be next?

My Dumb friends like.....
Shopping Malls (38 Friends)-which one? just any mall? any place where I can spend money...LIKE
Friendship (58 friends)- Good, because I don't like friends, I prefer a life of solitude
Music- 104 friends yeah...original.
Coldplay- 72 Friends...this just blows my mind...If i could find the numbers for DMB i'm sure they would blow this out of the water
A Realtor who will not be named- 43 friends. I don't know who you are but if all these people use you, then you have some booming business in Tuscaloosa and surrounding counties.
* random things that my friends are fans of: the cool side of the pillow, I learn more from google than I do in school, Things that girls should never say to guys, I used to pretend to be the little mermaid when I was younger*

I cannot even continue because this research has exhausted me. You like people, artists, movies, books, and some places. That's it. not movie quotes, not random inanimate objects. Soon people will become fans of going to the bathroom, and opening my eyes so I can function on a daily basis. People are crazy. Peace blog readers.

Love

hi from the NE

First of all, a shout out to the decorator of this blog. I'm not sure who you are, but you deserve a title. Looks good.

Second, I have somehow seemed to block the blog out of my life for two months now. It literally took the word "blog" staring back at me from my laptop to enlighten me of this.

Third, ladies, speaking so frequently of frozen yogurt, I have now discovered the fro-yo Mecca of the world. DC has a place on every corner...but it is not your typical frozen delight. Now the Kathys of the world certainly hold no appreciation for such locales, I am sure, but to the Jodeses out there, here me out. We think TCBY is healthy?? These places have frozen Stonyfield Farm plain yogurt as their base. It's that whole "tart yogurt" idea of which I am typically not a fan, but I assure you-- this stuff is amazing. The most unhealthy ingredient I can find is mini chocolate chips-- all else is fruit, nuts, granola. 80 cals and 0 fat per 1/2 cup serving. Hello.

Well I really don't have much else to write and hate to bore you with my ramblings, so I am concluding this blog. Have a merry fourth, everyone!

the other dairy wonder...

We have mentioned many ice cream delights in our blog...TCBY got a recent nod.....Dairy Delight was even mentioned, but how about the newest and most unique dairy wonder...Yogurt Mountain. It has been mentioned by the bookends before, but after the soliloquy given by Kathy about what is assumed to be tuscaloosa's best place for a sweet treat, I offer a rebuttal. Yogurt Mountain, or more affectionately referred to as Yo- Mo, is one of the most wonderful experiences that Tuscaloosa has to offer (as well as a location in Birmingham). Imagine, you are sitting at home in the vortex watching Grey's Anatomy and suddenly, as Owen and Christina fight for the fiftieth time this season, a craving hits. You walk downstairs to survey what might possibly be in the kitchen: bagels...No...chips...No way...that soup that has been there since our Freshman year...HECK No. What do you want? Let's see, I'm female, I want Ice cream. So we all pile in one car, never Jody's :) , and we all go to Yogurt Mountain.

1. The Big Cup: When you go in you get the biggest cup I have ever seen. I know what the owners are trying to get you to do is fill it to the brim so you will inevitably pay 11 dollars and gain 16 pounds, but I love this cup because you will never spill anything! It's awesome!

2. The Yogurt: Lining the walls are at least 12 different types of yogurt ranging from the traditional flavors to cookies and cream and coffee.

3. The Toppings: OMG! cereal, cookies, fruit, candy, mud, brownies, nuts, rocks, peppermints, cheesecake, toffee, sauces, syrup, blood, marshmallows, dirt...haha just kidding, but seriously, any topping you could possibly crave!

4. You Mix It All Yourself: Everyone hates when they have a disgruntled server at TCBY who skimps on the yogurt or toppings, or simply just isn't jolly enough for me! Here, you put what you want and how much you want!

5. You Pay By The Ounce: After making your creation, you weigh it at the register and depending on much it weighs that is how much you pay. Here is where Yo-Mo gets a bad rep. I realize it cannot compare to the 1.99 special at TCBY, but look at what you are getting at Yo-Mo....EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT! you cannot put a price on happiness.

* On a side note: Gluttony can be found in many forms. If you practice gluttony at Yo-Mo you will have a big belly and an empty wallet. Just a warning.*

But if you don't go wild, you can have a satisfying treat filled with delicious things that you chose for a satisfying price.

Yogurt Mountain is overwhelming but delicious. Be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes picking out your toppings on your first visit, but I can guarantee that you will enjoy every second!

AGD = Alpha Grabba Doughnut

Ok, so it is sad to say that a lot of our posts have been about food. So this post is going to be no different - it's about food. Ice cream. Not just any ice cream, but FROZEN YOGURT from none other than TCBY. Now, whether you call this glorious establishment "The Country's Best Yogurt" or "This Can't Be Yogurt", that is besides the point. This place is it just a little bit of heaven on Earth. Now, at the TCBY on McFarland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa (a.k.a. God's Country), Alabama, the fine owners have established a "$1.99 Daily Special" menu to either A) attract the students at the U of A with these very reasonable prices , or B) make the students gain the "freshman (as well as sophomore, junior, and senior) 15" at a very quick rate. I will now give you a synopsis, as well as my honest opinions, of each of the daily specials.

MONDAY - SMALL SHIVER: This is epically delicious. Basically, you can get any flavor of soft serve yogurt and mix it with up to THREE, yes THREE, toppings of your choosing. I rate this as one of the top three specials in the Daily Specials menu. My personal favorite - white chocolate mousse with Reese's cups, cookie dough pieces, and Butterfinger pieces. The small size is just enough for a delicious treat, but not enough to make you feel like you are consuming 2876039154 calories, although you probably are anyway.

TUESDAY - SUNDAE: Ok, now THIS is something that is definitely worth the $1.99. These sundaes are HUGE!!! There is a variety of sundaes to choose from, such as the Turtle Sundae or Hot Fudge Sundae, but I highly, highly recommend the Peanut Butter Sundae or the Brownie Sundae. Now, the Peanut Butter Sundae has changed in the past, oh, two months. This sundae used to come with a delicious peanut butter sauce and Reese's Pieces. However, TCBY no longer "carries" these two confections, which I feel are necessary to complete the taste of the sundae. Ok, moving on. If you so choose, you may, wait for it, CREATE YOUR OWN SUNDAE! Go for it. Make your wildest sundae dreams come true. Choose one soft serve yogurt flavor and up to three toppings and there you go! Add a little whipped cream and a cherry for the complete sundae experience!

WEDNESDAY - SMALL CAPPUCCINO CHILLER: I have personally never had one of these, but if coffee-flavored items are your cup of tea (or coffee...hehe), then you may have just met your match. I don't even know what comes in these, therefore, I am hesitant to recommend them to our avid blog followers.

THURSDAY - BANANA SPLIT: Ok, now some people may call me crazy, but I have never really been a fan of the good old fashioned banana split. There is just something about fruit and ice cream that does not seem right to me. Here's my deal: ice cream is not healthy, so why add fruit to it to make it seem healthy? I know all you nutrition majors and health nuts may not agree, but if you know me, you know fruit is not my forte. So, spend your $1.99 on a banana split if you wish, but I can assure you that mine will be spent on something MUCH more unhealthy.

FRIDAY - SMALL SHAKE: Boring. You can get a small shake cheaper at Sonic.

SATURDAY - PARFAIT: Blog readers, here me now, THIS. IS. EPIC. Two flavors of ice cream layered between three toppings. It does not get much better than this. I am telling you. Try one and you will fall in love. Possibly the best $1.99 you will EVER spend. Gosh, words just cannot explain.

SUNDAY - SMALL SORBET FIZZ: Gross. The end.

Also, keep another thing in mind when making your weekly (maybe bi-weekly or tri-weekly) trips to TCBY. They take BAMA CASH people!! This is just a place that you cannot go wrong, well, with the exception of Sunday's special. So, head on over to McFarland Boulevard and march right on in to TCBY and try one of these glorious specials. If you follow my advice, you will not be disappointed.

On a different note, the Backhall Bookends are no more. All of us will be moving to the front hall, so we will be taking suggestions of names so that we may more fittingly title our blog. Currently, we have only come up with the Front Hall Fab Four. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.

An end of an era

Yes, sadly the reign of the backhall bookends has come to an end. Kathy and I are moving on up in the world. Our room next year is on the front hall and compared to our closet size room we have this year our senior year residence is the Taj Mahal. I will actually be able to turn around without running into a bed or dressers. But, gloating on our mini-mansion is not the point of this blog. No, at the request of Emily, I will be providing a year end wrap up. "What have we learned" if you will. 


For starters, we learned that my original method of climbing into my top bunk on the sleeping porch is hazardous to the health of others. You see, I used to press up on the top bar and fall onto the bed while tucking my legs in to avoid hitting the fan. One night I must have miscalculated the clearance distance and slammed my leg into  the fan. Because the fan was precariously placed on Katherine's "personal stool" it wobbled off and came slamming down to the ground- mere inches from taking out Emily. Death by rotating fan would be most unpleasant. That fan now sits in the chapter room and ticks incessantly when anyone is dumb enough to turn it on- you're welcome. Secondly, we learned that old shrimp in a mini-fridge will stink up the entire second floor. When a putrid seafood smell began wafting through the backhall we set out to discover the source. Naturally, the first place we looked was Morgan's laundry- does she even know how to use a washer machine? Once that source had been ruled out we began to scour everyone else's laundry bags. Finally, someone began opening the fridges and discovered a box of old shrimp. It was promptly thrown away and tossed in the dumpster. What can we learn from this unfortunate circumstance- Morgan isn't always the culprit when something is dirty, unorganized, onion on the floor, missing pants, or unwashed; secondly, it is never ever a good idea to bring home shrimpy leftovers, I don't care what you try to tell yourself seafood is never good for round two-ever! Other lessons we have discovered- being in the bed by the door is the kiss of death- you will get tucked in at two am, people will shine cell phones in your face to make sure you are still there and everyone checks on you when they walk in the door- I appreciate the attention; Jerry is a great deterrent for coming in drunk- he is like our grandfather and I think a little part of his heart breaks when he sees people a little too sloshed; Ms Marcia will offer you her socks if you are cold but don't even think about asking Lolly for her prized sweatpants; having the keys to the kitchen is like having the only tcby left in the world; and finally, dari delight is the best discovery since well since nothing dari delight is the best wanna be dairy queen, slightly sketchy ice cream mecca. There are other great experiences of Jr year that we would all like to reminisce about but those are another subject for another blog entry. 

Hello my name is the Quad

Its spring and we all know what that means- the quad at the University of Alabama becomes a mecca of shirtless hippies, boys with tiny chick magnet dogs and giant balls. Lets start with specimen number one- the hippies. Once the weather reaches 60 degrees the shirts come off and the tight ropes go up. It is because of these tight ropes that we now have yard signs that say "destruction of the trees- including ropes strung between them- is student nonacademic misconduct"Besides trying to turn our lovely quad into a practice arena for the circus these lovely UA residents also enjoy throwing the frisbee. Now the frisbee is a recreational device that I just cannot endorse. No matter how hard I try the frisbee will always go in the opposite direction I intend. Tell me to throw it at you and you better be standing behind me if you really want to catch it. Therefore when I saw a frisbee flying towards my face the other day as I was treking across the quad I immediately quickened my pace and fled the scene. Just because I have chacos on does not mean I want to stop shaving my arm pits and join you in tight roping across the quad while playing frisbee. The second specimen on our tour around the quad is the boy with the tiny chihuahua. You can't fool me for a second in thinking that you went to the pet store and said "I want man's best friend so let me get this tiny mammal that looks like a glorified rat." No, you had ulterior motives. I know that you went to the pet store and said "What dog will get the most girls to stop and say awww... I know! The smallest, is that really even a dog, dog." You think that we stop and swoon every time we see a tiny creature. You are correct, well played frat boy, well played! Finally, a springtime trip across the quad would not be complete without encountering the giant rolling ball of death. Phi Mu and ZBT have this brilliant philanthropy where they roll this multicolored orb around the grass and get people to sign it. Most, especially small children, jump for joy at the chance to put their John Hancock on a glorified beach ball but not I! Whenever I see this ball rolling toward me with the throng of people chasing after it I avoid it at all cost. I'm not above throwing a small child in the ball's path to impede its forward progress in order to give me time to escape. I feel like I am Indiana Jones and the sphere of death is a bolder trying to crush me into a million pieces. In between dodging frisbees, tiny little rats on leashes and big balls a springtime trip across the quad is not for the faint of heart.

New Finds From Your Resident Foodie

As a Food and Nutrition major and as an all-around lover of all things edible, rarely does a day pass by where I am not faced by food. I receive daily recipe e-mails from Chow.com and TastingTable.com, I wrote a paper for a class last night on the seven ingredients of a flour mixture, my idea of a fun weekend includes a trip to Whole Foods, I am currently reading a book entitled "The Art of Simple Food," and I just downloaded the Epicurious app on my phone. It has taken me years to reach this conclusion, but I am now fully confident in this statement: My name is Mary Alice, and I am a food nerd.

One of my greatest pleasures comes from sharing info about new food-related finds with others (please see above statement). Plus, what better way to avoid studying than to write about food? The following is a list of such that I hope you find worthy of your Internet time. Happy eating! M.A.

Things to try:

The Braised White Beans side item at Zoes.

I was skeptical at first, as well, but figured they were worth a try. DELICIOUS. Jodes will vouch. Flavored with rosemary, they were a healthy way of changing up a typical Zoes meal.

The Mediterranean Salmon Salad at Panera.

If you are like me, you do not incorporate near enough fish into your diet- much less the fish high in O-3s. This salad is a great way to put an end to that. Though a little high in calories, it still makes for a great lunch or even dinner if halved and added with a soup/sandwich.

Create-Your-Own Veggie Pizza from Domino's.

We all get the craving for pizza now and then, and with Dining Dollars Monopoly money, how can you go wrong with some Domino's delivery on a Sunday night? I confess that I have a problem of overindulging when it comes to ordering the "personal," "small" pizza (10,000 calories later it does not seem so small). My pseudo-solution to this came in the "build your own" option. My advice: thin crust, less cheese, every veggie imaginable and go for the "extra" option on each, and either chicken or no meat. Yes, this is still a pizza, and yes, you will still be consuming a large amount of calories, but at least it is a healthified not to mention even more palatable take on the old pepperoni pie! Plus, when that doorbell rings and Paul, the delivery man, applauds you for your culinary expertise and finely honed pizza-building skills, you can't help but be proud.

Whole Foods Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.

YUM. Whether you are a tree hugger or just a curious person, these cookies will disappear fast. I'm still not sure where all of mine went...

Speaking of Whole Foods (I believe this is now my 40th reference to the food Mecca), I highly recommend its bistro. I had never even noticed this teeny restaurant in the center of the take-out foods area but will certainly not forget it. Homemade sweet potato wedges, daily specials including fish tacos, and a cute guy cookin the food in front of you. That all I gotst ta say.

Another recent find is the Pie Lab of Greensboro. This place is SO worth the roughly 45 minute drive from T-town! It serves up a variety of pies baked on the spot each day and also has a few quiches and such, as well. Their coffee is some of the best I've ever had and of course pairs nicely with a warm slice of pie! If anyone wants to take a field trip, I'm there. I'll drive :)

Lastly, just a shout-out to the Homegrown Alabama's Farmer's Market. The first market of 2010 will kick off this Thursday from 3-6 pm at Canterbury Episcopal Chapel (on campus).

The market offers local fruits and veggies, honey, flowers, baked goods, t-shirts, etc. and is a fabulous way to not only support local farmers but also to rack up on some top-notch whole foods!

Here's a link to Homegrown's website if you are interested: http://www.homegrownalabama.org/calendar.html

For the love of food.