June 2008 Archives

Tonight's dinnner was very tasty. Lemon juice and freshly ground pepper along with chives and a fabulous extra virgin olive oil made the shrimp. Buttermilk and sherry vinegar made the spinach salad. But the real kicker was the fried okra croutons. Perfectly golden, spicy with a Cajun kick.

For the shrimp:

3/4  lb peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
juice of 1/2 lemon, zest from whole lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (I actually use my microplane grater to grate the garlic after I'm done zesting the lemon)
freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt
hearty dash of Old Bay seasoning and a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon nice quality extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons fresh chives

For the buttermilk dressing:

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonaise (I use the new Kraft mayo made with  
    olive oil.)
1 tablespoon buttermilk
freshly ground black pepper
garlic salt to taste
1 teaspoon each stone ground mustard and honey
1 tablespoon or so extra virgin olive oil

For the okra:

a double handful of okra, sliced thick
3/4 cup buttermilk
cajun seasoning
1/2 cup each corn meal and all-purpose flour
oil for frying

For the Salad:
4 cups fresh spinach
12 grape tomatoes (I used a combination of yellow and red)
red onion slices


1. Marinade the shrimp for 30 minutes. Prepare a hot grill.

2. Mix dressing, adding oil after remaining ingredients are blended. (I confess that the amounts for the dressing are just estimates. I've never been much for measuring. Just mix it together until it is about the right consistency--a fairly thin version of bottled ranch dressing but with a creamier, olive oil infused flavor.)

3. Add okra to buttermilk. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then toss by the handful with the flour/cornmeal/spice mixture. Shake off excess and fry!

4. Grill shrimp over hot fire for 2-3 minutes per side, being careful not to overcook. Remove from grill and toss immediately with chives and olive oil.

5. Toss greens and tomatoes with dressing, top with red onion. Place shrimp on top and sprinkle liberally with okra.

Downtown Birmingham, Alabama. 8 photos merged together.

A postcard for AccuPrint featuring downtown Birmingham. This photo is actually 4 photos I took using my Canon 40D and 17x40 wide angle lens and combined in Adobe Photoshop. it is so much less complicated to merge photos than it was just 5 years ago. Would have taken an hour to merge these photos--now it only takes a couple of minutes and the heavy lifting is done by your computer. There were a couple of errors--mainly with the concrete work around the edge of the pools. Easy enough to correct.



Notice my link to the LinkedIn Network at the top right of the page--if you would like to join this networking site, just click the button. (and don't forget to add me as a connection!)

Okay, this really is the final update on this. Last week, I wore the newly replaced Grammici shorts to Camp McDowell for the Your Town workshop (always very casual). Things were going along fine and then, all of a sudden, my shorts got really loose. I looked down and, sure enough, the buckle had frayed at the exactly same spot. I managed to hold them up until I got back to my room and changed into some pants. I called Alabama Outdoors and talked to someone in charge. She was very nice, apologized, explained that they were having problems and had gotten additional returns. I told her that I had found complaints about the shorts online as well. She offered to give me a full refund. I stopped by, I asked to see her and the person at the front counter immediately knew what my problem was as the person I had spoken to on the phone had told him. I got a full refund with no hassle. I've changed my mind and will continue to shop at Alabama Outdoors. I'm still very disappointed about the initial experience, but will chalk it up to one bad apple. I will wait a while before shopping there again, but I'm pleased that they finally got the customer service right.

Well, I got a call from Alabama Outdoors this morning. It seems my shorts have come back from the manufacturer repaired and ready for me to pick up at no charge. (Read about my original experience and problems with Alabama Outdoors here.) The person on the phone was very polite and even told me that, yes, they had had an additional return that had the exact same problem on the very day that I brought my shorts in. (Of course, that's not what the young man behind the counter told me.)

Anyway, I'm planning to pick up my shorts either today or tomorrow. I think that the end result is okay--I got my shorts back and they should be in proper working order. I'm not happy with the way I was treated, however, and plan to avoid going back to Alabama Outdoors in the future. Instead of doing my shopping at Alabama Outdoors, I plan to shop at Mountain High Outfitters. They are actually probably more convenient anyway--located right next to Whole Foods. I hate not going back to Alabama Outdoors--I loved that store for years (almost 20). I have lots of stuff from that store that holds lots of fond memories. But, I can't stand bad customer service. In the day and age of internet shopping, the main thing a local store can offer is personal service. Without that, they are doomed.

Took a quick trip downtown today to snap some photos for a project. Went to 2nd Avenue North and 21st Street for a little while then drove over to Kelly Ingram Park.

Wow! Last week was about the most hectic I've had in a while. Monday and Tuesday started off normally, I guess. Finished up a newsletter for the Sierra Club and got a good bit done on a website for a new client, Aztec Construction. Oh, and I finished a postcard for the Alzheimer's of Central Alabama's summer fundraiser, Hot Diamonds in the Summer.

Then, Wednesday, I headed to Gadsden, Alabama for a final meeting with the Lookout Mountain Parkway Association on a corridor management plan we've been developing over the past 12 months or so. Got some good press on this one--including a nice long article in the Gadsden Times and some coverage--thankfully not including me--on local Jacksonville, Alabama channel 24. Channel 24 TV video: http://www.tv24.tv/news/?newsID=4959#. Looks like the Gadsden Times really believes in the project, as they ran a Sunday editorial on the Lookout Mountain Parkway.

On the way back from Gadsden, we had a flat tire--I didn't know if I'd remember how to change a tire. I doubt I've done it since I was forced to learn how in high school--a teacher thought that everyone should know how. I was successful, however.

We made it back to Birmingham around 3 p.m. I hurried home, packed a bag and hustled away to Camp McDowell for the 2.5 day Your Town Alabama workshop (see the photos below). As luck would have it, I left all my hanging clothes hanging in our guest bedroom, so I stopped in Jasper to buy new shirts--at the tractor supply store because they had a sign for Carhartt clothes. Good deals on 4 shirts. I took about 450 photos over the course of 2 days.

To cap off a busy week of being in front of people, I got a copy of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System's quarterly newsletter, ACTION, that has an article I wrote on scenic byways. I've copied the article and added it to my Your Town Alabama blog.

I wasn't at the first Your Town Alabama workshop (held in 1998) but I've been involved since 1999. This year was the biggest workshop ever. Below are a few of the photos from the two-and-a-half day workshop. The Your Town Alabama blog is one of my favorite projects, with almost daily updates of events taking place around Alabama, grant opportunities for small towns, and tourism news, among other things.

Samantha is the newest family member of the Watts home. We caught her about 3 months ago with the plan of having her fixed and setting her free. She was just too much of a people cat to do that. We decided to find her a home. We didn't have luck. We decided we'd give her a try. And here she is, napping pleasantly on the bed with Leroy (who, coincidently, has been the least enamored with Samantha).

So much of what I am comes from where I grew up and how I was raised. It becomes more and more evident every day, really. On today, Father's Day, it seemed appropriate to talk briefly about Papa, who gave me so much of what makes me who I am.

I like to think the spark of laughter and good humor--and the desire to make others laugh is as present in me as it was in my father. I can only hope, as he was such a jokester.

The other day, though, I was with my friend Ben having a drink and enjoying stories together, both funny and serious. We were joking about photography and I was relaying my story of going down into a coal mine to take photos for American Mining Insurance Company. Going into an underground coal mine is pretty intimidating to begin with. Going in with a bulky camera on top of the hard hat, overalls, rubber boots and big, heavy belt complete with large battery pack that powers your head lamp along with something that provides air in case of a cave-in--now that's tough. Did I mention cave-in?

Anyway, I was so off-put about going underground (I wasn't expecting to be allowed to carry my camera into the mine anyway as this isn't typically something that they allow), that I managed to get only about 3 photos. My camera flash wasn't fully charged and I couldn't figure out just what to do about it. (I'll do better if I get to go again.) One photo I took managed to capture several people's feet--there were vehicles moving by underground, the ceiling was less than 6 feet high, there was dust everywhere, the air was thick and it was very intimidating so I'm impressed I even got that shot.

Back to the story at hand....

I was telling my friend Ben about this exciting event. And nothing felt better than hearing him laugh and spew his drink across the room. I remembered the many times when Papa would have the whole room laughing.

No matter what, Papa worked to make people laugh and he kept that sense of humor for pretty much his whole life. I can't imagine how he did it. Growing up in the Great Depression. Going through the Pacific theater in World War II. Having 6 children (oh my God!)--including one that came WELL AFTER he had turned 40.

Still, he managed to enjoy life in a way that few people could. His ability to handle pretty much any situation with a smile, with black medicine (a cream he brought home in bulk from the paper mill where he worked as a mechanic), a band-aid and a pocket knife is legendary. If those wouldn't solve the situation, some sand paper, some WD40 or some duct tape--only in a real emergency as this couldn't be reused with ease--surely would. He just never seemed to get terribly rattled about things.

I got, I hope, at least a touch of his laughter, his smile and his humor. I still need to work on not getting rattled by things. Sadly, I did not get his ability to fix things. If it is broken, my only remedy is to take it to the basement--where it can live forever in a broken state!

Here's to you Papa.

 

My cousin Deborah mentioned in an earlier blog post just how much I loved hats, boots and guns as a child. What she failed to mention was my undeniable love of all things knife-oriented. My dad made hundreds of knives, some pretty rustic, but some with really pretty wood handles. I still have a nice selection--my sister Julia even has two matching ones in a shadow box frame.

I think I must have picked up Papa's love of knives. Unfortunately, I did NOT pick up his skill with power tools. The knives in this photo aren't ones that my dad made, but they are more or less the first knives I ever had. Both came from my Uncle Bill (my father's brother who shared a love of knives). He sent them to me by my Aunt Gladys and Uncle Edward wrapped carefully in a box with a note that said "Be Careful. Sharp!"

I'll never forget the joy I felt when I opened that box. Several years ago, I sent my nephew William a pocket knife with the note "Be Careful. Sharp!" inside.

I had no idea that a picture of this wonderful moment existed. How amazing it was the other day to find the moment captured in my Uncle Edward's boxes of slides.

This is the third year we've had cone flowers. This year, they've grown to chest height. There are about 5 blooms on this one. We also planted a white cone flower this year. It has one bloom. These come back year after year. Hopefully, the seeds they produce will sprout and we'll have even more.

Wow, I had no idea just how much work I was getting myself in when I suggested to my friend Rhea that we do a "Special Edition Newsletter" for the AIA Design Awards this year. The design awards are one of the biggest things AIA Birmingham does each year (well, they really do a lot, but awards ceremonies are popular). They have a jury of outside experts review submissions of area architects (there were 37 submissions) and give awards in several areas, including residential and commercial. One submission was an alpaca shed--fun stuff.

Anyway, we finished up the section of the website this morning. It managed to grow dramatically. From what I imagined as a one page event, the section turned into a separate slideshow for each entry along with a slideshow of winners and another slideshow of the event itself. Huge...

Cool stuff, though. Check it out at http://www.aiabham.org/2008designawards.html

Well, I did one of Papa, so thought I should do one of some of the photos of Mama.

In the first, Mama would probably kill me. I have fond memories of that robe, though. Purple was her favorite color. Wonder if it is still around? Notice in the foreground the blue box. I wish I still had that. It was a movie machine--it played Scooby Doo. It was AWESOME!

A busy week coming up this week.

• Preparing a special section of the American Institute of Architects website dealing with their big annual event, Design Awards. Lots of photos, lots of projects. Should complete that later this afternoon or in the morning.
• I'm starting work on Aztec Construction's website, a new client.
• I've got some work to do for Alzheimer's of Central Alabama--mainly surrounding their summer fundraiser, Hot Diamonds in the Summer. (you can buy tickets to win a $5000 pair of earrings. Tickets are $25.00 each.)
  
• I'm working on finishing up a website I've been working on longer than I care to admit for an architect.
• I have my monthly newsletter for the Sierra Club, Alabama chapter.
• I've got some work to do on my byways project for the state's scenic byways program.
• Oh, and I've got to make two trips out of town.
• First to Tuscaloosa for a meeting about tourism and some loop trails that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is working on.
• Then, on Friday, down to Thomaston, Alabama for a board retreat for the Rural Heritage Center to discuss with them website/marketing opportunities along with a general discussion of tourism and why the Black Belt and rural heritage matter so much. (For those of you who don't know, Thomaston, Alabama is only about 15 miles from Octagon, Alabama where I grew up. The Rural Heritage Center sits right next to the school that most of my sisters attended. One of the board members is the probate judge and another is my old high school English teacher Mrs. Friday--small world!) 

My father loved the grandchildren (and me, of course). Below are just some of the many photos of him with grandchildren. Ok, I slipped one of me in as well (I'm the one on the go-cart).

Going through old photos from Uncle Edward, I'm amazed at the skill he had to document the many things he did. The photo below is of the old South, or at least that's how I see it. There's a small collection of them at the link below: http://www.joewatts.com/oldsouth--trying to avoid putting too many photo slideshows on the page at one time! These didn't all have dates, but some that did are labeled 1974. Some, I suspect, are much earlier. There are trays and trays of slides to look through. Thanks again to cousin Kathy for scanning all these slides in.

After a month of testing and review, the AIA Birmingham office's new website is up and running officially. There are a few holes to plug, but overall, pretty much complete. We finalized the website along with their June 2008 newsletter so members would get the new website along with the most current newsletter all at the same time.

The website turned out just as I had hoped, and, as best I can tell, everyone is very pleased with it.

www.aiabham.org

Also, completed the upload of the Alabama's Front Porches website, alabamasfrontporches.com, yesterday. It has a good many holes, but is substantially stronger than their previous website and built for expansion. Soon, it will have over 100 great attractions throughout the Black Belt. I'm getting ready for two trips next week--on Wednesday, I'm heading to Tuscaloosa to meet with some Appalachian Regional Commission folks to discuss potential scenic byways in the ARC portion of western Alabama. On Friday, I'm off to meet with the board of the Rural Heritage Center to discuss a possible website, marketing materials and to just give them a general overview of some tourism opportunities that they might be missing. Looking forward to that as well.

Wow. What a great assortment of photos. I've gone through these dozens of times, but thought it would be fun to share. I need to learn how to add captions to each of these photos in a simple way--I know how to add them by coding them in, but that's more work than I'm interested in. Basically, these are photos that My Uncle Edward took during his lifelong love of photography. The focus of this set is family, primarily mine! (Keep an eye out for some of my cool hats!)