So, since James didn't have to work today, we thought we'd take a different approach to Taste of Smyrna this year: we'd go when it opened and have lunch instead of dinner. This would keep us out of the hottest part of the day, since we weren't having nice temperatures in the 70s like last weekend. It would be a high of 87 instead—ugh! Since the event opened at eleven, we decided to get up at eight and go to the Farmer's Market, and then go to Taste of Smyrna afterwards.

We both got a crappy night's sleep. Honestly, I can sleep better in the daytime anymore than I can at night. I had four hours sleep and then I woke up with a stuffy nose and my mouth all dry, and then two hours later it happened again. Phooey! James had pains in his leg and was twitching half the night.

But we went to the Farmer's Market nevertheless and discovered the Street Fair going on, including a classic car show. We wandered among the Mustangs and the Chevys and the Fords, plush old Cadillacs and an Oldsmobile 88, and cars that had been "chopped and channeled" into roadsters. Someone had a Chevette there! I guess if I still had Misty now, he'd be a classic car. :-) The neatest thing was a Pierce Arrow Travel Lodge: a tiny little blue travel trailer from 1936! It had a bed at one end, a sink and a closet in the middle, and a little dinette at the end, almost like one today, but with nicer wood. It cost $600 new, which is probably what my dad was making per year back in 1936 (he started working in 1927).

From looking at the cars we strolled through the booths, which ranged from children's toys to little fall items to beauty helps, and finally we found the Farmer's Market proper squeezed in down at Mill Street. We bought some desserts for next week, including some scones, and I got a loaf of French bread. Saw the teeniest Yorkshire terrier, I don't think it weighed a pound. Another woman was being hauled down the street by two huskies, one of which was making his pleasure with the crowd known very vocally.

On the way back through the opposite side of the booths we stopped at one selling balsamic vinegars and flavored olive oils. We tries one that was cranberry orange and it was just fantastic, especially with the lemon olive oil. Now that we bought it we need to go to the Buford Highway Farmer's Market, because it's the only place I can find frisee, and the oil and vinegar will taste fantastic with frisee. We also bought a chocolate vinegar. We looked at each other and said "lamb"! It will make a fantastic finishing sauce for lamb or beef.

We put the items in an insulated bag and went off to Taste of Smyrna after a brief stop at Publix for "visiting Mrs. Murphy" and cash, arriving about 11:35. There were tons of parking spaces right behind the library, so that's where we parked and then strolled down the line of booths put up behind the shops. Everyone was back from last year except for the New Orleans place with the jambalaya James likes. We stopped at Mezzaluna's booth (they are on Spring Road and we pass them almost every day) and James had a rice ball and I had a slice of bruschetta. James used to get rice balls from a vendor at the Farmer's Market, but those were like tennis balls. This was a small rice ball of the type I was brought up with. We'll have to eat there sometime.

Next we both had our favorite, the "drunken pork" (it's made with bourbon) on top of sweet grits from Atkins Park. (I hate grits, but these are creamy, almost like cottage cheese.) James also had two tiny mini tacos from the new Taco Cantina place on Spring Road before we went down to the Thai booth and had the pad thai (James also had chicken satay sticks).

I also tried some pulled pork from "the Crafty Hog," the new barbecue place on Concord Road. It was melt-in-your-mouth tender, so we amended our original plan, which was to get barbecue sandwiches from Williamson Brothers before we left and take them home for supper. Instead, James went to get some jerk chicken to take home from the Jamaican booth. We had both drunk a full bottle of water, but I was still thirsty, so while he was Jamaica-ing, I got some fresh lemonade. Then we went back to the Crafty Hog booth and James got two servings of barbecue beef brisket and I got two servings (these are small servings, only a dollar; it was about sandwich filler size), and we took those home for a meal tonight instead.

It was only up to the low 80s when we got home, but four hours in the sun had done its work. Being in the sun leaches energy out of both of us, and we were both thirsty and sleepy. We both had a drink and got cool for about a half hour, and then went out to Bed, Bath & Beyond with our coupons; James needed a new carbinator for the Soda Stream and we needed a new Misto for the olive oil. Once we got done with the errand, we went to Barnes & Noble to enjoy ourselves a bit. Damn, they still don't have the September/October "Landlove." I got "Landscape," though, and the fall "A Primitive Place." I also picked up Bill Nye's new book.

This time when we came home, we took a nap until six!

Had my barbecue with some of the French bread and whiled away the hours until the new Doctor Who watching the previous episodes, "Death in Heaven" and "Last Christmas," until it was time for "The Magician's Apprentice." Hm. Seems someone is working for UNIT. :-) And I see we're using the "if you knew the little kid drowning was Hitler, would you save him" conundrum. As for the "hand mines," I don't know what kind of dreams Steven Moffat has, but I wouldn't want them! I wonder if we're going to see references to the classic series in all the new episodes this year.

Labels: books, events, food, magazines, shopping, television

----------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:55:00 PM

Comments: Post a Comment