wall-to-wall

this page is where you get to discover all those posts, ideas, and thoughts that just cannot be categorized anywhere else. perhaps we could call this the sporadic stream of consciousness? i suppose we will soon find out.

DEVICES.

kdavis Leave a comment

save me!  help!  someone!  anyone!  we’ve become consumed in a 2d world only accessible via touch screen.  oh, the horror!

we’ve all seen it:  a group of folks out and about, engaging in their mobile devices rather than one another.  i know, maybe one of them is looking up directions to the restaurant.  maybe another is checking in on an ill friend or family member.  and maybe another is jotting down a funny joke they want to later retell.  OR maybe they’re all checking their social media profiles!  did anyone like my picture, my status, my tweet?  did everyone see where we just checked in?  does the universe care about me at all?!  okay, maybe i just got a little carried away there, but it seems to me that although we live in a nearly wireless world, people are more tethered to their devices than ever.

i may not be the oldest person in the room, but i did grow up without tablets and cell phones.  and even though we did have gameboys and an n64, i spent most of my free time playing pretend outside with my best friend adam.  it was a time when, after finishing my homework, i rode my bike to the neighbors’ and was told to be home by 6:30 for dinner.  i was a child.  i lived in the world that was in front of me, and i wouldn’t change one bit of it.

generally speaking i don’t have anything against technology.  it has put the world at our fingertips, and the potential for discovery is boundless.  i think it’s unreal, and almost unsettling, that google can nearly read my mind, knowing what i do and do not like, knowing where i am and where i’m going.  and then i see one of those iphone commercials on tv that tells me i am stronger than i think, that i am capable of anything.  it’s hard not to buy into it.  i get it.  but there are days, many days, when my phone buzzes and i just want to throw it out the window.

would i rather do without?  of course not, but i truly believe you can have too much of a good thing.  can i “justify” all my mobile devices?  i can.  my phone i certainly need.  my tablet is a good thing to have, too.  my ereader is supposed to be saving me money, although i’m currently reading a paperback novel…they all do serve a purpose, but i feel quite silly having them all with me at the same moment.  how can i possibly pay each of them due attention?  i really cannot.  in certain moments they are a distraction and nuisance.  i sometimes even get embarrassed when i’m on my phone in public.  surely there’s something more interesting around me in which i could engage. surely!

my dad has an even stronger opinion about people and their devices.  i was once in the car with him very early one morning, probably around six, and someone next to us was on their phone, deep in conversation.  “who does this guy think he is, that he just has to be on a call this time of the day?  is he really that important?”  ah, good ‘ole milo.  he even mocks us kids when we’re all home and on our phones at the same time.  it’s quite humorous actually.  but, i do think he has a point.

i’m not suggesting we go cold turkey with our smartphones and tablets and devices.  can you imagine what would happen?  the earth might implode!  all i’m suggesting is that we be a bit more aware of how much time we spend with these things.  i truly believe there is a time and a place.  it’s your decision when you choose them to be.

the plight of arron afflalo

kdavis 1 Comment

scootzladies and gentlemen!  today i have a treat for you:  a guest blogger!  his name is scott, affectionately known by his closest friends as scootz.  he grew up in michigan, went to school at clemson, and now resides in east atlanta with his roommate and coworker jon.  his favorite movie is back to the future, and his favorite professional sports team is the detroit tigers.  he has a taste for the finer things in life, including chipotle, fellini’s, and hop shing.  but, what does he love most of all?  he loves the nba.  now, before i spoil anything for you, before i attempt to chime in, and before i pull you any further on the edge of your seats, we give you the plight of arron afflalo.

Kendrick Lamar used to be jealous of Arron Afflalo.  GMs used to be jealous of teams that had Arron Afflalo.  And why wouldn’t they be?  The now 29-year-old SG out of UCLA is an outstanding two-way player in a league bereft of well-rounded shooting guards.  He is a weapon shooting from the perimeter, with a 42.7% three-point percentage last year (39% over his career), and can drive the hoop and generate easy buckets and free throw opportunities.  He contributed as a passer in Orlando’s offense and hits the boards pretty well for a 2-guard.  It’s no surprise that he put up career highs in Orlando last year as he was forced into being a number one option for them, but he remained an efficient scorer with a 46/42/81 slash line even with increased shots.  He’s also a good defender, quick enough to cover smaller guards, and big enough to keep bigger guards from bullying him.

It’s natural that the Magic would want to trade Afflalo; he is an asset that a winning team wants, not a team trying to gather assets and get a high draft pick.  He emerged as an immensely tradable target as soon as the offseason permitted such moves, and the market seemed ripe with teams looking for his services.  There were many good fits for Afflalo, winning teams who needed a little more to get over the hump; an extra bit of scoring (Chicago or Memphis) or another valuable piece of a rotation (San Antonio or Charlotte).  So the Magic made their move before the draft and traded him to the Nuggets for…Evan Fournier and a second round pick?

That can’t be right.  This is Arron Afflalo, 11th amongst NBA SGs in Estimate Wins Added last year.  He’d be a great piece for a contending team.  All they get is Fournier and a second rounder?  Sure, Fournier is fine; the Frenchman is a solid 3-pt shooter and a young, developing player, but certainly doesn’t project as a future NBA star.  The second round pick has very little value as well, because for every Chandler Parsons, there are a dozen Georgios Printezis’ and James Gist’s – aka Euroleague fodder.  Surely he has more value than that.

But then we analyze the market for Afflalo or another player like him this offseason.  It’s a unique offseason in the NBA draft is so deep that draft picks are coming at a much higher price and it takes a lot more to pry a pick away from anyone.  The free agent class is also loaded, with Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and many others hitting the market.  This stratifies the league into market tiers.  There is a subset of teams who has angled themselves enough cap space to be in the market for a max or near-max free agent.  There is another subset of teams that has aggressively tanked for multiple seasons in an effort to completely clear the shelves and restock starting with this loaded draft class.  This set of teams has no interest in a solid player like Afflalo who undoubtedly makes their team better.  Add in the teams that just are not in the market to trade for a SG, and you eliminate 90% of the potential Afflalo suitors.

nba table

That leaves Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and Denver.

Oklahoma City Thunder – Magic have to take on Kendrick Perkins to make the salaries work.  Perkins + Lamb + 2nd round pick would fit, but probably not worth it for the Magic to take on Perk.  The Thunder probably could have traded some combo of Jeremy Lamb/Perry Jones III/Steven Adams/Andre Roberson/Reggie Jackson/the 21st pick in the draft for Afflalo, but that would kill their depth.

Charlotte Hornets – It makes perfect sense for the Hornets, but they don’t have the assets that the Magic would be looking for.  They had the #8 pick, but Afflalo is certainly not worth that in a loaded draft class.  Maybe for the later pick that they had, but the value still may not have been there.  Gerald Henderson + the 24th pick was probably one of the better offers they had, but Henderson is on the books for three more seasons and other than him, Orlando is looking at Bismack Biyombo or Jeff Taylor or someone else that does not appeal to them.  Charlotte is a young team as well, and may prefer to target a younger player with their free agent dollars (as we have now seen with Lance Stephenson).

That leaves Denver.  Denver treads the “Too Bad to Care” line pretty delicately right now, as they had a precipitous drop off after a great season with George Karl in 2012-13.  Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried proved they are not capable of being #1 and #2 options respectively, and injuries ravaged the season.  Pair this drop off with the fact that they are in an insanely competitive Western conference, and Denver does not appear to be close to contention this season.  So what do they want with Afflalo?

In a dream world Afflalo is a contender.  He is a #3 or #4 option at the 2-guard, and contributes on both ends of the court.  Chicago is the perfect fit for him.  Alongside a hopefully-healthy Derrick Rose, Afflalo can help spread the court sitting in the corners, and find open shots off Joakim Noah interior passes.  Or look at the Grizzlies; same scenario as he plays alongside Conley in the backcourt, and provides a much needed perimeter scorer alongside Randolph and Gasol down low.

But alas, the Bulls had their eyes on Melo, and Grit-and-Grind was focused on retaining Randolph as he had the option to opt out this offseason.  So that brings us back to Denver; a team that is one major piece away from contending, and now one major piece away from tanking.  What is their angle here?  Could Denver be a potential Kevin Love landing point?  Things looked a lot more wide open before the draft as the Warriors were the only team in deep conversations with the Timberwolves team who does not want to disappoint a consistently disappointed fan base.  Even if they are not able to land Love, Afflalo will be a very attractive trade piece for a contender at midseason.

And so lies Arron Afflalo, the perennially pretty good, the enduring professional, and the vastly overlooked.  In an offseason that has seen inferior players, such as Spencer Hawes, Avery Bradley, Boris Diaw, and Channing Frye sign deals worth more than Afflalo’s yearly salary, Afflalo himself cannot find a suitor who wants him for what he is.

just another friday night

kdavis Leave a comment

i had a pretty spectacular weekend, but let’s start things off with the night that kicked it all off:  friday!  our friend behrle from washington, dc was coming in town for an alumni event, but we were lucky enough to get to steal her away for an evening.  i met behrle a few years back when we made our annual dc in december trip and have considered her a close friend since.

after a couple beers at nathan and alison’s apartment, we weaved through traffic to little five points for some dinner.  nathan swooped into a spot on euclid avenue, and we led behrle to one of our favorites:  the porter beer bar.  if you’ve been a loyal reader, you’ll know we first went to the porter earlier this year for new restaurant wednesday and just loved it!  it’s been fun to uncover local spots where we can take visiting friends and family while they’re in town.

behrle at the porter!

behrle at the porter!

i was worried that there would be quite a wait since it was a friday night, but i think it was early enough in the evening considering we were seated right away.  the atmosphere of the porter is one of my favorite things about it, besides the excellent service, knowledgeable staff, fantastic beers, and delicious eats.  hm, sounds like a spot that’s got it all!

my phone accidentally cropped off too much of the top, but my behrle & me!

my phone editor accidentally cropped off too much of the top, but my behrle & me!

since i’d begun with hefeweizen earlier that evening, it’s what i stuck with here as well.  you cannot go wrong with weihenstephaner, a classic hefeweizen.  i might even declare it the best!

hooray, beer!

hooray, beer!

we placed our orders and caught up on anything and everything.  with nathan, alison, behrle, and me, we pick right up wherever we left off last.  we’re all quite invested and interested in each other’s lives, and their company, i greatly enjoy.  maybe one of the reasons i love behrle so much is because she is one of the few remaining single girls out there with me.  once that’s no longer true, though, i’m sure i’ll love her still!

to start off our meal, we just had to order the goat cheese fritters.  i remember having them our first trip here, and according to that review, we loved them!  and in case you were wondering, they were just as delicious this second time, especially with that honey drizzle.

goat cheese fritters.

goat cheese fritters.

behrle loved the trout sandwich (head’s up, it’s served chilled!).  nathan liked his burger with the exception of the bun, simply because he doesn’t prefer focaccia bread.  just like last time, alison loved the shrimp and grits but couldn’t finish the bowl because it was so rich!  although the bratwurst and sauerkraut sounded good again, i went with the fish and chips.  it was a smaller meal, which was fine by me.  the single piece of fish was fried perfectly and was even more delicious with the homemade tartar sauce.  once again, the porter delivers!

fish & chips.

fish & chips.

after dinner we hustled over to 7 stages for the eight o’clock showing of dad’s garage, a local improv group.  several of my friends have seen them perform, and it was a shock that i hadn’t seen them myself just yet!  i love improv comedy, and it was about time i made a visit.  the show was funny and original and just what i like.  the dice of dynasty during the first half of the show was my favorite of the night.  i just love how those folks commit to the moment!

7 stages for dad's garage!

7 stages for dad’s garage!

after a couple hours of laughs, we weren’t ready to call it a night just yet.  although i wasn’t ready to rage until the wee hours, i needed just a little something more before heading home.  i quickly suggested hitting up café intermezzo in midtown, and everyone readily agreed.  another atlanta tradition for behrle to experience!

café intermezzo in midtown.

café intermezzo in midtown.

we parked at nathan’s office and walked the couple blocks down to 11th street and peachtree.  eric met up with us there, and as we waited for our table we enjoyed the unusually cool and breezy evening.  café intermezzo was quite busy, even so late in the night, but people watching kept us occupied for those thirty minutes.

although sitting on the street would have been preferred, we settled for a couple tables inside the restaurant.  things were just as bustling inside, but our server was attentive and kind.  cafes and drinks and beers were ordered all around the table, but it was the dessert cases that had us most excited.  they’ve got dozens of choices of cakes and pies and cheesecakes.  the options are nearly endless!  it was a difficult choice, but i stuck with what i love:  chocolate.  the classic chocolate cake was an easy and great decision.  rich and sweet and the perfect pairing with my decaf café au lait.

friends and food and drinks and laughs?  sounds like another successful friday night in atlanta.

all the fleurs

kdavis Leave a comment

as i sit here this afternoon, enjoying another beautiful (but hot) atlanta day, the breeze wraps around me and the shade offers comfort.  folks on their sunday drives are passing by in their cars, the music from disco starbucks is setting the mood, and i get to work.

i spent the entire afternoon yesterday at the atlanta botanical gardens, and i’ve got a lot to share!

after gaining admittance and refilling my water bottle, i stepped outside to begin my journey.  what a beautiful day for a leisurely stroll around the garden!  you know what’s even better?  this fuzzy fellow was the first spectacle to greet me.

shaggy dog.

shaggy dog.

seeing as how i was in no hurry, which i hardly ever am, i began my trek through the canopy walk on the reverse suspension bridge.  the bridge was designed with the art of balance in mind, rising 40 feet above the terrain and stretching 600 feet  long.  getting to be above the forest floor was quite a treat, and walking across the only tree canopy-level walkway of its kind in america was pretty neat, too.

as i wound through the wood, i came upon more sculptures from the imaginary worlds display.  here are the gorillas…

…and then here is the earth goddess, perhaps the most majestic of them all.  her colored tresses are created from a multitude of low-lying shrubs that flow onto and into the ground surrounding her.  she wonderfully embodies the art of mosaiculture, a form of gardening and horticulture that first became popular in 16th century europe.  although it originally referred to simple geometric forms, mosaiculture has become more complex as it creates a mosaic-like appearance of the planted sculptures’ surfaces.

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walking along the pathways, i couldn’t stop the childhood memories that rushed back to me.  i closed my eyes as i pictured after-school days in the backyard with my neighborhood friends.  the smells and sounds all around me were comforting and nostalgic.  i couldn’t help but smile as i remembered the outdoors full of imagination and joy.  ah, those were the days!

as the breeze whirled around me, i allowed it to carry me on.  i found all the color as i entered the parterre garden.  i easily could have gotten lost, so i stuck to the right side of the path and moseyed along.  oh, and in case you were wondering, since i am almost never in a true hurry, when i say i “moseyed” somewhere, i mean it.  i am usually the last one of the pack, which has rightfully earned me the nickname “kelsey caboose.”

at this point, i’ll leave you with all the photos to enjoy.  thank goodness my phone camera didn’t act up too much!

the great lawn.

the great lawn

the edible garden was fun and lighthearted.

strawberry man!
herb wall. very cool.
blueberry man!

more creations from the imaginary world installment.

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the fuqua orchid center offered a brief respite from the day’s heat, so i welcomed some time indoors.  of course there were orchids, but my goodness, there must have been hundreds of plants in this space!

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i liked these tall flowers very much, although i could not tell you at all what they are.

tall flowers

as i found myself back at the great lawn, just before my grand exit, the philip haas sculptures were impossible to miss.  upon first look, they may seem familiar, and not surprisingly so.  these sculptures are references to giuseppe arcimboldo’s 16th century paintings that “personify the art and sculpture of horticulture.”  haas’ creations take things to the next level by becoming “whimsical embodiment(s)” of each season that “feature oversized twigs, fruits, vegetables, leaves, and other natural elements indicative of their respective months of origin.”  the spring sculpture, of course, was my favorite.

all the seasons.
spring.

something i made sure to savor while i roamed around was that although atlanta is a large and sprawling city, we have a lush space like the botanical garden smack dab in the middle of it.  even though i could see the cityscape peeking through in the background, i couldn’t help but think how lucky we are and how beautiful this place is.

quite picturesque, yes?
‘ze city!

hello, shoes

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everyone, i would like to introduce you to my taylor swift kids from tj maxx.  they are dotted canvas with striped ribbon shoelaces.  they are precious and adorable and are the sweetest pair of sneakers i have in my closet right now.  it is their pleasure to have met you as well.

t swift keds.

t swift keds.

atlanta glam night!

kdavis 1 Comment

last night a whole bunch of us from work, 24 to be exact, met up to do some more birthday celebrating at “atlanta glam night.”  okay, so my birthday was almost two weeks ago.  what i’m talking about now is celebrating a birthday month.  let’s all get on the bandwagon!

my coworker whitney also had her birthday earlier this month, and we decided that celebrating with everyone was a no-brainer.  we started out the evening with a fantastic dinner at einstein’s in midtown.  i’ve been there before for my friend kiley’s birthday, so i suppose it’s only appropriate that we continued the tradition.  our semi-private dining space was perfect for our group.  al and i arrived early to disperse the favors, and then the party got rolling.  i don’t even think we ate until almost nine!

the preset menu was the perfect idea for our large party, and from what i could tell, almost everyone was in the clean plate club.  there was steak and fried chicken and salmon all around!  the medium steak i had was cooked quite well, the asparagus was flavorful and grilled perfectly, and as for the mac’n’cheese?  to quote al, “let’s just order a trough of mac’n’cheese for dessert.”  i’m onboard with it!

i looked around the space, and everyone just seemed so happy.  i am glad that we all like each other so much that we want to be intentional about seeing each other outside of the office.  looks like we had a pretty great time, don’t you think?

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after thanking the wait staff and piling outside, some of us wound our way to front page news to continue the festivities.  front page news is a good go-to whenever you’re looking for some live music and patio drinking, and it delivered last night as well.

al & me.

al & me.

out next and last stop was just caddy-corner on 12th and crescent at ri ra.  although a bit of a mess, this bar is one of my favorites in town.  i have fond memories there with my siblings and friends, so i am always up for a drink or two or three there…did i say three?  maybe it was four?  regardless!  al, vinh, andrew, and i shut the place down!  hugs and handshakes were given among us all, and then al and i waved down a yellow chariot to whisk us home.  such a great night!

andrew & me.

andrew & me.

this morning i awoke with some hesitation.  i was ready to keep those blinds closed and climb right back into bed, but i didn’t want the entire day to be a waste.  i met up with kyle and kari for some post-night out brunch at buttermilk kitchen, just up the road from me.  buttermilk kitchen is a brunch spot i love to take folks to when they are in town, and it was just the ticket for me this morning, if you know what i mean.  i enjoyed some pimento cheese, toast, and sausage.  so delicious, and so perfect after a night of going hard, living young, and living free. yolo!

a selfish morning

kdavis 2 Comments

i’ll be honest:  i’ve been quite the time hog this month so far.  july is my birthday month (ah, 26!), and i have spent my days doing just what i want.  we ran the peachtree on the fourth, spent last weekend in athens for a friend’s wedding (congrats, sam and nathan!), and i now find myself with a lazy weekend.  we’ve got more birthday celebrations tonight, but this morning was all for me.

although i’ve used the afternoon to catch up on cleaning house and tending to other domestic chores, i treated myself to an indulgent morning.  first, there was a haircut with the lovely master stylist karen at balance salon in dunwoody.  she’s just so great!  i then skipped right on over to an open table at café intermezzo.

café intermezzo has been around atlanta since december 1979, and it has created quite a reputation for itself in the many years between then and now.  this place is one where you can come for whatever reason.  to catch up with someone over coffee, to share a spoon and dessert with someone special, to spend time pondering and wondering about all that is (yours truly).  all are good and sufficient reasons to find yourself here, and café intermezzo is someplace that, when i leave each time, i hope to be back there again very soon.

this morning i had some writing and thinking to do, so i started my visit with a café au lait, a classic coffee creation.  i forget how delicious they are, and this one may have been the best i have ever had.  it didn’t need sugar.  it didn’t need anything except to be consumed in fast fashion.

coffee rings, like tree rings, right?
since 1979.
cafe au lait.

the lovely view from my terrace table.  relaxing and serene, yes?

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food was in order as well, and i figured i needed something substantial to get me through my busy day.  i was in the mood to get something out of my ordinary, so the salmon and cream cheese omelette was delivered in no time.  i had never tried lox and cream cheese.  there is no time like the present!  i took my first few bites, intrigued by the interesting flavor mixes.  the sweet cream cheese with the fishy salmon proved to be too odd a combination for me, especially so early in the day, so i was unable to finish it all.  but!  at least now i have tried and now i know, no lox and cream cheese for me, please.  i’ll probably stick with something more traditional next time.

wait, who am i kidding.  the next time i come i’ll probably get a huge slice of cake…and a bowl of gelato…and at least two cafes.  eh, par for the course!

on an unrelated note, it seems i like to take pictures of things of different heights.  like, all the time.

my morning was relaxing and inspiring and carefree.  sometimes we need to make sure we take care of ourselves so that we can pour into others as we are able.  treat yourself.  and if anyone asks, you can tell them i said it was okay.

an american weekend

kdavis 1 Comment

happy birthday, america!  and let’s give a quick thanks that this year’s anniversary was on a friday.  hellooooo, three-day weekend!

we started the party this year with the 45th annual running of the peachtree road race.  for most of us, this year was our fourth running, and it may have been the best one yet.  the weather was just gorgeous, and the spirit on the streets was high.  personally, i didn’t have the highest expectations for my race since injuring my back in april, but the energy from all the other runners was infectious.  i could do it!

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flowers make everything better

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my parents are coming in town tonight, and on my trip to the grocery store earlier in the week, i grabbed a bunch of flowers to put out in the condo.  my mom always puts fresh flowers in my bedroom and bathroom when i visit birmingham, so i like to do the same for her.

i separated the bunch between a tall bottle in the living room and this smaller vase in the guest bedroom.

fleurs.

fleurs.

my work week has been less than extraordinary, and i’ve come home the past couple of nights feeling deflated.  yes, i think that’s the right word to use here.  deflated.  i’ve begun each day with such high hopes.  even hearing my favorite songs on the radio on my morning commute set the expectation high.  however, the days have failed to fully deliver.  and we’re only halfway through the week!

when i got home last night, i went in the guest bedroom to switch on the lamps, and i paused for a moment when these flowers on the dresser sweetly faced me.  i couldn’t help but revel in the simple beauty of these earthly treasures.  the wrinkle in my brow was quickly wiped away as a smile crept onto my face.

these delicate flowers reminded me that although we may find ourselves caught up in the stresses of day-to-day life, the good Lord promises that He is on our side and that we are welcome to enjoy the journey while we take it.