CG | Christmas in the South is a strange critter. The traditional imagery of a be-snowflaked holiday wonderland — peopled with rosy-cheeked carolers, horse-drawn sleighs, and lovable scamps bundled up for a snowball fight in a Rockwellian backdrop of evergreens and capacious snowmen — simply doesn’t square with the reality of December in the South. Ours is... Continue Reading →
CG & SG | We were extravagantly spoiled growing up. Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, we were dressed slightly fancier than usual and driven the scant half mile to our grandparents' house, where dinner was ready and waiting. Granny was likely finishing some prep work, but we were oblivious to it, either listening to Pop catch... Continue Reading →
SG | Alabama State Fairgrounds, circa 1989. I can’t be sure of the year, but it most likely followed the summer release of Michael Keaton’s Batman because I can be sure of the shoes I wore: purple and white Joker edition converse All-Stars. My brother was in the decidedly hipper Batman edition (black with yellow... Continue Reading →
CG | If you’re a Gen Xer like me, you probably remember the particular joys of creating mix tapes for friends and loved ones. Maybe you were trying to get a song or two with a little extra meaning onto a cassette for someone you had a crush on. Maybe your little brother discovered that he... Continue Reading →
SG | One of the most endearing things about Alabamians is their perception of what a beach should be. Only because, for those lucky enough to have been sheltered from the rest of our nation's beaches, they think that’s just what a beach is. Vast stretches of powder-white sand so fine it squeaks when you... Continue Reading →
SG | I always figured there were things about the South that I liked and would miss if I left. On a college summer trip to England, for example, a friend from Alabama and I became obsessed with turning a pot of hot Earl Grey into something akin to iced sweet tea. That project saw... Continue Reading →
SG| I am fully aware of some habits and traits that are no doubt annoying to my family. I’m good with the toilet seat, and I always put the cap back on the toothpaste tube, but get me in the car and things get iffy. If we cross a state line, there will be honking.... Continue Reading →
SG | Imagine if you will: You're in the middle of a Beach Week and you’re fresh out of beer. You could also use some wine for that lovely spaghetti dinner planned for tomorrow night (you need a break from seafood). You hop in the car and get a good 10 minutes from the rental... Continue Reading →
CG | I’ll be completely honest: I’d never even considered the gardenia as a concept until I heard Dexter Romweber of the Flat Duo Jets inexplicably chanting the words “pink.... gardenia” during ragged breaks in the blazing rockabilly song of the same name. I was led to the Flat Duo Jets by way of the... Continue Reading →
