Fascinating, I know

[cleolinda]

So, what I did yesterday: saw Up a second time, but this time in 3D. (I love Dug so much. He reminds me of Scout personality-wise, for some reason.) Then had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, the Iguana Grill--I mean, the food is great, but it's the interior that I love:

I didn't even take pictures of the best stuff (such as the waterfall at the entrance, and the table that has a "tree" of those pumpkin-like lanterns rising out of the center, and then the murals in general) just because I didn't want to look like a complete tourist. As it was, all of those pictures were taken from the booth where we were sitting.

Then we went to J. Clyde, which specializes in beer--I'm not much into beer myself (but hey, what the hell), so I hadn't been paying much attention to the whole Free the Hops thing, but a card on the table informed me that (before the Hops were Freed last month) you couldn't have beer that was more than 6% alcohol in Alabama, which meant that 99 of the Top 100 beers (I don't know who made up that list) couldn't even be served here, nor could 90% of any beers from anywhere, ever (Top or otherwise).* So, even though it was just a Tuesday night, the place was CRAZY PACKED, to the point where people were (politely) arguing over chairs, because everyone wanted to sample the stronger beers containing the Newly Liberated Hops. The "New Beers" menu was two and a half pages long. On The Lovely Emily's recommendation, I ended up trying an 8.5% dark Belgian ale with the delightfully gothtastic name Delirium Nocturnum, and it was one of the few better beers I've had.

*I don't know why. To PROTECT TEH CHILDRUNNNNNS, I guess? Because they'll get drunker faster on $9 artisan beer than they would on Bud Light? Never mind that minors aren't supposed to have any beer anyway, so if they're able to get their hands on any at beer all, the alcohol percentage is kind of moot? I mean, they could just have two plebeian beers and get even drunker? Or they could just raid the family liquor cabinet instead of the family fridge? Alabama is stupid.


Also: my mother wanted me to ask y'all this rather than screw around on eBay, so: she was doing this Southern Living catalogue stuff, and the woman who ordered these dishes from her decided she didn't want to buy them. Except that then Southern Living wouldn't take them back. So, if anyone wants to buy these--I don't want to split up the individual plates or mugs, but someone could buy the plates and someone else could buy the mugs, I don't care. Shipping for the two sets combined was $37, so I don't know how much it would be to send them to two different buyers, but--I'm just saying, that's also involved.

12 Southern Living at Home Christmas Memories Collection Holiday Mugs $6 each ($72)




12 Southern Living at Home Gail Pittman Banded Dinner Plate – Provence $8 each ($96)

So... you know. If someone actually does want to buy them, it's first come, first serve. If nobody does, I'll take 'em to eBay.

Comments

[soulforophelia.livejournal.com]

Oh they're very pretty plates! If I had the money, and you know, wasn't paid only 100 bucks a week, I'd totally buy them. Damn part time work! I wish I could buy them though, they're so very pretty!

[la-petite-singe.livejournal.com]

Scout--To Kill a Mockingbird Scout? Or is that stupid? >___>

I LOVE those twinkly star things. Looks like a highly awesome place.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

My dog Scout, who was named after that character.

[robinmc.livejournal.com]

I saw the pic you posted of the Iguana Grill on Twitter today, and I gasped. What a beautiful place. I want to go to there.

[xlearntoflyx.livejournal.com]

Disco deer would look FABULOUS in at that place.

[aymaera.livejournal.com]

LOL I should know better than to read these comments while on the phone. I totally agree though!

[flaxenescapee.livejournal.com]

The beer thing is just damn weird. Then again, NYC still has outdated laws like no purchasing alcohol on Sundays and whatnot, but it isn't enforced. This country is odd. xD

[ellie-sparks.livejournal.com]

In Pennsylvania, you can't buy alcohol except in state stores. Which means that the quality sucks, you have to buy it in bulk, and it's seriously overpriced.

Luckily, I live close to the border of Delaware, which not only sells cheap alcohol but also has no sales tax. I <3 Delaware.

[sirinde.livejournal.com]

I always think laws like that were written by Victorian (or Edwardian!) spinsters who really didn't want ANYONE to drink and had been smashing kegs in their youth before that one amendment was passed, then repealed (you know, This (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) one?)

You know, like Puritans; never happy if they know someone somewhere is having fun!

[nimlotbradamant.livejournal.com]

Actually, the Puritans weren't like that at all, to vastly understate it.

*takes off officious historian hat*

ummm.... beeeeeer

[mal-contented.livejournal.com]

Belgian Beers - particularly the official Trappist Monk beers -- are the way to go. Also, if you're into fruit at all, but tend to not think of yourself as a beer girl, try some of the flavored Lambic fruit beers. Lindemann's Kriek, Pomme, or Framboise are my faves, but there are a variety. And don't let anyone bully you with the "girl beer" insults. Many fine men drink them, too. And they tend to speak more languages than Fratian..

This message brought to you by the BBLF (Belgian Beer Liberation Front) Viva la hops!

Re: ummm.... beeeeeer

[lylassandra.livejournal.com]

I <3 Lambic. Introducing me to that is something I will thank my RenFaire friends for until I die.

[sugarcages.livejournal.com]

TLE will love that grill. That sparkly, sparkly grill.

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

<3

[galwaygirl08.livejournal.com]

I thought Up was amazing! Apparently some kid told the writer 'I have just met you and I love you' at summer camp some odd years ago and when he wrote it he knew he had to do the voice for Dug. I would absolutely see it again in 3-D if we had a theater that actually did that around here....*subsides intp angry grumbles*

[moiread]

Dayum. I love those plates! They go perfectly with my kitchen! If only I had $100 + s/h (to Canada, no less) to throw around...

[alex-donovan.livejournal.com]

I'll show them to the women in my family, they're obsessed with these kind of collections and they might like them. The coffee cup looks especially cute! Plus it's at a pretty good price. My aunt once forked over 320 bucks for a tea set.


Oh! I've been meaning to say, I've been hoping for a long time that you would do a recap of SM's sc-fi novel The Host. It would definitely be as funny as the Twilight recaps. But my friend did indeed tell me that this dude http://jack-rowen.livejournal.com/ is currently doing one, so I thought you might like to take a peak.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

If someone else is doing one, there is absolutely no way I can look at it.

[quizzicalsphinx.livejournal.com]

I lost my last job due to the Free the Hops campaign. When the motion was in the state legislature, Big Beer paid to have ABC go through in pretty large sweeps to "prove" how easy it was for minors to get beers. I got busted for selling a beer to a minor. The trouble is, if I'd gone without checking her ID entirely, I'd be all "okay, my fault, totally deserve to be fired for that." Except . . . I checked her ID. It looked legit. Which means it was probably a fake. The last time the ABC board went out in my area with fake IDs, the only difference was that the hologram was the state of Texas, rather than Alabama. How do I know? Because I caught the fake last time and didn't make the sale.

I don't blame Free the Hops. I blame our state government. But it's all good, since we're still slightly better than Mississippi.

[diddakoi.livejournal.com]

So they fired you for not catching a fake? That seems unnecessarily harsh.

[das-mervin.livejournal.com]

6% beer in a restaurant? How nice that would be.

I live in Oklahoma. Want beer or whine over 3.2%? Go to a licensed liquor store, because you sure aren't getting any at your favorite bar--and even if you do go to the liquor store, chances are, they won't have it, because you still have to jump through a lot of hoops to get permission. So...I've never really heard of any of the supposedly great beers out there.

Fortunately for me, I hate beer, favoring tequila and vodka instead. So it all works out great for me.

Porn is illegal here, too.

[shaxophile.livejournal.com]

You can't have over 3.2% in restaurants? I didn't even know alcohol content that low in wine was possible!

[sugarcages.livejournal.com]

Also, a sincerely curious question: What's the point with restricting the % of alcohol in beer? If you drink enough, won't you get drunk anyway? If you cut us, do we not bleed? But seriously...why? We have no such rule where I'm from so I'm wondering what the so-called wisdom is behind it.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I know, right? "Protecting the children" is the only reason I can think of stupid enough to make sense. As it were.

[hartlyn.livejournal.com]

No state has stoopider liquor laws than Utah (although we can get artisan beers, but taxes on all booze are atrocious here). Alcohol is "evil," so the state is the only entity allowed to sell it. Yep, you read that correctly. And, unless the individual city passes its own ordinance allowing it in their town, grocery stores can't sell beer on Sunday. You can, however, eat at a restaurant that serves alcohol that's open on Sunday and have whatever they serve--cocktail, wine, etc. Only a certain number of liquor licenses for restaurants are allowed statewide, and only a certain number of state liquor stores are allowed per a certain square-mile area. That's not the half of it.

And you're absolutely right about kids being more likely to binge drink Bud and get wasted. Not a good way to teach responsible drinking.

Belgians know their ales. Try Lambic sometime--peach and raspberry are my favorites. It's not crappy beer with fruit juice added to cover the crappiness--fresh fruit is added in during the brewing process.

p.s. Never commented here before, but have enjoyed your recaps, m15m, and Secret Life very much.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks. : )

[lisa-zj.livejournal.com]

Wow, those pictures are awesome, and they're not even pictures of the best stuff? What a beautiful place. A beautiful sparkly, sparkly place. :)

Wish I had the money to buy either the plates or the mugs. Gorgeous. Unfortunately, I too belong the the ranks of the monetarily challenged.

[ahirutwin.livejournal.com]

I'm just going to come right out and ask the stupid question. Why in the world is the restuarant decked out for Christmas? Or is that normal and I'm just unaware in the ways of the Iguana Grill?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Christmas?

[brit78.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of beer either. If I already wasn't blood-related, I'm sure my step dad would disown me.

[palexbluexangel.livejournal.com]

Are you gonna CGI in some "sparkles" on poor Belle?

iguana grill!

[sevenmarie.livejournal.com]

OMG i've only been to birmingham ONCE and we ate at the iguana grill! i loved the ceramic butterflies around the bar area and those star lanterns!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v193/sevenmarie/IMG_0780.jpg

and because of them i decorated my back patio in a style i like to refer to as "mexican restuarant chic" :)

[amaz0n-princess.livejournal.com]

WOW! What a fantastic looking place to eat! I'll have to try that out next time I'm in AL.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

WANT plates. But do not NEED plates. *sits on hands* ;)

[thegeneralerin.livejournal.com]

Very nice cookware! I don't understand the alcohol % argument either. I'm currently working in Utah, where the limit for beer is 3.2%....but you can find liquor with very high alcohol content with little effort.

[sun-star-n-moon.livejournal.com]

I would get along with that restaurant.

Currently in my bedroom there are random posters and other items covering ever inch of my wall, 11 strands of Christmas lights strung up everywhere, and shiny dangling things hanging off my ceiling.

And I wouldnt have it any other way.

*Pines for the shiny stars they have*

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Wow, if I ever go to Birmingham I am so eating at Iguana Grill. SHINY.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

If you ever come down here we will take you there!

[karintheswede]

The alcohol laws in Sweden are stupider than those in Alabama.

- You have to buy all alcohol over 3.2% vol in special, government-run shops. This means that to buy anything other than very, very weak beer, you have to go to a special store.
- Until a few years ago the stores weren't open on Saturdays or Sundays. Now they're open from ten to two on Sat, and not at all on Sun.
- You're legally allowed to drink from age 18, but you can't actually buy alcohol until you're 20.
- Until a few years ago only the government was allowed to import alcohol.
- You have to serve some kind of food to get a license to sell alcohol from a bar, so you can order food at every single bar in town.

Fortunately, the special shops are usually pretty good, and their staff is incredibly knowledgeable and service-minded.