Getting All Olympic In Atlanta, GA!!!

Welcome Back To The Matt Show!!!

This episode takes us to the urban metropolis of Atlanta, Georgia! I started out in New Orleans, Louisiana and skirted my way through Mississippi and Alabama with "YARISsa" in full stride! She was looking all Purdy and was ready to escort me to through the South and leave a mark on the locals! Before I knew it I was knocking on the door of Brother Jessica on the outskirts of the city of Atlanta! We headed off, parked and rode MARTA (Atlanta Transit System) into the city! It was another great example of public transportation and I hope it stays that way! Its going through a budget crunch and there is a chance it could get scaled back and effect thousands of patrons in Atlanta! Let's keep MARTA alive people! She was good to me! ; )

We first hit up Centennial Olympic Park where we toured and photographed our way through town until we got to the Phillips Arena where the Hawks play basketball and the Thrasher's rock the ice! Right next door to the sports arena is the CNN Plaza! We took a break and enjoyed a very TASTY and FROSTY beverage and admired the sights inside the giant complex! There were floors upon floors of offices and studios along with a hotel for guests and a giant food court for employees and guests! Next we hit a local joint called "TACOMAC" I was beside myself as not only did this place have part of my nickname (MACK) in its title but it also had TACO's or so I thought!? Jessica pointed out that this was no MEXICAN or TEX-MEX or whatever you want to call it and I was perplexed? I mean, how could anyone in their right mind name a restaurant TACOMAC and not serve primarily that type of food? But alas, she was right! Now I did have an amazing burger with all the fixin's and sampled one of over 160 beers they had on tap! Very similar to what we have in Washington state called the "Tap House!" You might be wondering what kind of beer I sampled but unfortunately it was one that I cannot professionally repeat on the world wide web! So you can feel free to ask me at a later time! ;) Afterward we toasted Atlanta, we headed back to the "Burbs" to hang out, catch up and get some rest for the next day!

Which leads me to...what else besides the...NEXT DAY!!! We headed out early for dinner and drove around town some more checking out other subdivisions of Atlanta! It was great seeing other areas outside of the main downtown! Before we headed out we ran into one of Jessica's neighbors who gave us lots of great ideas of things to do and places to see/eat at!!! We ended up at Front Page News where we sampled some good eats and local favorite MILLER LITE! ;)

Afterward we headed out to a local sports pub where we commenced an intense evening of Darts, Billiards, A Little Impromptu Dancing and Good Conversation with Jessica and her friends! The night ended with some compliments from one DJ ( Me, though pretty Amateur) to another and then we headed back to Jessica's on a bit of a wild ride that had not expected but everything ended up well and I survived! At the end of the stay, I had a truly amazing time with Brother Jessica in Hot-Lanta and am Oh-So-Thankful for everything we did! Before you know it, I was off and headed to Charlotte, North Carolina and brother Lara who is a fellow FOUNDER of Beta Lambda at Washington State University in Pullman, WA!!! I haven't seen her in 8-10 years and was more STOKED then you can imagine to finally catch up and fill in the blanks!!! Before I leave though I wanted to finish with some more insights during my most recent days in Atlanta and around Georgia!!!

1. In Alabama and Mississippi there are a ton of Prison Inmate Clean Up Crews that I passed on the way to Atlanta! Took me by surprise but at least we're keeping our streets clean and giving them a chance to catch some sun!

2. I saw a ton of pamphlets about various Wrestling matches taking place in Alabama and elsewhere during my drive to Atlanta! Must be a big thing down here! Some of the wrestler's names were outrageous, can't remember any off hand but I definitely got a sore stomach from laughing so hard! I guess Hulk Hogan had to start somewhere right!? Backyard Wrestling anyone!? Can You SMELL What The MACK Is Cookin'!? ;)

3. There is a place called MONSTER MOUNTAIN in Alabama!? I was definitely curious to see if in fact there were actual Monster's there or if it was just legend!? Oh well, maybe next time I'll get a chance to find out!

4. Various companies now market "BLUNT PAPERS" across the Nation as an alternative to factory-rolled cigarettes, but every place I seemed to stop for gas had massive campaigns for these BLUNT papers! I was taken back a bit!? I wonder what they use them for!? Probably something professional and legal I HOPE!!! ;) Goodness!!!

5. While In Atlanta, I discovered from Brother Jessica that unlike Seattle which has a Starbucks, Teriyaki joint and Thai food restaurant on every corner...Atlanta has a Bar, Tanning Salon, Chinese joint, Wing restaurant and Nail salon!? Similar but different! Every city surprises me!