The Final Countdown

If there's one thing that will gather 93,000 people into one condensed, hot, phenomenal stadium, it's the UGA football team. Sure, our new coach, Kirby Smart, might have something to do with it too. Our new quarterback, Jacob Eason, might also be potential swaying factor (I mean, look at him).  Oh, and don't forget about Ludacris. He might have made a mild impact as well. 

In all seriousness, what better to captivate the Athens community then a live music performance, the introduction of a new football coach and top quarterback player, and some good ole' American football. Did I mention the price? $0. 

G-Day was previously an event that I never truly bothered to pay attention to or attend. This year, however, the hype got to me. As I sifted over my available Saturday plans, counting the mere few that remain as a second semester senior, I chose to go to the G-Day game with a group of friends. 

Between the emails, Instagrams, hype videos and so on, this year's game had developed a wide-eyed, eager audience. For many of us seniors, this game could very well have been the last UGA game any of us ever attend. 

Sanford Stadium hosts many of my fondest UGA memories, as I'm sure it does for so many of the people of Athens. For me, the stadium holds memories of my first college football game, first college crush, first seriously scary sunglass tan, and so much more. We laughed, we cried, and we ate a lot of hot dogs. 

As I entered the stadium, my eyes only grew wider. A sea of red appeared before me, with each person's smile shining brighter than the next. The happiness and love for football truly radiated from the stands. This Saturday qualified as one last hot dogs, one last sunburn, and one last time losing my voice to the dogs.

As I make the final preparations for leaving the town of Athens, the G-day game only reminds me further of all of the activities and hidden treasures that lie right before us. In these final weeks, what better is there to do with my time than complete as many Athens-tivities that I can? A long bucket list sits on my refrigerator as of Sunday, serving as a daily reminder to live up my final days in the classic city. 

So, I leave you with this: My bucket list. Complete it, as best you can, before it's too late and you realize you only have two weeks left of school. 

1.     Serve on the executive board of an organization

2.     Go out in a t-shirt

3.     Attend an event in the chapel

4.     Visit the UGA Creamery

5.     Picture with UGA

6.     Picture with Hairy Dawg

7.     Take a picture on the Arch logo tile in Tate

8.     Attend the Dawg Walk

9.     Georgia-Florida Game

10. Frat Beach

11. Sit with the Bernard Ramsey statue

12. Late night at Snelling

13. Eat in a dining hall as an upperclassman

14. Attend an event at:
 a. The Georgia Theatre
b.     The Morton Theatre
c.      Hendershots
 d.     The Melting Point
e.     40 Watt
f.      Memorial Hall
g.     The Classic Center
 f. Flikr
 g. The Melting Point

15. Visit the Georgia Museum of Art

16. Picture with Grady College (or your respective college)

17. Attend the Athens Rodeo

18. Walk the trails at the State Botanical Gardens

19. Tailgate on Myers Quad

20. See a movie at the Tate Theater

21. Start the Georgia cheer

22. Tour Terrapin

23. Attend Swing Dancing Nights on the IM Deck

24. Get in the North Fountain

25. Ring the Chapel Bell 

26. Attend Salsa Night at Jerzees

27. Attend Athens Twilight

28. Eat Roman Noodles

29. Eat, eat and eat some more
a.     The Last Resort
b.     5&10
c.      Transmetropolitan
 d.     White Tiger Gourmet
e.     Mama’s Boy

 f.      Big City Bread

 g.     The Grit

h.     Harry’s BBQ

 i.       Clocked

 j.       Ted’s Most Best

 k.     Pauley’s

l.       Amici

m.   The Mayflower

n.     Heirloom Cafe

 o.     Blind Pig Tavern

 p.    LaFonda hot dog

q.     The Grill

 r.      Shokitini (and rent a room for karaoke)

 s.    Weaver D’s

 t.      Ike & Janes

 u.    Marty’s at Midday
 v.      Thai Spoon

 w.    Copper Creek (get the sweet potato fries)

 x.      Square One Fish Co.

y.     Sunday brunch at Porterhouse

 z.      Dondero's Kitchen

aa.  The Capital Room
 ab. Agua Linda

ac. The World Famous ("This is it" sign outside) - get the pork steamed buns

ad. Viva (by The Grit)

ae.  La Dolce Vita

30. Then drink… a lot

 a.  Open a Pauley’s beer card (& try finish it)

b.  Buy a glass and drink all 8 pours at Terrapin

 c.  Attend $2 Tuesdays at Copper Creek

 d.  Creature Comforts Brewery

e. Kill Bill at Budda Bar

f. Cutter's on a Thursday for $1 Yuenglings

 g. Dance on the tables at Bourbon

 h. Sangria at The Manhattan (hipster bar on Hull St.) 

31. Kayak down the Broad

32. Go dancing at 9d’s (if you're there before 1a.m., you're doing something wrong)

33. Jump off the high dive at Ramsey

34. Do the corn maze (& strawberry picking) at Washington Farms

35. See a movie at Cine

36. Visit the Iron Horse

37. Find the Tree That Owns Itself

38. Drive down Finley St. (the cobblestone street in Athens)

39. Have ice cream from Hodgson’s Pharmacy

40. Attend at least one Dawgs After Dark event

41. See a movie at the dollar theater

42. Climb the rock wall at Ramsey

43. Hang out on North Campus

44. Achieve the Trifecta (at your own risk)

45. Find all of the Athens Bulldog Statues

46. Attend Athfest

47. Ride the full orbit of the Orbit bus route

48. Go for a walk on the Greenway

49. Watch the sunset from the top of the North Campus parking deck

50. Spend a summer in Athens

51. Go out in bad weather (rain, sleet, snow)

52. Pull an all-nighter (or two or three) in the SLC

53. Get all the stamps on a Jittery Joes frequent buyer card and buy the most expensive drink on the menu (Suggestion: Frosty Joe)

54. Road trip to an away football game.

55. See the Constitution of the Confederate States (displayed once a year in late April)

56. Swim in the river at the Botanical Gardens

57. See the giant globe in the Geography building (but, actually, it’s cool!)

58. Look through the telescope in the Physics Building

59. Dress up for Cow Day at Chick-fil-A

60. Hang out in the Founder’s Garden

61. Don’t go into the main library (just to see if you can do it--still haven't been inside)

62. Study abroad (or at least go abroad)

63. Star gaze at the IM Fields

64. Spend time on Herty Field

65. Study on the Two Story back porch

66. Go to the Athens Farmer’s Market (& buy fresh veggies!)

67. Walk through J.J.’s Flea Market

68. Take a cooking class at Earthfare

69. Play the arcade games at Wonderbar

70. Walk through the Elder Mill wooden bridge

71. Tee it up at the UGA Golf Course

72. Get an Ice Cream Float/Lunch from Add Drug

73. Never pass up a home game/Saturday in Athens

74. Walk under the Arch on Graduation Day!! 

Note: This list has been adapted from a list 

Veggie Tales of a Farmer's Market

One of my favorite activities growing up was gardening with my grandfather. He had this amazing garden, filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Some seeds we're brought over from his hometown, in Greece, and others came straight from the fruits and vegetables we ate. He grew tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and so much more. Summers at his house on long island were always full of fresh salads and veggies. This is one of the many ways I remember my grandfather; His delectable fruits and vegetables, and the quality time we spent together in his garden. 

When I was old enough to look after my own fruits and vegetables, my grandfather let my brother and I pick a fruit, any fruit we wanted, and told us he would help me plant it at my family's home in Atlanta. Strawberries we're my fruit of choice, and honeydew melon was my brother's. There must have been something in the soil that summer, because I have never seen so many melons and berries. The following summers grew plentiful with melons and berries, almost to the point that it became an issue. The melons we're especially difficult to deal with. They started to take over the entire garden, crushing everything else in it's path (those poor little flowers....). The strawberries grew larger and more plentiful with each passing year. 

My grandfather passed a little over a year ago, and as I now look at our garden, I'm reminded of him. I remember the hours he spent tending to the garden, his soil-covered hands, and his love that helped our garden grow. In a way, he gave me a greater appreciation of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've realized how much work and effort goes into growing these things, and how much better they taste when you've put a little hard work into it. 

Last week, the Creature Comforts Athens Farmers Market re-opened for the spring, and I immediately couldn't resist. My first thoughts jumped to the wonderful produce my family grew together, and I decided I had to check it out. Open on Wednesdays from 4-7 at Creature Comforts in downtown Athens, the farmers market is hosted outside the brewery. Let me tell you, if you grocery shop for produce, stop. The produce and the people you will meet at the farmer's market are ten times more worth it than your average trip to Kroger. 

Not only is the farmer's market a great place to find great food and meet even better people, but it's totally insta-worthy. Given good weather and a little good luck, you can find quality photo-friendly fruit, like these strawbs.

The Athens Farmers Market also has an amazing instagram account that puts faces to produce and provides an awesome story to tell. While they aren't solely located at the Creature Comforts location, I find that it is, however, my favorite location. What's better than a little bit of shopping with a side of beer tasting? Not a whole lot. 

While my childhood memories lead me to finding my next cheap thrill, this thrill is not so cheap to me. The art of growing and tending to a garden, and creating something of your own to put on your table, is one of the greater pleasures in life. Some might call it "granola" or "towny" of me to go, but I just call it freaking awesome. 

Peace, Love, Cheap Thrills & Veggies.