Fall is Here and it's Corn-Mazing!

Yesterday, I went to the Cruze Farm Corn Maze. I've never been to a corn maze before, so I had a lot to take in and a lot of observations to make.

It was definitely a wholesome affair, attracting young and old.

We didn't know whose birthday it was, but did it really matter?

Height of this Pumpkin Head? About 5'5" tall.

The food was delicious, which is to be expected of Cruze Farm- ice cream, burgers, hot dogs, and fries. Mmmm.

In the maze, we were asked to spot some celebrities along the way. Here's Mary Costa, voice of Sleeping Beauty, who was from Knoxville, or lived here... I can't remember...

And here is Governor Bill Haslam. Striking resemblance!

I wasn't keeping time, but it probably took us about 30-45 minutes to walk through all of it. Not difficult, but we stopped along the way for some photo opps.

Of course, we bought snacks for the road. Look at that straw. Cruze Farm knows it's all in the details. 

Hope you can make it out there or to another local corn maze. I've heard of several, spooky and non.

Below is some info about the Cruze Farm Corn Maze. I'm not positive when their hours are, but I'm sure you can call them and find out: 300-3307. 

Thanks for reading, and Happy Fall!

Yours truly,

Freedom Thighs 2012

I couldn't tell you specifically what I like so much about the Freedom Thighs bike ride. There's an inexpressible feeling it gives you, something pictures and text may not have the ability to convey, but I'll try.

Outside the Birdhouse

The bike ride happens each 4th of July, meeting at the Birdhouse around 4pm. Bikers line up in the street, listen to a rendition on the Star Spangled Banner (this year, Dolly Parton's), and begin their patriotic cruise through the neighborhoods of Knoxville.



Most attendees are decked out in American themed apparel. I myself bought a flag vest a couple years back for my first Freedom Thighs, and it's become a go-to for this ride each year. This year, two synchronized boom boxes towed behind bikes busted out jams ranging from Ludacris's Roll Out to some USA themed songs sung in Spanish.

Eagle on Rollerblades!

I couldn't tell you either, if there is any common thread that runs through each of the bikers who come each year to ride this ride.

 I overheard one hipster-looking biker say to his friends as I slowly meandered past them, "I can't tell if this race is satirical or not. It seems like there are a lot of truly patriotic people here, but I know there are some anarchists here as well... and just so y'all know, I bought this (American flag) t-shirt at Wal-Mart."



Sidenote: I don't know much about this subject, but it's true that there is a small contingent of anarchists that like to ride bicycles in Knoxville. They're some real nice people, yet would a true anarchist attend an American-themed bike ride? Are anarchists known to be especially ironic?*

Maybe what I like about the ride is the simultaneous delight and confusion I feel.



Freedom Thighs does mostly draw a bunch of white hipsters, it's true.

Part of the route winds through some East Knox neighborhoods which are predominantly inhabited by African Americans. These are some of my favorite streets to ride through because there is such a great community presence there. So many families came out on their porches to cheer on us white kids dressed like idiots.

And together, we all cheered on America.

 If that's not patriotic, I couldn't tell you what is.

Babe-raham Lincoln

We made a stop at the Pilot on Magnolia. That Pilot made a billion dollars yesterday, and so did the ice-cream man who stopped there when he saw all of us.

Love grows at Pilot

Then some idiot started shooting fireworks. Really? At a gas station? I can't say everyone on the ride is the brightest.




I saw many faces on the ride that have moved away from Knoxville over the past few years. They come back for this ride, and that's saying something.




I didn't end up finishing out the whole route. I think they went about 10 miles in all, making various stops to rest, consume cold beverages, and eat hotdogs, but I had a cookout calling my name.

The Ice-Cream man found us

If you have been intrigued in the slightest by this post, you should consider taking a chance on shenaniganery and joining the ride next year. No one fits in, but we all do because we're American, you know what I'm saying?



 Wherever the 4th of July took you, whether you were enjoying a/c with normal, calm people or with a bunch of hooligans on bikes, I do hope it was as merry one.

Facilitators of Freedom Thighs

*Questions for another time.

Tomorrow could be a grim day for Knox County: The controversy of Midway

Since deciding to stay in Knoxville and make it my home, I've realized that I frequent West Knoxville less and less. You can call me pretentious (do it, I really don't care) because it's not arrogance that keeps me away but something more. As I grow older, I consider the things that are most precious to me, and as a result, discover the things I disdain. I know I risk sounding melodramatic here, but I think I've developed a chemical aversion to sprawl. (Sidenote: As you read this, please do not mistake what I mean for sprawl as progress. I am pro-progress, anti-sprawl.)

I can assure you, it's not just West Knoxville. I feel it each time I go home to Memphis and stay at my parents' home in the suburb Cordova. Back roads that were once surrounded by farmland are now rows of desolate looking cookie cutter houses, stretching for miles along treeless streets. It breaks my heart and makes me lose faith in the creativity of mankind, to see people's greed at the expense of beauty and living in quality environments. I wonder how we got here, creating places that are cold and characterless, that all look the same, from city to city. Places you can't walk around by foot. Places that only accommodate vehicles. The lofty idea of development- bulldozing land, putting up buildings in hopes to lure tenants all in the name of "stimulating economy" - has made our cities and towns identity-less.

***

Tomorrow, Knox County Commissioners will vote on whether or not to approve the proposed business park off the Midway exit in East Knox County. This has been an ongoing battle, as outlined by Jesse Mayshark in this week's Metro Pulse. If you haven't been following this very controversial plan, in essence, the Development Corporation of Knox County wants to build a 300+ acre Industrial Park in East Knox County off of I-40 at the Midway Exit. Pam Strickland of the News Sentinel writes about the problems with the plan here.

This area of mostly farmland happens to be relatively untouched, a beautiful place unscathed by development. Many Knoxvillians don't want it to be developed, especially the people who have called it home for generations.



I decided to take a drive out there yesterday to take some photographs. I wanted a fresh reminder of what is at stake here for East Knox County. It's true, there is nothing there but farmland, rivers, and homes, farmhouses, and barns on stretches of land. There is nothing commercial or sprawling about it. Not yet.





So why put a business park here? Essentially, the Development Corporation bought the land for too much money in a supposedly shady business deal and are proposing this business park in order to make back the money to cover their asses. They say it will bring in thousands of jobs, but they don't even know what business will occupy the space much less how many jobs it will provide.






















The Development Corporation masks their greed by promising that the business park will incorporate parks and natural spaces and that it won't result in a domino effect of sprawl, but everyone knows that within a few years, gas stations will pop up, fast food restaurants, and the subdivisions to "sustain" them. East Knox County will be on its way to looking like West Knoxville, and I cannot think of a sadder fate for such a beautiful area. It is a gem, the kind of place that makes East Tennessee East Tennessee- Seven Islands Wilderness, the French Broad River, and expanses of farmland as far as you can see are all there.



What is even more frustrating is that the Development Corporation has been sweeping their already failed industrial parks under the carpet and won't consider using locations in Knoxville that are already vacant and perfect for commercial use. They say they need the acreage on Midway or else their plans won't succeed.



Tomorrow, the Knox County Commission will vote on whether to pass the plan or not. If it passes, it will be a dark day for not only residents of East Knox County, but all of those who oppose the plan across Knox County. Either way, I hope it will motivate a call for bigger and more organized movements to sweep across our county to protect the precious and beautiful land that makes Knoxville special and unique and to think of better, more creative ways to stimulate our economy.



Addendum added 12/13/2010: The vote by County Commission that was scheduled for today has been postponed due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for December 17, 2010 at 4pm. IF YOU ARE AGAINST THE PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL PARK AT MIDWAY The French Broad Preservation Association asks you to show up at 4pm at the City County Building to show your County Commissioners you don't want your tax money to be spent on it. See you there. -B

a concert under the trees

Last night a fairly large contingent of the Wigshop went out see Ben Sollee perform at the Knoxville Botanical Garden. It was, simply put, wonderful. The Garden encourages you to picnic and BYOB/V at its concerts, so in typical Wigshop fashion we came well equipped with wine and assorted cheeses. (I also found out that I LOVE candied bacon, but that's another post)

Sollee is a cellist- but if you're not a classical buff don't let that stop you... neither is he. Combining an eclectic acoustic sound that could be called "indie folk," Sollee plucks, strums, and bows his cello to get a sound that lies somewhere between jazz, Americana, and Bach. It was great music. I'd definitely catch him when he comes to the Bijou later this year.

But, music aside, I'd like to talk about the venue.

The Botanical Garden is becoming one of my favorite places in Knoxville. I remember several years ago going to Chandler's on Magnolia and seeing a sign for our "Botanical Garden." Knoxville had a Botanical Garden? That was news to me. After lunch I drove up and was surprised by the elegant stone walls, quirky round guardhouses, and the sloping orchards that seem to come from a different era. In fact it is from a different era- this land was given to David Howell in 1786 for his service in the Revolutionary War. After 217 years of serving the Howell family's nursery and horticulture business, the land is now open to the public to enjoy. And one of the best ways to enjoy the Garden is to attend one of the increasingly frequent concerts there. Held on a stone terraced hillside under a canopy of huge trees, you can watch the sun set slowly on the distant plateau while listening to beautiful music. Or, as I preferred, lay on the soft grass and watch the sky darken through the silhouetted leaves overhead. Wonderful.

I would heartily recommend the Garden as one of those not-to-miss experiences in Knoxville. Like most of the good things in this city, it's a little hard to find and not well known, but it will surprise you and keep you coming back.

Now for some more pictures:


The stone terraces.


Mrs. The Pol enjoying the music, if not the chilly weather.


Mr. Sollee and his cello, with accompanying fiddle.


As well as being a politcal iconoclast, The Pol can put out quite a spread.

Chandler's : Part II : Two Parts

The Modern Gal's Take:

Max told me the other day that he'd never been to Chandler's before, so I thought: what better day for an inaugural trip then on Fat Tuesday? We loaded up on the usual soul food offerings: barbecue, fried chicken, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans and cornbread.

The thing about Chandler's is the food isn't just out of this world. Don't get me wrong -- it's good. But the real reason you go to Chandler's is for the total experience which, of course, includes dining in an old Taco Bell, talking to the ladies that work there, eating from a styrofoam box and seeing the autographed Bill Haslam picture next to the drawing of the Last Supper.

And then there's the Chandler's food coma, which is not for the faint of heart.

I was fortunate in that I didn't have a whole lot of work to do on Tuesday afternoon, so I could concentrate my efforts on working through the food coma. It hit me before we even left Chandler's. I got in my car and had to blast the air conditioning to keep from wanting to close my eyes. Max stopped to get coffee on the drive back to the office. I got a pep talk message from CK: "It takes time for the ribs to squeeze themselves through your arteries."

I pulled out every coma-fighting method I could Tuesday afternoon while still at work: I got coffee, I drank lots of water, I chewed gum, I walked around the building. When I got home, my belly still rumbling from the after-effects, I tried jogging with the dog around the block. Not hungry, I had nothing but a glass of wine for dinner. And by 11 p.m., I finally felt like I was ready to take on the world again. The coma had passed.

How did Max handle his coma? He left work at 3 p.m. and went home and napped for a few hours. Rookie.

Max's Take:

The Modern Gal was right, I am a rookie, though I must take into account the fact that I was running on 4 hours of sleep and 6 expended cups of coffee. The bbq, green beans, mac 'n cheese and coke really didn't help things. Luckily I finished my work early in the morning and got to enjoy my food coma at home on the couch. My stomach loved me.

All that said, the Chandler's experience was a treat. It must be the pepto pink walls on the outside or the soul music softly singing you into a slumber that make you feel like you are in a special place.

I do, however, have a suggestion for Chandler's newbies. When you order your food, if it is not steaming on the hot bar right in front of you don't ask for it. I made that mistake. Not knowing the intricacies of the inner workings of the Chandler's kitchen, I ordered bbq that wasn't on the hot bar at the time. My order came from the last dregs of pork in the bottom of a plastic tray in the back of the kitchen. I even saw microwaves involved.

Now I'm sure that on any other day if I had arrived early enough that I would have been served fresh, moist, smoky barbecue, but this was not my day. I was disappointed, but the mac 'n cheese and good company of The Modern Gal made it worth the while. Fat Tuesday indeed.

The Sun(Sphere) Will Save Us All

Hello all ('all' being primarily defined as 'homeowners'), there are two big events going on this weekend. 

First off, there is a "Solar 101" workshop this Saturday from 10 - 12 at Ijams Nature Center in South Knox. The workshop will teach the basics of solar technologies that are available for home installation, such as solar electric, hot water, lighting, heating and passive solar design. It will also provide a step-by-step introduction for "going green" with your home. They will also look at financial incentives and options as well as hiring good installers. 

If you want to go, RSVP to Gil Melear-Hough at gil@cleanenergy.org. 

Next, from 11:30 - 2:00 on Saturday there is a ribbon cutting and open house for Knox Housing Partnership's seven new LEED Gold Certified affordable homes. It's at Five Points in East Knox (714 - 732 S. Chestnut St.) This is a pretty huge deal, since the only other LEED-certified house in TN is Al Gore's. The mayor will be there, and other big wigs, so be sure to wear your Sunday errrr ... Earth-conscious Best!

Today I Met Keisha

(from Saturday)

Today I went out to try and win a few votes. It's the last day of early voting and so I figured I'd hit the early voting locations in my district. The Old Courthouse, the the UC on campus, and finally Five Points (Harvest Plaza) in East Knox.

Everything was going rather uneventfully until there. I knew Harvest Plaza was in a rougher neighborhood and that it might be difficult to win many votes, but I felt (and feel) it important to go and ask all of the people who I seek to represent for their support.

This is where I met Keisha.

The story itself isn't that interesting. She came up to talk with me, she seemed a little slow, but nice and so we chatted for a few minutes. then she asked me if I was "hooking for anybody"...

The conversation didn't go very far from there because after asking, "Are you sure you don't hook for nobody", the sky thundered and she took off towards home.

And here is The Pol's question for the day:

How is it that we have individuals like Keisha in our city that apparently have decided that their best/ only option for a making a living is prostitution?

I would ask the same question of the drug dealers as well, but have yet to be offered crack so will leave an introspective analysis on that for a later time.

I'm seeking to represent a district that is full of every type of individual every color, every class, every creed, and I would like to begin a discussion about the Keisha's of our community.

How do we go about addressing these issues? Some would say jobs. But would Keisha be able to get a good paying job if there was one available.? Some say law enforcement will stop this type of behavior. But does that solve the core problem, or simply attack the symptom.

I don't know the answers, I'll quickly admit that, but I want to begin searching for them and I would love input for our readers. The Keisha's of Knoxville are our neighbors and we all need to be concerned for their well being, because real growth and success in Downtown has to be coupled with success in Lonsdale and Burlington or else we're just putting lipstick on a pig.

Write-In John Spellings on August 7th

Chandler's Deli

Oh my Southern fried goodness! After a year or so of wanting to do it, I finally went with some friends to Chandler's Deli on Magnolia (3101 Magnolia). I've been hearing good things about the place for quite some time, so today was a long time coming. Chandler's is delicious. Being a Northerner, I was new to Southern Cooking. My first Southern Thanksgiving was such a treat. So many foods I had never really even seen before: turnip greens, okra, cornbread (cornbread in the north tends to be sweet, like dessert-ish). My first taste of Southern food, and I was hooked.

So I knew I would like Chandler's. It's in an old taco bell. You walk in and are immediately faced with the buffet counter and lots and lots of options. Fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, ribs, greens, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc. etc. And everything is remarkably cheap. I think vegetable sides are 1.50 each and, I can't remember the exact price, chicken pieces are only like a buck or a buck fifty.

The servings are huge. You get them in a styrofoam to go box, placed atop an orange tray. No matter what you get, there will be enough to take home.

How would I describe Chandler's food? Southern. Fried. Delicious. Certainly not healthy, but a good every-once-in-a-while sort of treat. And very reasonably priced. I got the turnip/mustard greens. They were good. I like mine a little spicier than they were, but each table has hot sauce. The mac and cheese was really, really good. I just kept thinking, it's a good thing boot camp starts on Monday. I had a bite of my friends' okra. Yum. Also, we got a side of fried green tomatoes. Made to order and only a buck fifty. They were yummy but extremely hot.

The Pizza Kitchen is across the street, and that's another place we wigshoppers (and our friends) enjoy.

Magnolia's got a lot of great food gems; Chandler's is definitely one of them.

Oh, and yeah, they've got Kool-Aid.

race against racism

yesterday afternoon some friends and i ran in the the race against racism 5k sponsored by the phyllis wheatley ywca in east knoxville. for some reason i cant make links on my ibook when i am at home, but the ywca site is ywcaknox.com. the race turnout was much larger than i expected, and i feel like the community really came together to talk about and promote a great cause. at most races you get a goody bag with coupons and samples of running and sponsor related items. this race's goody bag included a one-sheet detailing "10 simple ideas to eliminate racism." a lot of these may seem obvious, but i actually think this is a list of simply ideas that we sometime forget about. it's nice to be reminded:
1. Dont laugh at racist, sexist, ageist, homophobic, or other stereotypical jokes or assumptions
2. Make an effort to get to know people different than you
3. Learn about other people and their cultures
4. Think before you speak
5. Be a role model
6. Don't make assumptions
7. Explore the unfamiliar
8. Work on projects with members of groups different than your own
9. Be a proactive parent (expose children to diversity early on)
10. Support anti-prejudice and anti-racist organizations

so yeah, a little 5k cant change the world, but i felt like the community got together to support a good, common vision. and the race course was really pretty. with one beeotch of a hill.

update: i added a pic so you can see how awesome the race teeshirt is. it's the best 5k tee i've ever seen. my time got me 4th in my grouping, and the best part was that i was running under a pseudonym bc i was filling the place of a team member who had to cancel. the race gave me a good base time. the sort of time that says, "wow, you are really out of shape and you still did okay, so now you need to improve from here."