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Attack of the palmetto bugs!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK.
I’m going to say this as calmly as possible.
BIG. BUG. GREAT BIG GIANT UGLY RED BUG.
IN MY BATHROOM.
RIGHT NOW.
::deep breath::
OK.
Scroll down if you’re squeamish. This is the suspect:
I’ve noticed a few of these ugly bug carcasses around my apartment building lately; it struck me as a seasonal thing, kind of like the day I walked outside and saw that my blue car was a shade of pollen-ized green. A friend that spotted me hovering over the remains of one such bug quickly assured me that I need not panic over that one: “We grow them much bigger down here.”
Again, spoken with false calm: Indeed. Much bigger than I am used to.
But it’s one thing to catch a roach belly-up in the laundry room, and entirely to watch one scurry from beneath your towel, post-shower.
It took about 30 seconds of searching for Google to tell me that what I’m seeing is the American Cockroach, a fine, sturdy breed if there ever was one, known around here as the palmetto bug. How charming.
A childhood obsession with Charlotte’s Web translates into an adult affinity for spiders, and my general sense about icky things is that we are washable. (Hence that whole grit-diving thing.) I draw the line at things the size of some household pets.
The AJC archives tell me that these bugs are quite common in the Southeast United States, and they multiply quickly in wet conditions. Goody.
Any other creepy-crawlies I and other newbies should be aware of? Just tell me now so I’m not shocked later.
If you’re dying to know more, I reposted some info from a 2003 AJC story by Jim Howell that told me more than I cared to know about my free-loading roach roommate, or rather, my palmetto pal. As the story says: “It seems a bit more socially acceptable to say that our home has palmetto bugs rather than roaches.”
Either way — ew.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Uniquely Georgia
Newcomer Q&A, v. 2.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks, everybody, for pitching in with answers last week. I’m now confident that my dress won’t fall down sometime mid-wedding.
Here are a few questions and answers that popped up this week. (We’ve solved The Mystery of the Over-abundant Phone Book.)
This week’s Q &A is stunted due to a mid-week accident that kept me out of the office, but, if you’ve got a question for next week, leave it in the comments or e-mail me at jgumbrecht@ajc.com. This is open to newbies, and to long-time Atlanta dwellers looking for a new perspective.
Question from a bunch of you: How do you get a phone book? And moreso, how do you stop getting a phone book?
- From AT & T corporate communications: “In Georgia, the primary way we receive orders for directories for customers with new service or current customers requesting additional directories is via service orders generated by the AT&T business office or the business offices of other phone companies that provide service in our service areas. For example, if a new mover sets up landline phone service, we are notified and send the newcomer a phone book. The overwhelming majority of orders come in this way. People can also call our distribution vendor at 800-422-1955 to order a telephone directory free of charge as long as they live within the geographic scope of the directory. For customers looking for alternatives to the actual book, AT&T also provides electronic options such as yellowpages.com, realpageslive.com and our directory information on CD-ROM. Folks can call our distribution vendor at 800-422-1955 to opt out of receiving a print directory if they would like, though requests not to receive our books are rare. Because it’s free and generally seen as an important tool to have in the house for finding the businesses and neighbors you need.”
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Gone Today
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a 10-second skirmish between my hatchback and a chunk of concrete chilling in the left lane on I-75, suffice to say the concrete chunk won, but Little Car put up quite a fight.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming on Friday.
Till then, I recommend this story, because it’s just precious, and this one, because it’s also fascinating.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Housekeeping
Newcomers’ Guide to Georgia Peaches
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, so I’ve had my fill of unintentional ITP-OTP name-calling for the week!
What do you say we just calm down and talk about peaches today?
RIP Peachtree, 2008
A story this week shared that the last peach tree on Peachtree Road is gone. (Awwww…)
We’ve got plenty more, if not on Atlanta’s best-known road. There are 1.6 million on farms in South and Central Georgia — prime peach picking points — and plenty more in U-Pick farms and area back yards, too.
The demise of Peachtree Road’s last tree isn’t a sign that they can’t grow in North Georgia, Al Pearson, chairman of the Georgia Peach Commission tells me. They’d be a bit more susceptible to frost, but mostly fine. It’s just that land in this area is otherwise occupied by, you know, cities, and a freshly planted tree will take a good three seasons before it bears fruit.
Here are five more things you ought to know about peaches if you’re going to live in a state that splashes them on the license plates and billboards.
We’re not the top peach producer. And haven’t been for a long while. We’re behind California, and usually South Carolina. “California took the lead a long time ago. I think they can grow anything out there,” Pearson says. But something in that process of growing, chilling and shipping means, “they don’t taste quite as good.” (Peach pride, we’ll call that.)
We’re swiftly approaching peach season: mid-May to early August. A late frost will probably mean fewer peaches until early June, when there should be a normal-sized crop. If you want to pick your own, keep an eye on the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers and Consumers Market Bulletin. It posts periodic lists of U-Pick farms.
Dry weather, like what we had last year, means smaller peaches with sweeter flavor. A relatively wet winter and clay soil that clings to moisture means they probably won’t shrink so much. (For peach-shopping tips, try the Peach Commission, which recommends a creamy “gold to yellow” under color and ripening at room temperature.)
Customers only like the big peaches. So, instead of letting each tree grow the 2,000-3,000 peaches it could yield, they hand-pick it down to 300-400, and let the energy go into those. “That makes them grow to a marketable size, versus a bunch of marbles,” Pearson says.
It’s tough to grow peaches organically here. It’s not impossible, but the humidity and bugs do a number on the trees and relatively fragile fruit. Farmers can reduce pesticides, he says, but going organic would make it tough to stay profitable. (He’s quick to add that buying locally grown produce is important, even if it’s not organic.)
Peaches! In Locust Grove!
P.S. If you’ve got questions for Friday’s Q&A, remember to leave them in the comments or email me by the end of the day. I’ll answer as many as possible.
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Hip ZIPs and other adventures in moving.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An actual line in an e-mail I wrote on March 2, during my three-day whirlwind apartment hunt in Atlanta: I was driving around Virginia-Highland looking at all the crowds of happy young people and wanted to scream, “WHERE ARE YOU COMING FROM? HOW DO YOU AFFORD TO LIVE HERE?!”
Armed with a limited in-town map, a pile of ads from craigslist, Creative Loafing and AJC.com, a few recommendations and memories from the Atlanta of five years ago, I needed to find a home. My goal was a reasonably priced, generally comfortable place as close as possible to work, available mid-March and preferably without the freshly white-washed scent of new condo paint.
You know what tool I used to find those available places, and to find my way around? ZIP codes. I eventually stumbled into a place that worked out just about perfectly, but those first few days were kind of demoralizing. ZIP codes were string of numbers that mostly helped me to get lost. Driving around neighborhoods was more helpful, if not good for answering questions. My notes from the trip say things like “V-H: feels like college,” and “Inman Park: why do I keep getting lost on the same street?” and “Old Fourth Ward: I guess the condos are new?”
I’m finally getting a sense of these places, plus so many of the other neighborhoods I would’ve liked to have seen if, you know, I hadn’t been lost in Inman Park and Buckhead the whole time. Every place here seems to be rich with it’s own ever-changing personality, some of which agree with me more than others. One street to another is different, and rarely what I expect.
So…why was the ZIP code, a much larger area with so much variety, the main tool for finding the place you fit in?
On the suggestion of my very smart editor, we put together this story about what ZIP codes really mean and how they’re used for more than just delivering mail. The research introduced me to sites like market researcher Claritas’ ZIP code database, which is happy to categorize based on their ZIP code and the information we’ve provide as consumers.
So tell me this: do you fit into your ZIP code? Do you feel at-home in your neighborhood? How do they compare, for you, and to each other?
And how do all those happy young people afford to live in Virginia-Highland?
Permalink | Comments (107) | Post your comment | Categories: Make This Place Make Sense, Moving
What’s Georgia’s biggest party?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPDATE: See what I mean? I watched Derby on Saturday and, as usual, it’s breath-taking and horrifying. I hardly know what to say about it, except to add that the same words can be used to describe most of the Derby parties.
It’s the first Saturday in May, and I plan to relax by writing, working, visiting and if I’m feeling really organized, hanging some of the posters and paintings propped against my apartment walls.
If I still lived in Kentucky, there would be two things on my mind: Derby and sleep deprivation.
The Kentucky Derby is busy, elegant, drunken, decadent, diverse, suspenseful, pretty, tacky, exciting, exhausting, somehow too long and too short at the same time. I covered it three years in a row with my Herald-Leader pals. (Rather, I covered the hoopla around it. The race itself was best left to the pros.)
Whatever you’ve heard about the Derby, well, I’m sure it’s true. It’s that kind of experience.
I tried to finish my celebrity interviews or slice-of-life stories before the big race. I wanted to stake out a good view before the crowd quieted down and broke into My Old Kentucky Home. I watched Giacomo, Barbaro and Street Sense win. That’s a lot of anticipation for two minutes, which is why there’s so much madness the rest of the day. It’s worth going once in your life just to take it all in.
My job usually started the night before, at one of the black tie parties in Louisville or Lexington, and it would usually end hours after the race, at another formal gala. But that’s nothing like the backside of the track, which is nothing like the infield, which is nothing like the nearby sports bars, which is nothing like the media center, which is nothing like the space behind the food vendors stands or the posh celeb quarters. People who never come together mix and mingle during the Derby. For two minutes at least, it all evens out.
Is there any tradition-steeped event in Georgia as sporting, drinking, partying, formal-dressing, spotlight-grabbing, hat-wearing, pie-eating? Or maybe we’ve got something more low key, but more us. Surely there’s something.
The first Saturday in May is sacred; any other day, I’ll be there.
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Newcomer Q&A, v. 1
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s Question & Answer Friday!
The Newcomer is all about learning our way around, so Fridays are specially reserved for answering questions that come up here, whether they’re yours or mine.
Post your questions in the comments throughout the week, or send them to me at jgumbrecht@ajc.com. I’ll do the leg work, or at least find the right people to do it.
Question from Reader Constance: “When I move to a new city, it’s always really hard to find a good hair salon that’s affordable. As a dyed-redhead, I have to get my hair done every month, and the cost adds up. Maybe people have some tips on where to go?” Answer: Readers, I’m hoping you’ll pitch in on this one.
Here’s what I’ve got for ya.
- Nedra Rhone, the AJC’s fashion writer, said Salon Red in Decatur is popular. ” It’s an Aveda concept salon so they have some really advanced color techniques that are healthy for hair,” she wrote.
- This is one of those times when www.kudzu.com might come in handy, too. I’d heard of the site before I moved here, but I use it almost obsessively now. This is, of course, a flawed process. Reader reviews aren’t the most reliable, but it’s still an interesting tool.
Question from a bunch of you: How do you get a phone book? And moreso, how do you stop getting a phone book? Answer: The folks at AT&T are working on it. More soon.
Question from Jamie: My big brother is getting married in June. By then, my violet strapless bridesmaid’s dress will have been hanging in my closet for eight months. Even when I bought it, the gown fit on place and nowhere else; I certainly don’t want to carry all that extra purple around. What’s the best place to get a formal dress altered at a reasonable price? I generally prefer to stay in town, but I’m willing to drive if it’ll prevent an unfortunate YouTube moment while I trip down the aisle.
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Sick of Traffic Option #1: Bike
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photo by Sara Hopkins at SoPo Bike Co-op in East Atlanta.
Navigating this town is tough. I can commiserate with this line from How Stuff Works, which lays it out like the plain-as-day truth it is: “No grid system exists for streets and no apparent rhyme or reason explains street placement, so traveling around the city can be confusing.”
So, if the traffic engineers never got the lesson on coloring inside the lines — or creating straight ones, for that matter — we have to get creative, too.
A bike tour around parts of the city this week convinced me that it’s reasonable for some of us to get around without sitting in traffic. And truly, if I can stay upright and moving on a bike in traffic, you can too. (Suffice to say I lasted about a month in ballet classes before it was clear, to quote my mom, “…there was no hope.”)
I wrote this SoPo Bicycle Co-op story a few weeks ago, which got me thinking more about biking here.
You can also check out bike stores and myriad other bike organizations in the area. There’s a list or groups behind the link, including an update from Reader Janet, who pointed out that the Roswell Mayor’s Annual Ride will start at 8 a.m. Sunday, May 4, at the Roswell Recreation Area Park, 10495 Woodstock Road in Roswell.
Good luck, and click below for more bike info. (Freshly updated at 11:20 a.m. May 2!) Know of another event or organization? Leave a comment or write me at jgumbrecht@ajc.com. I have a feeling we’ll be talking about this a lot.
Permalink | Comments (36) | Post your comment | Categories: Getting Around
Grits vs. Malt-O-Meal vs. Cream of Wheat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was an honest, legitimate question, a response to my first post, from reader calling himself Mr. Grits.
“I’m being serious: what’s Malt-O-Meal?”
And here was the honest, legitimate answer from a reader named Constance:
“Malt-o-meal is a very mean thing they do to yankees who don’t have grits. Best not to think about it. ;)”
Aww! Come on! I’m not a huge defender, but Malt-O-Meal is hardly cruelest thing in the Midwestern kitchens. Someday, maybe, we can talk about pasties and my unfortunately irrepressible childhood gag reflex.
For now, let’s focus: we’re talking about grain cereals here.
Malt-O-Meal was a standard. I remember the omnipresent yellow box in the pantry and my dad’s 100-percent failure rate at making it taste like anything but wet sand. (It ranks right up there with charred taco shells and attempting to pass off duck as beef. Man makes mean loaf of bread, though.)
I’d never met a grit until I moved to Kentucky. My grit education expanded greatly since coming here. After picking them out of my eyebrows and jean pockets, I’d say I know them quite well.
Here’s a break down: grits vs. Malt-O-Meal vs. another warm grain cereal familiar to some, Cream of Wheat.
If you’ve got a favorite, I want to know what, why and how you prepare it. To be honest, I’m more of an applesauce-and-oatmeal kinda girl. Help me out here.
Grits
Base: corn
What is it? Corn is coarsely ground; the finer part would be corn meal, the coarser your breakfast.
Who makes it? Anybody that mills corn, but Quaker makes several varieties.
Where can I find them? Please. We’re in Georgia. They rain from the skies.
Recipes: Grits are everywhere in recipes, but here are Quaker’s recommendations.
Notable: Grits are the official prepared food of Georgia. You can hit up National Grits Festival every year in Warwick, Georgia or the World Grits Festival in St. George, South Carolina.
Malt-O-Meal
Base: Wheat
What is it? It’s a malted wheat breakfast cereal served hot. It’s made from farina, which is leftover when the wheat bran and germ are removed. The black flecks are malted barley.
Who makes it? Malt-O-Meal is a Minneapolis-based company.
Where can you find it? Kroger and some Target stores carry it here.
Recipes: The Malt-O-Meal folks list main courses, soups, desserts and State Fair recipes using their banner product.
Notable: Earlier this month, Malt-O-Meal recalled Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat cereals produced with “Best if Used By” codes between April 8, 2008 and March 18, 2009 because of possible Salmonella contamination. I know you’re quaking in your boots right now, but don’t you worry - the original hot cereal is just fine.
Cream of Wheat
Base: Wheat
What is it? It’s the wheat kernel, or farina, sans Malt-O-Meal’s black flecks.
Who makes it? New Jersey-based B&G foods, also makers of Emeril’s, Brer Rabbit, Ortega and Polaner brands, among others.
Where can you find it? They’ll help you find it.
Recipes: From all-in-one pancakes to zesty steak wraps, there’s Cream of Wheat.
Notable: According to a June, 2007 story in the Lansing State Journal - the first professional newspaper I interned at, oddly - a granite marker was placed on the Leslie, Mich., grave of Frank White. He is thought to be the chef who posed for Cream of Wheat’s box.
Permalink | Comments (47) | Post your comment | Categories: Uniquely Georgia, Yum!
How do you recycle?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ahh, curbside recycling, a luxury I miss…
Unless you’re moving to, say, a convent, or prison, moving is waste. There’s just so much STUFF.
For that, I offer my sincere apology to my movers, who packed and hauled many, many, many boxes of books and CDs, only so I could go through a massive purge when I got here last month.
The cardboard alone was overwhelming. I spent an entire day breaking down boxes and rolling up packing paper into tidy bundles tied with yarn. And then there was the other waste, the cotton balls, cereal boxes, banana peels and packaging from carbon monoxide detectors, compact fluorescent light bulbs and shower curtains.
Having moved from one of those pampered places where there’s a giant, blue recycling bin the same size as your trash can waiting when you move in, I arrived here and dutifully sorted and carried my recyclables downstairs in a paper bag. All good.
Except there was no bin. And it would require a dizzying array of phone calls, policy shifts, eye of newt, toe of frog, wool of bat, and tongue of dog to convince someone to allow me a bin at my current address.
The trouble is that my building has eight units.
::smack:: No recycling! Bad multi-family unit dweller! Bad!
According to Marketek Inc./Databank, there are 186,167 multi-family units in Fulton County and 111,198 in DeKalb. That might mean a lot of people without easy access to recycling.
Admittedly, it’s a huge job to organize multi-family recycling. The AJC reported in late 2007 that Atlanta Recycling, provided by the contractor Dreamsan, was having trouble keeping up with requests from single-family homes. The backlog was eliminated by Feb. 1, reports said.
So how do you recycle here? Where do you take it? What do you take?
Before I managed to find another recycling option — albeit, the less curb-licious kind — boxes left on the curb swiftly disappeared, maybe to other overwhelmed movers. As for the rest, when it became a gymnastic feat to cross the kitchen without causing a category five domestic disaster, I guiltily shucked it into a trash bin like I was dumping evidence of a crime instead of yogurt containers.
The good news: it doesn’t have to be so hard. Click below for curbside recycling info for the area, plus a few options if you live in a multi-family dwelling, or if you’re trying to unload items that aren’t usually accepted, like, say major appliances, juice boxes, computer parts and gym shoes.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Getting Started, Moving
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Why, bless your heart! Since our experiences with the critters seem to occur when we have folks over, we refer to the insects as “company bugs.” That way you can blame their appearance on other people. Roaches/water bugs/company bugs... read the full comment by Old School | Comment on Attack of the palmetto bugs! Read Attack of the palmetto bugs!
Yep, palmetto = cockroach = water bug. My dad is from south GA and he calls them water bugs. Either way, they must DIE!! Back in my old apartment, I only found three roaches during four years living there, and all were already dead. However, I did... read the full comment by Lissa | Comment on Attack of the palmetto bugs! Read Attack of the palmetto bugs!
I agree, I agree with any one who thinks that bugs should be destroyed. I hate them! I hate them! I dislike when people say that they are only God’s creature..Yeah whatever. if they are in my personal space..then that’s one I have to explain... read the full comment by Yuke | Comment on Attack of the palmetto bugs! Read Attack of the palmetto bugs!
Clayton, try pouring chlorine bleach on the mounds, wipes ‘em right out! lol @ Laura, “resident cockroach killer”, I know what you mean!... read the full comment by One | Comment on Attack of the palmetto bugs! Read Attack of the palmetto bugs!