Atlanta: Then and Now

Atlanta: Then and Now by Michael Rose
2002
Weight: 1.6 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donating

I gave this book as a gift to my grandparents--probably in 2002.  They regifted it to me--probably in 2016.  I really enjoyed it.  I think it is fun to see the city grow.

Beyond the Yellow Brick Road

Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: Our Children and Drugs by Bob Meehan and Stephen J. Meyer
1984
Weight: 1 lb
Method of Disposal: Burn

ABC 15 News Bob Meehan

Nuff Said.

Good Riddance.

Hunt For Hector

Hunt For Hector by Tony Tallarico
1990
Weight: 9. 6 oz
Method of Disposal: Leaving Somewhere in Decatur, GA

First things first.  There is a search for a hero dog in the Atlanta area...a pit bull mix, of course.  See below:
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/search-continues-for-hero-dogbaby-girl-remains-foc/nc4NJ/

Now, Onward.  I have been depressed as of late.  It is ridiculous.  The people I love are going through a lot right now but I, personally, am not.  I believe it is tied to the Chantix I have been taking to quit smoking.  I have sad dreams, wake up and am irritable all day at work, come home and am so miserable to be so far away from my fiancée that I end up getting snippy on Skype.  It makes no sense at all.  It is only a 3 month treatment, and I am 20 days in.  I know I can make it, damn it, but I hope she can.  I have been a nonsmoker for the last thirteen days and am hoping I smell better :)

Any who, tonight is the first night all week where I felt okay.  I went to work this morning, but I mostly drove to various places.  I did a home inspection and went to talk to the owner of a local doggy daycare.  By the time I got back to work there was only one employee left since the snow had scared the rest off.  We closed up the shelter and rescued a freezing kitty.  Really, it was a very successful, beautiful, and productive day.

I loved listening to music too loud while watching the snow fall, and I loved running around the yard snapping pictures of my dogs.  I also had a great time on Skype--playing games, answering riddles, reminiscing, and saying all that stuff that would make other people nauseated if they had to overhear it.  Now, I am up and reading, relaxing, and planning my weekend.


The only problem is that I really need to get to sleep.  I am seeing all the Facebook posts about all the people stranded in the snow around Georgia, and I am quickly realizing that I will, in fact, be working tomorrow.  There is no way there is going to be enough staff at the shelter tomorrow.  Friends are stuck at 24 hour businesses, their mothers are stuck in their cars on icy roads, children are stuck on buses or in nearby buildings away from their families, there have been over 600 accidents.  For some reason, I really did not expect all this.  I know a lot of people are making fun of the South right now, and I get it, but there are still people out there in serious need of help so let's hold back for a little bit and hope that everyone is going to be okay overnight.  And wish me luck getting to work tomorrow morning because their are some pups in serious need of a good pee and some breakfast! 

Gone With the Wind

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1964)
On the Road to Tara: The Making of Gone With the Wind by Aljean Harmetz (1996)
Weight: 5 lbs
Method of Disposal: Donating

You cannot grow up in Atlanta without hearing something about Gone With the Wind.  I have seen the movie so many times I have lost count, and it was a requirement in my elementary school.  It was also one of the first adult books I read, and on field trips we would go around Atlanta and see how Gone With the Wind was connected.  There were postcards of Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in all the stores.  The Margaret Mitchell house may have been burnt down on several occasions, but it was always built back.  The Civil War was still very present in the South.

It was not until I was much older, probably college, that my love for Gone With the Wind came into question.  I was ignorant of all the implications and the racism.  I am not anymore and now I do not have the same trouble letting these things go.

Special Units: Assault Police

Special Units: Assault Police  by Octavio Diez
2001
Weight: 1.1 lbs
Method of Disposal: Leaving in Joe's in EAV

In my first year of college I had a roommate that volunteered for CASA, a child advocacy group in the area.  She had to be sworn in by a judge incredibly early in the morning, but she did not have a car.  She would need me to give her a ride.  Again.  I woke up early.  I cannot remember exactly when now.  Maybe she had to be there by seven?  We drove around, looking for the courthouse to no avail.  We saw a police officer, and she asked me to pull over and ask her for directions.  I did and immediately she wrote me a citation for trespassing on government property.  I had no idea where I was, what I had done wrong, or why I had to wait for her to run my license in her database.  Because I was waiting in the car for such a long period, I was able to look around and note that I had pulled into DeKalb County Special Operations.  I had to go to court to appeal the decision, and then I was told I would have to come back again--same time, same place.  My teacher told me she would fail me if I missed the class to go to court and that I should just pay the ticket.  It sounds extreme, but she had a very strict policy for her class Women, Islam, and the Qur'an (which was very interesting by the by).  I paid the ticket.  My roommate volunteered for CASA. 

Atlanta Special Forces are featured in this book.  That is why this story is relevant.  It still pisses me off to this day.