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Tuesday, 06 September 2005

Got Cravings?

A Slice-of-Life Commentary ã

by Susan Reno-Gilliland

Published September 5, 2005 (N TX e-News)

Published August 29, 2005 (The Chattanoogan)

I have two favorite restaurants.As a point of fact, that doesn’t sound like any profound statement, does it?The complexities of just how favorite these two favorite restaurants are becomes apparent when it is discovered the lengths I will go to in order to eat at my favorite restaurants.

One of my favorite restaurants is located in St. Louis, Missouri, and the other one is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.I currently live in neither of these places.During the last twelve years of moving around, the farthest I’ve lived from either of these restaurants has been approximately nine hours and/or roughly 600 miles.I have been known to telephone the restaurant from my home to make reservations a week in advance, and plan a trip revolving around visiting the restaurant.

You’re probably wondering just what these two restaurants could be all about to cause me to travel great distances just to partake of their fare.One is Kanpai of Tokyo (http://www.kanpaisteakhouse.com/), which offers the Teppanyaki style of Japanese cuisine prepared at the customers’ dining table, and the other is Charlie Gitto’s ‘On The Hill’ (http://www.charliegittos.com/), the premier Italian dining experience in St. Louis.

Kanpai of Tokyo

Charlie Gitto’s “On The Hill”

Kanpai has an amazing hot sauce that “must” contain something that acts as an addictive agent, because I am totally addicted to this stuff.I’ve even bought bottles of it to bring home to use in my own cooking.It is good with rice, vegetables, chicken, shrimp, beef – anything you put it on becomes that much more delicious.And, Charlie Gitto’s has a portabella mushroom that is also quite addictive; it literally melts in your mouth.With a starter salad, an entrée of fish or freshly made pasta, and the to-die-for desserts, a meal at Charlie Gitto’s is an entire dining experience.Each restaurant is a total package – great food, great wines, great service and a great atmosphere!

In fact, I’m planning a trip this weekend . . . I’ll be indulging in flaming shrimp appetizers, miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, hibachi chicken with ginger sauce, fried rice, hibachi-style vegetables and plenty of hot sauce! BonAppétit!

# # #

Ms. Susan Reno-Gilliland is a former Chattanooga-area native, who has traveled extensively, and is now living and working in Georgia.She is a freelance writer, columnist, photographer, artist, interior designer, and owner of “A Southern Belle’s Life.” Ms. Reno-Gilliland has Bas in Fine Arts, Applied Arts-Journalism, and Interior Design, with minors in Psychology and Sociology. She has been a residential/commercial Designer since 1995. Due to her many relocations between ’95-’02, she changed the focus of her design studio in 2002, and is strictly by appointment-only; working through referrals instead of actively marketing the studio’s services, so she has more time to write, and volunteer within the community.

In addition to her varied creative works, Ms. Reno-Gilliland also offers decorating workshops to community and civic organizations.She is active in several community and charitable activities – most specifically breast cancer awareness and animal protection, rescue and adoption.She is a strong supporter of the Arts, is a published writer and columnist, is currently working on a new anthology book, and has been a featured speaker at public events and on several local/regional community television shows.Ms. Reno-Gilliland also works with Realtors to assist their clients in preparing homes for sale.She may be reached at her studio, A Southern Belle’s Life at: a [dot] southern [dot] belle [at] gmail [dot] com

“Darlin’, don’t ever take a Southern woman for granted!” Ô

North TX e-News: http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_28288.shtml

The Chattanoogan: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_71567.asp
Changing Public Perceptions

Posted as a response to “Noise Ordinance Is Selective”

posted August 27, 2005 in The Chattanoogan

I have been reading the op-ed comments relating to the noise issues over the last few days in the Chattanoogan, and have debated over whether to weigh in on the issue since I am one of the ones at whom the comments are being directed. I am a Harley passenger and the co-owner of a 2004 Fatboy, which has been modified from stock pipes to the Screamin’ Eagle muffler/exhaust system. This system is rated “street-legal,” both by Harley-Davidson standards and by all standards established by state-to-state laws for noise restriction levels. With that said, the noise emitting from our motorcycle falls within the standard noise level range that is permitted by state regulations. This holds true for most motorcycles that are on the road today.

Granted, there may be a few ‘rebels’ who push-the-limits on their exhausts, but no one is going to take it to the extreme to risk getting ticketed for something like a noise violation. There are only eighteen states within the United States that actually have Legislative Action regarding motorcycle noise. The closest three states to Tennessee are Florida, Virginia and South Carolina. Tennessee does not have either a Legislative or Enforcement Action in place specifically for motorcycle noise. Also, the City of Chattanooga specifically suspended their current ‘noise ordinance’ for the duration of the Rally.

I would respectfully like to remind those who have been complaining about the noise, especially during the Rally held during this last week, that no matter how low the noise rating on a single bike is – once you get 15,000 bikes in a single locale, the noise is going to be loud. This would hold true if you had 15,000 lawnmowers, or 15,000 tractors, or 15,000 automobiles for that matter – the noise level will rise exponentially the more vehicles are added to the mix. Sitting in traffic on the way home from work with just 50-100 cars around you, and listening to the low hum of all of those engines and assorted radios, can get to you after a while.

I can appreciate the other writers’ opinions, and their rights to them. But, I would also appreciate them taking the time to consider that – as a group – we are not bad people, just people who happen to enjoy riding motorcycles. We were invited to attend an event in their City, by their City, and were happy to visit the area, and to pump a lot of money into the Chattanooga economy over the few days that we were there. Between hotels, restaurants, shopping, tourist attractions, and whatever other miscellaneous merchants who benefited from our open wallets, we – as a group – dropped a lot of money over the last week.

We have now all rolled back out of Chattanooga, and bid our farewells to the City that invited us to have our National Rally there this year. Perhaps now, those who were complaining can move on and forget all about the bikers who came to town for a week.

Susan Reno-Gilliland
Georgia

The Chattanoogan: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_71457.asp

This piece has received two private e-mails from the same

woman, who does not agree with my opinion and is attempting

to try to argue her point in favor of mine.I finally responded

after the second e-mail and asked if she could just accept the fact

that everyone has an opinion, and the right to express their opinion,

and would she be willing to let it go and “agree-to-disagree” since I

have no intention of changing my mind, and it is quite obvious she

isn’t going to change her mind, either. I’m not sure I’ve heard the

last from her though, since my op-ed piece was added as a

response to an op-ed piece she had written.
Rudeness On The River
posted August 28, 2005 in The Chattanoogan

I am a Chattanooga area native and a Harley passenger, and we attended the National Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) Rally held in Chattanooga this past weekend with another couple from our current Georgia Chapter. I booked our hotel rooms in April and registered with H.O.G. on the very first day that Harley-Davidson opened registration for the Chattanooga event.

We paid the pre-registration amount which, to be honest, wasn’t cheap, but, it entitled us to the official rally shirt, the official rally pin, and the official rally bracelet (required for admission to all activities, parking, and was also good for discounts around town). We received our pre-registration packages about six weeks ago, and were looking forward to spending a great weekend in Chattanooga.

In our registration package was also a list of areas around town offering free parking for the event. Since we were staying at the Marriott Convention Center, the closest parking for us was Riverfront Parkway. This was listed on our schedule of events as: Riverfront Parkway (enter at MLK Boulevard – wristband required to enter at Gate C). We parked near Gate C all day on Friday and Saturday, but went across town to the Hamilton Place area for an early dinner on Saturday evening before returning to the festivities around 7 p.m. When we reached Riverfront Parkway from MLK, there was a woman security guard sitting in a chair next to her car at the intersection, who waved us on down Riverfront Parkway. When we arrived at the next checkpoint, two event security guards stopped us and told us we were not allowed any further.

We showed them our event wristbands, and stated that we had been parking in the parking lot next to Gate C for the entire event, but these two guards refused to allow us to proceed. When we asked for an explanation as to why we weren’t allowed into an event-designated parking area, and one in which we had been parking for two days, they couldn’t give us a straight answer, or any answer – other than to take an attitude, and attempt to throw around their “event-security” weight. One was just downright rude. When pressed further, one of the guards realized that his power play was being called into question, and he backtracked and quickly blamed it all on the Chattanooga City Police Department.

Ultimately, we had to turn around, weave back through traffic all the way down Market Street to the Aquarium, and finally found parking near BellSouth Park. Later that evening, I approached three Chattanooga city officers to inquire as to why we had been blocked from parking in an event-designated area, and the officers said they had no idea or information as to this restriction being something sanctioned by the city. They surmised that these security guards were merely acting on their own, for whatever reason, but couldn’t tell me who I should contact to report them.

Overall, we received a very warm welcome from area merchants, hotel personnel, business owners, restaurants, and residents. But, we did encounter more than a few situations with event staff in and outside of the gates that was less-than-courteous, and in no way professional on any level, most specifically the event security working the outer perimeters of the barricades leading into the designated parking areas each day.

Susan Reno-Gilliland

The Chattanoogan: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_71544.asp

This piece received a response from the Chattanooga

City Police Sgt. who was responsible for event

security during the H.O.G. Rally and Rollin’ On

The River event afterwards, which was opened

to the public.In the end, it seems we reached

some type of “understanding” between our views.
Support The Upcoming “Paint & Shoot” Show
posted July 18, 2005 in The Chattanoogan

I recently read in The Chattanoogan that The Plum Nelly will be hosting the "Paint And Shoot" Show featuring local artist Dana Shavin and local photographer (and her husband) Daryl Thetford. I immediately marked my calendar for this event, and will be traveling to Chattanooga to attend.

As an artist and photographer myself, I am very familiar with both Dana and Daryl’s works, and admire and respect their creative eye for capturing the ordinary and transforming it into something spectacular.

Furthermore, having been privileged to be acquainted with them both on a personal level as well, and having worked with them both when we all were still finding our creative souls, I understand how far they have traveled in their artistic journeys.

In addition, as a fellow animal lover, and “mother” to, currently, five rescue cats and three rescue dogs, I am a strong supporter of the work that Critter Magazine does in improving the quality of animal life through education, responsible pet guardianship, adoption efforts, and the support of spay/neutering efforts. I know that Dana and Daryl also are strong supporters of animal rights and rescue.

I encourage everyone to support this event by attending either one or both days. The artwork for sale will be spectacular, I assure you, and The Plum Nelly is donating 10% of all proceeds and Dana and Daryl are donating 10% of all proceeds, for a total of 20%, to the Critter Magazine for its wonderful work with animal care and rescue.

Will I see you there?

Susan Reno-Gilliland, Columnist
A Southern Belle’s Life – Chattanoogan

The Chattanoogan: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_69626.asp

This piece received a very nice thank you from both Dana and Daryl when I

attended their show.I would like to refer my readers to both Dana and Daryl’s

sites, which can be found at: Barking Horse Studio and

Daryl Thetford Photography

Saturday, 13 August 2005

America's Pastime

A Slice of Life Commentary Ó

by Susan Reno-Gilliland

Published August 8, 2005 (N TX e-News)

Published August 10, 2005 (The Chattanoogan)

As someone who has a lot of good memories from time spent in Fulton County Stadium, and, then, Turner Field in Atlanta watching the Braves play baseball, summer isn’t summer without trips to the ballpark.For years, Americans have referred to baseball as “America’s Pastime,” and with good reason.Regardless of whatever else is going on around you, there’s something about going to a game that makes you feel like a kid again.

In recent years, though, the players seem to be tarnishing what we, as Americans, hold dear by their selfish behaviors.Whether it is arguing over more money, bad-mouthing their teams or owners, or the ever-present cloud of steroid use, the actual game of baseball has had to take a back seat to the personalities and egos that overshadow what should still be America’s pastime.Instead of losing ourselves for a few hours with hotdogs, cotton candy, sodas and the roar of the crowd at a game, we’re inundated with the news stories of this player or that player who has ‘broken-the-rules’ and is facing a suspension and fine.

But, baseball still has something “magical” associated with it, a certain “something” that makes life a little less stressful, if only for the time you spend in the ballpark.It is even more evident when you visit a minor league park.You get the feel of ‘real’ baseball, but with that small, hometown atmosphere that you associate with the good ‘ole days, Bull Durham, and the slower pace of rural living.

We recently treated our employees and spouses/dates to a Saturday night out at the State Mutual Stadium, home of the Rome Braves – the Class “A” Affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.We had great seats, “Club-Level,” right behind home plate and had an entire row to ourselves.Since we had purchased “club” tickets, we were also eligible for entrance into the restricted full-service restaurant, The Three Rivers Club, where we treated everyone to dinner before the game.

Once we entered the stadium and made our way to our seats, it was as if we were instantly transported to a different place and time.Everything outside of the stadium seemed to disappear as everyone got caught up in the spirit and excitement of the game – the sights, the sounds, and the energy of the crowd.We were cheering on the Rome Braves, singing along with the music, dancing in the aisles with Romey the mascot, who would lead everyone in some gyrations between innings, and finding ourselves featured on the big screen more than a few times throughout the night.

Romey the Mascot

Although major league baseball has received more than a few ‘black-eyes’ over the last several years, the game – the true game of baseball – is still America’s Pastime in the most nostalgic sense of the word.If you have the opportunity before summer’s end, catch a game – major league, minor league, or even recreational leagues – the feelings you experience from spending time in the stands with other fans will give your spirit a boost that will last long after the last pitch is thrown.

Batter up.Play ball!
# # #

Ms. Susan Reno-Gilliland is a former Chattanooga-area native, who has traveled extensively, and is now living and working in Georgia.She is a freelance writer, columnist, photographer, artist, interior designer, and owner of “A Southern Belle’s Life.”Ms. Reno-Gilliland has BAs in Fine Arts, Applied Arts-Journalism, and Interior Design, with minors in Psychology and Sociology. She has been a residential/commercial Designer since 1995. Due to her many relocations between ’95-‘02, she changed the focus of her design studio in 2002, and is strictly by appointment-only; working through referrals instead of actively marketing the studio's services, so she has more time to write, and volunteer within the community.

In addition to her varied creative works, Ms. Reno-Gilliland also offers decorating workshops to community and civic organizations.She is active in several community and charitable activities – most specifically breast cancer awareness and animal protection, rescue and adoption.She is a strong supporter of the Arts, is a published writer and columnist, is currently working on a new anthology book, and has been a featured speaker at public events and on several local/regional community television shows.Ms. Reno-Gilliland also works with Realtors to assist their clients in preparing homes for sale.She may be reached at her studio, A Southern Belle’s Life at: a [dot] southern [dot] belle [at] gmail [dot] com

“Darlin’, don’t ever take a Southern woman for granted!” Ô

North TX e-News http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_27696.shtml

The Chattanoogan http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_70655.asp