Sweetwater and Sterling

This evening, I had Hummer White Pale Ale of Swetwater Brewing of Atlanta. Then, 2004 Vintner's Collection Cabernet Sauvignon of Sterling Vineyards in Sonoma, California, one of the best known wineries in Napa and Sonoma area. I usually buy $10 or below wines at Publix. But today is the day of our company's fiscal year end. So I bought more than $10 wine today. There was no party at our office, so I had those at my apartment alone.

We had a very hard time in this fiscal year. So this is not a cerebration. I just cannot help to drink everyday. Yes, I am a mild alcoholic.

Georgia Tunes

Atlanta Journal Constitution had a list of Georgia connected songs, "Georgia Tunes" a few days ago.

1. Georgia On My Mind/Ray Charles
2. Midnight Train to Georgia/Gladys Night & the Pips
3. Rainy Night in Georgia/Brook Benton
4. Oh Atlanta/Alison Krauss
5. ATLiens/OutKast
6. Love Shack/B-52s
7. Statesboro Blues/Allman Brothers Band
8. The Devil Went Down to Gerogia/The Charlie Daniels Band
9. Georgia/Field Mob with Ludacris
10. Georgia Rain/Trisha Yearwood
11. Why Georgia/John Mayer
12. Welcome to Atlanta/Jermaine Dupri with Ludacris
13. Doraville/Atlanta Rhythm Section
14. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia/Vicki Lawrence
15. Chattahoochee/Alan Jackson
16. ATL/featuring Monica, Ciara, 112, Jagged Edge, Trionne "T-Boz" Watkins of TLC, Sammie, Eric "Ricky" MacKinnie of the Blind Boys of Alabama and Jazze Pha

I know No.1 and No.7 only. I want to know all these songs during my stay in Atlanta, Georgia.

She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina /Buffy Sainte-Marie

She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina /Buffy Sainte-Marie was released in 1971, produced by Jack Nizsche and herself. Liner says, "Thanks to Ry Cooder, Russ Titleman, Jesse Davis, Crazy Horse, Danny Whitten, Ralph Morina, Billy Talbot, Neil Young", etc. I found this album at Neil Young's official archives. Buffy Sainte-Marie, born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941, is an Academy Award-winning Canadian First Nations musician, composer, visual artist, educator and social activist. I can't find each song's credit, but Neil Young & Crazy Horse joined the recording, I believe. She sings Young's "Helpless", Gerry Goffin/Carol King's "Smack Water Jack". We can hear early 70' sound here.

Sugar Creek Golf & Tennis

I played at Sugar Creek Gold & Tennis this morning. This is a rare course in Atlanta which is very flat and walkable. I like this course. When I arrived at the course just around sun rise, pro-shop was still closed and a few players teed off without check-in. I didn't understand what's going on out here. So I joined two sum on the electric cart and teed off at around 8:10am, but someone of the course stopped us. Anyway after check-in, we started again at 8:30am. My new driver, Callaway FT-5 worked today too. 44-41 from white tees, 5944 yards.

We had huge amount of pine pollen today. My glasses, front and rear glass of my car were yellow, covered by pine pollen after the round. I had an allergy to pollens only in 1997 or 1998 in Japan, but I'm afraid of it again here in Atlanta.

St Marlo Golf Club

Yesterday I went to buy FT-5 of Callaway to Golf Smith in the morning. I don't believe my score will not change if I change driver, but this is a kind of feeling. Tee time was 2:40pm at St Marlo Golf Club in Duluth. Play fee is $83.13 before tax, wow! I played with Mr.S who Mr.H in San Francisco introduced me and Mr.K who I met in SNS.

From Blue tees, 6405 yards I made 44 in front nine. We skipped 10th hole because there was a family with 2 kids. Maybe 45 or 46 at back nine if I made par or boggey at 10th. So estimated score yesterday was 89-90. That's not bad for me considering recent scores.

This is one of best golf courses in Atlanta, I believe. Fee is a little bit expensive but in a week or so, people say it may become very beautiful like Augusta National.

Live at Massey Hall /Neil Young

Live at Massey Hall (CD/DVD) [LIVE]/Neil Young is a live recording at Massy Hall in Tront, Canada on January 19, 1971. Young said "This is the album that should have come out between After The Gold Rush and Harvest. David Briggs, my producer, was adamant that this should be the record, but I was very excited about the takes we got on Harvest and wanted Harvest out. David disagreed. As I listened to this today, I can see why. Love you, David.". After 36 years sleep, finally this came out. This is the only one official album which Young performed accoustic only.

In 1970, Young had a hernia of intervertebral disk, so he could not play electric guitar. But he started U.S. tour at around the end of the year. He played at Carnegie Hall in December. Stationed in Nashville, he was recording Harvest, but due to his hernia, he had to wait for electric sets until next year. In January he continued to record Harvest in Nashville. After Massy Hall, he played at Chandler Pavilion at Los Angeles Music Center. Up to then, only rock musician who played there was Laura Nyro (I don't know we can call her a rock musician).

Anyway, Massy Hall is one of the best lives of Neil Young. His No.1 hit, Heart of Gold, on the album, Harvest, with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor on back vocal, was played on this live as a suite with A Man Needs A Maid, with Young's piano.

DVD is good, but it lost color.

Red Brick Peachtree Pale Ale

It was more than 80 degrees today. I needed air heating last weekend but it seems spring has past very quickly and summer is around the corner. Cherry is in full bloom now.

I had two bottles of Red Brick Peachtree Pale Ale this evening. Atlanta Brewing Company (ABC) was founded in 1993, and until September of 2006, ABC beers could only be found in the metro Atlanta area. Now they’ve expanded into Alabama, Tennessee and Florida and will be in the Carolinas early in 2007. I have a US made steel mag, next to the bottle in the picture, which requires a bottle of ale before first use. It means I had to keep the mag with ale overnight, and I gave up an ale next morning, then I can use the mag. It needs aging with ale.

Van Morrison at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta

Van Morrison at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta
Date: 04/28/07
Venue: Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Event URL:
http://www.chastainseries.com

I received an email from 97.1FM The River, saying there would be a Van Morison's live at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta on April 28. But I found all tickets are sold out. It seems no ticket available at Ticketmaster.com and no announce at Van Morrison's official site yet. It is a pre-sale for Series A & Mini-Series Tickets only. So I may have to wait for a while.

Silver Lakes-Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama

I finally decided to go to Silver Lakes of Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. I will move to Los Angeles from Atlanta soon. After that it's very difficult to come to Alabama.

Silver Lake is the nearest course from Georgia. It takes 2 hours, 125 miles. 10 courses in Alabama were designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in late 1980.

I woke up at 5am, left Atlanta for Alabama before 6am and arrived at 8am, I believed. But Alabama is 1 hour behind from Eastern Time, so it was still 7am. Anyway, I could teed off for the first player of the day, from Heartbreaker Course, then Backbreaker Course. It has only about 6000 yard from white tee, but very tough, with hilly fairways and elevated greens. I finished 18 holes in just 2 and half hours. Wow! I teed off at 1st tee of Backbreaker Course at 10am. No player in front of me. Oh, my goodness. I own these courses today.

I finished 27 holes at 11:15am. After I had a hot dog, I left the course. Golfers must stay overnight and play several courses. But I believe it's well worth to come to the trail, even if it takes 2 hours drive. I need come back again in future to play all courses of legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Pics are Clubhouse, 9th hole of Heartbreaker Course, Score Card.

Trophy Club of Atlanta

I went to play golf at Trophy Club of Atlanta today. Teeing time was 10:58am from blue tee, 6001 yards. The course was nominated as Golf Digest's "Best New Public Course" when opened in 1992, designed by DJ DeVIctor and ABC-TV Golf Analyst Steve Melnyk, managed by American Golf. I believe course condition is one of the best in Metro Atlanta area. I played with Mr. and Mrs. K, whom I met through SNS and an Italian high school student, whose father is an executive of an Italian company. He said "I play everyday after school. My father's handicap is 0 and my handicap is 5". Oh, my goodness.

Blue tees has only 6001 yards, but with narrow and hilly fairways. I didn't keep my scores but it was around 100. Italian boy, started to play golf only 3 years ago, made 39-41. I have been playing golf for almost 20 years. Oh, my goodness.

Photos are Bethany Bent (a street name) in Alpharetta, one of the holes, Clubhouse.

Beringer Third Century 2004 Carbenet Sauvignon

I usually buy $10 or below California wine in Publix, but I put a lot of effort this evening to $11.99 Beringer Third Century 2004 Carbenet Sauvignon. It might be above $20 in a restaurant. This is cabernet but taste is very sharp, I like it. Beringer is one of the best known weineries in Napa, California. It was founded in 1876, so they named it "3rd Century".

It rained this morning in Atlanta and it stopped around noon, but it became cooler. I turned on the air conditioner in my apartment.

Tommorrow, I can show you a golf course, Trophy Club of Atlanta.

LA GRANGE / TUSH - ZZ TOP Live 2005

Firehills is a reratively new fan of ZZ Top, likes "La Grange". This is a rare video recorded by an audience.

Neil Young:Under Review 1966-1975

I finished to watch "Neil Young:Under Review 1966-1975". This DVD was issued in February 2007. It includes reviews, comments, criticism and insights from John Einarson (Young's biography author), Robert Christgau (Village Voice), Barney Hoskins (author, critic), Nigel Williamson (Uncut), Dave Zimmer (ex-editor of BAM magazine), Bruce Tergesen (house engineer on Mr. Soul), Johnny Rogan (CSNY biographer) and a few Young's live. It's a kind of must item for fans but I may not watch any more. Many live videos are taken from Neil Young - BBC Concert 1971. I found it in Google Video recently.

The Golf Club at Bradshaw Farm Again

At 2:00am this morning DST(Daylight Saving Time) started. I left my apartment before 8am and arrived The Golf Club at Bradshaw Farm. I played White and Blue course before, so I wanted to play Red course today, but it was closed. I teed off from Gold tees, Blue course, with 3 Americans at 8:15am. I read an article in Golf Magazine, which showed "How to fix back swing killers" to avoid thin shots. I got something from this article. My shots improved today, but I didn't record my score.

Pics are Sign of "Woodstock Street", which is not a "Woodstock" which all music fans know, street of Woodstock which is an approach to the golf course, club house of Bradshaw Farm, which seems like a luxurious house.

Dylan Hears A Who!

I didn't know Dr.Seuss. I didn't know Bob Dylan recorded Dr.Seuss's lyrics. But here it is. Dylan Hears A Who!. I don't know how's their copyrights, but this record is a surprise. Of course this is not a official album of Dylan, not a real Dylan (Are you sure?). But sound and Dylan is like in mid 60s. Wow! What is this?

Chataeu Elan GC Woodlands Course Again

I arrived Chataeu Elan Golf Club Woodlands Course at 8am this morning. I played here last week. Usually I play different courses every weekend. But my score last week was more than 100 on this course, so I came here again. I teed off alone from green tees at 8:28am and finished 18 holes at around 11am, only 2 and half hours. I think this is my record. My score? I don't remember. Actually I didn't score today. But maybe same as last round. Anyway this is very tough course which requires very accurate shots at every hole. Today's play fee was only $34.78 because of green aeration.

Van Morrison At The Movies-Soundtrack Hits

I'm listening to Van Morrison At The Movies-Soundtrack Hits. I ordered to Amazon.com during my stay in Las Vegas. My favorite in this album, which is actually my favorite of all of Van Morrison's songs, is "Wonderful Remark". This song was for ending theme of Martin Scorsese's "King of Comedy" in 1983. Music of this film was directed and performed by Robbie Robertson of The Band. I have been looking for the soundtrack but I couldn't. It was released by LP in 1983 by Warner but not on CD. "Wonderful Remark" is in his album "Philosopher's Stone", but this is 8 minutes long version. So "Wonderful Remark" on this new album is original used in the film. We can hear Robbie Robertson's guitar play. I'm very sure. This new album is a kind of best album. Van Morrison is great!, because soundtracks only can make his best album.

Chateau Elan Golf Club Woodlands Course

I played at Chataeu Elan Golf Club, Chateau Course with my friends from New York and in Atlanta today. From green tee, 6335 yards. My shots were worse than yesterday but this course was very tough with undulated fairways and greens, almost impossible to make 1 putt from 4 feet. I don't want to disclose my score but it was 59-47 with 36 putts. I'm sure to come back again to this course to revenge.

Above pis is #2, Par3, 189 Yards, Woodlands Course.

Bear's Best Atlanta

One of my golf pals in New York came to Atlanta. Of course to play golf. I picked him up at airport and went to Bear's Best Atlanta. Teed up at 12:50pm, blue tee, 6447 yards. I made some mistakes at approach shots and bunker shots, but scored 47-46(34 putts). Not so bad for me on this tough course. We went to Yama Sushi on Roswell Rd. for dinner. We will try Chateau Elan GC Woodlands Course tomorrow.

Pic is #5 346 yards par 4(blue tee), same as #5 The Golf Club of Purchase, NY

firehills's now back to Atlanta

I left Las Vegas for Atlanta by Delta this morning and arrived my apartment at 6pm ET. It was a 17-days business trip, which was the longest for these 4 months. Oh, my sweet home!

It was my first trip to Las Vegas, but I don't like it because it is too busy, too many people. A few days stay could be better for casinos or shopping. I stayed 8 nights for business. I was too busy during the day, and after drinking at dinner, I didn't want to play at casinos. But this city is good place for my business, so I will come back here again and again.