Giants Game

Returning Customer

Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote about the declining service at the restaurant Tai which is located on Kingston Pike in Bearden, just west of Northshore. While the quality of their sushi had always been some of the best in the area, the slow service (or no service in one case) put an end to my dining there. Fast forward to last Saturday. It might have been the frustration over the fact that the new Nama location in Bearden closes between lunch and dinner at 2:30 PM. Or it could have been knowing that the craving for sushi my wife and I had would not be satisfied by any of the other sushi places in town. Regardless of the reason, there was no doubt I surprised my wife when I actually suggested trying Tai once again.

Fantastic! The food was still as good as I remembered, but the service was top notch. Special thanks to our hostess/server Stacey. Tai is really two restaurants in one. They have the large dining area that is similiar to PF Chang's which connects to a small swank sushi bar. The dining area had always served as the space that remained open, with the sushi bar opening mostly at nights. By a stroke of sheer genius, they now have the sushi bar open during the day on Saturday as their only dining area. There are probably less than 15 tables so it is nearly impossible to go unnoticed and unattended to. You still have the option to order from their asian menu as well as an extensive offering of sushi. While the sushi bar may not seem ideal for people with young kids (it is a little dark and feels like a night club), the new setup could not have made Mrs. TN Newbie and me any happier.

Will I go back? You will have to Tai me up not to!

p.s. I believe they will be offering the same great food (and hopefully service) at a new location in Turkey Creek under the name the Soho Cafe....according to Stacey.

RIP Knoxville Yankee

"So bye-bye, Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry." - Don McLean

Okay, maybe that is a little much. A blogger shutting down his site may not be as heartbreaking as the death of some musical icons during the late 50's, but it was still very sad when I read about the Knoxville Yankee hanging up his keyboard and mouse. To quote his quote of Blaise Pascal's, "No soul of high estate can take pleasure in slander. It betrays a weakness."

There is no doubt over the life of my blog, I have wondered if being so negative has gotten the better of me. I think just like the KY, I initially intended for my site to be more informative than judgemental. Lighthearted and not bitter. My ability to make the best of a difficult situation (living in Knoxville) has proven more challenging than I could have ever imagined. Of course I did say difficult and not bad. Knoxville is not a bad place, there are some great things about it that Mrs. TN Newbie and I truly enjoy. For someone use to living in a less rural area though, it just falls short of ever feeling like home.

So while I am sad to see the Knoxville Yankee call it quits, I say thanks. I found my way to some great restaurants based on his recommendations. Even more, I learned that other metropolitan transplants felt just as lost as I did in East Tennessee. So goodbye Knoxville Yankee.

"Shine on you crazy diamond." Pink Floyd

There is no joy in Mudville

One of the first things I did when my wife and I moved to Knoxville was to order the MLB package on Charter, the only cable provider that we can get in our area. We moved here in July and spent the rest of the summer watching our beloved Cubbies just miss the wildcard, while also keeping that cord connected just a little bit longer to the city we had just left. Last season was disappointing. Not because the Cubs lost in the first round of the playoffs, but because Charter failed to secure the rights with MLB in order to carry the package. All was not lost though as they at least offered a discount to those buying the MLB video feed available on the Internet. With no squabbles between MLB and the cable providers heading into this season, I anxiously awaited for the regular season to start. But like the mighty Casey's last swing, once against Charter has struckout.

While customer service said they carry it in almost all markets that do not have a pro baseball team, Knoxville was not one of them. Sure, I could pay the $120 to watch the season on the internet, but even with a monitor the picture is not great and is not as convenient as having it on TV. Is it the worst thing in the world that I cannot watch games? Of course not. What bothers me is what is becoming a common theme with me and Knoxville lately. We live in a small market and as a result do not receive all the benefits/selections that consumers do in larger markets. While watching the NCAA basketball tourney, the network was constantly showing commericals for Dave and Busters and Joe's Crab Shack. The closest of either of these are both 2 hours away. Nielsen (the TV ratings people) have Knoxville listed as the 58 largest market right between Little Rock (AR) and Richmond (Va). It never occured to me how living in a small market would be such a difficult change for me, but it has been. I cannot help but feel that I am always missing out on something that a larger city would have.

It is possible that this is the year the mighty Casey sends the Mudville faithful home happy. Unfortunately, I won't get to see it on TV.

Proactive Man

Since moving here I have expressed my concern on all sorts of topics while my wife pretended to listen and agree, or at least listen. Of course, the majority of my rants lost momentum the minute she suggested I do something to resolve the problem. "Get active" she would always say, or at least that is what it sounded like. When I get on one of my rolls, I tend to lose the hearing in both of my ears. Finally though I am proud to announce, I am taking my first steps to being proactive.

The subdivision that we live in has an association that deals with many different aspects of the neighborhood. I have no gripes with the performance of the association, other than I wish they could do more. My call to action came in the form of an email circulated to create a committee to help investigate neighborhood security. This would include surveillance measures at the entrances, pool surveillance, neighborhood security, child safety while playing outside and observation of the speed limit. I am not sure the association knows what they are getting into by allowing me to join the task force. Ideas about the speed limit issues are already running through my head, quicker than...well...quicker than people drive through the neighborhood. I am picturing drawbridges and moats, but I may be getting ahead of myself. Regardless, it is just nice to actually be doing something to help. I also figure I will now give someone else in the neighborhood something to complain about...while doing nothing about it.

Thankful in Knoxville

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, thought it seemed appropriate to list those things that I am thankful for here in Knoxville.

1. My wife loves her job, which is why we moved here. Makes living here a lot easier when you know your wife is this happy.

2. Our neighbors and neighborhood. Have met some great people where we live. Also seems like everyone on our street has at least one dog. Being dog people ourselves, makes for a very nice area for us to call home.

3. No snow storms. I know Knoxville gets snow, but I have not shoveled in the last 3 years. The snow we have seen can be cleared with a broom...or by waiting until noon at which point it will melt.

4. You can live like a king. I know this will get some snickers, but after living in a high priced city for many years, to move to a place with a low cost of living, you really feel like you can live large. And this is not just being able to afford a larger home. We can also give to more organizations/charities that we could before.

5. Believe it or not, living in Knoxville has been a great life experience. How often do people really move outside of their comfort zones? I have never been the kind of person who would just pick up and move my life to somewhere so unknown and different to me. While I might not always acknowledge this, this experience will help me in the years ahead.

If you're angry and you know it, honk your horn...

I can no longer keep silent. When I first moved here I learned that people do not use their car horns to honk when angry at people. Honking is a way to say hello to people...not what the hell where you thinking with that move?! I have tried hard to take the "when in Rome" approach. After 2+ years here I say enough. The police in the area offer no deterrent for poor driving. Honking is the only course of action I can take that I think might have a chance to correct someones inability to drive like a half intelligent person. I have seen people on Kingston Pike slam on their breaks in the right turn lane at a light and then hold up all lanes of traffic as they slowly maneuver their way to a left turn lane. At the very least, these people deserve a long earful of horn. The majority of the people in this area are terrbile drivers. And I now intend to let them know it, one honk at a time.