Tut, tut.

We went to the King Tut exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center. Wonderful experience! Every single staffperson, from the ticket desk to the guards, was pleasant, professional, and helpful. We splurged on the Golden Tickets - tour, audio spiel (Hi, Harrison Ford!), and 3-D movie - and were very glad we did. I chuckled a bit as the exhibit dumped us, Disney-style, into an Egyptian shop (next door to the Cairo Cafe), and agreed with A and AG that an ankh would be the perfect souvenir of the visit.

We'd originally planned to use Marta to avoid traffic, but when I learned that the Civic Center Station isn't actually near the Civic Center, I decided that walking six blocks in 20-degree weather wasn't a great idea after all. So we drove.

Which lead to the after-experience of the exhibit. Downtown Atlanta traffic.

Sigh.

I was cut off mid-intersection at North Drive and Spring Street, so I made a quick right and headed toward Northside Drive. That proved to be providential. A hop onto I-75, a quick merge onto the perimeter, and we were home just 20 minutes later.

Astonishing. And not likely to be duplicated ever again.

Let me in!

For all the years we've lived in Dunwoody, one local habit continues to drive me . . . happy. Mt. Vernon Road traffic is relentless, from 7 to after 9 in the morning and from 430 to well after 7 in the evening. One car follows another, without break or gap, flowing south towards the Perimeter area, I285, and Atlanta in the morning, then north towards Gwinnett County in the evening. Not only are Dunwoody townies heading to and from work, we're a cut-through for our neighbors to the north.

So leaving the neighborhood requires some planning and adjustment to the tide. During our house search, we decided we had to have a stoplight exit from our street to work with the traffic. Our experience in Greensboro, North Carolina had been that no one stops to let you in. Whether in the rural county or the heart of the city, drivers would step on the gas pedal to close a gap rather than let another car get in front of them or enter from a side street. And if you dared slowed down to let someone in, the drivers behind would lean on their horns and make unpleasant gestures at your audacity.

Not so in Dunwoody. Here, letting someone in is EXPECTED.

If I leave the neighborhood via Vernon Ridge and want to turn right into the tide, someone will slow down, flash their lights, and let me in. If I'm merging where Mt. Vernon Road narrows from five lanes to two just past the village, no problem. One car after another joins the flow as drivers make room. When I leave Dunwoody Nature Center with a left on Roberts Drive, even during Austin Elementary carpool time someone will stop, make a gap, and let me through.

There are exceptions. Every now and then someone will press on that gas pedal and close the gap. I always remind myself that it IS the exception, rather than the rule.

I love Dunwoody.

Knitting with your slip hanging out

Having my first pattern linked with Knitting Pattern Central is feeling a bit like walking around with my slip hanging out (I'm dating myself). I'm thrilled, excited, breathless. But I'm also anxious that I wrote the pattern accurately and clearly. Here's hoping! The Felted Tote is making its rounds. So now I have to just sit back and wait . . .

The staff at the Nature Center headed to the World Peace Cafe in Sandy Springs for a Christmas luncheon. Delish, to quote Rachel Ray. Our gathering was small, but our enjoyment was immense. Mushroom strogonoff, carrot ginger soup, mozzarella/basil/tomato sandwiches, and homemade pimento cheese sandwiches. Yum! We shared sweets we'd each made for taking home.

World Peace Cafe is a fascinating place. The wait staff was all volunteers! This was my first time, and I really love the ambiance and philosophy behind the food. This Buddhist restaurant has homes throughout the world, specializing in locally grown, organic food. I highly recommend it to Sandy Springs and Dunwoody readers . . . it's worth a trip for you ITP knitters as well.

(ITP: Inside the perimeter. OTP: Outside the perimeter. In the traffic horror that is Atlanta, there is a definite demarcation between inside I-285 and outside I-285 dwellers. There are those who SWEAR they will NEVER cross that line, no matter what. I happily hop across with careless abandon, but only between the hours of 10 and 3. Those of you who live here know what I mean.)