Why haven't I posted lately?

I know all... uh, both of you that keep up with my blog may have wondered why I haven't written lately. No? Oh, okay, uh... well, the reason is because I've been working on my OTHER website, and I'm putting it up today. It's still a little rough, but you can go over to ChadHunterDesign.com and take a look at what I've been doing work-wise. It's my online portfolio, and there's also access to my resume as a downloadable PDF. It's not a real flashy site, but it's more about the work.

So take a look and let me know what you think, okay?

Got my stocking!

And it fits (kinda)! What? I'm not supposed to wear it? Okay, well, the Disney theme fits anyways.

My mom-in-law hand-stitched this Christmas stocking for me. If you don't know about this, it's kind of a big deal! All the kids in the family have one, and I finally got mine! Hooray! And its big! Big enough for a Planet Earth Blu-Ray box set I think (cough... hint, hint... cough. Just kidding. Sorta).

Thanks, Darlene! :)

Photo of the Day

Look who I found at Target? :)

Photo of the Day

Blueberries for sale at Farmer's Market, Nashville.

Gelato Combo of the Day: Orange & Green

Whole Foods gelato combo: 1/2 orange fig + 1/2 green tea

Verdict? Kinda tastes like an citrusy chai treat. 6 out of 10. The orange fig is really great on it's own... reminds me and Jen of an Orange Julius! Highly recommended.

Photo (and Video) of the Day

My bro-in-law Jerry Delira was interviewed by the local news about the release of the new iPhone. They screwed up and started referring to him as "Adam Smith". Whoops!

Here's the clip:
iPhone 3G launch

(just kidding, Adam) :)

Photo of the Day

3-hour line for iPhone 3G at Green Hills mall Saturday AM!

My Favorite Places in Nashville : Xoconochco

(Well, technically, it's in Franklin, not in Nashville)

This is the first of many blogs where I tell you about the places in and around Nashville that Me and Jen have grown to love since we met.

Jen and I discovered this special place while we were dating. It was our little secret for awhile, but we couldn't keep it a secret for too long. Xoconochco (pronounced sho-ko-noch-ko) is a chocolateria in the heart of Franklin. Okay, I don't know if the word "chocolateria" is a real word, but I'm running with it. The owner, Julie, makes some of the most delicious gourmet chocolates I've ever tasted. Not that I'm a foodie or anything, but if you're the least bit adventurous, it's a wonderful place to have dessert after a fine meal. It's the kind of gourmet experience that makes going into a Godiva afterwards seem pedestrian.

They have a wide assortment of truffles and chocolates. My favorites are as follows:

• Basil Peanut Butter Truffle - unique in flavor, texture and execution, every bite is to be savored.
• Vanilla Caramel Apple - the combination of flavors is both new and familiar at the same time. Wonderful.
• The "Opus" - don't know what a "walnut gonache" is, but that must mean "really good." And it has real gold leaf on top!
• The "Chai" - white chocolate with green tea and chai spices. Very unique.
• The European Hot Chocolate - pretty much molten chocolate in a cup, with various flavored whipped toppings. Amazing!

It's not inexpensive... each piece of candy can cost $2-3, but you pay for the artistry and craft that goes into each one of these hand-painted treasures. Jen and I have yet to try the fondue, but I think that it's only a matter of time. If you're in Nashville, its' worth the trip to Franklin!

Here's the link to the store's website:
Xoconochco website








View Larger Map

Photo of the Day

Although not technically a "photo", Greta always designs the BEST birthday cards. This is the one she made for me!

Say it with me now (just like Wall•E): "Oooooooooooh! Aaaaaaaaaaah!"

Favorite New Truffle at Xoconochco

Although, it doesn't surpass my favorite (Basil Peanut Butter Truffle), the Vanilla Caramel Apple truffle was pretty amazing. Probably my second or third favorite there. I'll have to try it again to be certain...

Photo of the Day

It may have been my birthday lunch, but we all knew who the star of the show was! Isn't my neice Jolie cute?

Moldova Missions (and now for something actually important)

One of my friends, Bill Woehler, left yesterday for a missions trip to Moldova, a small country in Eastern Europe (see the following links to learn more about the country:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldova

www.bcfs.net/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=249&srcid=237

This is a letter that Bill sent out yesterday and I wanted to pass it along to you to tell you about his missions opportunity.

"July 4, 2008

Dear Friends;

Thank you so much for partnering with me for the Moldova 2008 trip. Your love, prayers, and support for Charlotte and me have been overwhelming this year.

This year the construction team will be working on two houses that belong to families that have been working with the mission teams for several years. Victor and Sacha will be converting their homes to provide transitional living quarters and workspace for life skills instruction for the young women that come out of the orphanage this summer.

I would ask your prayers for God to go before us, to prepare the people we will be working with, that materials would be available and all the little construction glitches are few. Pray for Charlotte, as she stays behind, not fully recovered from her injuries this spring. Jason will be at home with her, but she is naturally concerned about coping alone.

I will send updates when I have Internet access. Thank you again for your generous gift to help make this trip possible.

In Christ;

Bill "

Please pray for him as he travels, as well as for his wife, Charlotte, who has been struggling with some serious medical problems after a serious fall earlier this year.

Half-hearted boycott over (mostly). Now just disinterested.

An electrical outlet. At Fido's, my former favorite coffee shop in Nashville's Hillsboro Village. And I'm here, typing. Not something I thought I would do anytime soon, but I'm here. And I'm not sure it matters anymore.

Why should it matter? Well, I'm not convinced it DOES matter on any real level, but I'm actually working from Fido's for the first time in a couple of years. Fido's was a huge part of the reason that, when I moved back to Nashville 5 years ago, I wanted to be near Hillsboro Village. This place was my refuge for many years in the late '90's after "The Owl's Nest" coffee shop closed up in Nashboro Village (anyone else remember that?). Still living with my family, I needed to get away and Fido's was the place. Always great music, good coffee and you can't beat the people watching. I moved away for a few years (never found anything close to it in the sea of chain eateries in Orlando), then came back and Fido's had changed. It was now POPULAR and was trying desperately to move from it's "hole-in-the-wall" coffee shop feel to a "cafe" of some sorts. They started handing out buzzers to let you know when your coffee was ready instead of shouting your order out. All the staff started wearing black with Fido patches sewn to the front. Progress? No, not really. Just trying to appease the hip, trendy crowd that had invaded. I'd still go there to work and drink, but the changes seemed a little TTH (that's "trying too hard"). The nail in the coffin of my frequenting Fidos is when they went and removed the electrical outlets from around the perimeter of the restaurant. This was a sign that they were trying to push the coffee-shop crowd out, in my opinion. No more laptop-toting people! Only women copying Paris Hilton with tiny dogs in purses and guys with their emo haircuts. (Sigh... do I sound like a grumpy old man? Sorry, it just looks like a casting-call for "The Hills" in here right now). So I started boycotting Fidos. Well, not really boycotting, but the love was gone and it was time to move on.

I've been frequenting Bongo Java, Fido's sister coffee shop that has a great front porch and a much more laid back attitude. Been going there for a couple of years now. Last week, Jen and I popped into Fido to get something while we were on a stroll and I saw that they had installed new outlets in a select few areas. I thought "heh... well, I'll give it a try again". And so I did. The people-watching has been interesting today (seen a few folks that I'll just describe as "stereotypes on parade", and of course some poodles-in-purses long after Paris has become passe). But the atmosphere is different. It really does seem like the kind of place you come in, eat, and leave and you don't care to linger awhile. No deciding to go back for seconds because you're so comfortable you don't want to pack up your belongings and leave. I could go on for another few paragraphs about how the changes at places like Fido's is a microcosm of the changes I've observed in Nashville since returning, but that's for another time. I gave the ol' pooch another try and they dropped the ball so, I'm gonna give up on Fido as a coffee-shop refuge (maybe it gave up on me?). I'll still frequent the place, but not often. I just hope that as Nashville grows and becomes a more sophisticated metropolis, we don't feel the need to change too many of the things that brought us here (or brought us back) in the first place. I can't boycott a whole city, after all.