Archive for the ‘Mercenary Amelia Trace’ Category

The Waffle House Museum is Awesome

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Last weekend I ventured to the Waffle House Museum in Avondale estates in order to do some serious professional research/use that excuse to go somewhere neat one last time.

The museum is only open one Saturday per month (and by appointment), so it was important to jump on the opportunity. Undeniable bonus? It was their 55th anniversary. I even got a pin that said so (not pictured anywhere).

Inside they’ve replicated the original counter and put out some extremely low-quality plastic food. I love it.

Here’s where you can have your picture taken WITH FAKE BANGS to replicate an awesome photo, which you can see to the right. What a great idea! Maybe we’ll put a curly wig on some cardboard here to recognize my time with the organization.

Here’s our tour guide for the kitchen, aka a button with a speaker above. She was pretty good, though her question-answering was a tad lacking.

Next to the original restaurant, they have a museum area with memorabilia though the years. We also had a legit tour guide who kept saying amazing things like, “The guy who the chili is named after is my godfather — we eat at about 12 Waffle Houses every Christmas and he has to order the chili every time to ensure quality control.” What?!

The woman above began at Waffle House as a waitress something like 30 years ago, and is now in charge of like, Florida. Being the 55th anniversary and all, she was there to celebrate. She was super nice, and super excited to be there.

Did you know they made Waffle House watches and pocket knives? You do now!

The menus throughout the years. I could have spent so much more time there, if I had eaten beforehand.  Which I hadn’t.

Hey, there are the two founders behind a fake counter! How neat!

AND OH MY GOODNESS THERE IS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS! He walked by our group as we sat on a stoop, actively loitering while we waited for our comrades to arrive. Needless to say, we were star struck.

If you get a chance, definitely go to the Waffle House Museum. We ate at the active location down the street afterwards, and it all amounted to a super special and informative afternoon. Thanks for rallying the troops, Brooke!

Finally, this is my last blog post as an employee of the Wren’s Nest, which is making me really sad, truth be told. It’s been great fun to write here over the years, and I’m going to miss it a lot. Let’s just hope Lain is funny on his own.

Many thanks to all of you who have read this blog and supported the Wren’s Nest — it’s no small thing, and we appreciate more than can be expressed here.

I need to end this before I get irredeemably sappy.  Bye for now!

Amelia Is Leaving the Wren’s Nest for Dad’s Garage Theatre

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Amelia, our Program Director and my co-blogger, accepted the Development Director position at Dad’s Garage Theatre Company. She starts next week.

(Photo by Jason Travis for Purge ATL)

Dad’s Garage has about three times the operating budget of the Wren’s Nest. It’s also Atlanta’s most prestigious improv theatre. Case-in-point: their upcoming show, Boner-lympics. Later this month they are staging Two Gentleman of Lebowski, which we all should be excited about. Clearly, this is a phenomenal opportunity and a great fit.

Now don’t fret, y’all: Amelia is leaving the Wren’s Nest on stellar terms.

As you may recall, we brought her here three years ago because she was cheap and gullible. I’m lucky she stayed this long. Over the past three years she:

• Launched our KIPP Scribes program.
• Single-handedly ran the Wren’s Nest Publishing Company.
• Put the Wren’s Nest Ramblers to work smoothly and frequently.
• Orchestrated events like Wren’s Nest Fest.
• Performed innumerable administrative tasks such as (a) answering the phone on just one ring or (b) ensuring the Wren’s Nest Twitter feed is funny or (c) helping out that one time that kid puked in our air vent.

This just scratches the surface. It’s no wonder she was hired away.

Readers of this blog in particular will probably miss Amelia’s snide remarks, dirty jokes, and lists of Joel Chandler Harris’s nicknames. I will miss Amelia for her commitment to awesomeness, and I’d like to thank her for all that she’s given to the Wren’s Nest (thank you!).

Since I do not want to do her job, we’ve got to hire someone who is passionate, qualified, and generally fantastic. Do you know someone like that?

Here’s our job description in .pdf format. We’d like a new Program Director on November 1st, so time is of the essence. Resumes, cover letters and writing samples should go to jobs@wrensnestonline.com.

Amelia Is Now The Program Director at the Wren’s Nest

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Some of you may recall that co-blogger Amelia has been a part-time mercenary for almost a year now. Well no more!

I’ve put in some serious research recently, and I’ve concluded that what this house museum needs is not someone who kills for money. No, what we need is someone to carry out our educational and artistic programming.

Surprising, I know.

And while Amelia looks the part of a super-tough mercenary, turns out she’s actually pretty well-qualified too.

She’ll be in charge of all sorts of things, check it–

1. Storytelling
2. The Art Block (By the way, we now have 12 kids signed up!)
3. The Wren’s Nest Publishing Co.
4. Future endeavors with Brown Middle School
5. Any other crazy ideas we conjure up

She’ll also be blogging more often, now that she’ll be here every day. Phew!

All we have to do now is figure out how to pay for her. I suspect that she’d prefer payment in the form of “money,” but sometimes legal tender is hard to come by. Bright ideas welcome.

Amelia Crowned May Queen

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It was a tight race, but turns out we’re really, really biased. Your favorite Wren’s Nest blogger Amelia is the new May Queen Champion for 2008.

Better luck next year, everyone else.

Previously– May Queens from 1909 – 1983.

Mocha Mysteries

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Setting: Wren’s Nest Office

Players: Imani “Ice Cream Trunk” Harris (age 3), J. Lain Shakespeare (24), Mercenary Amelia Trace (24), Shorty Amanda (23)

(That’s Imani on the right, hanging out with Destiny at Wren’s Nest Fest. Imani insists on being called “Ice Cream Trunk.” Probably because she’s so sweet and confused.)

The Scene: Lain, MAT, and Shorty enter the Wren’s Nest to be greeted–at full sprint–by Imani, who is yelping and leaping, presumably with joy.

Shorty, meeting Imani for the first time, is taken aback. Though having heard the lore surrounding the legend that is “Ice Cream Trunk,” she is prepared to believe anything. Imani is in rare form.

The plot thickens when Imani’s enthusiasm not only refuses to wane, but also turns to rambling tales of ducks, cakes, and lost grandmamas with some dancing sprinkled in for good measure.

Lain, Shorty, and MAT’s mouths remain agape for the good part of 20 minutes. Where did this energy come from? How is she maintaining it? Why is everyone’s favorite three-year-old wearing lipstick?

But then, just as suddenly as our questions arose, they are answered.

On the windowsill, with the lipstick-marked straw: an empty cup of delicious iced coffee.

Jeri, one of our fine docents, had left it unattended, and Imani had stolen a sip or five, leaving evidence–her lipstick–all over the straw.

Imani denies any involvement with the coffee. But we know better.

Shorty is currently running Imani around in circles in the yard.

We expect Imani to fall into a gentle slumber sometime Tuesday.

Literacy is Delicious!

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One of the greatest perks of what I like to think of as the Wren’s Nest Revival are all the neat literary connections that are being made and reaffirmed around town.

Connecting with the local literary community is loads of fun, and promoting education and literacy is like, a good cause or something. Joel Chandler Harris would have approved heartily!

It’s also a great way for Lain and I to get free food. So now, in chronological order, The Last Week and a Half in Literary (and Free Food) Pursuits:

1. The Duck and Herring Co. Radio Hour Beach Party (Habanero Key Lime Cheesecake)

(Ever wonder what a podcast looks like?  Here’s Lain and Say, Sport in action.)

Not only did we hear short stories, sing songs about being broke at Atlantic Station, and officiate (well, Lain, anyways) a breath holding contest, but we sampled one of the highlights of the DHCo.’s Warm Weather Field Guide, the Habanero Key Lime Cheesecake. Let me tell you something, folks: you haven’t lived until you’ve felt your mouth actually taste confusion.

2. Roy Blount Jr. at the Margaret Mitchell House (Fruit and mini-sandwiches)

Roy Blount Jr. is a funny guy. If you have the chance to see him do, well, anything, I suggest it. After reading from his new book, Mr. Blount fielded questions from the audience, most of which focused on his move to the cold, cold North. In fact, the amount of interest in the differences between living in the North and South led Lain and I to believe that the next Wren’s Nest fundraiser could simply be us sitting somewhere and talking about where we’ve lived. Any takers?

3. Wordsmith’s Grand Opening Weekend Extravaganza (Pastries and Coffee from Pastries A Go Go)

Wordsmith’s is a brand-spanking-new bookstore in Decatur that is, to use to words of their articulate emcee, “awesomerest”. Great atmosphere, neat book selection, and a full table of delicious treats. What more could a (practically fainting with excitement) MAT ask for?

Wren’s Nest Fest = Booyah-Worthy Success!

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Well folks, looks like it’s time for my very first Wren’s Nest blog post.

WNIC has left some gargantuan shoes to fill, but with the official Wren’s Nest Intern Changing of the Guard Leapfrog ceremony behind us…

I feel confident that the great times are only just beginning.

Speaking of great times, Wren’s Nest Fest 2007 was a success! I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it was the greatest pony riding–bunny petting–moonbounce jumping–popcorn munching–storyteller listening–cupcake decorating–face painting– hotdog eating–hula hooping event the West End has ever seen.

Despite a gentle sprinkle every few hours, the weather held up nicely. A great time was had by attendees of all ages, save for a few wee babes who were clearly overstimulated by the awesomeness surrounding them. They’ll come around in due time, I’m sure.

We also had some fantastic volunteers, all clad in the lovely Br’er Rabbit/Sofia Coppola/Wes Anderson- inspired t-shirts, who especially made our day (and scores of hot dogs) possible.

Y’all have been awfully patient, so I’m just going to let the pictures do the talking and shut up already. Enjoy! (more…)

Say, Sport Interviews Shakespeare

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The other day I was interviewed by the editors at Say, Sport regarding my super-human breath-holding skills.

While our interview isn’t completely related to Wren’s Nest business, discussed topics include the breathing habits and bathing suits of Joel Chandler Harris. You might be curious, that’s all.

Read the full interview here.

Finally, check out this very blog tomorrow throughout the day. Wren’s Nest Intern Carson and Mercenary Amelia Trace will be posting pictorial updates of the greatest Wren’s Nest Fest ever!

Wren’s Nest Fest: Carson’s Last Day

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Here’s another reason to come to Wren’s Nest Fest:

It’s Carson’s last hurrah! Yes folks, after Wren’s Nest Fest, Wren’s Nest Intern Carson is off to sunny California for training before she leads high school students around the mountains and lakes of Peru.

And she doesn’t even speak Spanish!

You’ve got today, tomorrow, and Friday to catch her before she leaves.

So…what are we going to do?

Replace her, that’s what!

You got a sneak peak last post, but let me formally introduce you to the next Wren’s Nest Intern: Mercenary Amelia Trace!

While I cannot promise that MAT will be as good of an intern as WNIC, I can promise you that her hair is curlier, which is a plus.

(Here they are loungin’ under our well trellis.  You’d never know that they are mortal enemies.)

Feel free to welcome her–amelia (at) wrensnestonline.com.