A Real Saturday?

Due to the obvious nature of our jobs and lives, we rarely get to spend the weekends like "normal" people do. Usually we have to cram our grill outs, celebrations, dinner parties and outings into Monday evenings. This past Saturday, however, all stars must have lined up to our favor, because we got to spend an awesome (whole) day with our friends Kerrie and Eric out in the big city of Atlanta. 

We got up early - funny how getting up early to do something fun does not even compare to getting up early to go to work - and we headed to Your Dekalb Farmers Market (it's not "the", it is "your"). That was a mini paradise for Norm and Eric, although Kerrie and I enjoyed it too - I did not enjoy the part where they had the live fish and lobsters...

We followed that by an awesome lunch - best one in a while - at The Vortex:

Lunch involved Atlanta's Original Nacho Tots:

It also involved lots of laughter and exploring new beers. We discovered Innis & Gun - Oak Aged Beer...  

It also involved (we were there for a little bit) massive burgers all around. This was Norm's burger, also known as "Hell Burger" of course it involved habanero relish, pepper jack cheese, roasted jalapeno peppers:

Due to the pictures and details described above, we were beyond full, so a walk through Piedmont Park hit the spot.

We came across a group of people who were doing some sort of Brazilian martial arts. It was quite amazing.

From there (I think this day must have had at least 30 hours in it instead of 24) we went to:

Have you ever been part of a conversation, or witnessed a conversation, where one party has been to IKEA and the other party has not? Usually they go like this:

Person who has previously visited IKEA: I got this (insert whatever household item here: plate, vase, bed, comforter, cutting board, desk, lamp, shower curtain) at IKEA.
Person who has not previously visited IKEA: I've never been there
Person who has previously visited IKEA: WHAT?!?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO IKEA????? YOU ARE MISSING OUT. BIG TIME.
Person who has not previously visited IKEA: ........................................... (in their head they are thinking: I don't get what's the big deal).

Well, if you haven't been to IKEA, you are missing out. Big time. This was Norm's and my first trip to IKEA. I can only describe it in one word: overwhelming. The store is a world contained by the four exterior walls. You can buy food there (they have a cafeteria and just in case you really love their food, like my brother Pablo, you can buy it frozen and take it home and eat it in the comfort of your own home). That's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to bore the non-IKEA visited readers. Just go, you'll get it when you go.

To give you an idea, this is the hallway that leads to the restrooms (of the first floor). You can buy that couch. And those pictures on the wall. And the mirrors next to Eric.

This was our first (but not last) IKEA purchase!

We followed IKEA with dinner at the Graveyard Tavern which allowed for more beer tasting and great people watching. Sorry, no pictures of that, I was too tired by then.

All in all, our super packed day was a total blast! I don't know if we will ever get to relive something like that with our friends, so I am cherishing every memory and moment in the meantime!