So...I'm Back?

So yeah. Seeing this again is different, huh? LoL I know you all missed me(or at least I hope so). It's been about four months since the last time I wrote anything on here. Since then what has happened? Well let's see. Donald Trump is in the news more time than I really want him to be. I started a new job at J Clyde in mid September. People are going crazy all over the world(Wait! That's always been the case). Just a lot of stuff has been going on.

I don't want to get into too much as why I have been gone for a while, but just let's say that I have been busy with life, but then again what adult has not been. I have been trying to do this and that, and its just been...yeah. It feels nice to be back around the old blogging stomping grounds again. Will there be another long break between post again. I can't say yes or no just yet. What I will say though is that I have some good ideas of what I want to do with this blog.

I looked back at what I posted before, and I truly did enjoy what I put up. Only thing is I want to speak out more. I feel like this is my baby, and I haven't treated the way it should have been. I want people to know more about me and what I enjoy and feel about things. I can't say that this will be a lifestyle blog because I feel "lifestyle" is different than what I think of it. For me, this will be a Life Blog. I want this to be more of the Life of Ralph.

So....what does this mean? This means that I will talk more about beer, Birmingham, WWE, married life, and everything else that goes on in my mind. 2016 is gonna be something different for me because I am gonna take the bull by the horns and just slam it to the ground because it will finally be the year I want it to be. I can't wait to do more stuff like this in the coming weeks and even all of next year. What all that being said, I want to wish you a Happy New Year.

Let's make 2016 a fun year. :)

College Football and I

So this weekend is gonna be Memorial Day weekend. This means that most people will be able to have a long three day weekend (myself include). This weekend is also the start of college football. Now usually during this time of year, I would be excited about. Not this time though. As many of you know, I am a UAB fan til the day I die. You may also know that this past December, Ray Watts (that jackass) decided to take away the Football, Rifle, and Bowling programs away from the university. You can only imagine how I felt about this.

Well good news came in June that those programs will be coming back to the Southside. Everything is great, right? Well not too fast there, my friend. See, the rifle team will be back this season (2015-16). Bowling coming back next season (2016 season). Then the football team will back on the gridiron for the 2017 season. That means I have to wait two entire season to see my Blazers play again. So while everyone else is watching their team play and get to experience how it is for College Football Saturday, I don't get to have that same chance.

Now the good things for this season is that the UAB Marching Blazers will still be marching this year. Many people were wondering if the marching band would be gone, but they are still going strong. In my opinion, they are even better than ever with what has been going on. They are still practicing and putting in all the effort as if they were getting ready for a game this weekend. So make sure you check out The Sound of the Magic City whenever they perform this year.

Now getting back to football, I really won't have any team to root for this whole season. I won't be able to get excited for my team getting closer to being bowl eligible. I won't have be to see if we can win a conference championship. All because of Watts thinking that "numbers" had something to do with it. Now most of our players and coaches have left to bring their talents to other schools, and I can't blame them. This only means that now we have two season to rebuild what we started last season. Now I know that we will not be as good as we was last year, but then again I didn't expect us to be as good as we was last year. You can never know what will happen with the UAB Football team.

So now what will I do? What will happen for me with college football? I am gonna lay low for the next two years. With my team not being able to play, I have no for real reason to watch college football. It might sound petty, but I don't care. Everyone else has a chance to watch their team play on Saturday, but I don't have that same luxury. I won't be able to say "Touchdown UAB" or cheer when we win a game. I won't be able to do that for another two season. Now don't get me wrong, if I am with friends and a game comes that people want to watch, I will join in. Just for me personally, I won't try to make any effort to watch it on my spare time.

I hope everyone gets to enjoy these next two season of college football, and I truly do mean that. I hope your team can win as many games as possible. Just remember this though. A sleeping dragon will be hungry in 2017, and you know what happens when a dragon has been hungry for that long.

#BewareOfTheBlazers2017 #GoBlazers

Great and Grand

The lady you see above is someone who means so much to me. Her name is Carrie Bell Slaughter, aka Grannie. She was my great grandmother. I pretty much was with her for most of my life. She raised me from being a little boy to the man you see today. She is someone that I didn't just see as family, she was also my closest friend.

She lived with my family ever since my great grandfather passed away in 1998. She was by far the best cook I have ever been around (sorry Mom). She had so many recipes that she knew about that she didn't have to look at a cookbook. I always loved when she cooked breakfast because that was when I was able to help her out. Okay, so it wasn't every time but it was close enough.

She also had a heart of gold. She was such a nice and helpful woman. I never knew of a person who was willing to help you out no matter what the situation was. If she was able to, she would be there for you. Even she was getting older and couldn't do the stuff that use to do, she would always still try to get up and do something.

Sadly, she is no longer on this earth. She passed away about three years ago from Alzheimer's disease. Even though that she had it, you can still tell that she remember somethings. There were plenty of moments when I tried to cook her something to eat, and she wouldn't eat it because it wasn't up to her standard. That was when I knew she was still there. Then there were other times when I would talk to her, and she would have no idea who I was. I will be honest with ya. Those moments break my heart. I knew it wasn't her fault, but yet I wish she still could remember.

I remember the morning of the day she passed away. I was heading to work, and I went to her room to see her before I left. I gave her a hug and kiss (like usual). Just before I left, she said something to me that I will remember for the rest of my life. She told me, "I raised to two great young men." She was talking about my brother, Ryan, and me. I smiled when she said that, but it didn't think that would be the last thing she would ever say to me.

When I learned that she had passed away, I broke down. I knew that any day it could happen, but it didn't want it to. She was my grannie. My best friend. I never wanted her to leave my side. I know that she was family to every one, and she was special to all of us in the family. I will have to say though that I felt that she was only MY grannie. I was loved her so much (and still do to this day). I am just glad to know that she is not hurting anymore.

I want people to know that someone like my great grandmother only comes once in a lifetime. She was someone I know I will never be able to meet again. I just hope she knows that she was such a big influence in my life, and I thank her so much for everything she has done. I hope that when my time comes, I can come somewhere as close of a great and grand person that she was. I love and miss you Grannie.

This post was inspired by a blog post by Lara Parker, editor for Buzzfeed, called On Being Left Behind.

This Block Is A B!tch

So I want to start of by saying that, for me, writing has been an easy way to talk about whatever is on my mind. No matter how big or small, this blog has been the place I could let you guys how whats going on in my brain. Lately I've been having some sort of writer's block going on, and I will tell you one thing about this block. It has been a complete bitch to me (sorry not sorry for the language). Let me explain.

As many of you know, writing has never been a forte of mine most of my life. I never really enjoyed doing writing assignments during school, but that changed ever since I decided to start blogging last year. Now I have people telling me that my writing is actually good. Can you believe that? Someone who never thought of making writing a career, and people enjoy what I write.

Now that I know that I can somewhat write something that people want to read, I want to continue on with this. Enter the writer's block. Lately I have thought about certain things I want to talk about on my blog that I am really interested in or want to speak my mind on. The problem is would people be willing to actually take time from their day and read what I am saying. I know put a lot of effort into what I post, and I want to make sure that people are actually gonna read them. This is when I get to worrying about if people will read my stuff. What if they see the title and decide it not something they want to read? What if they start to read, but they get bored by what I say or don't understand my side? This is what I think about all the time.

Now I have friends who I talk to who say to just write what you want. That my true followers will be interested in what I have to say and will still enjoy it no matter what. I know that what they say is true, but I always have that little voice in my head saying, "You know that people won't like this." It's hard for me to believe that people actually enjoy stuff that I put out into the universe. It's always been a flaw of mine. I'm usually my biggest enemy.

I am hoping that this post will get me to understand that I should just write what I want. I know there will be some people out there who might feel the same as I do. I won't say that everybody goes through this, but I might have at least one person can relate. Whoever you maybe just know that you are not alone. I am going your pain as well. Just know that we can make our writing our passion as well. We just need to let that little voice in our head that says we can't do it out the door and figure out how we can show the world that we can do it!! Hope this wasn't too long of a post for y'all. I just need to speak my mind and let you know how I truly been feeling lately.

Take Your Own Advice

I would like to think that I am a good friend. Usually when a friend is in trouble, I try to be there for them. I know I can't always be there for them physically; however, if I can be able to help give advice or tell them what I think of a situation, I will. Last week was prime example of that.

I have a friend who I haven't talked to in a while. We was just catching up with lost time and what not. I asked how life been treating them, and she informed me that it's not like how she wished it could be. Found out her relationship with her boyfriend is not going as well as planned. Now I felt bad for her because it was similar to how my pervious relationship was like before I met Whitney. If you know how that relationship was, you know it was not a good one.

I told her that if she isn't happy and have so much doubt that she needs to leave. It's not always easy to leave a relationship, especially if you tried so hard to get things right with them. After that long talk, she understood where I was coming from. Then we got into talking about stuff going on for me. I told her that married life has been awesome (as y'all already know), but I'm not as happy with where I am at in life. Talked about how I am trying to do things, but nothing is clicking like I wish they could.

She kept on telling me that things will get better. She known me for about five years, and she knows how much I have done in my life. She told me that if I was able to leave my bad relationship and get such a wonderful person like Whitney in my life, I could easily get out of my situation. The crazy thing about this is that I have told plenty of people the same thing.

Like I said before, I usually am good on giving people some good advice. Not saying that I am always right but I do help out as much as I can. It's just sometimes I don't take my own advice when I need it in my life. I always have dreams or things I want to do, but I put them to the side because I feel like I have to do the "responsible" things.

Then I read this Daily Grit written by Stephanie Davis. In it she talked about how she wanted to do photography for magazines, but she decided not to follow her dream and just go for the reasonable things in life. She went on doing other things when a friend informed her that a magazine was looking for interns, and she jumped on that in a instant.

I know I have always told people to follow their dreams, and things will get better. Why haven't I followed that same advice? I've always felt scared about going for them, but I know that I CAN do it. I am a very successful person, but I have fallen a few times. The good thing about me is that no matter how many times I have went down, I have gotten up more times. I think that I can really say that now more than ever is gonna be the time when I actually do something for me. I'm not gonna worry about what people might think about it, but I will do this to make me happy. I deserve to have great things in my life, and I deserve to follow my dreams. They might not come to me by the end of the week, but I do know that I will one day be able to say that went for my dreams and got them all. Taking your own advice can be hard times, but it's always the best thing to do.

What I've Learned From Being Married

I have been married for over half a year now, and since then not much has changed during that time. Like I said in my past post, it still feels the same like it was before we got married. Now there are those times where work will get the best of us(like it does for most people), but we are always there for each other. Now I know there are some people who about to get married or who have already been married for a while, so I want to give y'all some advice that I've learned over the last few months.

DON'T EXPECT MUCH

Now before you say anything, hear me out on this. When you get married, you think that everything has to change and will need to do big things. While some of that might be true, don't think that you have to do this to have a successful marriage. Sometimes being simple will make the marriage even more enjoyable. You don't always have to go out every evening. I know for me, staying at home with the wifey and cooking dinner is always better than going to a restaurant. Now with that being said, this will go into the next advice.

DON'T THINK LESS

You want to make your marriage as simple and easy as possible, but that does not mean to be boring. Don't be complacent. Just because you usually do things a certain way or go to the same places all the time does not mean you cannot change things up. If y'all usually stay in for dinner, then one night just go out for a dinner date. Maybe go to a nice lounge or a jazz club and enjoy a night out in the city. It doesn't always have to be a big date, but try to make things different than the norm.

ENJOY THE LITTLE MOMENTS

Every couple has a few couple of little things they like about each other. Do not lose that!! When things get rough, you can always count on your spouse to bring a smile to your face. Example for me is when Whitney and I will randomly think of a Family Guy reference. Another is when we cook dinner together because it allow us to talk and just catch up on the day. There are little things that you like to do with each other, so enjoy them with your partner.

LEAN ON YOUR SPOUSE

This one is very important. Like I said before, life can be rough at times. When you have a hard day a work, your spouse is always there when you get home to help make things better. In your vows, you say that you are there for your partner through the good and bad times and vice versa. You might feel like you have no one to talk about sometime, but you do. That person is your husband or wife. I bet you that they are more than willing to listen to you(even if they have nothing to put into the conversation).

Marriage is not an easy thing. There will be many bumps in the road, but things always turn out for the better. It just take a step by step process to make your marriage an awesome one. Now remember, I am not an expert on marriage. I do know that these things have worked for me. I hope that some of this will help you out as well in your future or current marriage.

Can I Be Honest?

 So as you can tell, I haven't written a post in a while. Yea, I know. I'm sorry. Things happen. Life happens. There have been plenty of times that I want to write about certain things(which I probably will later), but you just feel like people might not want to hear about it. Sometimes, as a writer, you want to share your feeling about stuff, but you don't want to step on people's toes. Even right now, it's hard for me to say what's on my mind because you don't want to always sound like you are venting out too much.

Lately, I have gotten some comments on my blog about how people like how I am honest on here. I always want to be sure I let y'all know who I am and what I am thinking, but do it in a respectful way. I always think about what people might feel about what I say before I write, and lately that has caused me to not write as much.

As anyone else felt like this before? Have you ever had things you want to get off your chest but didn't do it because you didn't want to step on people's toes or come off the wrong way? I'm probably thinking too much on stuff. Who knows. I just wanted to come on here and let y'all know whats been going on with me and my mind. I hope to write back again soon, but the next time have more good things to talk about. Hope y'all have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

I Do Care

You may always hear that life is short, and you shouldn't waste a moment of it. People who say that are right. You never know what might come up the next day. You may never know when you last day is.

I bring this subject up because I have noticed that some of my friends have lost their family members. Earlier this morning a friend from high school had his grandfather pass away earlier this morning. Just last week, two of my from friends' moms passed away. This is days after Mother's Day. This really let's you know that just because you see them yesterday does not mean you will see them tomorrow.

I know we live in a world where everyone is busy and has hardly enough time for themselves(I have been one of them), but we aren't too busy to let someone know we care about them. Time is precious and limited. I know this from experience.

I had a cousin I hung out all the time when we were kids. I could remember the times we stay at each other's house and play video games or just watch wrestling together. As we grew up, we did our own things. He played football, and I was in the band. We always saw each other at special family events but never hung out like we used to. We always try to hang out, but our schedules wouldn't work out. Then a few years ago, I found out that someone shot and killed him. That moment felt so unreal. I never thought he would leave this world that soon, but he did.

I am not trying to have a sob moment. What I am trying to get out is that life is too short to not let people know how much you care about. No matter if it's a friend, family, coworker, or whoever it is let them know that you care. If you haven't seen them in a while, take some time out and go out for a drink or lunch. Spend quality time together and catch up on lost time.

I wish I could bring my cousin back, so we can hang out more. I sadly cannot do that. There is one thing I can do though. I can spend as much time as I can with the people I care and love with now while they are still around. I hope you will do that same and make every moment count.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Earlier in the week, Whitney and I decided to head down to Regions Field and watch the Birmingham Barons play. The last time we went to a game was for an event Whitney had for her job. Not saying that last time we couldn't have fun, but when you are there for business it can be difficult at times.

Before we went to the game, we met up with our friend Marable over at Good People for a quick brew. If you haven't been there since the new changes for the taproom, you need to change that. I will always have a special place in my heart for Good People(especially since they were craft brewery I ever had in my life).

We didn't stay long over there because we had to make sure we headed over to the game. Luckily they were doing a doubleheader, so we didn't miss too much. It was also $.50 hot dog night. Now we didn't go crazy this time(especially since I got the hot dog burps), but we did get to enjoy some quality times with our friends and see our hometown boys win the first game.

I love sitting over here.

Now once the second game started, I had to enjoy one more brew(since beer sales would end at the top of the 5th inning). Now I tried to take a picture of my beer, but some random ginger came around and got in it. LoL

Jess getting in the pic.

Whitney and I didn't stay for the whole second game, but we did decide to head to J Clyde for some dessert. We got the Irish Cream Bread Pudding. That stuff was so good. You should get it the next time when you go to J Clyde. I also decided to pair it with a Brother Joseph from Straight to Ale.

I would have to say that baseball, $.50 hot dogs, good beers, and awesome friends will make a baseball game awesome to go to. Hope everyone can have a chance to go to a Barons game this season.

Five Points to Five Points South

If you live in the Birmingham area, you should know about Five Point South. It's one of my favorite places to go in the city. No matter if you are looking for a place to eat, drink, shop, or just have fun, it all can happen in that one little place. Now it can be hard to figure out a place to go if you never been there before. Well that's why I am gonna give you my Five Points(aka favorite places) to go when you in the Five Point South area.

The J Clyde

Let's start off with a place that everyone knows about. J Clyde has been a staple to city for over the last five years. Being known for one the best bars in the state and in America(in multiple magazines), J Clyde is place where you can come in for great food and beer. You won't find any Bud or Coors at the Cobb Lane establishment, but you do have a huge choice of craft beers available to help you in find something new for your beer list. Great people, food, and beers are all the reasons why you should stop by J Clyde.


Blue Monkey Lounge

Located right next door to J Clyde is another popular bar. Blue Monkey Lounge is a great place to go after a long day at work. This place is very intimate and can be a great place to bring a date. There are also different rooms to where if you have a bigger party, you can have the around as well. Make sure to be there on Tuesday for Tini Tuesdays. They have a list of about 10-12 different martinis for $5. You can't beat that price anyway. If you are into cigar, they have a nice selection for you as well. No matter if you are inside or outside on the nice patio, Blue Monkey is an awesome place to go.


Ranelli's

Now you probably have seen this place before but never thought it was open. The exterior might look like it run down, but the inside of Ranelli's is still going strong. For over 40 years, Ranelli's has being making some awesome Italian food. From the different selection of subs to lasagna to spaghetti, you can not go wrong with anything they have there. If you want a beer to help wash down the food, they have that for you too. If you ever need a place to go for lunch, Ranelli's is the spot for you.


T-Bones Authentic Philly Style Cheesesteaks and Hoagies

T-Bones is not a new place in Southside area, but the location is though. Formerly located in Highlands near Western, T-Bones sit in the old Camp Taco location right next World of Beer. Once you step in you can smell all the goodness that is a Philly Cheesesteak. Now this is the place I had my very first cheesesteak in my life. Yea, I know I am late, but I am glad I came here for it. The flavors are there in the sandwich, and their fries are pretty awesome as well. The earliest they close is at 10p, so you have no excuse not to try them out.

Insomnia Cookies

This last place is still a fairly new place in the area, but it has gotten some crazy attention since it has been around. Insomnia Cookies is a place where you can get some really delicious cookies. When I say delicious, I mean warm and taste like they came right out of the oven good. One thing about them is that they deliver. Yes, that's right. You can have these cookies delivered to your home. Not only that but they do not close until 3AM. If you are out partying late or just need a place for a late night sweet tooth fixer, then Insomnia Cookies is the place to stop by.

I know there are plenty more place I could talk about, but I figured that five place would be plenty. Hope you can stop by some of these places and give them some love. While we are at it, what is your favorite place to go when over in Five Point South?

Love Some Podcast

For years people always talked listening to podcast. You would hear commercials about a new podcast episode coming up in the next few days. I was not one of those people who would listen to them. I really didn't think I would find anything interesting or waste my time listening to them. Then a couple of months ago, I decided to give it a shot. Now I am loving them. Today I want to tell you about my top five podcast I usually listen to on a regular.

Another Round with Heben and Tracy

This fairly new Buzzfeed podcast show is hosted by two of their writers, Heben(pronounced like Heaven) and Tracy. In their shows they focus on subjects about race, pop culture, and things going on in their every day life. Oh yeah, there will be lots and lots of drinking going on(hence the name "Another Round"). They usually will have special guest on their shows, tell a few jokes, and even talks about squirrels. Wanna know why they would talk about squirrels? You gotta listen to the podcast to find out.

Beer Geeks Radio Hour

What do you have when you get four guys on a radio show that about beer for an hour? You get the Beer Geeks Radio Hour. It's a radio show based out of Pennsylvania where they have about four to five beers from one particular brewery. Some of the breweries are well known, and others you may night have heard of. At the end of the show though you will get a better respect for that brewery and how they come up with their brews.

Birmingham Life

Just like Another Round, Birmingham Life is a fairly new podcast show. It's brought to you by the people of Discover Birmingham. The host of the show, Antwon and Matt, talk about Birmingham and everything around. Things from events, shows, concerts, and even in their every day lives.

TED Radio Hour

If you listen to NPR, you probably already know about this show. If not, you should start. This show, hosted by Guy Raz, talk about a different subject each week and get different speeches from TED Talk forums from across the world. I know that since I have been listening, I have learned alot about things I never thought I would be interested in. If you ever want to learn something, give this podcast a try.

StoryCorps

Have you ever wanted to interview someone special in your life? See how what they think about something, or ask them how their life was? Well that is pretty much what StoryCorp is about. This podcast brings interviews done by people, like you or me, and they get interview someone really important to them. No matter if it's a family member, friend, or someone they might have changed they life, we get to learn that we all have some similarities to one another.

I hope that maybe one or all of these podcast become a new favorite of yours. What are some podcast you like to listen to? Please share and spread the word.

From Across the Pond

Since I started blogging I have met soo many different people. Most of them are from Birmingham. The I will usually get to meet a person from across the pond in London. Today you get to meet one of those people as well. Her name is Angela, and her blog's name is The Awkward Blog. She is pretty cool and laid back lady(if I do say so myself). Today, you will get know her from a quick little interview I did with her. So ladies and gents, here is Angela.

1. For the people who don't know you, tell them about your blog?

Well, firstly- HI! I'm Angela, a London based blogger and freelance writer person, and I write the Awkward Blog. I write about anything and everything, so I consider it to be a 'lifestyle' blog for the sake of having a box to tick- there's a lot about food, fun things to do or see in London, and personal essays. 

2. So you are from across the pond. What is one thing you want the people of America to know about your love of London?

You know that scene from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Paul Rudd's character exclaims "You sound like you're from LANDAN!" Cracks me up everytime! London is my home and like any city it's fast paced, eclectic and so diverse; apparently every language in the world is spoken in London. I love it all; there's always somewhere and some place new to explore. My blog is a London journal of sorts; it's everything I encounter in this maddening city. Also, fish and chips isn't a thing here. Go to the seaside for that. 

3. You will be a newlywed soon. Congrats on your upcoming wedding. Are you ready for the big day?

Thanks! No and also, yes! Wedding planning, that's a little bubble of 'fun' no one tells you about! I can't wait for the big day, but the lead up and organisation has been so stressful. I have learnt that a wedding is not your day, but everyone else's day! My fiance and I have been together for 12 years, so for us it's not a huge deal in the commitment sense, we just want everyone to have fun at the end of the day. 

4. I've notice that you have done a lot of post on going out to different restaurants. What is your favorite food to eat, and what kind of adult drink do you tend to go for?

Vodka. Hands down my favourite beverage after hours. I usually have it with Coke or lemonade. Wine and gin are nice from time to time, but they give me headaches really quickly so only in moderation. In Summer, my favourite drink - and it's a British thing, I think- is Pimms. It's a gin based liqueur and you mix it with lemonade, sliced oranges, strawberries and cucumbers and it's the most refreshing drink ever. 

Food wise- I've been to many a fancy restaurant but I'm probably happiest when it's kept simple. I grew up in Asia so street food is like a home comfort to me; buying fruit from a cart and munching it on the beach, or grabbing a bunch of sticky chicken satay skewers on the way home. The best pho I ever had was in Thailand from a street cart, by the side of a road. I'm so happy that the street food scene in London has blown up! My favourite thing at the moment are steamed bao buns. Those little pillowy pockets of deliciousness are a weak spot. 

5. You are not just a blogger, but you are a freelance writer. Is there any difference between the two or do they have any similarities?

I feel like there is a difference. On the blog, I can say what I like and be as chatty and off topic as I like. But when it's a post or a job, you have to take into consideration that company's tone of voice and keep within their brand. It's just like minding your P's and Q's in front of relatives versus blowing a raspberry at your sibling.

6. Last one. If you have a chance to come to the states, what state would you like to visit and why?

We're actually looking into having our honeymoon stateside! I've always wanted to visit Hawaii and Robin has always wanted to go to San Francisco, so there's a possibility of a west coast road trip of some sort later this year. Id love to see the giant Redwoods in Yosemite too. But I'd also love to explore the South; a friend of mine lives in New Orleans, and I'd like to check out Nashville too. We made it to New York a couple of years ago, but never got further than Brooklyn. In an ideal world, I'd love to have a few weeks just exploring America- every State seems to have it's own identity that I want to see and get to know better.

Thanks to Angela for taking time out of her day to do this. You should go over to her blog, The Awkward Blog, and learn more about her. You can follow her on Instagram @theawkwardblog and on Twitter @theawkwardblog. Make sure you tell her that Ralph sent ya!!

When I Met Bimingham

Recently I started listening to a fairly new podcast called "Birmingham Life" that was done by the people from Discover Birmingham. The hosts of the show, Antwon and Matt(shoutout to them), talk about everything going on around the city. These things can include events they went to during the weekend, new restaurants that are opening up, or big news about the city.

In one of their episodes, they were talking about how they met Birmingham. Now let me start off by saying that both of them are from Birmingham. You might think that if you are from here, you have already been introduce to the city. In a way you are correct but that doesn't mean you MET the city. Everyone has different ways of how they officially met this wonderful town. Like most things in life, some experiences were good and others not as good. Check out the podcast to see how Antwon and Matt were introduce to The Magic City.

This got me to to think about something, "When was the time that I first really met Birmingham?" I mean, I have lived here all my life. I've lived in Downtown, East Lake, Tarrant, Roebuck, Huffman, Center Point, and Trussville(yea, I've been all over the place). I could remember going to the mall with my mom or just different places with family. Even though I have been around the city, I never really just experienced the city for real.

As I grew older, I would continue to do the same things and go the same places. Not having a car of my own made it even harder for me because I would always have to depend on friends or family to give me a ride around.

I still did not have a car by the time I went to UAB. Luckily the campus was very walkable, so I didn't need a ride to too many things(unless it was a party outside of campus). I can remember living on campus and during the evening time just walking around with my headphones on. I would just walk and listen to my music as I explored around the campus. This is when I really met her. I was actually introduce to Birmingham.

If you don't know much about UAB, it takes up pretty much most of the southside of Birmingham. With that being said, I would do some long walks around the undergrad and graduate areas. I wouldn't go into the building, but I would try to see different things. These time walking and listening to music made me experience the city in a new way. I would almost make the city like my canvas and I was the painter. Listening to different songs would give me a different picture I would want to paint. I would also see things I would see if I didn't have my music on.

After my time at UAB, I would then want to explore different store or restaurants that I never been to. This really opened my eyes to what Birmingham had to offer. I notice how we had some great restaurants around. I saw some great concerts at places like Zydeco and Bottletree. The more I got to see Birmingham, the more I noticed how special the place was. Even today, I am noticing all the amazing changes that are going around.

Now I don't think I will ever quit learning new things about the city, but I really don't want to stop. Birmingham has grown so much, and it's awesome to see how much life is coming from it. Birmingham, keep changing but don't change who you truly are.

When was the first time you met Birmingham? Was it a good or bad experience?

If I Could Meet The President

Yesterday in Birmingham was a big for the city. We had the honor of having Barack Obama come to B'ham. He was here not too long, but it was still the talk of the town. What did he mostly talk about? The UAB Blazer messing up his bracket. Hahaha I'm playing around, but he did mention that though. He mostly talked about making college more affordable for students and trying do something with the payday loan stores.

Sadly, I wasn't able to attend this event. I know that it would have been a chance of a lifetime to go and see him in person. Not too often does the POTUS comes to The Magic City. I wonder though. If he did ever come back to the city and I had a chance to meet him, what would I do?

This would be a chance I would never get to have again, so I would have to make it count. Would talk about how he should make a change for middle class people? How he should find a way to end racism? Maybe see what he can do to end what's going on over in the Middle East. All of these are good ideas, but I don't think I would do all of those. In fact, I would just want to hang out with the president.

Now before you say it's a bad idea, think about it. This is man is just like you and me. Yes, he is the leader of the free world, but that is just a title he holds. At the end of a day, he is a guy who has a family with similar problems like us. He still has a wife to honor and cherish. He has two daughters that he has to raise into young women. I think I could probably learn a couple of things from him.

I know would want to talk with him about  how it was for him as a kid, especially since was a mixed kid growing up. Since my future child will be mixed, I want to know how he was able to handle growing being different than everyone.

I would also ask him question about raising kids. Living in The White Houdr and raising two girls isn't easy I can bet on that, but I know he has been a great father to them both. I can only hope to be an awesome dad whenever I have any kids.

Besides all the asking of life questions, I would want to him explore the city I love the most. I want Obama to see Birmingham the way I see it as.

We would have to go to The J Cylde for a quick beer and burger. After that, we would take a trip to Reigions Field for a Barons game. I would also let meet some of my closest friends and family members, so they can be able to experience Barack in person as well.

There are many things I continue on with that I know it all would fit in one day. All I could say is that if the president comes back and needs someone to show him the city, I am your guy.

What would you do if you could meet the president for one day? I mean it can be anything.

The Love of My Life

In life, it's really hard to try to find that right person for you. We always see in society what people say we should look for in a perfect partner. No matter if you are gay, straight, bi, or whatever, finding your soul mate can is difficult. Some people go their entire lives without finding the right one for them. I am lucky to say that I found my perfect match. Her name is Whitney, and she is my wife.

Now it would be easy for me to just that I love this woman and call it a day, but I can't just say that. There is so much I love about this woman. Like her personality to start. She is probably one of the nicest people I have ever known. It's very hard not to like her. She cares so much about her family and friends, and she always put other people before herself. Not only that but she is very funny and goofy. There are plenty times when I feel like I can't smile, and she will find someway to get a smile out of me.

Speaking of smiling, her has the most beautiful smile in the world. When she shows off her smile, it makes me just melt inside. Especially when she shows off her beautiful hazel eyes, I can get lost in them for days. I remember when we first started dating, and we would just look at each other for minutes. No words, but the looks said enough.

The most important reason why I love her so much is because she is my best friend. I know that I can always trust her when I need her the most. When I am having a bad day, she lifts me up. When I believe that I am not good enough, she lets me know that I can do anything. She is an angel to me in my life, and I cannot say how lucky I am to call her my wife.

Whitney, I want you to know that I love you to the moon and back. We have only just begun this thing called marriage, and I am so happy and honored to be going through this journey with you. We have our good and bad days, but at the end of it we will always have each other. I want you to know that I am your number one fan and I'm always happy to say that I'm your husband.

Love you baby girl!!

Late July in Late March

Not too often do I write a review on a new product I find out in the world, but I felt like people should know about this. What could be so awesome that made me want to write a review on it? Well let tell you.

Whitney and I were out doing our normal grocery shopping yesterday(since Sunday is our shopping day). We went out to Target and got stuff to cook dinner for the week and everything else we were running low on at home. After we left Target, we went to Fresh Market to get some steaks and bacon. Whitney also decided to get some organic milk.

We walked up to the register area, and they had a little display out for some kind of tortilla chips. It was from a company named Late July and the flavor was "Bacon Habanero". I was thinking to myself that it sounded interesting, but I decided not to get it. I paused for a second and started to rethink it. I mean, if it has bacon it should be good, right? Why not! I get the bag.

We purchased our stuff(including the chips) and headed back to the car. I wanted to see how these tasted(plus I was kinda hungry), so I decided to open the bag in the car and give them a shot. Whitney wanted to try them out as well, so she got a chip as well. One word went through my mind when I had this, "WOW!!" These were done so well. The flavor of the bacon was the first taste that popped out. It had such an great smokiness to it that it made smile from ear to ear. At the of the chip, you get the heat from the habanero. It was like punch you in the mouth hot, but it was enough to let you know that it was there.

I never thought that tortilla chips could be good like this. I usually eat the regular one from Tostitos all the time, and they never had any kind of flavor to them. These from Late July were different. I decided to read the bag to see what was really up with them. They were made from organic yellow corn, no trans fat, no artifical flavors. Pretty much what I'm trying to say is, "They are good for ya." Then I saw that part of the proceeds from every bag they sell good to a good cause. Not only are they good for you, but you are doing a good deed.

I was really happy to have gotten this bag, but I was sad that I only got one bag of it though. Whitney was feeling the same way, so we decided to go back and get two more bags of it. Don't judge me!! I will tell you this though. If you see these in your area, get them. They are worth it.

Now let it be known that these are my words. I did not get paid for this or get any kind of perks from this perks. The only perk I got was that I found a new chip to enjoy.

BYOB

When you see "BYOB" what is the first thing you think? Maybe you see this for parties when they say "Bring Your Own Beverage", or it could be "Bring Your Own Beer". Maybe it could be a title of a book called "Build Your Own Biography". Even though all of these are good ideas, that is not what I am talking about today. In fact there's actually another word you can put next to it. That word is "Rocks!" Okay let me explain.

Yesterday after work, I was hungry. I had breakfast, but I needed to get something to tame my stomach. I was looking around for places to eat when I remembered about a new burger place that opened up in the Lakeview area. No, I am not talking about Jack Brown's. This place is called BYOB Rocks. BYOB stands for "Build Your Own Burger". I decided I'm always willing to try a new place, so why not this time.

I walk into the restaurant, and it's not too big of a place. When you walk in, you might actually think it more of a bar than a restaurant. None the less, I got a seat next to the bar. I sat down at the bar to see about getting food. Sadly, they stop food service at 2p. I wasn't upset. I just decided to get a nice beer to enjoy. Roll that beautiful Trim Tab footage.

Once at the beer, I looked around saw all the photos of different bands and musicians. You could feel like whoever ran the business was a music lover(I am happy to see that). Also when you sat the bar, you will notice the line of pennies that are across it. No, you cannot pick one up to use. They were all under the glass. I thought that was pretty cool way to decorate.

Now at this point I should have left and came back another time after one beer, right? Nope! Not me. I decided to get another beer while I was there. During the time I was enjoying my second brew(BTW, it was the Straight to Ale Rocket City Red), the cook came back from his lunch break. Now I know how it can be to have an order once you come back from lunch, so I was gonna wait until 5p and get some grub. The people there were nice enough to go ahead and let me get something then. It was 4p. I was very appreciative of that.

I knew that I was gonna have dinner with Whitney tonight, so I didn't want to get anything to big. I decided that some chili cheese fries would be good for now. Let me tell you. Those chili cheese fries hit the spot.

The cheese was melted just right and the homemade chili that came with it made me smile(both on my face and in my heart). I hardly can find some good chili cheese fries around, but I think i found a good place that has some. Not long into my fries, my brother called and said he was near me. He came in and had a couple of beers with me. After that I decided to head home, but I would return. Like I would return later that evening with Whitney for dinner. She had to try this place out.

So after a quick change of clothes, both Whitney and I head back to BYOB Rocks to get some burgers. We sat down in the same area I was at originally. We ordered our drinks. She got a Sprite, and I enjoyed a nice Gentleman Jack and Coke.

So we decided to get starter of chili cheese fries. Two times in one day? Yes please! Still good as before.

Then we finally got into the reason I came back. We got our burgers. Now when you order you can choose from some of their specialty burgers, or you can BYOB(see what I did there). We both decided to get one of the special burgers. Whitney got a burger called "The Cheese Broker" It had bacon, pimento, dill pickles, and a rosemary aioli. I got Mastodon, which had two burgers with bacon, cheddar, onion rings, jalapeños, and their homemade chili on it. Now I got mine with out the onions rings and jalapeños. I think I made the right decision on that.

I never thought having chili on a burger could be soo good, but it was. The only problem I had with it was the bacon was crispy. I like my bacon a little on the fatty side, but I was not gonna complain about something like that. Fair warning though. If you get the Mastodon, get a napkin because it will be messy.

I am so happy to have gone to this place. The place is cool to be at, and the people there are awesome to chat with. If you are around the Lakeview district and need a new burger place to eat at, try them out. Just don't bring your drinks. They might toss you out. :-)

BYOB Rocks is located across the street from Slice Pizza and Brewhouse. They serve lunch from 11a-2p and then serve dinner from 5p-10p. More info at byobrocks.com

Weekend Off!!

Something that hardly ever happens is going to happen this weekend. I will have the weekend off from work. With this weekend having so many events coming up, I want to inform you of some stuff you might see me at.

Trim Tab's First Year Anniversary Celebration

I know, right? It seems like they have been on for longer, but it has been one full year for this new brewery. The celebration actually starts today, and there will be lots of things to do. Everything from having tour around the brewery to eat delicious food from Cantina Food Truck to have some special brews for the special occasion. It's a two day event(Friday and Saturday), so make sure to by and tell them congrats on a year of success.

EAT DRINK BIRMINGHAM

This is an event I have been waiting for since I first heard about it. The Alabama Brewers Guild will be hosting the Eat Drink Birmingham event on Saturday March 14 from 2-6p over in the SoHo Square in Homewood. This event will have some of Birmingham's best restaurants pairing their foods with some of Alabama best breweries. There will be a collaboration beer, St. Stephen's Stout, that will be available that day. Tickets are still available, but they are almost out. Go to eatdrinkbham.com for more info and to purchase your ticket.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Of course you know you can't celebrate St. Patrick's Day without having a parade. This will be the 31st time they have done this parade, and it has always been a fun time. There will be bagpipes, men in kilts, and the luck of the Irish all around Five Points South. The parade starts at 1:30p, but there will be food stuff to do around Five Points start at 11a. Make sure you get there early because there will be a lot of people around.

There are so many things going on this weekend. Make sure you have fun, be safe, and(if you are 21 and over), PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE.

Have an awesome weekend!!

Get Over It

I have been sitting here for a while really trying to find the right words to come out and say. I want to come and say something important, but I'm drawing blanks. I want to say something moving, but I'm getting nothing. My mind has millions of things bouncing around, but I cannot form the right sentences. You are probably wondering why I am having a hard time talking today. Well it's because of three little words, "Get Over It".

I have been hearing or seeing these words coming from people about how racism isn't really a thing now. I've been reading comments from articles with people saying that we should just get over it and move on with our lives. People still think to this day that racism isn't a thing. People think that racism is dead, and we should get over it. To these people, I have one word to say. REALLY?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!

For people to say that racism isn't a big thing anymore is to say that childhood obesity isn't a problem. Racism might not be as big of a problem like how it was about 50yrs ago, but it's still a situation that people go through in this country. Racism might be in a neighborhood near you, but some people go through this in a every day situation.

If racism isn't a problem, then why did the fraternity of Sigma Alpha Epsilon do what they did? Oh, you haven't heard about this? This chapter of SAE from the University of Oklahoma, mostly white males, decided it would be a good idea to start a racist chant and record it. I won't post the video on this blog, but the following is part of what the chant said:

"There will never be a n----r at SAE."

Now, it wasn't just one or two guys saying this chant. It sounded like, to me, about 10+ guys saying it out loud on a bus. What made it worse was they record this, but yet people say that racism is over. :-/

People need to understand that this video isn't just the problem. The fact that people want to continue believing that racism isn't a problem IS the problem. Whenever something like this happens, some people want to turn their head and make it seem like it's not happening. New flash folks, it's happening!

The good news about situations like this is that people are trying to make change. Not just black people but EVERYONE. White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indian, EVERYONE!! People understand when they see hate or hateful things, and they don't want to be around that. We all must come together as one to let people know that things like this is wrong and hurtful.

I want to say that I am glad I associate myself with people of all different strokes of life, and we all love and respect one another. I hope that this love will continue on, so when my kids grow up they will not have to worry about ever seeing this in their life time. We must stand together and let people know that racism is still around and that it's not allowed anywhere at any time. Make a stand to spread peace and respect. DON'T GET OVER IT!!!

Now I want to say that I am sorry that this post isn't your usual positive and happy one from me, but I am not sorry for speaking my mind on a situation that I feel that needs to be talked about more. If you are reading this post, please don't stop the conversation here. Continue to spread the word and let's try to end racism in this world we live in. Much love and respect to you ALL!!!

What's Going On With Ralph?

Hey. Long time, huh? I know, I know. I'm sorry. I have a very valid reason why I was gone for so long. I have been busy with work and also working on this blog. You like the new look of the place. I actually look like a legit blogger. Not saying I wasn't before, but I feel like this new look is gonna work for me now.

With this new look comes some new things I have working out for the place. I am in the works on getting other bloggers to come around every so often and do some guest post. I have one who is from London. I know, right? London!!!! I'm also planning on some guest post of my own for other folks.

Now with all the good things that is going on here on the blog, I have been having some hard times in the real world. Trying to get things together with work and trying to find my true calling as well. You probably wondering what I mean by that. Well I have been wondering what I am truly passionate about. I have lots of things that I like or like to do, but I didn't think I had anything that I was truly passionate about.

Well rewind to this past Monday when I had a talk with Whitney, and I was thinking about the future. I was worrying about what kind of job I would like to do after I leave John's(whenever it may happen). Don't get me wrong, I like to work there and have learned so much(not only about the business but also about myself). My only thing is I'm not planning on making it my life job. So what would be next? Where do I go from there.

I was trying to think of all the different kind of jobs I could do, but I didn't find anything that would fit me. Then I had a moment. I thought about me talking about Birmingham to everyone I could and how happy I get about. I get excited when I talk about a certain event that goes around or even when a new place opens. That's it! I found what I'm passionate about. Birmingham is my passion.

Everything about this city is changing for the better, and I want to let people know about this. I now know what I want to do after I leave John's. I want to have some kind of job to where I can write, talk, or help promote the city to its fullest. I think I am good at doing things like that, and it would make perfect sense to me.

So yea. That's all thats been going on in my life as of now. I'm hoping that everyone continues to have a great week(even with the horrible weather here in Birmingham).

Weekend of Love

Ahh Valentine's Day!! The one day of the year when people believe you should show how much you love someone. I know I'm not alone when I say that you should show how much you love someone every day of the year. I did, however, have a good time with Whitney the whole weekend to "celebrate" Valentine's Day.

We started the day by waking up and watching some TV. I knew I had to go to work later that evening, so we couldn't just stay inside until I had to leave. It was also a nice day outside. The first place we decided to go was to Dreamcakes. They had so many flavors available. Two flavors I saw they usually do not have often. Those flavors were the Irish Carbomb and Good People Coffee Oatmeal Stout cupcakes. You know I had to get those!!!

After we got the cupcakes and dropped them off at the apartment, we went back out and headed to HopCity to get some beer. Whitney had the great idea of sitting at the bar for a beer to drink. She knows me too well that I would not say no to that. She got a Belgian Pale Ale from St. Bernardus, and I got Ballast Point "Victory at Sea" Coffee Vanilla Porter. We made some good decisions.

It was starting to get late, and we had not eaten anything yet, so we went to Melt for lunch.

One of the servers at Melt gave me this with some Pop Rocks!!

Whitney got The Flash!!!

For me to say that they were busy would be an understatement. Luckily we decided to get our food TOGO. I got the Mac Melt with some bacon in it(cause bacon makes everything better), and Whitney went with the Meatloaf Melt. I have to say that the Meatloaf Melt was not that bad. I have to make a trip back this week for one of my own.

After a long night of work and deciding not to go out for dinner(both of us were tired by that time), I fixed some Jambalaya and had my cupcakes from earlier.

Now it's Sunday morning. We had talked earlier in the week about going to Alabama Biscuit on Sunday. That's exactly what we did. If you never been, you really should try to go out there. It's a small place, but I liked it that way.

 Whitney's fresh squeezed Orange Juice

 My Hot Chocolate looks nice and pretty, huh?

 Best Ham and Cheese Biscuit Ever!!!

Whitney's Crispy Pancetta looked awesome!!!

I can't believe that we got filled from just those biscuits and had no sides to go with them.

After eating some brunch, we made a quick stop to Target for some grocery shopping. We also went to GameStop and got some new games. Whitney got Bully and I got Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Since we was around the area, we went to make a trip to Heavenly Donuts for a quick treat(many thanks to Magic City Bloggers for this idea).

Now that we doughnuts, games, and groceries, it's time to go home and relax before we make dinner that night. We played our games and ate our doughnuts. They were so delicious.

Oreo Doughnuts are nothing to play around with.

We decided to fix the Beer Enchilada Dip that we love so much. If you never had it before, you should try it out(click here for the recipe).

 You know you want this!!!

Had this delicious beer to go with it.

Even though we might not have had a big, fancy Valentine's weekend, I have to say that it was one of the best weekend I've had with my wife. Just being able to spend time with her means the world to me. I will take games, doughnuts, beer, and grilled cheese with my wife over anything any day of the week.

Hope your Valentine's Day went well, and hope everyone stays warm and dry this week!!

Love for All

I can tell you from experience that being able to marry the person you love is awesome. Knowing that you will spend the rest of your life with your best friend is the best feeling. Well this past Monday in Alabama, some couples were able to experience that as well. You are probably wondering what makes this any different. Well these couples are of the same sex. I know right?!?!

Same sex couples in the state of Alabama can actually get married. This is a huge(and I do mean HUGE) thing for this state. For a state that is known for behind on the times and for what its past use to be, I am glad to see this finally happen.

Now, as many of you know, this amazing thing was not left behind without some controversy. Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore issued the night before that judges should not grant marriage license to these couples. He was trying his best to make this not happen because he believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. He even said that if the Supreme Court of the United States still wanted same sex couples to get their license that judges in Alabama should still say no to them. That the state doesn't have to listen to what they say.

REALLY?!?!?

Let me get this right Roy. You're telling me that what the federal court system says means nothing to you. Am I correct? This means that even though the drinking age is 21 across the country, you want to make it 18 in Alabama. Come on man!

Look, I understand clearly. To Christians, marriage is between a man and a woman. Trust me, I know this. I am a Christian too. There is one thing though. This isn't about religion. What happened on Monday was about equality and what is right. I should know something about equality as well. Remember people that I am a black male is now married to a white female. 50 years ago, this would not have happen. If I did get married to Whitney in the 1950s, who knows what kind of backlash I would have gotten.

I remember seeing a tweet that said they enjoyed seeing all the same sex wedding that happened on Monday, but after a while it became normal to see. That's great to hear. It should be that way in the first place. I want to be one day where we don't worry about people sexual preference or who someone gets married to(no matter of race, religion, sex, or whatever).

I want people to learn that equality is not just for talks on race. It's a talk that should be for everything and everyone. We should learn to love one another and learn that love is for everyone.

Meet Up

There are very few reason why I would go down Highway 280. If you live in Birmingham, you feel my pain. Especially if it's during rush hour, you damn near want to pull your hair out. Well I decided yesterday to travel down 280 for the Magic City Bloggers for the Brainstorm Meet Up.

Some of the bloggers that are apart of MCB came to Heavenly Donuts and just talked about blogging. Stuff like how to get more readers, how to come up with content to write, and everything else. It was cool to see what others thought and how they came up with things for the blog.

Something else I noticed about the evening is that there are very few male bloggers. I was one of two guys at the meet up. I kind of had a feeling that it would be like that. Lets be honest. Most bloggers in the world are females. Its not just a female thing though. Guys can blog too.

I did learn a lot while I was there. I also learned how good of donuts Heavenly Donuts have there. They had a Oreo and Red Velvet donuts. I will make special trips now to go down 280 for some of those delicious pastries. Whitney told me they was good, but I didn't want to believe that something was better than Krispy Kreme. She was right(like how she is most of the time).

All in all, last night was fun to be around local bloggers and good donuts. I hope that this won't be the last time I meet them and talk more blog stuff.

Tell My Story

Since the beginning of this year, my blog has been doing well. People are reading it and telling me how they enjoy it. I love that I'm getting people to check this out, but I feel weird about it. I feel that people are getting to know me, but I still feel there is more than I am leaving out. You are probably wondering what I mean.

I am not saying there is a deep, dark secret I am hiding from the world. I am not living a secret life. I just feel like this blog is like my book. You are opening up a book of my life. This book goes through all of my thoughts and activities, and that is what I feel I am leaving out. My thoughts on some stuff are not being brought out in this book.

I feel like with me being a male blogger, I have to stick to a certain style. You know what I mean. I should write about sports, music, men's fashion, food, beer, or stuff related to guys. Now do not get me wrong because I do like most of the stuff I mention, but I am not your average everyday guy that you society thinks a guy should be like.

I am a guy that thinks somewhat differently than most. I am not the most macho man in the world. I am not fixing cars or shooting guns. I am nowhere near a handy man, and I can't say that driving a pickup truck is my thing. Then again, that is thing. I am my own type of guy. That's my story I want to share to the world.

Maybe this will mean I will rebrand this blog. Maybe this might mean that Ralph's Birmingham will be no more. I don't have all the answers now. I do have one answer though. I will be sharing my world and my side story to you more. I want to talk about things that happen in my life that not everyone understand. I know there are other folks in the world who understand my points, and others who might not. At least we can have conversation and build a community around these things.

Tell me what you think about this idea. Do you understand where I am coming from, or do you think I am just loosing it? I want to know should I tell more about what I am thinking and how I feel about things, or should I just stick to what I have been doing the past. I would love to hear your advise and suggestions.

Many thanks to you all for sticking around for this long. More of my life will be coming to you soon. Just stick around to see what comes around.