So as Atlanta quickly approaches you may feel overwhelmed by the amount of papers, receipts, etc. that come with planning a trip. From airline and hotel confirmation numbers to remembering that awesome pizzeria in downtown Atlanta that you saw on TV, things get stressful. I was becoming overwhelmed by keeping all the information in order, not mention trying to keep up with rotations and studying! My biggest fear was arriving at the airport and forgetting some confirmation number or some other important information you never knew you had! Then Trip It, saved my sanity.

Trip It, is an online and mobile travel itinerary organizer. Everything from flights, hotel, restaurants, taxis, etc. can be organized right through their site. For example once you receive your flight confirmation e-mail from your airline, you can forward that onto Trip It and they will automatically add it to your itinerary. If you make reservations online for a restuaruant through OpenTable you can even forward that onto the great people at Trip It. They have apps for iPhone/iPod Touch, Blackberry, and Android. Therefore you can easily find information on the run, call the hotel about your flight delay, or make reservations at that restaurant you wanted to try out. Give it a try, and see if it makes you’re visit to Atlanta a little easier!

With the Olympics in full swing, let's explore some friendly competition options in Atlanta.

Bronze: Wall Crawler Climbing (http://www.wallcrawlerclimbing.com) - Rockclimbing at a reasonable cost:  $15 for a day pass, $13 for students.  Climb a rock, pass the torch. 
Silver: Tom Lowe Trap & Skeet Range (www.atlantaskeetshooting.com) - beginner class at 1030 AM on Saturdays for under $15 bucks. Like playing Nintendo's Duck Hunt, but more fun!  If you can get 10+ people together, they do private corporate outings as well.
Gold: WhirlyBall (www.whirlyballatl.com) - 5 on 5 lacrosse, but with Wiffleballs.  And in Bumper Cars.  With full bar.  Bring it!


Honorable Mention: Centennial Olympic Park (We'll cover parks in the next list, coming next week!)

Last year I attended my first AAPA conference in San Diego.  I was so excited to experience the camaraderie of being around fellow students and future colleagues, and hearing expert CME presentations (even though I can't earn CME yet).  It was everything I expected and more.  I had a great time meeting people and participating in Challenge Bowl and SAAPA's Assembly Of Representatives. I left feeling invigorated with a renewed enthusiasm towards my decision to become a PA.

While there, I also managed to sneak in a couple trips to Coronado Beach and one to Sarah's Smash Shack.  These wonderful experiences were like cherries on top of my conference sundae.  Looking forward to AAPA 2010, I fully expect the same remarkable experience from my conference activities.  I have to admit, however, that I wasn't as certain about finding worthwhile "cherries".  I was a little encouraged when I realized two of last season's Top Chef contestants have restaurants in Atlanta, but that was still just food and I wanted more.

I certainly found more when I stumbled on the Atlanta City Pass.  For only $69, I can get tickets to six popular attractions in Atlanta.  First, the Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest aquarium and has a 4-D theater.  For an additional fee, visitors can even swim with a whale shark-the world's largest fish. 

At World of Coca-Cola, I can taste 60 different products from around the world from my favorite beverage company and catch another 4-D show.  Next, I can visit Zoo Atlanta where students recently performed the world's first voluntary gorilla blood pressure reading.  The Inside CNN Studio Tour begins with the world's largest freestanding escalator and goes inside a 50-foot globe before heading into the studio.

If I somehow find myself with more free time after all of that then I have two choices: Fernbank Museum of Natural History or Atlanta Botanical Garden and High Museum of Art or Atlanta History Center.  Really, I had no idea there would be so much to do in Atlanta.  Now, I'm starting to think I might need to schedule a couple of extra days just to see it all.

What do you want to see in Atlanta?

One of the great things about going to the national conference is to see everyone with their new electronic devices. Last year it was the iphones, this year it'll be ipad. How many devices do we need? Although not born digital, I've been quick to adapt to device-mania. It all started with my handspring visor, then a palm tx (which I still have and use for sketching, nice big screen plus wifi capable), then a palm centro smart phone, now an android HTC hero. I've got a laptop, a PC, wireless this, wireless that. Do I need more devices? And who says so? Clearly device mania is driven by the manufacturers, as they dole out technology in a steady stream. But humans were not made to do certain things. Like flying. Or jump off high places. Or wrestle alligators. And maybe, just maybe, we also were not made to process information every single moment of our waking lives. How did "more information is better" come to pass? What if our brains are not meant to be blasted continuously with "information?" Will we find out that discarding the off switch for the brain causes cancer? And one more question I have while we're at it. We'll never know, but what would the tech-world look like if what truly drove tech advancements was the goodwill of humanity, instead of profit? So when you see me Atlanta, I'll be the one with three pdas strapped on my hip, but sans an ipad. We're putting a temporary freeze on the device procurement department at my house. At least until next week.

First post of the new year, so let's start off with the first meal of the day. Breakfast (or, sometimes, brunch.)

Murphy's: Valet parking, outdoor seating, shrimp & grits, complimentary biscuits and blueberry muffins before the meal. Georgia white shrimp & grits = $13.

Ria's Bluebird: Breakfast burrito's larger than your face & sandwiches with a side for under $10. Outdoor seating available.

Stone Soup Kitchen: For that "I want breakfast and I dont care what time of day it is" craving. Most items $8 or less.

Gold Medalist: Cafe 458: Where eating brunch can be your good deed for the day. Standard fare with a slight twist, such as Costa Rica pancakes (banana & pineapple), Southern Comfort infused French Toast, etc. 458 donates their entire profits, including tips(!), towards Samaritan House, a local shelter. Only open for Sunday brunch, and staffed entirely by volunteers (save for a single paid chef), 458 may not have the best food on this list, but it has the best heart, and for that, they win the gold.

Hey Everyone.

It's 2010. Happy New Year! Definitely time to start thinking about Atlanta now.

For all the baseball-loving PAs, it's exciting to note the the Atlanta Braves will be in town for the entire conference! May 28, 29 and 30 see the Braves battle it out with the hapless Pittsburgh Pirates club. May 31 through June 2 brings the always-tough Philadelphia Phillies to town. This will be custom-made for an evening "sneak-away." See you in the hot dog line.

Are you kidding me, we're doing this thing in Atlanta? YOW! This is going to be a conference dripping with memories come June 5. Don't get me started on the conference itself, which is sizing up to have one of the best CME dockets in the history of the AAPA. While we PAs toil in the clinics, ORs, EDs, offices, or wherever it is we toil, rest assured that the AAPA conference planners and CME-pickers are putting together a real Geogia peach of a conference. Plus, throw in one of the most important and defining House of Delegates schedules ever (enough "organizational change" stuff to keep us process-heads in heaven for a long time), and you've got a "Can't Miss!" con'frunce.

But for those who've been around the block a few times in this org, it's well known fact that the happy PA, and well balanced PA, and the savvy PA always takes a day or two out of the conference schedule and dives into the local scene head first. Some like to stick around a few days after, some come day early, and some even sneak out for a day mid-conference (I won't tell if you won't!)

And here are a few options that have got my eye. How about the "Friday Night Drags" June 5 at the Atlanta Speedway? http://bit.ly/5hyfq2 Sure, some of the rules for FNDs http://bit.ly/7yrodY kind of crimp the style a little. For example, "No burnouts outside designated area"?? C'mon, how are we supposed to let loose? And what about this one: "All vehicles must be free of fluid leaks'?? They've simply gone too far.

Maybe FNDs isn't your cup of soup, maybe your the kind of PA who is more into, well, the symphony. Then Thursday June 3 puts you in the driver's seat, with Atlanta notable composers Michael Gandolfi and Jennifer Higdons world premiere of a "cutting edge" concerto. The program includes Mozart's 39th Symphony, written just before the 40th. Details here: http://bit.ly/5AqK4y

Or, maybe you're a PA ready to rock, but not quite in the NASCAR or concerto way. Perhaps you're one of the thousands of PAs nationwide into goth? Well, Atlanta's got you covered. Atlanta Gothic Net http://www.atlantagothic.net/event/ is just the place for the goth-focused PA, homesick on the road, and anxious to meet some local goths. So as you can clearly see, there is no need in the known world that Atlanta cannot accomodate. As for me, I better get to work fixing that fuel leak for the FNDs. June 5 is coming awfully quick.

Hiya Everyone.

It's not about Atlanta, yet.

It's about all the snow the East Coast is getting, missing its mark 6 days before Christmas.

It's about the last day of Hannukah a couple days or so ago, and how I didn't get to spin the dreidel.

It's about how eggnog lattes and peppermint mocha lattes taste so much better when there's snow outside.

It's about all the holidays we celebrate in Winter; merrily wishing you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward humanity, & Better recognition and respect of the PA profession.