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Veg-o-rama is closed

Knoxville is hard on restaurants. Seems like we close them as fast as new ones open. Today I tried to take a friend to Veg-o-rama for lunch only to find the door locked (had to ask myself if today was Monday) and a KUB door tag blowing down the street. If you’ve never had the displeasure of receiving a KUB door tag, it’s basically a notice that if you don’t pay your bill by 5pm that your utilities will be turned off. The Time Warp Tearoom says they’ve been locked up for about two weeks.

To the best of my knowledge, Veg-o-rama was Knoxville’s only true vegetarian restaurant and introduced me to a variety of delicious entrees I presumed not achievable in a vegetarian dish. From their website:

Welcome to Veg-O-Rama, Knoxville, Tennessee’s only full-service vegetarian restaurant and bar. Our eclectic menu features daily specials based on as much local and organic produce as we can source. We also feature regular menu items like the Veggie Burger, Chili Dogs, and the Getting-to-be-Famous Tofu Reuben that are available all the time.

[veg-o-rama.com]

Veg-o-rama was staffed by wonderful, friendly people. The atmosphere was inviting and accommodated conversation between diners. Additionally, Veg-o-rama added to the developing character of Central Avenue which holds promise of developing into a quaint community. I hope they are simply going through a rough patch and reopen soon but I presume the worst. So, what are your favorite places to each vegetarian in Knoxville?

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What’s up with Doug?

2011 was supposed to be the year of "no." I was going to take on little to no new work or volunteer activities (granted, I juggled many more events than normal but that was a blast!) Quite simply, I wanted a year to regroup, simplify, finish off some projects, and make a fresh start in 2012. I’ve mostly done just that. I’m getting my ps and qs in order. I’m evaluating past behaviors and business practices and planning for future improvements.

Has it worked? Well, the house and family I’ve ignored in the name of paying bills is getting more attention (at least for the moment). But like a gas expands to fill a void, so does life expand to fill the time. One of my mantras is "you don’t have time, you make time." Fewer to-dos does not mean more time. So although long overdue personal projects are nearing completion, others are moving in to fill the void. Where’s that leave my head? I’d like to fall off the grid and go to Sedona for a few weeks. But then again, another side of me wants to fully immerse myself into work and do a 48 hour launch of a company. I suppose I’ll end up somewhere in the middle.

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Thought of the day

Hey! I bought a lottery ticket last night. I wonder if I’m rich.

I played bingo once in Dallas, TX. What I learned was that you might have a winning card but because of the pace of the game, or trying to play too many cards at once, you can overlook the win and give the game away to someone else. So it begs the question, how many times do people buy winning lottery tickets and never check them? I’m not talking necessarily about the jackpot. When millions of dollars go unclaimed, that tends to make the news; but the occasionally win that is not the jackpot could go overlooked. What if I’m sitting on a $200,000 ticket? Wouldn’t my day be a little less stressful, if I knew?

The odds of that being a winning ticket are slim to none. However, the thrill of the possibility of being a winner is well worth the $1 and well worth delaying a glance at the ticket just a while longer.

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My war with Mother Nature – mosquitoes

I really have noticed any mosquitoes in the yard yet but yesterday I fired up the mosquito magnet. 24 hours later, there are already 2 mosquitoes in the trap. Now, the Mosquito Magnet is not a bug zapper. It’s goal is to attract the mosquitoes away from the parts of the yard the humans like but in the process it occasionally sucks up a critter or two into the trap and over time reduces the overall breeding population.

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Seeking Referral – Landscaper/Landscape Designer

Has anyone worked with a decent landscaper or landscape designer in Knoxville? I’m not looking for someone to cut my grass but instead to help design the layout of the yard, help cultivate a thick lush grass in some parts and strategically use plants, ground covers, and shrubs in other parts of the yard. Any recommendations?