You are not signed in. Welcome.
You may sign in using your Facebook Login OR sign in to your GoTriCities account using the form below.

Forgot your password?

  • Weather
  • WEDNESDAY May 22, 2013 F
Christan Thomas - The Go-To-Gal Christan Thomas Christan M. Thomas leads a double life as a student in the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University and a columnist for GoTriCities. Visit her blog at www.xanga.com/thegotogal or e-mail her at thegotogal@hotmail.com.

  • Farewell from the GTG

    Published November 5, 2011 in THE MIX

  • Well I haven’t seen you all in a while (unless you kept up with my Boston blog), but it’s time for me to say farewell for good. Now, don’t cry. I know I’ve been a terrible columnist since I’ve been in pharmacy school. Pharmacy has pretty much taken over my life, which is good for my future carrer. Now, I’m moving on for real. My husband took a job in New Jersey and has already made the move. I’m heading that direction as soon as I graduate (and tem...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG heads to Boston

    Published July 26, 2011 in THE MIX

  • Well folks, I’m not going to be much help in the Tri-Cities entertainment department for the next month. This Saturday, I’m leaving the comfort of the comfort of the Tri for New England. That’s right. I’m heading to Boston for an entire month. During the month of August I—along with two of my pharmacy classmates—will be working for Natural Standard as part of our fourth year rotations. We’ll also be taking in the best of what Boston has to offer. So, if you’d like to keep...

    • Click here for more.

  • More bad restaurant luck for the GTG

    Published July 9, 2011 in THE MIX

  • I seriously am having the worst luck with restaurants lately. I don’t know if it’s the pickiness coming out in me from my former (short-lived) career as a food critic in Austin or if I’m just having some seriously bad luck. First, I told you about my poor experience at Ridgewood—which, incidentally, is one of my favorite restaurants ever. Then I had a bad experience at One 12 in Johnson City. Now, we go there every Thurs...

    • Click here for more.

  • Bad service at one of the GTG's favorite restaurants

    Published June 19, 2011 in THE MIX

  • I have to tell you, I’m a little sad. You see last night I went to one of my favorite places in the Tri-Cities. And, while I was good with the food, the service was so terrible that I’m tempted not to return—or at least stay away for quite a while. Last night we headed to Ridgewood BBQ for dinner. We arrived around 5:45 and found a rather large wait—normal for this time of night. After an hour of waiting and four or five different staff members telling us that we shoul...

    • Click here for more.

  • Brewgrass Festival update

    Published May 24, 2011 in THE MIX

  • It’s about that time again. That’s right. It’s time to purchase tickets for my favorite event of the year—Brewgrass. It’s been confirmed via Facebook and e-mail. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, May 25, at noon via the Brewgrass Web site www.brewgrassfestival.com. Tickets for the festival are $40 for the full festival. For designated drivers, the price is usually $20-25, but I couldn’t actually find this price on the Web...

    • Click here for more.

  • Remember me? It's the GTG

    Published April 18, 2011 in THE MIX

  • Remember me? It’s your long-lost GTG! I feel like every time I’ve written for the past year, I’ve told you how stressed I am and how school is killing me. Well, it’s only gotten worse, I’m afraid. Don’t get me wrong, I still love pharmacy school and can’t wait to be a real pharmacist in just over a year’s time (yay!). But, this semester/ year has really tested my ability to time manage and stay afloat. ...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG suggests Milligan murder mystery

    Published March 4, 2011 in THE MIX

  • This week I’m going to do something a little different. I’m actually going to use my column as a shameless plug for my fantastic alma mater—Milligan College. You see, in a couple of weeks Milligan will be presenting a fundraiser/ murder mystery dinner for a great cause—the Associated Ladies of Milligan (ALM). And, everyone should totally check it out! This is the first time that ALM has put on such a production, but if you’ve e...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG still busy, sharing new plans

    Published February 5, 2011 in THE MIX

  • It’s been awhile (again), since we’ve last communicated. So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to give you all a little update. A lot has happened since the last time I wrote. First of all, I turned the big 3-0, which I surprisingly had a difficult time with. Something about saying goodbye to the 20s is scary when you’re doing it. Now, not so much. I did get some great bday gifts and a really cool cake. My friend Larry—t...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG offers tips for snow day fun

    Published January 12, 2011 in THE MIX

  • I don’t know about you, but this snow is really causing me issues! I mean I really like to go places besides my house!! In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that I strongly dislike the white stuff. I’m from Indiana, so I’ve had my fair share. I remember when I was a kid, and snow days were awesome. My bff Abby would drive over to my house on her snowmobile (she lived in the next subdivision) and we’d spend the afternoon driving around the yard. ...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG looking forward to New Years at Cafe Lola

    Published December 29, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We headed west to visit my husband’s family in the other end of the state this year for Christmas. We also spent Thanksgiving in Indiana with my fam. While, I love seeing both our families, I’m extremely glad to be spending New Years at home in the Tri-Cities. As I already mentioned, we’re hitting up Café Lola’s wine tasting on our New Years Eve. This year’s festiviti...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG planning a big December

    Published December 12, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Glad to see all of you again. It’s been a busy couple of weeks since we last talked. I’ve officially survived finals and am one semester of coursework closer to getting my PharmD! One semester more of studying and I’m on to clinical rotations. Wooohooo! Anyway, I’m terribly sorry to have neglected you over the past few months. This was one busy semester. But, I’m really looking forward to everything I get to do over break. ...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG writes a "Happy Thanksgiving" Mad Lib

    Published November 25, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Happy Thanksgiving all!! In honor of turkey day, I thought I’d provide you all with a holiday “Mad Lib”. It’s been a while, so if you forgot how it works here’s a refresher. Get a partner and a pen/ paper. Have your partner read off the words in (parenthesis) and write down your response (just say the first thing that comes into your head). For example, if the word was (noun), I might say “dog.” Then, fill in the blanks and read back yo...

    • Click here for more.

  • Two great events take place this Sunday

    Published November 8, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Two of my favorite annual events are coming up this weekend, and I think you should all check them out. First off, we’ve got the monthly Café Lola wine tasting. Why is this month’s tasting any different than the other 11 months of the year? This is the harvest-themed tasting, which is my absolute favorite. I’ve been coming to Lola’s wine tastings faithfully for four years now. I’ve actually only missed two tastings in all that ti...

    • Click here for more.

  • Race for the Cure this weekend in Kingsport

    Published October 22, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Today I wore pink for breast cancer awareness. But this weekend you can do something even more significant—join me in walking (or running) in the Race for the Cure. The Tri-Cities Race for the Cure takes place this Sunday at 3 p.m. in Memorial Park in Kingsport. It’s not too late to sign up if you’d like to join those of us walking for a cure for breast cancer. You can actually sign up on site the day of the race starting at noon. Or, you can visit ...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG shares cheap eats for the busy reader

    Published October 9, 2010 in THE MIX

  • I’m sorry. I’ve been neglecting you. This fall is really stressing me out. Since we last talked, I’ve taken what feels like a gazillion tests, performed 47 billion quizzes, and participated in several million group projects/ club events. Luckily, I’ve also been doing some fun things. Mostly, I’ve been eating out. So, I thought I’d make you all a list of my recently discovered cheap food options. If you all are anywhere as busy as I am, you might want so...

    • Click here for more.

  • Finally Brewgrass Weekend for the GTG

    Published September 15, 2010 in THE MIX

  • It’s finally here. This, my friends, is my favorite weekend—it’s Brewgrass time! As you all know, I’ve been looking forward to this year’s Brewgrass festival since pretty much the day after last year’s festival. I even set my alarm for 11:55 p.m. the night that tickets went on sale at midnight and I’ve had my hotel reservations since March. If you don’t know what Brewgrass is, it’s a beer a...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG Plans a Relaxing Weekend

    Published September 3, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been a little MIA for the past couple weeks. I’ve just been more insanely busy than normal. Between the tests and the projects and the clinical work and traveling to Alabama for a leadership workshop, I haven’t had much time to think—let alone write. But, I promise to make it up to you. This weekend I’m giving myself a well-deserved break from studying. Instead, I’m going...

    • Click here for more.

  • Busy week, but still time for fun

    Published August 15, 2010 in THE MIX

  • It’s been another crazy week in GTG land. I started back to school on Monday, got my new computer (yay!) on Wednesday and got stranded by my “fixed” car on Saturday. So, you can see I’ve been a bit busy. In between all that I managed to hang out at Sonny’s Marina and Café for a “Retroville” concert, visit Music on the Square for my friend Jessica Nixon’s set and I’m about to head over to Caf&eac...

    • Click here for more.

  • Upcoming events for dog lovers

    Published August 3, 2010 in THE MIX

  • I’ve always been a dog lover. Then a couple of weekends ago we headed down to Asheville for Belle Chere and checked out a really cool event for doggies called dock jumping. If you've never seen this sport before, I'll give you a summary. Basically, the dog plays fetch into a big pool of water and the longest jump in wins. Let me tell you, the dogs loved it. And ever since, I’ve had dogs on the brain. In light of my new preoccupati...

    • Click here for more.

  • Last chance to enjoy Fun Fest 2010

    Published July 23, 2010 in THE MIX

  • It’s the last weekend of Fun Fest, so I know exactly where I’ll be the next few days. This year, I (sadly) had to miss out on most of Fun Fest because of a conference in Memphis. But, I drove home 9 hours yesterday (including three traffic jam stops), changed and went directly to J. Fred Johnson for the country concert. All I’m saying is there’s no excuse not to participate! Last night I was kind of surprised at the lo...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG returns from a tropical vacation

    Published August 3, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Hey guys! Glad to be back after a week off in a tropical paradise. That’s right, my husband and eight of our friends just got back from a week at an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. And—even though this has absolutely nothing to do with the Tri-Cities region—I’m going to tell you all about it. This was both my first trip to the Dominican Republic and my first all-inclusive vacation. I have to say that I loved them both. The great thing about the Dominica...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG celebrates July 4th

    Published June 30, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Wow! What a week this has been. I’ve been working some weird hours at work (thus, why I didn’t post anything last week) and I’ve had a series of mechanical errors that have cause a little stress. The most recent malfunction involved my always reliable and 5-year-old Mac. After all of this, I’m pleased to report that you will not be seeing me again next week. I’ll be taking off for some much needed R&R. But,...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG finds plenty to keep busy this weekend

    Published June 18, 2010 in THE MIX

  • I think it’s becoming a theme with me… I’m always about two days behind where I’d like to be. This week, I sort of have an excuse. Besides the big 30th b-day bash on Saturday, I worked five nights at the hospital. I have to give props to all of you night shifters out there because I stink at working nights. Seriously, my days have been off ever since. Anyway, when I started writing this column, I realized I had absolutely no clue...

    • Click here for more.

  • Happy birthday/ party plans from the GTG

    Published June 11, 2010 in THE MIX

  • This week, I’d like to dedicate my column to my fabulous husband Brock. You see, Saturday marks a huge milestone in his life—he turns 30. Happy birthday!!! In honor of his bday, we’ll be throwing a fabulous party at our house. And in the party planning spirit, I thought I’d share my party supply purchasing tips. Balloons/ décor: If I’m planning a party, there’s one place I always go first—Ballo...

    • Click here for more.

  • Blue Plum tips from the GTG

    Published June 3, 2010 in THE MIX

  • If you’re hanging around the Tri-Cities this weekend, you should really stop by downtown Johnson City for one of my favorite local events—the Blue Plum Festival. Blue Plum happens every year on the first weekend in June. Streets are blocked off in downtown JC and you can check out a variety of bands, vendors, a 5K, kids area, etc. This year’s festival features some great musical acts including Donna the Buffalo on the Main Street stage Fr...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG finds great food, service at Osaka II

    Published May 28, 2010 in THE MIX

  • You know I’m always up for a good meal and this week I thought I’d tell you about a new-ish restaurant that I just discovered last week. Osaka II in Johnson City (on Roane Street by Bailey’s sports bar) is absolutely fantastic and you need to try it ASAP! Osaka II has actually been open for a few months. I had seen the red sign, but never ventured in until last Friday when I attended a bachelorette party in one of the private rooms. Let me just say t...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG reviews Racks by the Tracks

    Published May 21, 2010 in THE MIX

  • I know, I know, you all are sick of hearing about beer festivals and Racks by the Tracks. But, I actually had a personal request to review this year’s festival (which I was going to do anyway—now I just have an excuse!). I’ll start off by saying I had a really great time again this year. There were a few negative things about the organization of the event, but I know organizers are already working hard to make Racks by the Tracks even better for next ...

    • Click here for more.

  • Check out Racks by the Tracks this Saturday

    Published May 14, 2010 in THE MIX

  • I’m finally back! Thanks for putting up with my week off. During that time, I’ve successfully completed finals (without going completely crazy), visited my fam in Indiana and done a week of rotations for school. Talk about busy! Now that I am back, I wanted to catch you up on a few important matters. First off, Racks by the Tracks is this weekend in downtown Kingsport. If you’re like me and got your tickets months ago, you can still pic...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG checks out the Creeper Trail

    Published April 30, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Though I’ve lived in the Tri-Cities for approximately 8.5 years in two parts, I did something last weekend that I’d never done before—rode the Virginia Creeper Trail. As a kid, I used to love riding bikes. But, my last time (besides spin class) on an actual bike was probably five years ago and it was cruising down the side of a volcano in Hawaii. Let’s just say that didn’t actually require a lot of riding skill, so I was a bit nervous about this trip. ...

    • Click here for more.

  • Better Late than Never for the GTG

    Published April 20, 2010 in THE MIX

  • At this point I’m either really far behind from last week or slightly ahead for this week. I’m going to pretend that I’m actually ahead! Sorry for neglecting all of you last week. I’m at the end of the semester, which means motivation is low and workload is high. At any rate, you’ll have to put up with my extremely disorganized mind for the next couple of columns. So, here are a few tidbits to tide you over until my brain comes back from...

    • Click here for more.

  • GTG offers ways to "de-stress"

    Published April 9, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Sorry I’m a day late this week on my column posting. It’s been one of those weeks where no matter how hard I try to get ahead, I feel like I actually go three steps backwards. All this stress (mostly school related and mostly my fault for procrastinating) got me thinking about what I like to do to relax. So, I thought I’d offer up a few suggestions. Basically, my favorite way to relax is to get a massage. I’ve been to several place...

    • Click here for more.

  • Easter traditions for the GTG

    Published March 31, 2010 in THE MIX

  • This weekend is Easter and that means a few important traditions for my fam. First off, my parents and little brothers are visiting from Indiana. Second, we’ll be heading to church on Saturday night at First Christian Church in Johnson City. (Guests welcome. Check out www.fcc-jc.org for schedule.) Finally, we hit up Easter brunch at Café One 11. Okay, I recognize that going out for brunch at a “Neo-Asian” (their words, not mi...

    • Click here for more.

  • Plenty of theatre options around the Tri-Cities

    Published March 24, 2010 in THE MIX

  • Got my Racks by the Tracks tickets. Got my Fun Fest concert tickets. Now what? Well, I’m certainly not going to sit around for the next couple of weeks and do nothing. (Though after the last couple of weeks, it would certainly be nice!) First off, there is a ton of great stuff going on at the Barter right now. You can catch “Alice in Wonderland” through April 17, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” through April 11, “The Diar...

    • Click here for more.

  • Beer festivals and other news from the GTG

    Published March 17, 2010 in THE MIX

  • You know that category on Jeopardy called “Potpourri”? Well think of this week’s column as a little of that. I’m back from spring break in NYC/ DC. I had a great time, but I’m tired!! And, I’ve decided to make a few changes. Starting this week, I’ll be posting my columns blog-style directly onto the Go Tri-Cities Web site. So, I’m consolidating into one blog. I’ll be shutting down my www.xanga.com/th...

    • Click here for more.

    Display boxes for navigating older items

Bookmark and Share
Testing Testing
Innovation by - Times Digital Group