Something I Heard

I just heard a great line on a TV show:

"If I'd shot you when I met you, I'd be out of jail by now."

Oh my, now that's a good one. (not that I'm bitter...well, that's for another blog. ;-)

No, the show (State of Mind on Lifetime) didn't give the source---the show's characters referenced country music. Go figure.

That got me thinking about some of my other favorite lines. Most, I must admit, are from Sex in the City.

“When you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?”

And having moved away from everyone I know---especially with a birthday looming, I must admit, this one's been in the back of my mind:

"Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them what would shape our lives? Maybe if we had never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away”

Oh no----not that this move is a mistake! It's anything but that! But it is hard sometimes not to have those fabulous friends you could always call on to be there---in person. That part is hard. Fortunately, I'm used to being very (too?) independent. :-) But I know that my loved ones ARE merely a plane ride away. And that, indeed, is quite comforting. I am NOT alone---just several hours away. :-)

Not all the show's quotes are past looking. Not all are from tough times. Some are quite, to me, positive:

"Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."

Indeed.

And having gone shopping recently, I must admit, I thought of this next quote while I was out. (yes---several of these I do have committed to memory.) See, I really needed to spiff up my wardrobe and get some good suits. But for the most part, and for what I needed, suits are a little boring. Hello? I don't consider myself boring, so not only did I buy some new suits; I bought some new shoes. And let me tell you, I bought FUN shoes! I figure I can wear a basic black suit, and even if I put a colorful top with it, well, still---yawn. So I finally got some shoes I love. And for once, I didn't get the bargain shoes. Oh heavens no, I didn't go designer. But still---these are great. And as I was trying these shoes on, and every sales person in the place was oohhing and aaahing, I couldn't help but remember this line that Carrie said in one episode of Sex in the City (and if you're single and never watched this show, you're missing out. If you're not single, sorry, but you might not totally get it. Being single is something different. Something unique. It's fabulous. It's challenging. It's up. It's down. It's exciting. It's depressing. It's, well, it's the same as all other life, but it is simply different.):

"It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes -- that's why you sometimes need really special shoes!”

Amen. And I have some really special---and really cute---shoes now. I learned from an inside source students thought I was a really hard professor---some even said I was mean. (what?! Moi?!) (No, that didn't hurt my feelings. I also have heard time and time again that although I was the hardest prof many students had, they learned the most from me. And that, after all, is my job.) Anyway, maybe I'll still be the hard professor. And maybe even the mean one. But I'll also be the one with the really great shoes. :-)

All that aside, though, in closing, I must admit, one of my favorite lines from the show is this one:

"Maybe some women aren't meant to be tamed. Maybe they just need to run free til they find someone just as wild to run with them.”

'Nuff said.

To Market, To Market

Memphis Farmers Market---my destination this Saturday morning. The market features local farmers who come to downtown South Arts district Saturdays from May through October. What a great place!

They had all the local crops---including flowers! I bought a beautiful bouquet for only $5---I hadn't brought enough cash to splurge for the huge $15 bouquet (and load up on produce). Yes, I also bought lots of fresh produce.

And I must say, I was more impressed with this market than the one that used to be in Fort Worth. In Fort Worth, it seemed too many people resold produce, and I never was certain it was grown locally. When I go to a farmers market, I want to actually support the local farmers. And I want to know the food is FRESH. Here, the local farmers are all from the Midsouth (not the same as South Central U.S.); that's what this area is called---the Midsouth. And although most of the farmers were from Tennessee, a few came over from Arkansas or up from Mississippi.

Sadly, a late frost killed all of the Tennessee peach crop. But one farmer (I'm sure one of the ones from Mississippi) brought fresh peaches from Alabama, where the crop wasn't harmed. Yummy! The ones I bought today had been picked within the last two days. Now those are fresh peaches!

What else did I get? Fresh lima beans, okra, squash, and of course, tomatoes! Lunch today was a bowl of fresh lima beans. Wow---they were fabulous! There's nothing quite like beans or peas that haven't been dried or frozen. (and they cook so quickly!)

Okra? Most of you reading this are from the south, so you're familiar with that veggie, yes? I got so tickled when my colleague from Wisconsin said she'd never heard of it! Of course, a lot of people have only ever had it fried; they've just never had it cooked well! I too grew up thinking okra was always slimy if it wasn't fried, and I was not impressed. But thanks to those great cooks I worked with at the court, I learned a little more about how to prepare this tasty treat.

I wash the okra, slice it---in about 1/2 inch pieces---and saute it. How? Well, I heat a little olive oil in the pan, add the okra, and cook. Stir it often, and after about ten minutes, I add salt (freshly ground sea salt) over the top and squeeze a lime over it all. Then I cook it a little more. Often I've found that the bottom of the pan gets quite brown, but it's okay. It'll wash. Just keep cooking, stirring every so often, until there's no more slime when you toss some pieces around. Good stuff!

I also saw a recipe recently for grilled okra. Hmmmmm. Maybe I'll give that a try.

The market also has a local vet clinic that offers free pet sitting while you shop. No doubt, that's for those downtowners who walk their dog and stop by, but I might get Howard out one weekend. He'd love meeting new folks!

The market also have live music. Today was a bluegrass sort of band---what fun!

Another problem with the Fort Worth market was that it was ten miles to get there. Now that I live in this great area of Midtown, the market's only three miles away. I have a feeling that through October, heading to the market will become a regular affair. And what better way to eat more healthy AND support local farmers!

Anyway, I was back to the house early, took Howard out for a walk, then spent a little time chatting with my neighbor before I tackled more research. I need to get my summer project in a better state to show progress on it next week. I'll be hitting the books a lot tomorrow too.

Fresh summer produce. Thank you, Memphis Farmers Market.

And the Critters are Home Too

Ahhh---it's not just home for me, but Howard and Sophie are right at home. Sure, it's been an adjustment, but they've made it beautifully! ---even with our minor few mishaps.

Sophie, of course, disappeared that first night, but she's not gone missing since. Even now, she is quite the queen feline of the house. She adores lying on my desk---whether I'm working here or not.

She also found the counter top in the butler's pantry, and she decided that was a perfect spot for her if I was in the kitchen. That was okay, but I'm trying hard to discourage her from the actual dining table. After all, I have a deep red runner on the table now, and her white hair just isn't going to be attractive there! (Yes, I subscribe to the theory that I have pets, and if you come over, you can---and should---expect to find pet hair. I won't charge you extra for it, even if you take some home with you on your clothes. ;-) Okay, seriously, I try to clean the pet hair, but anyone with cats knows, cat hair is a fact of life with an indoor cat.)





Sophie also loves to lie on the floor next to the air vents. It's like her own little personal fan. In the evening, it's common for her to dash from the study, sprinting down the hall into the dining room. Then back again. I'm sure she's chasing whatever spirit she can see and I cannot. Good girl, Sophie.

And you could set your watch to her dependability of showing up in the bathroom as soon as I turn off the shower. She loves to go into the linen closet, and she learned quickly that shortly after the shower's over, I open that door. (This was not a good thing at first. The linen closet is just beside the tub, and there was an open space up on one of the shelves into the wall area where the tub faucet/knobs are. Indeed, Sophie found herself stuck in that wall one day. Fortunately, there's a door at the bottom of the closet, allowing access to the faucet area. I've since blocked that upper opening.) She also loves to dash into my clothes closet. Her crate is in the back of the closet, and she often wanders in there for a brief nap.

Howard? Well, he's great---now. About two weeks ago, though, it was quite a hectic Sunday morning. Have I mentioned that one day, going down into the basement to do laundry, I learned we were not alone. Eeeek! Indeed---a rodent! The property management company responded with rat poison--the bags o' pellets. I asked about the pets, and they said not to let the pets near the bags. Okay, well, they were in the basement, and there were all in places where I thought were inaccessible. Hmph. Famous last words.

See, I had thought the only times the pets could get access to the basement were times I had just run downstairs to change a load of laundry. But remember the flooding down there? Indeed---that floor needed some serious scrubbing. And one Sunday morning, I set out to scrub.

If you've ever really had to scrub (not just mop, seriously clean) a floor, then you know you can get a little focused on what your doing. So focused, that you forget a pet might come follow you down. And yes, Howard followed me. I noted that in the back of my mind, but I momentarily let my attention go back to the floor.

Click.

My mind jumped to Howard, and I realized he'd not come around the corner. I looked, and my fear was realized: there were rat poison pellets on the floor. He'd found a bag, pulled it out, and taken it away.

I ran like a frantic person (calm assertive was out the window!) upstairs, and found Howard on the guest bed tearing at the package. I shoved fingers down his throat, pulling out anything I could grab. I then immediately got on the phone to my dad, Doc, who calmed me down reassuringly, but offered advice for inducing vomiting. He didn't think it was totally necessary, but he knew it'd make me feel better. Off to get some hydrogen peroxide. (We didn't have to go far; my neighbor lent me his; I now have some here at home.)

Well, Howard thought I had become possessed by Satan himself, I'm sure. He looked at me as if I'd totally lost my mind, and how could I possibly be doing something as cruel as forcing him to swallow a couple of tablespoons of this vile liquid? We dosed once . . . and waited. We dosed again, then waited some more. Finally, on the third dose, up everything came. The liquid, upon getting to the stomach, seemed to work like a binding agent, and everything came up in a blob of meringue-like consistency. He gagged a little more, then I called Dad to update him.

Advice: if you have pets, use the bait stations---no bags o' pellets. I know, you think your pet can't get to it, but your pet can. Take it from me who heard it from the vet who's been called on many many occasions with the same thing: "I didn't think he could get to it." Use the bait stations.

That drama aside, Howard's doing fabulously. He stays very busy chasing the squirrels out of the back yard. And of course, he loves any time we get out for a walk. I hope to find an off-leash dog park soon.

Howard really enjoys the ottoman in the living room. He used to take any bone or treat up there, but now he has his blanket on the floor too, and he'll chew on things and nap there as well. But the ottoman does provide a prime spot for watching what's going on in the front of the house.



But I think Howard's favorite spot is the guest bed. Yes, I'll clean it before anyone comes, but just know---Howard thinks it's there just for him. Granted, he's wonderful about sharing, so I know he'll share it with anyone who visits. But yes, when he's had it with any noise in the living room, he can go lie on the this bed, see out the side window to Cole and Michelle's yard, and he can see me in the living room from this spot. And Sophie likes to hang out under this bed. Guest room? Well, there's no guests there right now. So I guess the better term is it's the Pet Room.

I'm Home!

Finally! I'm completely unpacked, the house is totally clean, and I even took care of the outside yesterday. It's official: It's home. I'm home.

After the movies on Saturday, I spent more time driving around, this time completing the north side of the loop, heading out to Bartlett to exchange one of those rugs; one of them had a snag. Afterwards, I drove through Cordova, one of the other major 'burbs. (we have Bartlett, Cordova, Germantown, and Collierville as primary suburbs to the east.) From there, I headed back by way of Shelby Farms---the largest urban park! I hear it's five times the size of Central Park! I didn't have my directions, so I didn't find the off-leash area. And thus I'm still confused as to whether the area is actually fenced in.

After all that driving, I made it home for a quiet evening in. Sunday, though, was tons of work! I picked up lots of flowers, getting those in pots for the patios. I also blew off and washed the patios and drive (it's a very long drive!) and got a few flowers tucked into the window box. I finally pulled out the wreath for my front door, dusted off my welcome mat and got it in place, and laid several bags of mulch in the front bed.

Ah---the yard. It's so hard! My tendency is to want to till, put in beds, and plant! But it's a rental! Finally, I don't have to spend time in the yard, and more importantly, money. But it really needs it. Sigh. I finally decided some mulch would help dramatically without too much expense, and I made a plan to wait for two weeks to decide on planting anything else.

As for the yard itself, well, the better phrase is the lack thereof. Memphis is going through quite a drought, and there's very little grass---or anything else---growing in the front. The back has enough for basic coverage, but there's a rather large bare spot in one area. Still, without a lot of grass, I don't have to mow too much! (Actually, I've not had to mow at all in the three weeks I've been here!) And if I don't plant anything, well, I don't have to spend money on watering! I might like this part of it. :-)

And so, that's that. I'm fully in!

Other things over the weekend--Howard and I went on several walks, and of course, he loved it! We're just a ten-minute walk to the Memphis Zoo and the Brooks Museum of Art. The zoo and the museum are located in Overton Park. We found a large field where lots of people let their dogs off leash, but for any of you who know Howard, while I don't fear he wouldn't come back, he'd run way too far off before doing so. And the park is, after all, right in the middle of a city. Still, the park is HUGE! (342 acres!) We have only barely begun to scratch the surface.

History note, courtesy Wikipedia:

Founded in 1906, Overton park contains one of the oldest forests in Tennessee. In the 1960s and 1970s it was the subject of much controversy when 26 of its 342 acres were slated to be demolished in order to build Interstate Highway 40 through it to make it easier for suburban commuters to get to downtown. However, many residents of midtown formed a group known as "Citizens to Preserve Overton Park" and challenged the plan in court. Ultimately, the United States Supreme Court ruled in their favor in the landmark case Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402 (1971).

Overton Park also includes the famous Shell Theatre, where Elvis Presley gave his first paid concert. Other bands that have played at the Shell include The Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, and Neil Diamond.

The Overton Park Zoo began in 1906, when a resident of Memphis couldn't keep his pet black bear in his backyard. He had it put in a pen in the park, which attracted many people, inspiring the want for more animals on display. The Overton Park Zoo is now one of the largest in the United States, attracting 700,000 visitors per year. The zoo houses two pandas, who are local celebrities, as well as three polar bears, brought in to the Northwest Passage exhibition which opened in March 2006.

Overton Park is an urban park likened to Central Park in New York City. It further contains the Old Forest Arboretum of Overton Park, a natural arboretum with labeled trees.

Guess Howard and I need to find that arboretum and learn more about these great trees!

The Rebellion Begins

(Just to note: The title of this blog is the tagline for the movie---not my plan of action based on my experience at the movie. :-) )

After the cooking class on Saturday, I left the restaurant and walked into The Peabody Place. Muvico 22 was right there, beckoning. So I did it---I finally actually saw a Harry Potter movie in the theatre!



Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The theatre was quite impressive. I thought Rave had the best theaters, but I was wrong. Muvico does. The room---and screen---were huge. It felt about as big as the Sponge Bob ride at Six Flags---we're talking huge! And the seats were wonderfully comfy. I could even sit cross-legged in my seat. The arm rests folded up, and the seats rocked back just slightly. You had ample room in front of you, and the seat allowed so much movement and stretching out, I didn't have a need to put my feet on the back of the seat in front of me.

But the other movie goers, well, they left something to be desired. I was amused with the intro "stay quiet and turn off your cell phone" message, courtesy of Freddy & the Frogs. Sadly, not everyone heeded the advice.

(By the way, speaking of shows before a movie, Fred Claus looks like it'll be an absolute hoot! It'll be out in November.)

Three people were sitting behind me. They appeared to be a son and his parents. I know---you're going to think I'm going to complain about the son talking. No. See, he was about my age. His parents seemed about 70. And they felt a need to explain bits of the movie to each other. With them sitting right behind me, yes, I turned and shushed them. Seriously? I had to shush two seventy-year-old people in a movie theater. Seriously? Indeed, they seemed to have no common courtesy for their fellow movie goers. How rude! With the first shush, they looked a bit amused. Then they kept talking! I shushed them again, this time turning and looking them in the eye, adding a terse "please." For the most part, they were quiet after that. People, if you cannot watch a movie without having to ask your neighbor about what's going on, and even more so if you cannot hear your neighbor without talking in a loud voice, then please stay home! Talk all you want in your living room, but stay quiet in the theater.

I thought to myself, well, at least they were finally mostly quiet. Then I heard it---waaahhhhhh. Seriously? There was a baby around? You've got to be kidding me.

But the noise stopped. Okay. So perhaps these parents brought a baby in, it cried, and they left.

Nope. Ten minutes later---waaahhhhhh. As quickly, it stopped.

Five minutes later, same thing.

Well, I had chosen the prime seat in the theater---right in the middle of a row about fifty seats wide and just about two-thirds of the way up. To go complain meant me missing part of the movie. Surely if this infant cried more, they would leave, right?

Wrong.

Seriously?

Yes, and go figure, the child then began to cry more---and more loudly---during the huge fight scenes of the movie. Well, duh! It's a LOUD movie! Yes, this wasn't just a complaint that needed to be made to the movie management, but in my opinion, placing an infant in such a LOUD environment borders on abuse. It's neglect, in the very least.

The crying got more frequent then, but by now, we were right in the middle of the biggest part of the story. So I stayed. The child cried even more loudly. But the parents waited until all was wrapped up in the scene and the final scene began---where Harry & co. were saying good-bye at school.

When the movie ended, I found a manager and asked for them to reconsider their policy about allowing infants in a movie. He repeatedly offered free passes, but I told him that wasn't my goal. I really wanted them to reconsider the policy of allowing an infant in a movie or to, at the very least, have the ticket-taker, noticing that someone was bringing in a baby, remind the person that at the FIRST sign the child cried, they must leave immediately.

Of course, that should go without saying. People should have basic decency not to ruin other people's movies because you so poorly care for your own child and so selfishly insist on seeing a movie without getting a sitter. For in my view---if you want to go see a movie and you have a baby, hire a babysitter! And yes, if you don't know a sitter, then wait for the video. When the score of the movie gets loud, your child will most likely cry. You may have learned how to ignore the child's desperate cries for help at the pain you have inflicted on this child by exposing the child to such loud noises, but I haven't. It's neglect toward your child, and it's rude to everyone around you.

Hmph.

Needless to say, I was a touch cranky the rest of the afternoon.

Anyway, the movie was, of course, great. Once again, they've done a phenomenal job at casting. The actresses who play Luna Lovegood and Delores Umbridge were perfect in their respective roles. Although this was an incredibly long book, the movie wasn't too long, and plenty of the story was told. (but the book is certainly worth reading.)

Will I read the seventh---and final---book soon? Not likely. (So please, no spoilers!) But perhaps I'll be able to check out the book from the library as well as the book on tape and enjoy reading/listening to them next spring. For now, I've got more Contract Law to read! :-)

Encore!

Shrimp and Gruyere Cheesecake. Okay, I was a little skeptical too, but it's fabulous!

I went to Encore yesterday for a cooking class. Encore is an upscale restaurant located in downtown Memphis. There's access from the street, near 2nd & Peabody, and there's access from inside of The Peabody Place.

The Peabody Place is like a downtown mall---shops, restaurants, a movie theatre, and even a putt-putt course.

Reading the Memphis Flyer when I first arrived, I was looking for fun things to do. (The Flyer is a weekly free newspaper with all the "happenings" listed as well as some very interestig editorials. Currently, the big news is who's running for mayor of Memphis.) And from the Flyer, I learned that Encore is hosting summer cooking classes. This week, the topic was brunch.

Granted, I was a bit disappointed because it was not hands-on. Instead, we watched Chef Jose prepare the dishes, but even better, we got to sample all of those dishes. (Naturally, each serving was smaller than a full serving---we tried so much!) We started with a fresh baked croissant and bloody mary. The bloody mary was perfectly spiced. I really should remember to get some horseradish for the house!

As we enjoyed the croissants, we watched Chef Jose make the above-mentioned shrimp and Gruyere cheesecake. It was fantastic! No, no---it wasn't sweet like a traditional cheesecake; no sugar at all went in the recipe. It was more like a quiche, but with more cheese and less egg. He served that with a tomato fondue and spring salad. Ahh---and a great bloody mary. And even better about the cheesecake is that you make it ahead of time, meaning lots less work the morning you're preparing brunch for guests or many family members. (He served the cheesecake with a mimosa. And yes, it was the best mimosa I'd ever had. They used fresh squeezed orange juice with a touch of pulp---from blood red oranges!)

Next, Chef Jose prepared french toast with, get this, green tomato marmalade. Indeed, Chef Jose is from France, and his cuisine style is said to blend French and Southern cooking. And again, it was great! This was served with small Bellini made with white peach puree.

Finally, Chef Jose made a fresh fruit salad. He plated a thin slice of seedless watermelon topped with fresh appricot, strawberries, blueberries, all lightly tossed with a little honey and grand marnier. He topped all of that with a light dollop of fresh whipped cream. Wonderful!



Even though it wasn't hands on, was it worth it? Will I go back? Well, I wouldn't go each week, but I hope to go back at the end of August for the Appetizer class. I learned a lot of little tricks to cooking, I learned some fabulous new recipes (and got to taste them), and in all, it was a fun experience. Still, I will keep my eye out for something more "hands on."

More of Midtown

Other than pizza, I've ventured out to a few more places too in these last couple of weeks. It's fun, finding the new places. Sure, they have Outback, Chili's, On the Border, and the like. And although when you're hungry and tired, and you're just not in the mood to find a good place, a chain restaurant is a good stand-by. But for regular enjoyable dining, I like the nonchain places. Besides, I like trying places that are new to me. And it;s even better if they are unique to Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee, or at least the Midsouth.

For the first couple of days, I stopped unpacking long enough to make and eat a PBJ and enjoy a cold glass of milk, but a few times for dinner I ventured out around Midtown. One of those nights, I was tired, and not a lot was open (it was July 4), so Pei Wei fit the bill. Sure, it's a chain, but the benefit of a chain is the quality is pretty consistent. And for Chinese, it's some of the better. But I really wanted to find some Japanese food!

Sekisui in Midtown is the place about four blocks away that serves sushi. And I was so happy, because it was actually good sushi! See, there was one place near my house in Fort Worth that served sushi, and sadly, it just wasn't very good. Silly me---I kept trying it, and no, it never improved. Of course, when you live in the heart of Memphis, there's got to be a decent sushi place within a mile or two. And there is!

At Sekisui, the fish was fresh---a KEY for good sushi. And a good thing to me was that the rolls were rather small---meaning you could easily eat a piece in one bite. (I hate trying to stuff a too-big roll into my mouth or biting through the seaweed wrap, only to have everything fall apart.) The presentation wasn't the best, but still, I went because I was craving sushi---not because I wanted to be wowed with a pretty plate. :-) Oh! Also, I sat at the bar and enjoyed a sake sampler. See, I never know what kind of sake to order, and the last time I relied on the waitress, ick! It tasted like dirty feet. But now I know that for a sweet sake, Nigori's pretty good. And for a nice crisp one, Ginjo isn't bad at all.

Once I got more unpacking done---meaning I could actually cook dinner at home---I spent a few lunches getting out to see some local restaurants. I had lunch at Hueys in Midtown (Blues, Brews, & Burgers), a fun place with very yummy sandwiches. I hope to go back to the Midtown Hueys soon for the Sunday evening live music. I also tried an English pub type place, but still, I just don't care for English-style fish n' chips. Give me good ol' corn-meal battered nuggets of catfish! :-) Oh, and one day I had a sandwich at at Bogie's Deli in Overton Square. Great sandwich!

Still on the list? India Palace---the Indian restaurant just around the corner from my house. seriously. I bet I could easily walk there.

As for shopping? Well, Schnuck's is the grocery store. And that place has made use of each inch it could. Of course, when you're a store in Midtown, space is a prime, and you must make the best possible use of it. It's easy to tell that Schnuck's used to have a lot more open space, but with the neighborhood, they're carrying better meats and a wider selection as well as more specialty items---meeting the needs of an eclectic clientele, which includes a lot of young professionals.

Other places for groceries? There's a Kroger not too far, and I visited there one Monday afternoon. But a couple of people already have told me not to shop there at night. Alrighty. There's also a Piggly Wiggly (haven't seen one of them in ages!) pretty close, but I haven't been there either. I have a feeling for regular stuff, it'll be the Kroger nearer to campus for me and Schnuck's for near to the house. Although, we also have a Fresh Market, which I'm quite anxious to visit. I suspect it's closest in similarity to a Central Market. :-)

Other shopping? We're plenty residential, so there's your basic drug stores all around---Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Ike's seem most prominent. I cannot find a nearby CVS, so hopefully transferring prescriptions will go easily.

And we even have a Home Depot in the neighborhood. I call it the Baby Depot; it, like other places in Midtown, is a bit smaller than your typical Home Depot. And sure, it's nice to have a familiar place nearby that carries all the stuff you'd expect to find there. But it's sad to think that some local hardware store no doubt went out of business shortly after the Depot went up. Sigh.

There's rumor of a Target going in too. Naturally, many residents around here wouldn't like that. Then again, how convenient. It's that rock and hard place. Having a Target near is nice, but you don't want people to lose their homes for it to be built. After all, the big box strip centers built in the 'burbs go on empty land. There's no empty land in Midtown. And part of deciding to move here was with the full knowledge that a Target wouldn't be convenient. And I was fine with that. But if it goes in, is it progress? Or is it just sad?

There are many other places I'm anxious to get around to trying and visiting. The Cooper-Young area looks so very cool. It reminds me a lot of the buildings where Hattie's is located in Dallas in Oak Cliff. Totally redone area with great restaurants and little shops. And Overton Square still has a few places that I'll explore.

Gosh, I haven't even been here three weeks! I have fifty or so to meet lots more of Midtown and Memphis.

But right now, I'm off to do something I'd always wanted to do in Fort Worth but just, for whatever reason, never did: take a cooking class! When I next post, I'll be schooled in making brunch and a fab bloody mary. Cheers!

Pizza, Anyone?

First update--I'm typing this in my living room! WooHoo! And that, if you didn't know, means that I found my wireless router. Not just that, but I also found my copper sassy shoes AND my Aggie shorts! And so, as far as I can tell, nothing was lost in the move. Fabuloso!

Ahhh, second update--indeed, ALL of my floors are finally clean. It took quite a long time, as for this first time I moved most all furniture to really wash the wood floors. Okay, so the floors aren't refinished or varnished, but oh my it's amazing what cleaning these floors did! Of course, now that the floors are all clean, it sure is easier to notice fluffy puffs of Sophie hair on the floor!

And final update--I made it by Target today to use the coupon I had for there. (When you list your house for sale, you get lots of coupons in the mail.) My kitchen here really needed some COLOR, and the brick red throw rugs I picked up today are perfect! A colorful dishtowel hanging up, and the kitchen finally came to life. Yes, it still needs some sort of print on the wall, but it's at least cheery and brighter in there now.

So, back to the topic--Pizza! A totally new city means finding new places for some favorite things. And good pizza? Not so easy to find.

See, I'm a New York style pizza gal--thin but flavorful crust, with that dusting of cornmeal on the bottom, used for the brick over. I'm not talking a cracker-type crust. But I'm not talking deep dish. Chi-town can keep its deep dish. And the sauce needs to be full of fresh flavor too--and thick. The kind of sauce where maybe you can even see the herbs in it. And fresh ingredients, well, that's a given. Finally, if you can find all of that PLUS it be at a place with those extra special toppings---sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh basil, and the like, then you've got a home run.

My first try was Memphis Pizza Cafe. The nearest one is located in Overton Square---the intersection of Madison and Cooper---one major street south of me and about three streets east. The pizza was good, and better than most, but the crust was crackery. Not what I was looking for.

Another place I tried was Exline's. The crust was not great, but at least it wasn't crackery. But get this: I ordered pepperoni and green olives. They put WHOLE green olives on this pizza! Huh? Oh well. It wasn't the kind of pizza I'm going to crave anyway.

Then there's Boscos. I happened upon Boscos through googling "Memphis pizza" on the web. And this one looked promising! Okay, actually, for other reasons. Yes, Boscos claimed to have great pizza, but it also called itself "the restaurant for beer lovers." And it's a brewery. And it brews an IPA! The verdict? Well, the pizza's far from great. Once again, it's a crackery crust. The beer? I'll make a separate entry on that one.

And so today, I took a drive to get the lay of the land. I started at the loop (I-240 & I-40 work together to essentially encircle the city) in downtown, and took it around the south part of town. I ventured off down 385---a highway toward Collierville, a Memphis suburb. At the end of 385, right in Collierville, I came back up Poplar---the same street that's the main cross street of my street. (Poplar runs from downtown out through a couple of different suburbs.) I saw a Target, so I pulled on in the parking lot to look for those throw rugs my kitchen needed.

And what else did I find in that lot? Johnny Brusco's New York Style Pizza. Hmmmm. It claimed to be New York style. Would it really be?

It was! Of course, it was about twenty miles out of town. But that's probably a good thing. See, now, when I'm craving pizza, I need to ask myself if it's really worth a twenty-mile drive to have good pizza, and I further need to remind myself that if it's not good pizza, why waste the calories? But at least if it's worth the drive, then I know where to find a good one. :-)

Settling In: Cleaning, Organizing, and Shopping!

For the last two weeks, I've been unpacking, organizing, and cleaning! Every other place I've ever rented, a major make-ready has been done, which has always included a thorough cleaning. I bet most people out there also have been or know someone who has been charged upon move out from an apartment or rental house for something like . . . a dirty oven, or not scrubbing the 'fridge, or dirty fan blades? Umm Hmmm. Here? Not so much. I mean, I haven't even had a walk-through inventory to fill out! Let's just say it wasn't the cleanest place when I moved in.

Indeed, for the past two weeks, I've done a lot of cleaning. The tub alone took about an hour. And now I'm a huge supporter of KaBoom bathroom cleaner---fabulous stuff!

Then there was the kitchen floor---ICK! I tell ya, I have a feeling the past three tenants never mopped this floor. I mopped it once, and that barely touched the grime, so I turned to the instructions for stripping buildup. With a little Armstrong Floor Cleaner plus ammonia---along with a lot of time and patience, oh, and serious scrubbing, followed with another mopping with Armstrong and a final pass over with Brite, and TaDa! It shines!

In the meantime, each box has been emptied, each piece of furniture placed, and it's finally feeling more like home. Okay, so I still need to thoroughly clean these wood floors; that's on the agenda this afternoon or tomorrow. But otherwise, I'm quite settled in.

Of course, settling in to a new place always means a little shopping. And thanks to several coupon clipper and savers, I have become a Bed, Bath, & Beyond top customer! HUGE thanks to Amy, Susan, Charla, and Mom for those coupons! I took care of the guest room (it needed new bedding) and picked up some new sheets for my bed too. It'd gotten way too beige in there, so I went with a wonderfully deep purple. (My bedroom before had purple walls, so it was fine to have beige sheets. Now, though, my walls are a putty/wet sand color, and the room really needed a little more pizazz.) Ahh--and the sheets I bought? These are some of the softest! They're Pure Beech sheets, made from Modal. Huh? Not cotton? I was skeptical too, but Modal is a natural fiber---made from the beechwood tree. So I went ahead and tried them. And they're great.

How well will they hold up? Only time will tell. And I will use these sheets only half the year; I use my flannel sheets in the winters. But as of now, they are ooohhh-sooo soft! :-)

What else did I buy? Well, upon trying to hang my mirror above my fire place, I learned the downside to plaster walls. It seems the plaster there has pulled away from the lath---or something like that. Anyway,I tried to nail in the picture hanger, but I was left with nothing but holes about four times the size of the nails! Back to Bed, Bath, and Beyond!

I chose two coordinating pictures, but upon getting them home, they looked terribly dingy. Back to Bed, Bath, and Beyond!

This time, I tried the bigger store--out in the 'burbs. Yep, it was my first venture outside of the loop, and I found strip-mall city. ;-) Just about every store you could need was located there (on Germantown Parkway in Bartlett). And yes, the BB&B had a much larger selection! (The BB&B nearer my house is definitely smaller than most, but it has all the basics.) I found two tall coordinated canvas pics, and upon getting those home, I think they're going to be just right!

What's left? Well, I have a dining room table full of miscellaneous things that need a home, including picture hangers and a few tools that need to go into the tool box once I finish with all the pics. As I'd said, I need to clean the wood floors, and beyond that, I still need a POP of color in the kitchen. It's dreadfully dull in there, but with the right print and accent rug, and it'll be great!

Now that things are settled, to me, I say, "Welcome Home!"

Tour de Texas

Ahhh---final days in The great Lone Star State!

After leaving the girls that final Tuesday night, I headed home for one last night on River Birch. I was utterly exhausted, but I managed to get my air mattrress blown up before crashing hard. It seemed to be the first night in a couple of months I didn't have something to do---something that needed to be done, something that needed attention, etc. I could simply go to sleep. And indeed I did!

Up early the next morning, I finished loading the car with the last few things---Howard's goodies (he'd been at my friends' Jessee & Rudeene's place since Monday morning), clothes for almost two weeks, a box of needed things for my first night in Memphis (I'd get there late one evening, and the movers would be there the next morning) and my very empty propane tank. (The movers won't move a propane tank, so I let it totally empty so I could take it myself. I was assured it'd be safe as long as I let it completely empty by allowing my grill fire to burn out.)

Once everything was loaded, I cleaned the house a little more. I had vacuumed each room as the movers emptied it (having the vaccuum go on the truck last), so the only thing to do was wipe down some counters. I also got rid of the remaining items in the 'fridge and freezer; I had sold my 'fridge to the buyer; my rental house in Memphis has a fridge in it. I went ahead and left the extra unopened bottles of water, an unopened gatorade, and almost as an aside, I went ahead and left a sealed and unopened thing of deli meat. It seemed a shame to toss, and it was sealed---never opened. And it was good for a couple of more weeks. I figured if the buyer didn't want it, she could always throw it away. I was so tickled to receive the following email from her a couple of days later (the plant she refers to is a mother-in-law tongue plant I left for her that I started from the one the owner before me had left behind after she moved out):

Hi Jana,

I just wanted to say thank you not only for the plant (I love plants) but also for leaving that lunch meat in the refrigerator! I was focused on moving stuff in on my lunch hour yesterday, so I neglected to eat lunch; then while moving more stuff after work, my blood sugar must have crashed because I suddenly felt extremely weak and shaky and just HAD to eat immediately. I stumbled, trembling, to the refrigerator thinking, “Surely there’s nothing in there, but it’s worth a shot and I can pass out in the kitchen as well as in the living room.” Then I opened it and voila – FOOD! I grabbed it like a starving monkey and pulled out the plastic wrapped meat handing the outer container to my friend from work to check the expiration date for me. I said, “I’m eating this unless you see a reason to stop me before I can get into it!” He said “July 19.” as I crammed a big chunk of it in my mouth. Phew . . . still conscious.

You saved me! Today I ate lunch at lunch time.

I hope everything goes great for you there. I’m really glad to have met you. Give me a call or write any time.

And there ya go---a reason I left the lunch meat!

After having the car completely loaded and the house clean, I waited for a little bit to say good-bye to my neighbors Ray and Laura. Ray had just left to run an errand, so I waited a bit, visiting with Laura and playing with the kitties one last time. They are so cute!







Ray made it home, I said good-bye, and that was that. I was off. I spent over eight years in that house---the first house I bought. They were a good eight years, and the house was just right for all I needed during that time.

But no time for nostaglia then! I had errands to run! First stop, off to see the buyer (now owner) of my home to deliver her keys, garage door opener, and all the info I'd been compiling---security codes, important phone numbers, terminex transfer info, sprinkler system book, etc. Ah--and I needed to pick up the check for the sale of my 'fridge! That done, next I stopped off at the store to pick up some salmon I'd cook for dinner for Mom that night (of course, I had a cooler packed in the car), off to the bank for last-minute details of opening my new account (TN doesn't have Chase banks), and finally, I picked up Howard.

By noon, we were headed south, leaving Fort Worth, leaving Tarrant County. Deep breath, say good-bye in the rear-view mirror, and keep on a driving.

On long drives, I enjoy listenting to books on tape. (okay, technically, on CD, but I still call 'em books on tape.) Usually I borrow the books from my local library. Of course this time, I wouldn't be returning. So I'd bought my own book at Half Price Books in preparation for my trip: The Innocent Man by John Grisham. It's not your typical Grisham novel; in fact, it's not even a novel. Instead, theis book is about the Ada, Oklahoma convictions of several men back in the 80s. Fascinating account of the holes and horrible things in our "justice" system.

(I used to support the death penalty, but as long as we have things like this happening, how can I? I say that, then there are the other cases---like that of the murder of Lisa and Jayden in Fort Worth. They were murdered in their home---about two blocks from my house. Lisa was seven months pregnant, and Jayden was her son. Lisa had co-owned the nearby fabulous bagel shop, which now has a touching "In Memoriam" devoted to Lisa and Jayden. And the facts surrounding that brutal and incomprehensible killing make it hard not to support the death sentence given to the man convicted of the murders---Stephen Barbee. (CNN Story) It's a personal struggle within me, how I feel about the issue. But we also have groups helping sort through some of the mess of mishandled convictions. The new Dallas County DA, a TexWes Law alum, is even encouraging his office to look more deeply into what's happened in Dallas County by finally allowing some DNA testing to be done when warranted. In years past, it seemed the DA's office was more concerned with fighting such testing on any technicality it could. Finally, the office will allow the Innocence Project to recommend what cases really should recieve testing---and test 'em. For more info, see this Dallas Morning News Story and this Washington Post article.)

Anyway---so the drive's not that long with some great listening to do along the way.

The next two nights, I visited Mom and Aunt Emily---and finally got to see Sophie!! I'd really missed my kitty. While at Mom's, I got my old computer up and running for Mom. (folks, a "recovery disc" does not recover lost files; it does the opposite, returning your computer to day one, effectively deleting all files you have created since then.) I cooked dinner and lunch each day, tried to help out in other small ways, and had a nice time visiting with both of them. It was great to be able to catch up with my aunt a little, although unfortunately, our chatting left Mom feeling a little left out. It's tough sometimes when three folks are together and two of them get involved in a conversation. But in general, it was a very nice visit.

Friday morning, I helped load up Emily's car and loaded up my own. We all pulled out by about 12:30. Mom was headed to Emily's for a two-week stay at her house. After all, Emily had been away from her own home (and husband) for over two weeks. How wonderful that she would be able to help Mom out for the next two weeks at her own home!

I spent the weekend, of course, at Dad's. We had a great time visiting Friday night before everyone else arrived, then again at the end of the weekend on Sunday evening. (and I finally got to watch The 4400 this summer!) Monday morning, I once again loaded my car, stopped off at the clinic to say good-bye, and headed east on I-30.

The trip went well. Sophie and Howard made it just fine, happy to arrive at our destination late Monday afternoon. Of course, I've already written about those adventures. :-)

And driving through Texarkana, I was sad to leave Texas. Sure, I'll come back to visit. And what the rest of my life holds for me, who knows. But for now, it was off to Tennessee. I was Memphis bound!

Happy Fourth!

Happy Birthday America!! (okay---so the post is belated, and the party was early---works out alright, yes? ;-) )

Ahhh----Fourth of July. It's a time to celebrate our patriotism, our national heritage, and our individual liberties. (It's my blog; I get to espouse my opinion. ;-) )

Anyway, Fourth of July also means family to me. Huh? July 4th is a family holiday? Well, yes, it is. See, Dad hosts a July 4th party every year---for the last couple of decades, it seems---and it's a time I will do all I can to make sure I'm there. (I haven't missed it for the last thirteen years!) My sister and I both have on separate occasions analogized it to Christams---at dad's. In July? Yep. Or, depending on the calendar, as in this year, in June. (Being an offspring of divorced parents, this seems to work out well. Mom almost always gets to see me at Christmas, but Dad gets Fourth of July. No guarantees I'll always in the future make either, but there ya go.)

It's always a fabulous time. Lots of people---family, friends, folks from the clinic---buckets o' margaritas, cold beer, and for the last decade or so, my jello. :-) That's right---I make jello for the party. Okay, so some of the jello is just that: good ol' jello. And that's always blue or purple. Then there's the, eh hm, adult variety---could be green, orange, red, yellow---depends on what creativity has struck me that year. (When I have access to my full kitchen---and liquor cabinet---I can make some that are mighy tasty! Just use flavors of schnapps and jello as you would for a regular shot, and you can get quite creative! Using schnapps also gives it deeper flavor.) And even this year, with no kitchen of my own, I made jello. (Interestingly enough, my eight-year-old niece helped me out late Friday night. Hmmm---will she be the one to whom I pass this tradition? ;-) )

The party also include some yummy eats. Of years of late, it's been great BBQ provided by Dad. Lane makes beans, and now, Charla's signature contribution seems to be her yummy corn dip, and everyone else brings along a dish too. We don't go hungry!

So the afternoon is filled with swimming (the pool is full of kids), this year, a little frisbee, good eats, jello, always some great tunes (one year my brother-in-law's band came out and set up on the patio!), and in general, merriment.

Then there's the tatoos! Years ago (gosh---around 95?), I showed up to Dad's July 4 party, prantzed up to my father, and asked him to put a little sun-tan lotion on my back. He poked hard at my shoulder, and asked, "What's this?!" It was a tatoo! No worries---it was only temporary! And thus, a tradition was born.

The next year, I showed up not only with my own tattoo, but with extras to go around. And now, Dad orders up tatoos for the party and he, Doc, gets the honors of tattooing anyone who's so inclined. (Don't worry. Each person who gets a tattoo gets a small plastic cup o' jello---but of course!

Here's a silly shot of me and four of my nieces showing off our tattoos (the fifth didn't make it this year) (one of the girls selected the "scary cat" tattoo on my arm):

Here's a less silly shot of the five of us. Indeed, I love being Aunt Jana.


(It breaks my heart that the fifth niece's immediate family doesn't make a point of keeping her in contact with her extended family. And now, she's been moved to yet another school in yet another state. Let's just say that I so very much admire divorced parents who put the kids' needs and stability ahead of their own personal issues.

(Actually, I have learned not to even date a man who has kids in another city. In this day and age, you're able to restrict a child from being moved away from you, and if not, then you should follow the child and be involved in her life. period. --at least until the children are out of high school. Step up. Be a parent. Why would I want to date someone who doesn't take care of his responsibilities? That's not even a cautionary flag; it's a bright red flag waving madly in the air, warning me what sort of man he is.))

Back to the Fourth! :-) As the sun starts to set, we load up and head off to buy fireworks (if the party is held before the actual 4th. We learned the hard way one year that no fireworks can be sold after the actual 4th in Texas.) After everyone stocks up, it's off to the clinic to put on the display.


Frankly, I'm there just to watch and spend some time with family. I never did care for lighting firecrackers as a child, and that disinterest pretty much remains. I'm glad to see my brother-in-law teach his daughters how to do it---and to do it all as safely as possible. Although, the youngest, who at age eight still brings her ear covers, well, maybe she's got some of the same "don't mess with fireworks" gene as me. ;-) We'll see.

Here are some more shots from the day:



And of course Howard had a ton of fun! We also got to see my sister's family's dog Muffin as well as the newest addition to their famiy--Spanky. Here's Howard and Spanky checking each other out:


Of course, each year, the home firework displays get more and more grand. I'm amazed sometimes at the size of things you can get for yourself! And this year, we had a special grand finale: The Big Island.






After all the others were over, we all settled in for the best yet of our grand finales. (we're getting better and better at organizing things.) But it wasn't just The Big Island. Dad's newest hand Chris had his own grand finale. He and Dave lit the two in a cooordinated fashion, and we enjoyed the show. Hit the "Play" button below twice, and you'll share in our grand finale! No, it wasn't set to music like the big shows, but it's fabulous nonetheless! :-)

Once again, I say, Happy Birthday, America!


The fireworks were great! Sadly, the spirit and fun of the evening was dampened by one who (as does so, sadly, typically) over-indulged. It's one thing to over partake in the spirits, but it's another to be a jerk and obnoxious about it. Seriously, if you turn in to a jerk when you have too much, either don't have so much (or any at all if you, like this person, cannot stop himself), or stay home. No one was impressed with this guy's ramblings. And how sad that even the children made comments about how awful he was behaving.

It's kinda sad, but many of us do have those family members who we really just don't care to be around. Even more sad, it seems to be escalating more and more as of late. And when addiction is involved, it's even worse. Granted, I bit my tongue so much over the weekend, I'm surprised holes aren't still remaining. But I was reminded yet again that I need to take control of my well being, and thus I need to make a better effort to limit my contact with certain people---even if they are family. Yes, it's sad, but that's part of family in some unfortunate situations.

Sigh.

Okay---back to the good times!

As the weekend was wrapping up, Fourth of July at Dad's wouldn't be complete without our annual breakfast on the morning after the party at Cracker Barrel. We started going there years ago, and now it's just part of the tradition.

Here's a shot of Dad with my sister and me:



And of Dave and Molly at checkers---as we wait for a table big enough for our crew:



I've learned to look past the times that the one person mars fun with his behavior, attitude, or obnoxious drunkenness. And I can do so for the July Fourth celebration at Dad's that weekend too: the good times so very much outweighed the negativity. It was a fabulous visit with my father and with my sister and her whole family. And as always, seeing family friends like Montgomery and Clare (and Quinn) and Jerry (sadly, Theresa didn't make it), is wonderful! So at the end of the day, looking past any of the negative, for the good times---what a great weeekend!

The Move!

Yep---it was a HUGE truck!

The movers arrived Tuesday afternoon on the 26th. I had done hours of online research concerning choosing a mover. And even after the research, I also interviewed and got bids from four different companies. In the end, I went with Garrett Transportation out of Fort Worth; Garrett is an Atlas Van Lines company. And my research definitely paid off!

Sheila---my move coordinator---kept in contact with me throughout the process. She called to arrange the guy who came and packed my kitchen, called to check on his progress, and stayed in contact with me on loading day, in between, and on delivery day. And with each stage, she also called to check on the progress during the loading and unloading. I don't have a lot of experience with interstate moves, but with the horror stories I read about and that told to me as experienced by my good friend Jenny, I am pleases as can be!

Part of my research revealed that the key in a smooth move is all about the driver. See, the driver is in charge of his crew. And the driver is the one person who will have all your belongings the whole time. My driver was Emerson, whose home company is Morton Moving and Storage out of Jackson Tennessee. And folks, if you ever find yourself moving out of state, I recommend you ask for Emerson.

He was wonderfully professional. But know also that the customer has some responsibilities too. When they arrived at the house in Fort Worth, it was about 2:30. I had a case of chilled bottles of water, a lot of cold Gatorade (I read online that you'll be considered golden if you provide Gatorade for a moving crew), and some deli sandwiches I'd picked up at Albertson's. It wasn't a huge expense for me, and the crew was so very appreciative. And yes, I tipped everyone generously at the end of the day.

And the Fort Worth crew got a bonus tip. As had been the norm for North Texas, about half way through loading the truck, it began to rain. And rain. And rain. Egads!! But these men worked through it all, never complaining (within earshot of me, at least.) So, once I found out my baseball game for that night had been called due to the rain, I divided the tickets among the local guys. They'll be able to take them to the Cats box office and exhange for any available seats for a future game of the season. They were all excited, but oe more so than the others. He couldn't wait to take his son to a Cats game. :-)

And so, everything was loaded! Emerson originally suggested that he could be in Memphis to deliver all of my things on the 2nd, but then I realized that to do that, I'd have to drive in on Sunday, forcing me---and Howard and Sophie---into a hotel that night. Yep, I couldn't pick up keys until Monday! Emerson said that because I'd been so nice, he'd be more than willing to wait until Tuesday for delivery.

And as scheduled, I got the call from Sheila with the final total (less than the "not-to-exceed" estimate), and I got a call from Emerson confirming delivery. And he was fabulously prompt! He had another great crew with him---this time, a crew he brought with him from Jackson. And they were great! (It being scheduled in the morning, I again had water and Gatorade waiting along with a dozen donuts. And of course, I had several sanwiches for 'em all too.)

The crew put each box where indicated, carried things up to the attic (it has stairs), without charge---hooked up my washer and dryer (as a favor; that's typically extra), and made sure everything that had been disassembled was reassembled. I had a grid of numbers to check off each and every thing that came off the truck (it'd been inventoried back in the house in Fort Worth), and in the end, when about seven things weren't checked off, Emerson had his crew search high and low for each and every single box that we'd missed in the check-off process. And we found them all.

So, now that I've unpacked, the question is---was there any damage? Well, yes. But minor. The handle of my big cooler is gone, broken off I assume, and my smiley-face tray---the one that was a gift to me at the seventies party and the one that's ideal for passing out jell-o shots (my party role, but of course!), well, it broke in the box the packer packed. Maybe one or two other minor things, and that's really it. Well, almost. Granted, I cannot find my wireless router, my Aggie shorts, or my copper sassy shoes, but those are things I lost. I'm hoping the shoes are in a suitcase upstaires. Alas, I fear the router was accidentally thrown out with garbage last week. Sigh. But with this big of a move, I'd say, things went fabulously!

Again, if you ever find yourself with an interstate move ahead of you, I highly recommend you request Emerson out of Jackson TN to take care of your goods. And if you're in Fort Worth, the folks at Garrett were charms. But don't forget to reat your crew fabulously! Have food, drinks, and tip well. :-)

Girlfriends

If you're a woman, you've no doubt seen the email about girlfriends. And indeed, they're the folks who provide some of the key relationships in a woman's life. And my last night in Fort Worth, I set aside to spend with some of the dear ones in my life there.

(Granted, my best friend, Melissa, is miles and miles away, and my sister, who, as you can tell from previous posts, is also a best friend (but we classify her as "sister"---'cause to me, that says it all), is likewise miles away from Fort Worth, weren't there. This night was about those fabulous female friends I had in Fort Worth.)

We had planned a great night at a Fort Worth Cats game---a final night for me at my favorite baseball park, even with fireworks scheduled! Alas, as has been the norm for North Texas since May 1st, it rained. And rained. And rained. I tell ya---I'd never seen Trinity River higher than I did that day! Yowza!

Plan B.

I jumped online and looked for the best place for gals to get together for something sweet. Michaels' filled the bill.

So my last night, I met some dear girlfriends at Michael's. About seven of us got together and shared laughter, some wine, and some delicious desserts.

We celebrated my new beginnings as well as another friend's as she's headed off to Kansas City! And bravo for her! I don't know if she knows how much I respect this step of hers---taking this step out on her own---but I do. And I'm so proud of all that she's accomplished for herself in the last year or so. I so wish her the very best.

It's funny, though, how changes around you can inspire others. My good friend Laura has fabulously exciting things happening in her life. She and I got to chat a long time Friday night when we were out with the gang, and with my, Kristin's, and Melissa's (the one going to KC) changes, she seems to have been motivated to take charge of her future and seek her path. And from the sounds of it, it's a perfect path for her! I was tickled to hear about her plans, and I applaud her courage to pursue them. WooHoo you!!!

As for Kristin, oh my goodness. She's something all together special and wonderful. I miss her so much. No, we didn't talk all the time, but there was something about knowing we could see each other any time we wanted to (or needed to) that is gone now---and for that, I grieve. (more so as I type this; oh heavens.) And so that night, I said good-bye quickly to her, fearing an utter melt-down.

I know---I'm used to having a best-friend relationship over the miles, and once again, I must do that. And I can. I guess the hard part is that I didn't know what I had with Melissa when we moved away from each other, so I never went through that "good-bye" difficulty---we actually grew closer living apart. But with Kristin, I know now. And it's harder. She's one of those whose spirit speaks to mine. Kindred spirit, ya know?

Bright side: I am incredibly blessed to have some incredible relationships with some incredible women. As the email goes, some are for seasons---some are for life. And those friends of mine who are for life, well, we'll make it through moves. I've learned that those types of friendships can indeed do that.

And for those that were just for the seasons I lived in Fort Worth---they're still as important. Maybe some of us won't stay in touch. But that's okay too. You meant a lot to me as a friend for then, and that's what's beautiful about it. I wish all of those women the best of everything in their lives.

(Oh---and for one girlfriend in particular, let me quote that we all (me included) need to remember that when his behavior says it, we should heed if "he's just not that into you." Sure Greg Beherendt is kinda silly on tv, but that line was genius. If only we women would heed the advice more often! ;-))

Yes, I have a lot of friends and girlfriends, but the deep kindred spirit person---the girlfriend you simply connect with---it's something different. Marla, Misty, Melissa, Margo, Tracy, Kristin---at each stage (city?) in my life, there's a very special girlfriend. (Charla remains constant throughout.) And I count my blessings when I can keep that friendship past moves. Some fizzle for different reasons, but a special few remain. I'm hoping mine and Kristin's remains.

Anyway, so that was the last night in Fort Worth. Afterwards, I drove home, utterly exhausted, to spend a final night in my house.

Good-bye Fort Worth. You've been great! :-)

Hello, Memphis!

I'm here! Okay, so I've been here now for four days. My posts are waayyyyyy behind, but for now, I'm just going to write about moving in. Soon enough, I'll get down my last nights in Fort Worth, the movers there, my visit with Mom, and Dad's Fourth of July party (with a few rants of my own---you've been warned!). Whew! I've got a lot of typing ahead of me!

So---I arrived in Memphis late Monday afternoon. I timed it to get here in time to pick up my key from the property management company---knowing I'd need to be here for one night before the movers brought my stuff the next morning.

My neighbors were around when I pulled up. Everything that had to be done to the house had been done, but still no exterior painting. However, several pieces of wood around the eaves have been replaced, and next-door-neighbor Chris said he'd heard someone was coming to paint soon. Hooray!

I also met the neighbors to the south--well, I met Cole and daughter Morgan. I've yet to meet Michelle. And from my brief meeting of all---great folks!

I unloaded the car, and before long, I learned that Howard could crawl through the fences (just like in Fort Worth, where two fences had been built back-to-back, Howard loves to crawl between 'em), then quickly put up a blockade to that.

But hmmmm---where's Sophie? Bless her heart, she'd been cooped up in the carrier for almost seven hours. So upon arrival, I let her out to sniff around the empty house. And now---she was gone.

How could she disappear? Oh heavens. Granted, when I allowed her free reign, the back door was open, but the back screen was closed. I tested the door, and I decided it was possible for her to have pulled that door open. But not likely---only possible. Still, the next-door five-year-old said he'd seen a fluffy whitish cat walk by just a few minutes ago. Oh heavens.

On the up side, Jackson's dad Chris said Jackson had a vivid imagination, so I shouldn't take his "spotting" of Sophie too seriously. Still, Howard and I walked down the block, calling her name. Nothing.

Returning to the house, I looked high and low. I called her name---"Sophie...?" Nothing. I looked behind every door. I looked on any shelf. Nothing. I looked in each place possibly big enough for a cat.

Or so I thought.

Indeed---I finally found her! Sophie! She had crawled between the stove and the wall---a space of about four inches wide. Good grief. I promptly got Sophie's own crate into an empty bedroom, and she promptly crawled in, happy for familiarity.

Knowing I'd need some drinks and eats for the movers the next day, I got directions to the grocery store from neighbor Chris, and I headed out to see what the local shopping for food was like---my first trip to Schnucks.

Fabulous! Okay, sure, it's small (and interestingly arranged; I almost never found the dairy). But it's got what I want! Not only does the place have a good-looking fresh salad bar, it's got an ante pasta bar (yummy olives, marinated artichokes, mushrooms, etc.), and get this----they carry a great IPA (Bridgeport bottle conditioned IPA)! (recall from previous posts IPA=Indian Pale Ale---the best (and hoppiest) beer). The fish and meat selection looked fresh and great; of course, with no pots or pans, I didn't buy any that night. (I've since learned from some locals that while they might get most groceries elsewhere, they go to Schnucks for meat and fish.) But I picked up the needed eats and drinks for the movers, milk and cereal for me, and a delightful selection of some crackers, cheese, and hummus.

First night, I was beat, but with my cheese and crackers, a little good red would be great. Going back to when Charla and I were in town, we kept passing the most interesting looking sign. Soon enough, we figured out the sign (kinda a multi-spiked atom or something; I'll post a pic of the sign soon) was for Joe's---a local wine and spirit shop. Yep---seems Memphis (at least around here) is like Arlington, TX---they'll sell beer in the grocery store, but you must go elsewhere for wine or, well, "spirits."

Back in Fort Worth, shortly after I moved in to my house, I visited Liq-o-rama. Mike, the owner, greeted me and got to know me---as a customer. Me---I was an unemployed law student. Still, Mike was great. I was able to tell him I was on a limited budget, but wanted a decent tasting red. And he delivered.

That was back in 1999. And through all those years, I was in the store only about every two or three months, but Mike always greeted--and remembered--me. Even this past December, Alex and I went in for a wine tasting, and Mike was as great as ever.

Back to Joe's---I met one of the "wine consultants" and explained that I'd literally just arrived in town, moving in, and was just looking for a simple bottle of red. He chatted a lot, getting to know me, fixed me up with a wonderful shiraz, and even gave me the personal cell number of an ADT guy (I need to get my alarm system activated very very soon).

Yep. Folks in sales know about customer service---and about working (and learning) their customers. I won't be at Joe's that often, but I bet they'll know me anyway.

I'll save the movers for a later post. For now, I'm still unpacking---and more importantly, organizing. I just thought I didn't have much closet or cabinet space in Fort Worth! Oh my! I'm getting creative here, and it's taking a little extra time to organize. But the pay-off, to me, is so worth it. I've been emptying boxes for two solid days, and finally today, I spent more time organizing.

Well, that's all been interrupted with periodic cleaning. My leasing agent had mentioned the tub might need refinishing---nope. It just needed elbow grease and a third of a bottle of Kaboom----incredible stuff!

Anyway, for a few days, it's been utter chaos. Finally today, I got a room finished! Every single box is out of my bedroom, and I've even rearranged several drawers in there.

Okay, so it's not all roses. I went down to the basement a few hours ago, taking down hangers to use for clothes out of the dryer, and, "EEEKKKKK!!!!" Yep. I screamed like a girl. But come on---that's okay! I AM a girl! ;-) What caused that scream? Shudder----a rat. Ick!!!! It ran from the utility area room, I screamed, and it started up the stairs until it found a--I'm guessing its---hole to crawl into. Indeed, on my next trip downstairs, Howard went first. :-)

Aside from that, I've had to have the plumber back out for basement issues and the pipes, but all's fixed (again). And ATT came out today to redo the phone wires in the house. The phone guy was tickled that some of the wires were from first-generation phone lines. Ummmhmmm---that's phone lines that were run before the 40s.

Anyway, all but "decorative" boxes are unpacked, and tonight I finally got the study organized. Yes, I am repacking some things to go into the attic. But knowing I will move again next summer, I'm not yet willing to throw more out than I already have. Still, after eight years in one house, this has provided a great "what do you have" opportunity.

More posts to come! :-)

Ah---before I go: Howard's great. He's an incredible guy, and he mostly has been following me room-to-room or napping around. He spotted four (yep, FOUR!) squirrels in the front yard this evening, and I let him go out to sniff. He's even found ways to watch out front.

Sophie? She's purrrrr-fect now. Sure, the trip to Dad's was tough on her, and the trip here even more so, but she's settled in wonderfully. And yes, she adores the hardwood floors.

So we're all here, and we're all settling in nicely. We're loving Midtown! :-)