Home is where?

All this Facebook stuff has me in a reflective mood. An old classmate invited me to join the "you know you're from Eau Claire if..." group. I checked out the group, chuckled over a few goofy memories of Carson Park, and saw some familiar faces. I hesitantly decided to join. When I hit submit, my computer locked up and dumped me off the internet. A sign?

I lived in Eau Claire (pronounced O Claire) for 12 years and left (for good) a few weeks after graduating high school. I didn't just leave, the whole family left, so that didn't give me much incentive to go back. Actually, I think I've been back 3 times since 1982. Maybe 4. Having spent 12 formative, impressionable and yes, awkward years in one smallish Wisconsin town doesn't really mean I am "from" there, does it? What constitutes being "from" somewhere? Are there guidelines? Rules? I'm feeling a little "from-less" right now.

My parents live in Ohio, and many people think that I am from Ohio. My sister is in Michigan (where they are still buying gas for snow blowers...foolish). I lived there for about 6 years and many people think that I am from Michigan. Ok, so I still pronounce some of my words a bit northern, but I've gotten quite immersed in the local vernacular...ya'll. And if talking the talk isn't enough, I reckon we could discuss which restaurant in town has the best grits. I've become a connoisseur of sorts.

So where am I going with this rambling? No where, really. I'm just coming to terms with "home" and I think it's safe to say, after nearly 21 years, that Nashville is home. But more important than the amount of time I've lived here is the quality of the time I've lived here.

Yes, I'm from Nashville and it's my home town!



p.s. Seriously Karen...ditch the snow blower! We're talking leaves on trees, gas for the lawn mower, flowers, I swear I saw a mosquito. Gin and tonic season starts next week!

80 to 32

It’s March and 80 to 32 is total madness! This is not the final score of a pathetically mismatched basketball game in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. This is the temperature flucuation we've had over the past two days. I don’t think that griping about the weather is particularly blog-worthy (that probably made Karen laugh) but someone has to make mention of the nearly 50 degree drop in temperature. Tuesday—80 degrees. Thursday—32 degrees. Fahrenheit*. Did I mention snow? Yes. Snow. In March. In Nashville. To quote the penguin in “Madagascar”: “Well. This sucks.”


*for the non-non-metric folk

I admit it...It's all my fault

I was talking to my sister Saturday night. She's been battling a cold for quite a while, like weeks. With a certain degree of big-sister smuggness I said, "I had a flu shot and haven't been sick yet this year." Half way through the sentence she tried to cut me off and warn me to not go any further, but being the smarty-pants that I am, I didn't shut up. Apparently I was too brash and boastful about my good health. God heard me, and WHAMMO, I started sniffling during church the next morning. By the time we got home I felt like crap. So I popped a couple Zicam and crawled into bed.

It's now four days later and I'm a chapped, drippy mess. Today, my boss actually said to me, "You're so, so...red," as he made gestures around his nose. I admit that with a touch of white face paint, I could easily pass as Bozo, but what a way to make a girl feel pretty! I've not been able to breathe properly for 4 days, which is making me light-headed due to oxygen-deprivation. My voice sounds like I'm talking into a coffee can. There is not a tissue that can contain my sneezes. My tastebuds are completely gone and everything tastes somewhat like cardboard. Each time I inhale, I hear a faint whistle--I think it's D minor. I'm perpetually soggy. Colds suck.

When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut? It's time for another dose of Sudafed with a dark chocolate chaser.






But, Dear Readers (yes, plural--because I think there are two of you now) there is a silver lining...Zack has complained that the dog is rather gassy this evening. I haven't noticed.