That's What I'm Talking About

Today it was 76 degrees. On December 11. I worked outside on my deck in a sundress on December 11.

Thank you weather report

Thanks to all of you who keep calling and e-mailing with northern snow reports. DG wanted to take a picture of me on my deck in a bikini...but we'll wait for January. Today the vet said the dogs should be on heartworm meds year-round, because we might get a 70-degree day in January. LOVE it!

Sirens

Today I heard some sirens outside the house...I went to look and they weren't in car catching speeders on the street. It was the U.S. Coast Guard pulling over jet skiiers skiiing near the General Jackson:



I had a great week on the CVB press tour of Nashville, meeting a lot of people, and getting a lot of good story ideas.

The dog is in a foster home until a shelter will take him this weekend. It isn't an idea situation--either the foster or the shelter--but it is the best I can do.

New Things That Are Not Mine

This morning we started out with a long walk through the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. First thing in we saw a beautiful owl sitting in a tree. We stood still for awhile and got to see it fly.

We took some detours on the "primitive trails," which are wooded and were supposed to take us around the construction for the new pedestrian bridge. Through a long series of events we ended up walking 4.3 miles, which was more than I intended and possibly a little too long for Natasha...while on the walk we met a dog that I think had been left chained up to a bridge. He had gotten out, but had markings from the chain around his neck. He followed us home and followed me for the day...he is very sweet and likes his belly rubbed. But he is not fixed and is not coming inside (except for the basement and/garage). He is the first photo of something new that is NOT mine. I am not keeping him, but am trying to find a no kill shelter (everyone here is closed on Sunday. Just like Paris.).



One of the things the stray and I did is go over to DG's to move a bed he and Meg are giving me for my gigantic bedroom. I'll post another picture once the bedroom is all decorated, but here's a glimpse.



In order to move the bed, buy 95 feet of chicken wire (see earlier post) and do other crazy errands, I needed to borrow a pick up truck from someone. So, when I needed to rent a car while my car is indisposed (see earlier post), I decided to rent one. Now I really fit in:

Thanksgiving Weekend

The weekend started on Wednesday night with DG and building boxes and getting ready for “Black Friday” at the store Meg manages. I agreed—volunteered, whatever—to wrap presents there during the holiday because I love wrapping presents and I thought I wouldn’t have to talk to people.

DG started a blog about the real story…I haven’t blogged on there yet because:
1. DG is a hard act to follow, and
2. Apparently, I am going to have no time to holiday shop, so everyone’s gifts are going to have to come from here, so I don’t want to give it all away.
If you want to see how the holiday madness unfolds, check it out: http://giftwrapdeathmarch.blogspot.com/

Besides having to smile and talk to people, the holiday has been pretty good. I started off being thankful when people e-mailed me about the snow in Chicago. I am thankful to not have snow. I took the dogs for a three-mile walk this a.m. and it was the first day I needed a coat.

I am thankful to get to go to Cal and Lauren’s for Thanksgiving. We had a lovely trayf-free time. Lauren and Cal used to live in Chicago. I didn’t know them then, but I enjoyed talking to them about their theories about Daley’s ego getting in the way of the city’s future. They had some other friends come over for dessert. One of whom is a magazine writer (!). The other knows how to make hats (!!).

First act of local activism

Every morning the dogs and I walk to the Shelby Bottoms Greenway.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
It is one of the advantages of the location of this house.
The downside is that at my entrance (Cooper Creek Trailway) there is not a trash can, and because this is all residential, there are no trash cans along the way, so I literally, am holding the bag for 1.5+ miles or more.
DG took me to another Greenway entrance, where I noticed they had a trash can and a plastic bag dispenser. So, I sent an e-mail to the Greenway director. less than 24 hours later I had a response: they'd put in a trash can, and if there was a reason they couldn't, they'd let me know.
Yesterday, we saw someone out there with a post hole digger...I asked him if he was fixin' to put in a trash can. he said he had wanted to for a long time but had finally gotten the okay. He put in the Mutt Mitt Dispenser (biodegradable plastic bags) yesterday and the base for the trash can, which will probably be installed this week.
I already made my neighborhood better!

Home Again

I am back home and happy to be here. The drive was long--traffic and construction-filled--and a joy to drive with two doors that don't properly close/latch.
On the drive I heard "Poke Salad Annie" or "Polk Salad Annie," the Tony Joe White version, not the Elvis version. I have Poke Sallet growing in my yard, so that amused me.
Ellen gave me a dress form she doesn't need anymore. I put one of my hats on it and drove home with it in the passenger seat. My grandfather would have liked that, it looked like someone else was in the car with me. Sort of.

Affirmation

If I needed confirmation that I should not be in Chicago in winter, I have it.

I came to town for the DIY Trunk Show, to try to sell hats, do some interviews, and see some people. Downtown was lit up beautifully last night, I had decent Chinese food for dinner last night and saw 10 or so friends today, which was great. While not sad about moving, I was missing my friends.

I was driving to a friend's house in Lincoln Park for dinner and the roads were a little icy and I got re-ended. I'm fine, and the car can be driven home, and everything will be fine. The woman who hit me was apologetic. (Actually, the police officer was very nice, too, given that my car is still registered in IL, my drivers license is TN, and I didn't have my insurance card. I will probably be glad Judy has such a nice steam shower in the a.m. but, geez, no more signs from above needed. I HEAR YOU NOW. I am getting out of town before winter.

First house guest

Jamie came to visit this weekend, which made the dogs and I am happy.

We did some dog training and some sightseeing. We discovered that Cooper can slip through the railings of the porch. So, either I need to go buy 90-100 ft. of chicken wire, or I need someone to replace the railings ASAP.

In addition to dog training, we went downtown to listen to music at some of the honky tonks:



We discovered that despite conventional belief, the San Antonio Taco Co. downtown has re-opened. So, I have eaten SATCO three times in two weeks. And, now I have found a SATCO at least 15 minutes closer to my house than the one by campus.

Had dinner at my new next door neighbor's tonight. Funny conversation about them wantinhg pass through gates in a fence, which is was of the sticking points with Brent and Pam and my old neighbors...

Rollin' on the River

One of the many times I looked at this house one of the neighbors mentioned that he got tired of hearing "Proud Mary" played on the river boat. I haven't heard it once, and was thinking I might be deaf.

The Music City Queen, which is a much smaller boat than the General Jackson, went bythis afternoon playing very bad renditions of "Ring of Fire" and "King of the Road." I really had to be outside to hear and it wasn't annoying (yet). It was fun. Also, a little weird to have this in your backyard. Cooper didn't even bark.

Said nosy neighborhood didn't believe me that the Music City Queen went by, but then he remembered the CMAs were this week. Lots of celebs in town renting tour boats, I guess. It is funny how the town is clean up like a campus on parents weekend. A bunch of lights had been burned out on the signage of the movie theater across the river. They're all fixed up this week.

"Killing Freeze"

Tonight we are expecting the first hard frost of the year...they keep calling it a "killing freeze" on the news. We're talking 31 degrees. Ha ha ha. I have not had time to plant the plants I uprooted from Chicago (except for that Weeping Canadian Hemlock tree that I tied to the top of the car). So, I've basically turned my car into a greenhouse tonight.

Had my third trip to the DMV today and success! I have a Tennessee drivers' license. I must really live here. And, not a bad photo either.

I'm so glad to be here, but between the house tasks, the moving tasks and the actual work tasks, I'm exhausted. So, more later.

Before pictures

Some of you have asked to see some house pictures. Remember that this is a work-in-progress. If you click on the photo you should be able to see a bigger version.

Fog rolls in:



Dining room looking toward the river:



Front door:


Master bedroom:


Front room:

First animal charity event

Today was a fun day...after I walked the dogs to Shelby Bottom Greenway and DG helped with some house projects, we went to eat at a Thai restaurant that connects to a Go-Kart track. Seriously. See photo: Nicer decor than the typical Thai restaurant.

While over on the Opryland side of the river we stood in the parking lot and looked at the back of my house. Again, see photo:

Then we went to a charity event in East Nashville for a local no kill animal shelter. There I learned that crazy animal people are the same no matter where you live. I left having:
1. Seen someone I know (the electrician)
2. Got an invite to go see the closed to the public Opry museum
3. NOT adopted a third dog, despite a temptation from Blu, who is a hound like Cooper, plus about 70 lbs.

First celebrity sighting

Tonight DG and Meg invited me to a party opening the new Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture store. The dress code was "dress to be seen," which is in contrast to what I have been wearing whilest unpacking this week.

We drove to this party filled with beautiful people in Meg's convertible...this was the kind of event I thought I was giving up when I left Chicago and my ongoing supply of press passes. Of course, those parties didn't have models hanging around in the beds in the showroom. Nor did they have Nobel Prize winners. Yep. That's right. Al and Tipper were there. Sipping light-colored drinks (wouldn't want to spill red wine on the furniture).

Meg wanted to introduce me to a friend of hers who lives in the neighborhood. She did and he introduced me to his partner...who was Gary's college roommate. We had a long chat about restaurants, dogs, Jenn, Gary and Tom the Hot R.A.

I think I was more surprised to run into someone I knew than to see Al Gore on my first day out.

Day Two

This morning the fog was so thick on the river you couldn't see to the street. I felt like I was in a fairy tale forest.

The sun came out and the movers arrived with the rest of my stuff. Thus, I ended my week-long experiment of not yelling at anyone. A bunch of stuff on the truck was broken. And, the electric company came to turn off the power (uh, no, you were supposed to turn it ON). And, the wireless stopped working (I have since fixed it). In short, a typical moving day. But still a really good day.

Doris, the neighbor who brought pizza, came by today again. Offered to get me lunch...I told her I had eaten. I did not tell her it was the Halloween candy I bought for trick-or-treaters. She's actually selling her cute house across the street, in case anyone wants to come join me (MLS # 911179).

Now I'm trying to write for tomorrow's deadline rather than fix things up. See? Just like home.

First Day on Moss Rose Drive

In my first 24 hours in Nashville, I:
1. Ate breakfast at Pancake Pantry (only of interest to Vanderbilt grads. And, btw, Jenn, they now sell t-shirts. But I think it is still okay to eat there).
2. Paid $2.74 a gallon for gas.
3. Saw the General Jackson sail past my house all light up pretty. Twice. (see photo above and use your imagination)
4. Had a neighbor come by and bring me pizza, cinnamon sticks, soda and water for dinner. *Vegetarian* pizza so I did not have to worry about dinner while moving in. (Marked difference from the conversations I was having with my former neighbors a week ago.)
5. Watched the dogs wrestle, play and run laps inside the big, new house.
6. Saw a moon river from my deck.
7. Ate leftovers from Ellen's party.
8. Got pretty monogrammed Crane stationery as a gift.

Other than that, a pretty standard moving day...some things are here (mattress), some are not (sheets, dog bowls). The movers showed up early, so we closed early so they could get started. Internet, wireless and phone are up and working, but the rest of the house is pretty much not yet working. Not sure how I am going to get the office set up. And, there is a TON of cosmetic work I want to do here. But, I could not be happier.