Chillin' in my hood

I don't know what exactly it is about my neighborhood that I love so much, but I feel so alive and happy here! I live right near the center of town and this area is classified as inner city, but you wouldn't know it when you're standing in the middle of it. Handsome, mature trees towering over the road. Interesting architecture... Victorians, bungalows, Colonials, cozy older cottages like mine. I love that we're not completely WASPy here like the rest of Knoxville is; for example, on my quiet dead-end street we have young families, black kids and white kids who actually play together, widowed retirees, lesbians, Goth teenagers. People are constantly outside gardening, sitting on their porches, jogging, or walking their dogs. It is a rare occasion that we go for a walk and don't bump into someone who knows us and stops to chat.

Tonight, we strolled down side streets, cut through Edgewood Park, and spent some time puttering around the library. After that we walked to Sonic, and enjoyed a refreshing cherry limeade before taking another scenic route home. We walked the street in front of our house instead of coming from behind as usual, and I then spent some time watering the flowers and reflecting on the changes in our home since we bought it.

This place had ZERO curb appeal the first time I ever saw it. Scraggly bushes, no trees, very plain and miserable looking. Then I realized... what a great blank canvas I have in this house. It WILL be cute by the time I'm done. We added dark green shutters, planted trees, replaced the icky bushes, landscaped around the front and side, added flowerboxes in the windows and an American flag, and boom! It has "Amber" written all over it.

Someday, probably too soon, we will have to move. Our house is too small for a growing family, and the hubby and I both agree that we want some land and more privacy than what our urban nook currently offers. I will deeply miss this place, though, and I have been immensely proud to call this neighborhood my home.

Can't stop smiling!

I'm rocking my job right now! Last Saturday, we held the annual spring festival for the families that I work with in my program, as well as anyone else from the public who wanted to attend. What a great day that was! I was thrilled that it turned out so well, given this was my first time coordinating an event of that size (other than my wedding, of course). Lots going on that day... 6 staff plus 15 volunteers including a Girl Scout troop, craft stations, bubble station, giant inflatable moonwalks and slides, snacks, sno-cones, door prizes, music, group time. After it was over, I came home, changed into PJ's, collapsed on the couch, and enjoyed the afterglow from a successful day of hard work. My next project involves spending down $5700 in grant money before this fiscal year ends. Shopping with other people's money? They call this WORK?!!

Life is good. Birthday was mellow... visited my favorite Italian restaurant, then hit the movies to see Shrek 3. I got to see all of my parents within the last 2 weeks, both sets (of mine) came down to go to the mountains. Everyone's happy and healthy!

Been plowing through lots of books lately. Just finished "Marley and Me", a nonfiction by John Grogan. I highly recommend it... what a great read! If you're looking for a sweet story that doesn't insult your intelligence, this is your book. At first glance you would think it was all about this guy and his dog, but it's really about the joy of living. Hands down, one of the best books I've read in the last year. Just be prepared for an emotional ending!

Why I have plastic army men all over my car

Embarassing personal disclosure time: I am addicted to “The Bachelor.” Yes, yes, I know, it’s the corniest show on TV. All of these dolled-up women throwing themselves at one guy when most of them probably wouldn’t even give him the time of day if they met him at home. What can I say, though… I’m a sucker for love. A total sap. Whatever you want to call it, I’m guilty!

Sometimes I think my own love life would’ve been a much more entertaining TV series… here are just a few of the more interesting highlights from my own emotional rollercoaster of LUVVVVVVV…

B - Ahhh, first love. Short-lived, intense, and the only drama-filled relationship I’ve ever had. I was a stubborn 16-yr-old and my mama didn’t like him; he was a tough guy and too smart for his own good. He still is both, actually. Somehow we never lost that “connection” (how ‘bout that Bachelor word?!?)… but now I treasure his friendship. And I couldn’t be prouder of the man he’s turned out to be.

J - You know how all college freshmen first get to campus and latch onto the first available creature of the opposite sex because they’re deathly afraid of everyone else pairing off and getting married? Yep, that was J. He was a twin, and my best friend Joy dated his twin brother. To this day, I still can’t figure out what Joy or I saw in either one of them. They were both as eccentric as could be. Imagine two short and skinny white boys who spoke ebonics to each other ALL DAY LONG, and you've got the picture.

R - I knew he was bad news when the first call I ever received from him was at midnight. But what can you expect from a guy you meet at the gas station? Our last date was the worst I ever had… him telling the waitress how awful I was because I didn‘t cry at “Titanic“, taking me to his apartment to show off his gun collection, and ending with a loud fight in the middle of the movie theater lobby. Yikes!

C - The baseball player. I spent a summer working for our local indie-league pro ball team, and he was the star pitcher. It was fun for awhile, being a groupie and all. Too bad the guy struck out!

C - Way too confusing. I wanted things to work out, and even though a lot would've had to change first, I would've waited for him. However, he suddenly got married and disappeared from Knoxville, and that was that. I really don't know what else I can say without saying too much.

J - He was literally covered head-to-toe in mud when he asked me out. Gotta give the guy a little credit for originality.

C - Haha, C was the mystery of my senior year of college. We talked for months before we finally met… it all began when he dialed my phone number by accident, and I gave him a really hard time because I thought he was someone I knew pranking me. 45 minutes later, C and I finally got off the phone. He proceeded to call me every Thursday and we had very interesting conversations about everything from politics to CMT to God. The night we finally met… wow! Half of my dorm was hanging out the front windows scoping this guy out, wanting to be witnesses to what was destined to be our love story. C pulled up in his red convertible, all red hair and broad shoulders and suave outfit, and plucked me from the masses… I felt like a queen. That all changed at the restaurant when I was SO bored that I was timing with my watch how long he sat there talking… and talking… and talking… and talking…

D - Oh my. He was probably my single biggest mistake. I pretty much knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to work with us, but he was persistent and we truly did have a blast together so it was nearly impossible for me to send him packing. He was *WAY* out of my league as far as looks went, and he knew it. Tall, dark, and handsome all the way, fully Italian, looked like a model, dressed like he stepped straight from the pages of GQ. He liked me because I was mysterious. Once he figured out that I was really was a "challenge", he was ready to move on. That’s OK, I was expecting it. I got the last laugh on D when I bumped into him on my wedding night, in my wedding gown, and with my new husband. :) I’m not vindictive (really!!) but my evil twin revels in that memory.

J - What were we, exactly? We lived eight hours apart, but talked all the time... and one of the most romantic moments in my life actually happened with him (and no, I'm not telling any more!). I was floating somewhere in the sky whenever we were together, which unfortunately wasn't as often as I would've liked. It's kinda hard for love to happen when one-half of the couple works full time as an engineer, spends one weekend a month in the Army reserve, is studying for his second master's, teaching 2 college courses, and taking care of his parents. If he spent any time with me, then he fell behind in his work for days, if not weeks (depending on the length of our visit). Talk about unhealthy! I sincerely hope he finds something that will make him happy.

D - The perfectionist. And guess what? I’m not perfect!! For obvious reasons, we were immediately doomed for failure! D was a perfect gentleman. He had the prestigious job as a nuclear scientist, an immaculate home in Farragut, fit body from distance biking, classic wardrobe, perfectly romantic dates, extensive knowledge of the Bible, on and on and on. For awhile, I believed his game and thought that he really was the perfect one for me. Thankfully, he discovered sooner than I did that I did not meet his impossible standards, and he very sweetly put me back on the shelf with all of the other imperfect women of the world, right back where I belonged. Poor guy. He was 44, I was 23. That should’ve been my first clue, right?

For the sake of brevity, I'll skip over several others (although my friends could certainly add more good stories on me…) and go straight to…

D - I tried for weeks to figure out who my new neighbor was in the apartment across the hall. Whoever they were, my gosh, they were so quiet! I never heard or saw them coming or going. Finally I decided to stop snooping, bake some brownies, knock on the door, and introduce myself… and that’s exactly what I did. The door swung open and there stands a very attractive blond man, who obviously wasn’t expecting visitors and was sans shirt. Ohhhhh nooooooooo. I was totally embarrassed and tongue-tied, and all I really remember was shoving the brownies into his hands, tossing out a lame excuse about needing to leave, then making a beeline for my apartment!

I soon found myself dressing up to take out the garbage, and racing to the door to squint through the peephole whenever I heard the slightest noise in the hallway. Turns out he was doing the very same thing.

Six months later, he proposed, and we‘re now living our happily ever after. I love you, Donald! I'd go through it all over again just to find you.