First my apartment. It's not bad. It's small but it's clean (well, sort of). It's noisy, especially with all the pets around. Cats serenading anyone willing to listen during the night. Dogs barking to let you know that the wind is stirring the leaves again. Oh, and don't forget the car alarms that seem to go off just as you're falling asleep. I think it all bothers me more than it should mainly because I've been spoiled the last couple of years with the wonderful place that Kalee and I shared in Urbandale. But all in all, it's a good place.
This is the view from my porch door. Or at least it was a few weeks ago when the trees were in bloom. Now there's just leaves that are half brown from the Dogwood Winter we had in March. For those of you who don't know (I didn't until someone told me) a Dogwood Winter is a blast of freezing temperatures that happens after the Dogwood trees are already in bloom.
This is my new couch. It's a soft Charcoal gray microsuede. I love it! It's very cozy and I can lounge on it anyway I want to and I'm always comfortable. I have recently purchased two rich navy blue pillows for it of a similar material. They match some of my pictures. Oh, and the coffee table- I drove to Atlanta, GA, to IKEA and purchased that, carried it into my apartment and put it together all by myself. For not being handy, I thought I did a pretty good job. The dresser was actually harder (see later photo).
This is the rest of my living room- my fireplace and mantel. I've added more picutres, in a sort of collage in front of my fireplace on the floor. I sorta ran out of wall space. Following is a closer view of my mantel.
This is a picutre of a picture. When my parents came to visit over Easter, we were shopping in the Cool Springs Galleria and my parents decided I needed a nice picture for over my sofa. I know it's hard to tell with the glare, but it goes with everything perfectly. They practically forced me to get it. Sorry, Mom and Dad if you're reading this, but you have to admit that- I said no several times and it wasn't until you said you'd pay for it did I agree. :)
This is my dining room and kitchen.
This is my new bed- nice and comfy!
This is my new washer & dryer. I can't describe how weird it feels to purchase something like this. It made me feel older and like I had to be responsible now. But I absolutely love having them. I can do a load of laundry anytime I like and don't have to worry about waiting to pile it all together to take it to a laundry mat.
Well, a couple of weeks ago I went on my first trip for work- I escorted a band that was taking a trip to Chicago. They didn't play anywhere, in fact they didn't even bring their instruments; it was just a trip for fun. And I think they did have fun. We went downtown mostly. I've always liked Chicago. And it felt great to be in the Midwest again. I understand people here- not just how they talk, but how they think. I can't explain it, but Southerners just have a different way of looking at things sometimes. The band I was escorting was from Alabama. Now, in the two months I have been in Nashville, I haven't even begun to pick up a Southern accent- there's enough people around that don't speak with one or with only a gentle hint of an accent that it's been easy to ignore. But the five days I was with the band from Alabama- I was speaking like someone who's lived there for years. Their accents were so strong that I couldn't help but pick it up while I was with them. But now that I haven't heard it for a couple of weeks again, I have resorted to my typical Midwestern accent- which according to my boss is strong, but not a true Midwestern accent. She says I have hints of other speech as well, I guess so...whatever. So, here's the trip:
This is T-Rex Sue from the Field Museum of Natural History. I'm glad I haven't seen Night at the Museum yet, otherwise I might have been scared that Sue would step off her mount and chase me around the museum.
This is one of the elephants on display. I really wanted to take a picture from the other side and come up with something witty to say, but I figured it would end up coming across crass, so I thought better of it.
This is a South American tribal statue. I just liked it. Not that I would want one of my own, but I found it interesting.
This is Wrigley Field. It was freezing cold the day we were there, but completely worth it!
This is my favorite player, but not just because he's good. I like sharing a name with a Cub's player. I really wanted to get his jersey, cause then maybe I could claim some special connection, but it didn't work out. Too bad. (If you didn't realize, it's Derrick Lee.)
I really enjoy baseball. But I will admit, it's much more fun to see the game in person than on TV. Oh, and while there I had a hotdog. How could I not. It would be like going to Hershey, PA and not eating chocolate!
These are views of the city from the Skydeck at the Sears Tower. I've been up there and I must say, I enjoy visiting it. First, the whoosh through your veins as one of the fastest elevators in the world rushes you towards the top. Then the view (on a clear day of course) is incredible. I love seeing the city from a bird's viewpoint. I like to see how many places I can recognize and point out to others.
These are of Hard Rock Cafe' in Chicago. I enjoy fun restaurants like that, even when I've been a patron before. I also added to my and my dad's glass collections. I also purchased a guitar pin to go on my leather bag- I think it was a nice addition.
Big Trains, little trains...lots of trains at the Museum of Science and Industry.
I liked this train set- it's a miniature of Chicago.
This was an incredible set, it had bridges, villges and even mountains. Unfortunately, my picture doesn't do it justice.
My favorite part of the Museum of Science and Industry was Yesterday's Main Street. Thisis a lantern that was burning with real fire.
These are storefronts (they're yellow from a setting on my camera to reduce the glare from the glass). My favorite was the corset shop, though I never would have wanted to wear one myself. They look acutely uncomfortable.
Planes, robots and more...oh my!
These are views of Lake Michigan off of Navy Pier. I like lighthouses. They seem to be shrouded in mystery.
We took the band on an evening dinner cruise. The food was good, the entertainment was fun, but the view of the night skyline of Chicago was breathtaking! I realize the pictures are a little blurry- sorry about that. But I still wanted to share them.
Well, that's all the pictures I have to share right now. I hope you enjoyed them. They took a lot of work putting them all in here. If anyone knows of any shortcuts, please let me know.
I've been sitting in Panera for several hours over two days now. While here, my godparents called. They were driving through Nashville on their way home to Nebraska after spending 6 months in Florida. They stopped and we visited for awhile. It's always great to see a friendly face! Nancy, while sitting here with me, made several calls to track down a lady that she knew from her youth that lives here. She finally got ahold of her and had me talk with her. She seemed very nice and extremely friendly. Especially with getting a call out of the blue from someone you haven't spoken to in years and then to be handed off to someone you didn't even know existed. Nancy wanted me to connect with her because she believed this lady could help me with career connections and other things. She gave me some great ideas and helpful tips. I find it interesting, since being here in Nashville, all the connections I've made have all been with people quite a bit older than me. I think the closest to my age is at least 12 years older than me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this; I would prefer a varied group of acquaintances. But at the same time, I would really like to connect with some people my own age. People I could hang out with. I know it will happen, I'm not worried. Just growing a bit impatient.
I've been planning some day trips to take this summer. A lady I work with has suggested some little places to visit that are no more than a couple hours away. Some places will take money, so those I might wait on. Most, though, were just a place to drive to and walk around. If anyone comes for a visit, I would love to take them on one of these adventures- just a little incentive for anyone who may be toying with the idea.
Well, before I go. I have to ask a favor from my beloved friends and family. I believe more changes are coming my way...not that I haven't had more than my share lately. But I could use some prayer support. Call or email if you want more details- my blog is a little too public.
It's been great hearing from so many of you. I beg you to keep the emails coming. I'm trying to reply to as many as I can as quickly as I can. I love you all and miss you all!
