brrrr....

It's September 5 and I'm declaring summer to be over. It may be wishful thinking but I'm ready for cooler weather. The temperature never got over 65 degrees so I've been lounging around with the windows open and a sweatshirt on. The AC hasn't come on all day. My room fans have been enjoying some idle time as well. For now I'm going to get in the mood for some high school football and Halloween decorations. I wonder how the middle Tennessee area is for apple cider? I may have to import some but it's a minor price to pay to celebrate the end of a hot, humid summer.

smoke em if you've got em....

A few years ago, I was an anti-smoking zealot. I couldn't stand the sight of it, the smell of it or the waste associated with it. It just seemed like such a destructive and nasty habit. My thoughts have changed radically and I'm not as righteous as I once was. I'll never take up smoking but I've taken a more "live and let live" attitude with a touch of curiosity. Maybe it was all of those episodes of Mad Men that made smoking look so dreamy.

It's tobacco harvest time in middle Tennessee. The plants are much bigger than i imagined. The plant is chopped off at its base which is a very heavy stem. The plants remain on the stem and are hung upside down in a long barn like the one shown. Then the fires are started and the doors shut. I'd love to know how they keep a low smolder going. This barn has been smoking for a week. It was the first thing that the natives told me when I arrived - come summer, don't call 911 when you see a smoking barn.

wreading, writing, writhmetic...

My apartment building is in a residential neighborhood. I moved in back in January so I became accustomed to seeing a couple of kids standing outside the neighboring house waiting for the bus. I leave for work at 6:30am and I was impressed to see them out there each morning, rain or shine.

Today is Friday, August 5th. I got in my car this morning, swung through the parking lot, stopped short of Greenwood Ave and looked to the right before pulling out. I couldn't believe it when I saw the same kids waiting outside. Were they starting a late session of summer school?

New York started the school year the day after Labor Day. Texas started around the 3rd week of August. I came home from work and did the googles. Sure enough - today was the first day of school. yikes

you scream, i scream....

Middle Tennessee is definitely in the dog days of summer. There are a couple of differences with a central Texas summer. The humidity seems higher in Tennessee and there is rarely any breeze. It is never over 100 degrees but it still feels mighty warm.

Maybe I'm not hanging out in the right places but there aren't many ice cream establishments here. I know of one frozen yogurt place. There are a few DQ's and McDonald's but there aren't any mom and pop soft serve places. Could this be a business opportunity? People may be too enamored with their 49 cent cones from McDonald's. Is that stuff even dairy or is it chemical? giggle

sweet thing....

After 30 years in Austin, I was an ice tea fiend. I truly missed it when I would take a vacation. I became accustomed to the huge glasses and the unlimited refills. There was nothing better on a hot day.

Tennessee ice tea drinking involves a choice. "I'll have an ice tea" is always followed with "sweet or unsweet?". The natives prefer the sweet version and restaurants pride themselves on the sweetness of their sweet tea. The unsweet tea is still my preferred choice since I'm a purist. giggle. The problem is that unsweet tea typically tastes old. Half the time, the waitress makes a mistake and delivers sweet tea to me. I think it's a conspiracy to convert me. I'm hanging strong - just like the tea that I prefer.

creatures of habit...

Small town running story....

I have to be at work at 7:00am. I roll out of bed at 4:30am. I eat a banana, 7 saltines and 12 ounces of water. I put on my running togs and walk out my door at 5:00am. I run the same route (boring) each morning. I wave to the breakfast crowd (person) at Frank's. I give a shout out to the Austin Peay campus police at the same place every day.

Somewhere near my apartment, there are 2 guys that are equally consistent in their routine. Around the mile 4 mark, they come driving toward me. They give me a little honk of the horn. They also lean toward the passenger window and give me a big thumbs up. It's kind of freaky how often this happens and at the same place. It throws off my rhythm for the day when I don't see them.

trash talk.....

In the spirit of government staying out of peoples business, there isn't any citywide garbage collection services in Clarksville. People can select a company to pick up their trash or if they are really industrious, they can make frequent runs to "collection centers". My apartment complex has a couple of dumpsters discreetly tucked away. There are benefits to apartment living.

There is also no citywide recycling effort. The collection centers have designated dumpsters for plastics, paper, glass and paper. I have a big shopping bag in my pantry that I throw recyclables in. Every two weeks, I make the trek to the collection center. My favorite experience while I was out recycling happened a month ago. A school bus pulled in and a bunch of armed guards got out. A stream of inmates made their way to the trash and recycling bins. It turns out that some folks in Montgomery County are doing their part for a healthier planet.