Living in TN - Musings

I have lived in a few different places, Minnesota, Mexico, Indiana, and Ireland (I classify "lived" as by staying in a place, getting mail and doing laundry). But no place I have lived (besides MN) has been as permanent as my new home. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but it seems very new and different to me. I really enjoy this new place and it's not what I expected.

When I think Tennessee, I guess, when I thought Tennessee before, I thought the area would be more country-bumpkin, with tons of country music and not a whole lot going on. I really wasn't a fan of the south (for a variety of reasons) and I'm very happy that my previous notions were wrong. At least Middle Tennessee has a lot going on, it's very beautiful with the hills and the weather. People are really nice, and that's not an exaggeration. Andy and I went on our first bike ride on the Murfreesboro Greenway (which is nothing like the Midtown Greenway) and his chain broke. Some random stranger rode past us as Andy was working on the bikes to ask if we needed help. That doesn't happen much in Minneapolis.

When you go to a new place do you ever think that your first day there feels entirely different from how you see it after awhile? This place certainly does and I'm starting to get my bearings. It's tough to get situated geographically with Andy though because he can never drive the same way twice. So I'm not entirely sure how to get around all the time, but I'm getting there. Overall, this place has been really fun and I'm very happy we've made this move. Life down here is a lot different than our life in Minnesota though, here are some examples.

Slow Pace: Granted government-run anything isn't quick but the time it took to get my driver's license was ridiculous. Especially since I spent a 1/2 hour watching some supervisor stand around in different positions and drink his coffee. Additionally they drive below the speed limit here. Earlier I mentioned that they drive the speed limit due to cops being very active. But I toe the line and I pass about 75% of those driving. I just don't get it.

Because 25 mph is just too fast

Horses, ect: On the way to work for Andy he can pass horses and cows grazing in the fields. I can guarantee you that didn't happen on the crosstown. When I was doing my job search today I saw someone riding their horse up to the stables on the "block" before you get to our townhouse development. When we drove to Chattanooga the other weekend we saw adorable cows with white tube tops on. I enjoy seeing the livestock.

Weather: When we left Minnesota, spring was starting. Spring is my least favorite season in Minnesota because it's so wet and mucky. I like to go outside and spend time hiking around but sometimes it's difficult to wade through the mud and stay on a path. Spring in Tennessee is like it should be. Stuff grows when it's "officially" spring time. Spring break comes at a logical time of year. Heck, as I write this I'm sitting on my front step wearing a tank top, shorts, and sunscreen with no shoes/socks. It's refreshing.

Dirt: Some of the soil here is red, which really throw me for a loop sometimes. We live kind of by a little cemetery (near where the neighbor horses are kept) and the fresh graves have piles of red dirt. It's just weird.

Music: Granted Minneapolis has it's own solid music scene, it's nothing compared to Music City! And I love that. Andy and I saw a bluegrass band play at the Station Inn last weekend. It seems that on any given day in any old bar there will be some form of a band playing there. And I like that. Even if it is country. Speaking of country, I haven't heard a lot of it since being down here. In our first couple weeks, Andy and I resigned ourselves to listening to country in the car because we didn't know where the good stations were. We've found a lot of good music stations since that I really enjoy. Plus, there are two public radio stations next to each other on the dial. That's just the checkers.

Off the Wagon, allegedly the tallest Bluegrass band in the world.

Out-of-doors: I would classify Minnesota as an outdoors-y state. I spent most of my life hanging around outside, reading, hiking, camping, canoeing, taking the dog out. There's a lot to do outside in Minnesota and I would say the Boundary Waters is one of my favorite places to be. However, generally you have to go aways from the cities to get to any fun type of country. And let's face it, Minnesota is pretty flat. Not just outside of Nashville! A couple weekends ago Andy and I went on a hike to Shake Rag Hollow and had a marvelous time traversing the hilly terrain. The road to get to the trail head stopped at cliff with no guardrails, just the hope that you'll be too much in awe to keep driving. There's going to be a lot of camping and hiking down here.

Vistas!

History: We're surrounded by history here. Everywhere we go there's a sign on the road for this battle or that. It's fun to be a part of an area where so much happened to shape our country. Even on Andy's way to work he drives by a Civil-War Era cannon, who can beat that?!

Crops: Much of out state Minnesota is devoted to the cultivation of corn and soybeans. Which makes for a boring road trip. Here, there's cotton! I've never seen (at least that I've remembered) a cotton field until now. And I'm more excited to see what it looks like in full and glorious bloom.

I was given a history of the Cotton Gin at this point.

I look forward to exploring more of what Tennessee has to offer. It's good to be wrong sometimes about a place and just taking a chance.

2000 - 2009 A Life and Times of Amanda Review

It may seem silly and cliche, but I love reading articles about the year in review and the decade in review. This seems like the appropriate location to review what my past decade has been like. I'm going to use my brother's set up, because it's a great one. This past decade has seen the biggest changes in my life and I don't think it could have ended up better. The decade encompassed my high school and college years. While they may not be the best years of my life, they certainly are some of the most important. I've learned a lot throughout the past decade and I'm looking forward to learning more in the decades to come!

*Some of these years may not necessarily be accurate, and that's because I have a bad memory.

2000

Finished middle school and started high school at Mounds View High School.

My mom borrowed 3 books from a coworker about a boy named Harry Potter. I started to wish my school was magical.

Said no to drugs and alcohol.

Made the competition dance line at Metro Dance and started getting serious about dancing.

Began my short career as a Cheerleader for the MVHS girls hockey team. They were the best group of people I cheered for (sorry Tony's football friends).

Went to the Homecoming dance with a boy who was 30 lbs lighter than me and 3 inches shorter than me. Felt like a giant. First experience hearing someone say "I love you" and being really freaked out by it.

2001

Without plans for our spring break, my parents send Tony and I on a mission trip to an orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico with a family friend. One of the best last minute decisions that has had a lasting impact on my life.

Became a football and soccer cheerleader for a school I increasingly disliked. Told football players don't like Twinkies.

Started getting into music and learning to love a variety of sounds.

2002

Spent a month living with a family in Cuernavaca, Mexico learning Spanish. Had a great time living relatively independently in a foreign country.

Able to take Spanish 5 at MVHS and unlearn everything learned in Mexico.

Joined the junior varsity track team at MVHS.

Started doing competition tap, ballet and jazz after many years out of practice.

Went to my first concert alone, saw Fuel, Sevendust at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. Saved up $27 to buy a concert t-shirt from selling custom mix CDs at school.

2003

Found out that I could spend my last year of high school, not going to high school and attending college for free.

Got in to the PSEO program at the University of Minnesota, one of the best things that I've ever done. I learned to be independent, take risks, and explored a vast new place.

Continued to do tap, ballet, jazz and dance line at Metro Dance.

Got my first job at Proex, taking portraits of people and developing pictures.

Opened my first bank account!

2004

Declared a Spanish minor while still in high school.

Graduated from high school. Vowed to never step foot inside MVHS again. A promise I have since kept.

Accepted into the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Quit my job at Proex and started working at East Side Beverage, a challenging but rewarding job.

Moved into Middlebrook Hall on the West Bank of the Mississippi. A great place where I met some wonderful people and made new friends.

2005

Spring semester was the worst for grades as I didn't listen to the recommendation and took 2 difficult classes that I didn't like at the same time. Slacked off an incredible amount for me.

Learned that I can't always coast through classes and spent much of April and May catching up.

Got a lot of music from a fellow music lover and expanded my tastes in music. Though I still don't do rap.

Started a job at the Gopher Express and Post Office in the student union. Discovered a life-long love for Amy's Pizza Pockets. I am extremely knowledgeable about postal requirements. Mailed my first human body parts.

Joined the Student Association for Non-profit Enterprise (SANE). Voted president of the student group to start that fall.

Became a U-Crew in Middlebrook hall starting in fall semester. Got a single and a mandate to help the freshman residents on 6th floor adjust and enjoy their college experience.

Started drinking.

Realized that I didn't want to be an Entrepreneur and changed my major to Human Resources and Industrial Relations. Hoped that with that major I'd be able to help people.

Got a bicycle for my birthday only to have it stolen 2 weeks into the school year.

2006

Applied for study abroad and was accepted to go to the Quinn School of Business at the University College Dublin.

Declared a Psychology minor to fill in the gaps until I graduated.

Moved my parents to Covington, Indiana and helped sell the home I grew up in, in Arden Hills, Minnesota. My job for that summer was to pack up the house, take Chip out of the house when people came to see it, refill the ponds, and keep the house clean.

Worked in Danville, IL for 1 month as an audit assistant. Learned I don't like numbers job and that I must always stay busy.

Traveled to Ireland where I didn't realize until the plane touched down that I didn't know a single person in the country.

Had a great time in Ireland; drinking whiskey, making great friends, studied quite a bit, traveling around Europe, and bringing my family over to show them a good time.

I figured out that I do best when I am constantly learning something new.

2007

Moved into a closet in Minnesota.

Struggled a bit to adjust to the change from study abroad.

Over Easter I ran my dad's ATV into a tree. Thought I was about to die and then got afraid of driving and motor vehicles after that.

Met and started dating Andy Harvey. Our first date encompassed riding in Critical Mass and dining at a Thai restaurant in St. Paul. We watched a barge in the Mississippi during sunset.

Completed my Emerging Leadership Program on principle and couldn't continue with the honors program if I graduated early.

Pete came for a visit over the summer and I tried to show him a good time around Minneapolis. It ended up that he was able to create a good time for himself here as well!

First time I questioned a grade I received from a teacher and went into mediation. Was able to move my grade up and felt more confident.

House got broken into the day after I moved in. I lost my laptop, camera, and sense of safety.

Graduated from the University of Minnesota in 3 1/2 years. Had to do my graduation ceremony in the spring, despite finishing in the winter. Happy to be done with school!

Got my first car that was my own! A wonderful 2008 Honda Fit. It fits a lot.

2008

Got my first job as a Human Resources Assistant at Mall of America. Learned to love MOA and learned a lot about people.

Called the city on my landlord a few times for dumping. Dealt with Thursday night garage parties 2 houses down, roomies that didn't always do their dishes, and the wonderment of a house that could be so cold in the winter could be so hot in the summer.

Got my first promotion 5 months after being hired, now an HR Representative, I started doing interviews.

Andy and I moved in together in a small house in South Minneapolis.

Andy proposed on the train ride home from a visit to Indiana. Started planning a wedding. Bought a wedding dress a couple weeks later.

Moved work offices from upstairs in Nickelodeon Universe to the basement of MOA in December. Stopped seeing daylight for awhile. Enjoyed a bigger "office" and being around the rest of MOA employees.

2009

Learned that planning a wedding takes a lot of time and effort.

Made a plan with Andy that in 2010 we would start looking for jobs out of state in earnest and move out of Minnesota within 2 years.

Started gardening and grew our own tomatoes, carrots, beans, radishes, lettuce, squash, and peppers. Ate more vegetables and fruits than ever before.

Learned how to can and preserve summer food.

Received a canoe for a wedding present from my parents and paddled around the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and Lake Nokomis.

Took my first trip to the BWCA with Andy and he didn't end up as bear bait. He passed the family test with flying colors.

Got married on October 10, 2009. Had a great time seeing everyone and I realized that the best thing about weddings was seeing all of my family at once.

Honeymooned in Portland, OR and had a wonderful time. Came home knowing that's where we'd like to live in the future.

2010

I don't usually make resolutions, but this year there are some things that I would like to accomplish.

• The first is to keep better track of my finances. I don't usually pay much attention to them, but I've realized that's a bad idea.
• Get a dog! For Christmas Andy and I saved some gift money for each other to put to adopting a greyhound.
• Move away from Minnesota. After living here our whole lives, Andy and I think it's time to try someplace new. Preferable that will be Portland, OR, but we're open to other places.

Top 10 Reasons I'm Excited to Move

Andy and I are moving into the new house on July 26, and it'll be a wonderful day. We have a countdown to the move we're so excited. While I like my current room and my roommates, there are many reasons I'm anxious to get out of this house. So here are my top ten reasons I'm excited to move.

10. Tipper! I get my cat back.
9. Being able to a plant a garden.
8. Living so close to many great places to shop and do my business (grocery store, liquor store, Wells Fargo, bowling alley, dentist, post office, library, gas station, and bakery)
7. Free laundry!
6. Air conditioning, I'm tired of sweating when I'm getting ready in the morning.
5. Not having to ride my bike through Cedar Riverside.
4. No noisy neighbors! Which means no more Wednesday/Thursday night parties.
3. Having new walks to take in pretty places (Lake Nokomis, Minnehaha Park, and Minnehaha Creek)
2. My commute will be a 1/2 hour shorter, giving me an hour more out of each day.
1. Not seeing my landlord every time I look out my window

It'll be a great day when I move! We're looking to have a bit of a house warming party once we get settled. Something around the lines of a cookout, since we'll have a gas and a charcoal grill.

I like to Ride my Bicycle

and so does the rest of Minneapolis!

Well, not quite the rest, but a growing minority! I have to say, I have been quite impressed with the number of people who have been out riding their bikes this winter. Biking in Minneapolis in the winter is not easy, between irate drivers, wind that'll take your face off, and unplowed bike lanes it can be down right dangerous. I've had my fair share of frustrations this winter and I'm quite excited to see people out and about on their bikes.

I'm studying today at the Purple Onion and I've secured myself a space looking out a window toward University Avenue. Just a block and half down from the busiest intersection for bicycles in the Minneapolis area (15th Ave and University). After seeing so many delightful people out on their bikes I decided to make a count to determine how many people are actually out biking.

The first three half hour intervals ranged from 9-10 people each 1/2 hour sighted riding bikes. I was excited. Especially since I was studying too and not really paying attention. Then the 1:00 half hour say 27 cyclists! They were everywhere! Some looked determined to be out riding their bikes, some looked like it was the hardest thing they ever had to do, and others looked like they were riding on a sunny summer afternoon.

Alright, so what do we do with this information? With so many people out and about on bikes, we should support them, and encourage others to get out and start pedaling. This means more bike lanes. And not those lame signs that display a bike route, they are meaningless because nobody pays attention to them and they honestly make no sense. To ensure the safety of bike riders there needs to be logically laid out and enforced lanes for bike traffic. And they need to be plowed in the winter. Minneapolis touts its "bike friendly" nature; however, the city is mostly words and no action. Not having plowed bike lanes mean bikers have to ride in the streets, endangering themselves and other motorists. It honestly scares the hell out of me to bike sometimes and I blame the city of Minneapolis for absolutely not caring about the safety of cyclists. Lets not wait until more Minneapolis bikers die from car accidents before we improve this situation.

Scavenging Around Minneapolis

Last Saturday was my first alleycat race, known as scAVENGER! Basically we got a list of things to find/do in Northeast Minneapolis and about 2 1/2 hours to get it all done. The results are now in and our team, the Fightin' Unicorns placed an admirable second-to-last. We didn't get handicap bonus points like we deserved, but all's well that ends well.

Someone else took this picture of our team's bikes. Maddy is mine on the far right. That's our team up in the corner, devising our strategy.

Andy plotting out all the stops on a map that already had the stops plotted out.

The day started off pouring rain, but it let up just in time for the race to start. However, at that point I rolled over some large form of a spring and popped my first tire. Luckily Andy has the same bike as me, and he rode of to switch out tires quickly. While he was doing that, the rest of the team (which consisted of Jon, Katlin, her friend, Anouk, from the Netherlands, Kim, Andy and myself) checked an inappropriate picture off our list.

I'm pretty sure Mom wouldn't want me to bike around in my underwear. He could've caught hypothermia!

After that we were off to the highest point in Minneapolis to get a number off a kiosk and to take another photo of a "pointless" human pyramid. This took a lot more discussion than should be required for a pyramid. It didn't help that I couldn't figure out the timer on my camera right away. At any rate, we took a good picture.

I'm not actually really resting on anyone since I had to run around to the back.

Then we rode around and accomplished a few other tasks. Jon wrote a short essay about two songs from a juke box in Grumpy's bar and I tipped the bartender $1 (that was Andy's) for doing nothing. After that we headed to Boom Island to get a bloom and a wonderful picture. Though on the way Kim's chain broke in the middle of the road and we had to take yet another break. For some reason Andy was actually prepared for this set back and magically had a chain tool to fix her chain. The break was helpful in that we found a copy of the surprisingly elusive Northeaster for our collection of things.

Andy Has-the-world-in-his-backpack doing what he does best.

The task was to take a picture of the team on a picnic table with the skyline in the background. I should not have included so much of the other picnic table.

Then we were off to the "Feats of Strength"! Where we had used 40 oz of Miller High Life as a key to get into the stop. Our feat of strength was to each eat a large chunk of tofu covered with cinnamon, and then chug the 40 as a team. Lets just say that it was very beneficial to wash down the tofu with something.

Andy was amused by the tofu, Kim was disgusted, and Jon was thirsty.

Someone else also took another picture of our bikes. I was very excited.

I might have gotten the order of events a bit wrong. But at any rate, we were on our way to being done when I ran over a very dead squirrel and we were able to finish off the photo portion of the scavenger hunt.

We got 10 points for finding roadkill and taking a picture. Ten more points for a team member picking it up. Zero points for pretending to lick it. Jon's hand was immediately doused in whiskey to cleanse.

Then it was off to the after party! I've never seen so many bikers in the same place! It was really exciting. We turned in our manifesto and showed our pictures. The judge was appropriately disgusted with Jon's roadkill photo. Though we didn't win, it was still lots of fun. I really enjoy doing active things on the weekends. Next time though, I won't get so excited that they serve me at a bar.

A pitcher of beer!

Critically Massive

Yesterday was the second Critical mass of my life and it was AMAZING! If I've said before that I like biking in groups, I like even better biking in a group of about 150. The weather is nice and finals are just far enough away, loads of people decided to go for a Critical Mass ride. In that light the ride was incredibly fun and full of new experiences. Here's a shot of the group going over the Hennepin Avenue bridge:

We were in the middle of the pack. The month before traffic was able to get by on this bridge, not this month!

When there is such a large group there are actually Critical Mass techniques, mostly for the protection of bikers and annoyance of drivers. At intersections people actually stand with their bikes in front of cars until everyone rides by, so that the car can't make a mad dash through the crowd. That's quite dangerous. Plenty of people fell off their bikes anyway, there was no need for added car danger. I didn't get a shot of the tactics, but I did get a good picture of a "rally." I forgot what Andy called it. At the intersection of Hennepin and Lagoon in Uptown the ride stopped and a bunch of people rode around in circles. Then they picked up their biked and chanted: "Whose streets? Our streets!"

Bike "gang"

It was really funny. Then they did that again at another intersection, except it was interrupted by fire trucks. I got a video of that one and it sounds pretty badass. So once I figure out how to get a video on here, I'll post it (any help would be appreciated). This was quite the exciting night, I was really happy to be apart of it. Especially since it is for a good cause, people really should bike more. Andy's idea of a legal Critical Mass would be even better though, because then drivers would be annoyed, but not have any legal defense against us.

Here are some random pictures that I took because I was excited about being able to ride my bike and not fall off while taking pictures. Also, for the interest of Pete, I rode Paddy:

Paddy the bike. I wrapped those handlebars myself with the orange tape. That's why it looks so bad.

Andy and his friend Patrick, leaning on each other. They got tired.

I made sure that my helmet matched my shirt, always looking my best.

Ross on Delilah.

Going under the Washington Avenue Bridge, I think this is a pretty picture.

Downtown Minneapolis, this was taken the second round through.

Bicycle (Mis)Adventures

Recently biking has been lots of fun. I've found some people who like biking and going on rides is loads of fun now. Especially when funny things happen. We started doing Wednesday night bike rides, at 9 after my 3 hour class gets over. The first one last week was really fun, rather uneventful. We saw Minnehaha falls and went all around Lake Calhoun and uptown.

This past Wednesday we decided to go to St. Paul. Andy took Kim and I to a waterfall, I forgot was it was called. Anyway, it was really cool because it was dark and it had rained all day, so it was also really muddy. We stood at the top of the waterfall and heard it going down. Then we wandered to a place overlooked the Mississippi and was really muddy. The mud was like clay! It was amazing. Then we biked down Summit Ave, and around the Governor's Mansion Andy got a flat. Andy has this huge bag that he brings with him on rides in case anything bad happens. Except for when flats happen. He was unprepared. So we called Clare to rescue us and take us back home.

Though, the most exciting party of that ride was my first crash! Well, my first crash in a long time. Anyway, it was thrilling because I flew off my bike, but didn't get hurt. Andy apparently has this habit of turning in front of people, and he turned in front of me to go onto a path. I also, didn't see him slowing down, so I was still going at a good rate. So I hit his back tire and somehow came off my bike. Thankfully, I hit the ground running. Crouch running, from what Andy says. I remember not wanting to fall and hurt myself, because I was going pretty fast, so I just kept going with my momentum until I slowed down. It was really exciting.

Yesterday was my first Critical Mass. It's where a bunch of bicyclists get together to raise awareness about cycling as a viable means of getting around. And other such stuff. The website is good. I biked downtown for the first time and that was really fun, I know more about how to get around now. I'm excited about that. Anyway, we started at Loring park, there was a group of about maybe 40ish people there all with bikes. When someone says go, we all start biking around the city. Lets just say, motorists aren't happy, and it's really funny for me. Apparently in the summer there are lots more people. It was also raining yesterday, which could be why there weren't so many people.

My friend Jon hooked up a can holder to his bike and was able to have a drink while on the road. That was entertaining. It was also entertaining when an unmarked white van sounded its siren and flashed its lights, for no apparent reason. Andy guessed it was a Department of Homeland Security vehicle. They didn't do anything. After awhile my back tire got a bit flat, so Andy pumped it back up again. Then Andy, Jon, and I had to find the group again. We did, just in time to go under the Washington Avenue Bridge, and that was really cool because it was echo-y. Jon's favorite part about Critical Mass is driving down Hennepin in Uptown. Though, no one else in Critical Mass wanted to go there. So we three braved it alone, until Jon's back tire came loose. This time Andy had no wrench to fix it. So for the second bike ride in a row, Clare had to pick us up again.

I'm looking forward to biking more often and being more comfortable getting myself around downtown. I like having people to bike with who really like biking. So life is good at the moment.