Living in TN - Week 1

It's been a week since we've lived in Tennessee and the transition is going smoothly. I'm working on unpacking the boxes, which has proven sort of difficult. In our house in Minneapolis we had a basement where we threw a bunch of stuff and it was out of the way. Now we have a small storage space and that's it. So I have to be a bit more organized. Once I get most of the boxes unpacked and the pictures on the walls, I'll post a tour blog.

So far I haven't experience any culture shock. I've been cooped up in the house most of the time applying for jobs, so I haven't had a lot of interaction with many Tennesseans. Despite this minimal interaction I have notice some marked differences between here and Minnesota.

• In Smyrna, everyone drives the speed limit or slower. Are you on a long, straight country road? Better go 30 mph! They are very law abiding here and it throws me off when I drive. Andy's coworkers told him to watch out for the police in Smyrna though, they're tough on the speed limit. That explains it.
• They're very generous with their road labeling here, some roads that are labeled are a stretch for even being considered a "road". Andy and I were on an exploratory drive last Sunday and we took a wrong turn. According to the map, to get back on track Andy told me to turn right on Jordan Road, which looked like someone's gravel driveway and was actually a one lane road through a farm. But we managed to get where we needed to be.
• While the Tennesseans will label a dirt track as a road, when it comes to actual roads and highways they get a little label happy. For example, depending on who you talk to, where you are, and what sign you're looking at the main road near our house is called Murfreesboro Road, Lowry St, 70S, 1 or 41. When leaving Franklin, TN last night we took a road called alternately Columbia Ave, Columbia Pike, 31 or 6. We crossed over a connection to Mack Hatcher, Memorial Parkway, TRK 96, 397, TRK 431 or TRK 31. When I tried to get to a recycling center I got mixed up because I went on Almaville Road from Nissan Dr (or 102) not realizing that if I just continued West on Nissan Dr/102 that it turned into another Almaville Road and I would have been just fine.
• Everyone is really friendly here. Well, most everyone. One person Andy met wasn't nice. But so far everyone else has been great. The woman who is the caretaker of the townhouses we live in said thank you to me after she let me in my house when I locked myself out.

After one week I'm happy with our move down south. We've eaten outside a few times because it's so nice. The other night we sat on our stoop and read. There's a lot of places to explore and just about every day we've gone out for a walk at a new place. It's really quite exciting. Today Andy and I are heading up north to Nashville and check out what Music City has to offer. I'll keep you posted!

Living in TN - Move in!

Andy and I officially left Minnesota on Thursday, March 4, around 8:30am or so. As my mom mentioned, this is the second time I've moved out of Minnesota. I thought it'd be a bit sadder to leave the state I've spent so much time in, but I think the stress of packing and loading was so much that it felt good to leave all that behind. I might be sadder later, but I'm not sure. I think this move was a good decision and at that time, I was excited about the new future that lay before me in Tennessee.

We spent our last night in Minnesota on an air mattress in the living room, so when we got to my parent's house in Indiana sleeping on Tony's bed was heavenly. I've never slept in that bedroom before. Friday morning my dad roused us and we were up and at 'em early. Mom and I took to my car and Dad followed Andy in his truck loaded with more stuff.

Mom and I arrived in Smyrna ahead of Andy and Dad. Our first task was to make sure the water got turned on (which, thanks to a helpful person at the townhouse, it was on). After that we headed over to my new home.

We live in luxury now compared to our small house in Minneapolis. It seems as though each place gets better and better. I graduated from living in a closet, to having my own big room, to having my own house to now, an even bigger house! We have a gigantic kitchen, which is excellent for Andy and I to start cooking. I actually got annoyed at first because when I pulled a bowl out of the cupboard, the cereal wasn't just right at my fingertips. I had to walk across the kitchen to get my cereal. That's just ridiculous.

We have 2 bedrooms and both have walk-in closets. The guest bedroom closet even has it's own window! I laid down in my closet, just because I could, and there was extra room. Andy and I both have our clothes (dressers included!) in one closet.

Then there's the weather. It's fabulous here! When we moved, I couldn't get a flower pot out of the ground because it was frozen. Here, I planted a strawberry bush yesterday! I've put our winter coats away and last night on a walk, Andy actually wore shorts. It got up to 70 degrees! This afternoon, it rained! Rain is what happens when snow is unthawed. I know it's probably going to be super hot and humid this summer and I'll be eating my words, but for now, I love being outside and having the windows open.

I'll update more later!

Under the Tennessee Sun

Andy and I are moving to Tennessee on Thursday. We will lay over at my parent's house that night and roll into our new lives on Friday. We'll be living in a 2 story townhouse in Smyrna, TN; which is just south of Nashville.

I'm excited for a few things. The house that we're renting has more square footage of living space than our current house. It has 3 bathrooms! Right now we have 1 tiny bathroom. The guest bedroom has it's own bathroom, as does the master bedroom. Both bedrooms have walk in closets! Right now, Andy and I each have 1/2 a closet in separate rooms. The kitchen is huge and has tons of cabinet space. And that's just stuff I'm excited for about the house.

The area of Tennessee that we're moving to looks really pretty, and it will be near mountains. There's lots of places near by for camping, hiking and even canoeing. The weather will be miles nicer there than in Minnesota. When we get there, the LOW won't even be below freezing. I'm going to throw open the windows and breathe fresh air.

Since we'll have a townhouse, we can't do much gardening. So we'll take up what space we can on our little back patio for container gardening. Maybe we'll have a tomato plant and some basil. We can go to the Nashville Farmer's Market this Saturday when we get settled. I don't have a Tennessee job yet, but that's my focus once we get in and get settled. My temporary job is to unpack, cook dinner and find a job.

About a year or so ago Andy and I were talking about our plans for the future. We wanted to move within 2 years from that point and start seriously searching the January after we got married. Nashville isn't Portland, but it has a lot of what we're looking for. I'm excited that we're accomplishing such a big goal. We can get settled into life down south and maybe buy some land to have a big garden and some chickens.

I will update more once we get down there and start feeling more comfortable. Here's to new and exciting experiences!

Moving can't be that hard, or no one would do it.

The Life and Times of My Feet: An intro

Ever since my mom bought me my first digital camera, pictures of my feet have been ubiquitous. I'm not entirely sure why I choose take pictures of my feet, they just happen. It might be like my way of saying "I was here." And my feet have been many places! They've been to many interesting places and it's kind of interesting to see all the things my feet (and me) have done.

My feet getting ready for my first 5K.

My feet in Tony's hammock tent in the Boundary Waters.

My feet following a path at Dublin Castle in Ireland.

Andy and my feet on a boat in Lake Superior.

My feet on their way to work at the U of M after a Spring Break snowfall.

My feet on tree roots on 5th Avenue in New York City.

My feet made their way to the top of a playground in Glasgow, Scotland.

My feet snowshoeing while orienteering in Theodore Wirth Park.

My feet on the sand at Dublin Bay.

My feet on a frozen and snowy Lake Nokomis.

My feet and the found plastic cow "Clinton" at the James J. Hill house.

Sometimes other people took pictures of my feet. This is Kim, me, Andy and Jon at the Scavenger Hunt.

My feet on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco.

My feet hanging while I sat on the soon to be wrecked ATV.

Andy got into the foot action on our first date over the Mississippi River.

My feet on the square in Rockville, IN.

Sometimes my feet get dirty sometimes, this is at a kegger to raise funds for the Student Associate for Non-profit Enterprise.

Sometimes my feet pictures are not stylish. This is at a party while wearing leg warmers and long johns. Tequila and beer make anything sound like a good idea.

The Life and Times without Cheese

I've never had a test that said I was lactose intolerant. But my brother might be. And one of my most popular blog entries includes the very searchable phrase "horrid farts." I know, this isn't what you want to read about while you snack in front of the TV. So I'm warning you now, it doesn't get better.

In that blog post in September 2007, I decided to lay off the milk products for awhile. Well, I can guarantee you that didn't last long. Andy supported me while I purchased something strange like almond cheese, which was a disaster in making cheesy chips. The almond "cheese" solidified so hard immediately after coming out of the microwave that we had to bang the chips on the plate to get them apart. Cheese substitutes just don't cut it. Much to the detriment of my bowels.

I've since realized that I'm addicted to cheese. I LOVE cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, and sour cream. Somehow, I have managed to put soy milk instead of regular milk in my cereal and my mornings are much more manageable. But I haven't gotten to the point where I don't eat cheese. It's too hard. Everything delicious has cheese on it. Here is a list of delicious things that are best with cheese/dairy: sandwiches, pasta, tacos, cheesy-chips, yogurt with frozen fruit, salads, toast (including garlic cheesy toast), pizza, eggs (and egg sandwiches), corn on the cob dripping with butter, lefse, and ice cream.

Recently though I've been getting terrible stomachaches and they're distracting. I can't concentrate at work and I hold my breath while walking around. And that's no way to live. So with Andy's prodding, I've decided to go cheese free and keep a food journal with my symptoms. Hopefully in 2 weeks I'll be able to not eat dairy and feel like a million bucks. I vowed last night not to have dairy and so far today I've eaten buttered popcorn and had four cheese sauce on my pasta for dinner (though no cheese on top!). We'll see how this goes.

To get my encouragement up, I will make a list of delicious things that don't include cheese/dairy. Help me out if I've missed something: fried rice, noodles (like for holidays), cranberry sauce, sliced pears, olives, applesauce, salads are OK without cheese, beer, whiskey, chicken, bacon, tomatoes (are still delicious without mozzarella), carrots, green beans (French cut!), tea, tofutti cuties are good, and actually tofu ice"cream" in general is good.

Here goes!

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.

But it rains in Portland

I've got a few things on my mind today. Let's start with the cold.

When we've talked to people about wanting to move out west to Portland, Oregon. A common reply is "but it rains in Portland." This is usually coming from Minnesotans, who can't imagine wanting to live somewhere else. I'm a true blue Minnesotan myself, I was born and raised here, I spent my childhood building snow forts, skiing and sledding. But I could die right now if I went outside in my pajamas for any length of time. I love going outside, but not when the outside could kill me! Death from exposure doesn't really happen all that often in Portland. Doesn't that sound nice? Portland is pretty mild all year round. And some people say they'd miss having all 4 seasons. I would miss winter more if it wasn't trying to kill me. The best thing about Portland is that it's surrounded by mountains and you can choose when you want to visit winter. Plus you don't have to shovel all the time.

Suddenly this week, Minnesota decided it was going to be winter. After trying to drive to work, shoveling the drive way and walking to the train when its -20 degrees, I've decided that winter is a season for kids. Kids get to bundle up and make snowmen, wish for snow days, build forts, fall over in the piles of snow made by plows. For adults, snow means snarled traffic, spin outs, and shoveling. Lots and lots of shoveling. But at least its pretty now.

My next topic: Southwest Airlines. When we took our honeymoon to Portland, OR we took Southwest to get out there. Since I checked in pretty late, we were slotted to get on the plane last. If you know anything about Southwest, you know they don't have assigned seats. Boarding the plane last would ensure that we would probably not sit near each other in the 4 hours to Portland. Andy asked the attendant at the desk to see if we could sit together for our honeymoon and surprisingly they agreed! We got 2 seats next to each other in the 2nd row and the flight attendant offered us free drinks and gave us extra drink tickets for our flight home! It was amazing and definitely unexpected. It was a great start to our honeymoon.

Since they were so nice at Southwest, Andy wrote in to tell them the story and recognize the flight attendant for her service. A couple weeks later we got a package in the mail from Southwest with a letter. They thanked us for being customers and sent a wedding gift!! I couldn't believe it. They sent us a candy dish with a little heart in the center. So essentially, we asked for something from an airline and they provided that and kept on giving. That is something that we don't experience with all airlines.

That's all I have for today! It's cold outside and I'm glad to be warm!