Sad, Glad, Good, Bad

This is my final post from Tennessee.  A few weeks ago (like 2) Jameson was told by the Kiewit uppity ups that they wanted him at the home office in Lenexa, KS as soon as possible (like now).  Apparently they’re switching things up and scratching the old plan, which was to keep us here until next year.  So to make a short story even shorter, we’ve already flown out to Kansas and found a place to live.  I’m packing with the movers this week and Jameson and I are driving to our new home this weekend.

I’m sad to be leaving, but happy to be going.  Jameson and I have had a lot of fun here, but it’s always exciting to move somewhere new and start fresh.  I think it would be fun to move and assume a new identity like in the witness protection program.  I’ve considered taking on a British accent to see how long I can get away with it, but Jameson would be my downfall.  His accents start out British then morph into a Scottish Australian hybrid.  Bless his linguistically challenged heart.  So maybe I’ll just stick to my boring old nonaccent, but one of these moves I just might try it.

I’ve been thinking of the things I will miss about this place and just as importantly the things I will not.  Here are a few:

I’ll miss watching the turtles swimming lazily under my balcony.

I won’t miss swerving to miss dead rotting possums in the middles of the road.

I’ll miss living out in the country.

I wont miss having to drive an hour to reach a decent restaurant.

I’ll miss the sweet sound of a southern accent.

I won’t miss needing a translator to understand the hillbillies.

I’ll miss the friendly smiles of strangers.

I won’t miss meth mouth.

I’ll miss the complete shut down of the entire town at the first hint of snow.

I won’t miss the complete shut down of the entire town at the first hint of snow.

I’ll miss my job and the awesome people I got to work with.

I won’t miss patients handing me urine, poop specimens, and other bodily fluids through my window and disclosing unnecessary details of a graphic nature in the assumption that I am some form of nurse just because I work at a doctor’s office.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about leaving the south, but I’m taking with me many great memories of both wonderful and wonderfully crazy folks and awesome places.  I am grateful for the blessing it has been to live in Tennessee and I hope we’ll get back here some day. 

So long Tennessee!

BTW - Any suggestions on the name of my new Kansas blog?  I thought Tornado Jane would be appropriate, but gosh darn it, it's already taken so I'm opening it up to the public for suggestions.  And if you're wondering why all my blogs have Jane in them... well just because.

Jameson and a friend took a vacation day and went fishing with a real pro.  Clearly going with an expert makes a difference.  A gigantic 14 lb difference.  

They were on the lake for about 14 hours.  I got to join them for about 4 hours and had an truly fishtastic time.

We even got to eat these fish and they were absolutely delicious.  This is coming from a girl who hates all things seafood. 

I caught that.  I'm awesome. 

Jameson is sad that he's leaving just as his Kiewit softball team is starting their season.  He got to play with them twice.  They lost both games, but he sure looks saucey in that baseball jersey.  

Swing batta!

Sharks, Barks and National Parks

Happy spring everyone!  I realize that spring may not have sprung in your part of the world, but here in the great Tennessee Valley spring is everywhere from white blossoming trees to the sound of fishing boats cruising outside my window at night.  I love spring. I love it love it love it!

So what's new with us?  Well Jameson is still the cutest little business manager you've ever seen on the coolest power plant east of the Mississippi, wait... are we east of the mississippi?  Anyway he works really hard all week long so we make it a point to play just as hard on the weekends and man have we played!  In the last month we've been to Chattanooga twice, ventured through Rock City,  attended Knoxville's annual Mardi Growl celebration, checked out some hundred year old hillbilly cabins, hiked a waterfall and by hiked I mean straddled boulders and scooted on my tooshy till I was too paralyzed with fear to scoot any farther, we ran a 5k and by ran I mean walked, we visited the country's coolest aquarium twice, ate a million cinnamon roles, and best of all we got to do most of this stuff with two of our best friends, Weston & Nelsy, who flew all the way out here to chill with us for awhile.

Yep sometimes it seems there's no end in site to the good times around here and then I remember that I still have a job and have wake up in the early morn to get coughed on all day by staff infected rednecks at the doctors office.  Actually I really like my job and most of the rednecks.  So all in all we're pretty happy go lucky round these parts and we hope you, our fantastic friends and family, are doing just as well.

So I made this cake for a church dessert auction and 30 seconds before I got to the church, it plopped over and died.  I made it a note that read, "I've been in a car accident, but I still taste amazing."  A family bought it  for $30.  Was my cake that great or was the family that charitable?  Hmm...

The reason we walked the 5k.  Our adorable nephew, Camden, is not a 5k fan.  Jameson was a sport and carried him most of the way.  Good practice for dadhood, no?  (No, I'm not pregnant.)

 I need this dog.  He was definitely one of the cutest of the pooches at Mardi Growl.

 I would never do this to a dog, but... it's pretty darn funny.  

Jameson took us all on a tour of his power plant.  Kind of like when Mr. Rogers would take us on a tour of a candy factory, but all the workers here swear and chew tobacco.  

I need this dog too.  He was just hanging out at Rock City.  

The Chattanooga Aquarium is rad.  Can you spot the giant turtle bum at the top of our picture?  He was a little to fast for our shutter speed.  Darn those speedy turtles!

The candy barrels at the Mast General Store.  They sell their candy by the pound here.  Jameson usually spends about $20 every time we go.  That reminds me, I need to find a dentist.

A kiss from my lover at Lover's Leap in Rock City.  Aw, how special. 

Yep, I'm still a dork.

Straddling.

Scooting.

I win!

So this is Bumble Bee.  The real Bumble Bee from the Transformers movie.  One of the many random artifacts in a random mountain town full of random people and kitschy shops.  

Our wonderfully goofy friends, Weston and Nelsy, atop a cardboard hill or rather a hill covered with cardboard squares that were supposed to be used like sleds.  Jameson can verify, they don't work.