Flat

Land.. Accents..

There is no way you can compare my life here to my life in Atlanta.
It struck me last nite as I was driving home.. you can see. as far as the eye can see -- you can see. No mound of dirt or hill or whatever... No curves.. no bends.. no rise.. no lows.

I am happy to be here.. and I am filled with the wonder of it all. It's a beautiful place.. it's home. Yet I miss another place which has its own level of beauty.

In Atlanta I knew exactly where to go when I needed.. anything.

Comfort? Patio seating? Laughs? Warm comfort food? Home? Ease? Shopping.. Pedicures.. Haircuts.. colors.

Here's what struck me ... I drive home on the "lake" road.. because it's got curves.

I crave sitting outside. I know all too soon the weather will be unbearable and I will only want air conditioning.. now while my fellow Louisianians are bundled and shivering I am pulling windows open and breathing deep.. looking for that bite in the air.

I miss patio bars.. Sports or otherwise. Wired for internet to sneak away or to be ABLE to sneak away durin the work day.. I never went to the Rusty Nail during work.. but I always knew I had that option of escape.

Coworkers who became like family. Who knew, upon looking at me if it'd be a run errands day, a go to the mall for lunch day, a bake a chocolate cake day, a Keith ended up in the lake day. Who could make me laugh instead of cry.. Who knew if I cried everyone in the general area was in danger.

When I tell you I don't regret coming home one bit it isn't a fib or a lie or a stretching of the truth. This is where I wish to be. This is home. This is me. I am perfectly at peace. I am just used to a bit more of .. advancement.

I'm willing to trade the office coffee pot for a phone with a mute button.

I am willing to miss a lil bit of Buster to have lunch with Joy and Steve and Sharon and talk about my dating escapades.

I miss issuing demands of a dinner out with Chris and his brothers and sister in law.
I miss my tanning girls.
I miss Fortune Cookie and Top Spice and the ability to go to Hot Stix and annoy Keith with it even if we werent speaking.

I think I'd trade speaking to Keith for an inperson fight with him.

Odd? Prolly.
Me? For sure.

I miss the gays. I know there are gays here.. but they dont live as openly.

I miss my people. I miss my space. I miss my office. I miss my coworkers. I miss my realm.

Yet there is an inner glow within me.. a simple smile that happens almost hourly when I am doing all the things I came here to do.

Mondays are exercise while momma works with her ladies days.
Tuesdays we cook and have dinner with Snowball. We've even added Buster into this mix
Wednesdays are errands and cook something simple days.
Thursdays is my nite to cook something different for momma that she wouldnt try on her own (thank God for Food Blogs)
Fridays.. wind down and wind up with family.. in the middle of a drama filled nite or a Buster movie nite.. or a crawfish with the favorite aunt and cousin nite.

I am less cranky here. Less prone to bite, snip, or snap.

I just carved out my own little world while I couldn't be here and I miss it. And I know the grass is always greener.. but as my day falls flat.. Well.. I felt the need to honor the fact of why I miss what I miss. I know I will settle into this life.. Find my routine.. make my own people.. And I know I'll return to the social whirl that is me.. for now.. I feel the need to become a bit more at peace with this world I've chose. And to soak up my family and time with them before adding more "new" to my new world. My flat new world.