Ask Me About My Neighborhood

We're - we're FAMOUS! In a good way this time! I turned on my computer this morning and the first thing I see is this:

Way to go Fargo!

Not only is the unemployment rate a mere 1.5% here, and the annual mean income is 32K, but you can also buy a home - a real home - not a 'fixer-upper' for an average mean price of $165,000!

OK, sure, it gets cold here; and it's flatter than a pancake...er, lefsa; and ya shure -we do talk funny sometimes; but jeez it's nice. Its nice to have great neighbors, that talk to you (ok that can be a good thing or a bad thing); schools where your kids don't have to fear gangs (except the occasional roving Lutherans pushing their lutefisk); and I don't care who you are - you gotta love an average commute time of 20 minutes - and that's during rush hour!

I grew up in sunny Southern California nestled at the feet of the Sierra Madres and a stone's throw from sparkling beaches. I transplanted to the midwest over 15 years ago, and I've lived in the Red River Valley for 7. I consider myself a 'transplant survivor.' The way I see it, you can take a vacation to get warmer or see palm trees, and you can drive less than an hour east and practically get a nosebleed from the elevation changes, and if the locals start to bug ya... well, you cover your mouth and snicker politely to yourself... and, if you look around, you might just see one or two other transplant survivors snickering too.... one of them can even sell you a house!

Deja Vu Meme

I saw this Deja Vu Meme on Meeta's site saying she'd assign a letter to whoever wanted to play and since I apparently have nothing better to write about, I asked for a letter. She gave me the letter T.

Here’s how it works: Write ten words that start with the letter you are assigned and a brief description of why you chose that particular word.

If you too have writer's block and want to play along just say so in the comments. I’ll assign you a letter in my comments and there ya go!

The letter T

1. Thomas. Which is my maiden name - a pretty common one - especially when paired with my first name Linda. I'm married to a Dave and we know another Linda and Dave couple - turns out the other Linda's maiden name is Thomas too. Weird.
2. Train-wreck. Which is probably what this post will turn into.
3. Telepathy. The ability to tell what someone else is feeling or thinking. I totally believe in this, especially between people who care about each other.
4. Taboo. Off limits, or forbidden. Also a fun game to test your vocabulary skills. This used to be a very popular perfume, of course they misspelled it TABU. Why would you want a perfume name that meant off limits?
5. Technorati Tags. A clever way to boost hits on your site.
6. Tape. One of the two things in our house that will disappear if not hidden from the kids. The other being scissors.
7. Tara. The hill of kings in Ireland, but perhaps a better description would be Gerald O'Hara's words from Gone With The Wind: "Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O'Hara, that Tara, that land doesn't mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts."
8. Thrifty. Not the cheap, frugal, stingy kind of thrifty - I'm talking Thrify Drug Stores which always brings to mind the one in my home town of Goleta where a dime could get you two scoops of cylindrically shaped ice cream stacked on top of each other.
9. Tigger. "Tee-eye-double-guh-RRRR" My absolute favorite cartoon character, voiced by the very cool Paul Winchell, who also was the voice of the Scrubbing Bubbles.
10. Through. Done. Complete. Finished. Ta Dah!
    

Delurking Week

I admit it, I am a lurker myself. I click on the comments of the blogs I regularly check in on and then I click on the link to the commenter's blog. You can really find some amazing personalities this way! I laugh, or I cry, or I agree, or shake my head in absolute disbelief, and sometimes I add them to my favorites, but most times I don't comment. I guess I let my insecurity get the best of me - figuring 'they don't know me' or 'other's have already commented better than I could' or worse yet - 'they don't care what I have to say.' But that is totally wrong! I know I'd love to know who the hundred and some people are who've clicked here since I put in the counter! I'd love to know where you clicked from, and why!

I'm commenting on every blog I read today - if only to say hi. Will you?