Nashville

So I just returned from the trip to Nashville. Thankfully my family didn't bother me as much as I feared. I did have to play referee between my parents a few times during the drive. Whenever I took the wheel my dad bitched at me for going to fast, and then bitched at me for going to slow. WTF. After a while, my dad decided that I was less likely to crash his car then he was and shut up.

Nashville...lovely Nashville. I lived in Nashville for a bit about 10 years ago. I get lost in Nashville cause everything is different. But when everyone else is lost, I remember a random landmark and everything is okay. Nashville is just to swanky for me. I never did fit in. At least the people I hung with were the alt-mod-punk types. At least the punks who were not Jesus freaks. I mean Jesus FREAKS. They were interesting. I worked at a cool ass coffeehouse in a bookstore. Even if I personally was a dork.

I never fit in in Nashville. I was a yankee, agnostic, overweight, hippie, weird, lost and self conscious underemployed broke recent college graduate. I never did get a real job. I made one friend, but I did loose contact. However, being a true Nashvillian... I did make the Man in Black a cup of coffee.

So I know visit Nashville as a stranger. I go to the places people take me to. My brother has moved to a new neighborhood. The things I remember, the places I went to, are far from his home. I do miss the green-ness of it, and the beautiful hills.

But WTF... I was COLDER in NASHVILLE than I have ever been in BUFFALO.
My brother and my sis-in-laws have fancy Phds. My brother does fancy research, grants up the ying yang, at a fancy fancy school. They live in a beautiful Victorian house with 15-20 ft high ceilings. Windows about as tall as my house. The perfect southern house.....that gets COLD!!!!!!! Nashville was cold! a wet cold. I woke up shivering in Nashville. Just a little reminder....I LIVE IN BUFFALO!!!!
how weird. I guess my tiny house, old but insulated, is just much warmer.

My family was crazy. My nephews are adorable. My little three year old nephew is a little adorable monster. I adore him...but he has temper tantrums that make me panic. Seriously, at one point I had to leave the house. Something is not right.... My nephew really take tantrums to a new high level. I don't know...to me, once a child has reached crazy....sometimes the best parenting is to disengage....exit stage right. Yikes. He is doll though.....really.

I met my brother dog....he woke me in the mornings with is sloppy kisses. Cute and yucky all at once!

I am glad to see me family. I played with the little ones, and became a camine Shepard.

But I am glad I am back. It was exhausting.