I'm pretty glad to be done with travel for the summer. I really would rather not leave the city limits most of the time. It's honestly not because I don't like to go places, it's that I just really like our town, and there's usually no good reason to leave it. Well, except that one of my two favorite thrift stores is a few blocks over into the next town, and my farm box pickup is a few blocks over into the next town going the other way, and our local Costco is closed for remodeling. Otherwise, there's nothing any of the surrounding towns have got that I really need.
There's just too much I haven't even gotten around to doing, right here. I have come nowhere near exploring all the local parks (and don't intend to, because I hate the park, but that's beside the point). I haven't even been to the community pool, because I didn't realize it was there until late last summer and haven't had a chance to go to it yet this year. We've been to the local historical museum twice and I still want to go back again and again, so we're just going to become members. There are so many restaurants here that I still haven't tried, and I really look forward to spending the rest of my life narrowing down the best tacos (?) and sushi (?). I have been sulky for days because someone bought national-brand beans for brunch last weekend, and I have to use them up before I can go to my lovely neighborhood drip-coffee joint for locally-roasted beans of perfection and deliciousness (and yes, I'll have my usual extra-icy-extra-creamy-extra-sweet too, of course). My local hair salon has convinced me that regular trims are worth doing, and I may never again indulge in my favorite hobby of growing my hair out long.
Our city has a big development plan that's been in effect since just before we moved here and will continue for years. Slowly, façades of old buildings downtown are being scraped off and re-stuccoed, slowly (in this economy, ever so slowly) "for lease" signs are being replaced by "coming soon". Coming soon, a yoga studio! Finally! Coming soon, a small offshoot of one of my favorite local Chinese restaurants, with a similarly trendy/catchy name, serving noodle bowls and bubble tea in one of the town square kiosks! Coming soon, a designer-y home furnishing store!
We recently threw a family party (the best one ever, maybe) at a local bar--an interesting space in which nothing ever seems to be happening. It has a strange effect on me, and on one of my friends: when we are there, it takes about one beer for us to suddenly be convinced that our destiny lies in making this bar the coolest place on earth. There are giant gaping holes in the nightlife here, like there are in suburban nightlife pretty much anywhere, as far as I recall. Get a Pabst into me and I become singleminded about changing this. But even without the beer, even when there's nothing exciting going on to fill a rare date-night, I just really love my city. Love it, don't ever want to leave it.
you havent been to the local pool?????????????
Posted by: momofthedesert | July 22, 2009 at 10:13 PM
I could not agree more. Our town is just the right combination of sleepy and central. I'm sure we'll hear a lot of whinging from fifteen year old girls about how there's nothing to DO here, MOOOOM, but really I think it's a delightful place.
Posted by: Linnea | July 22, 2009 at 10:15 PM
I've been too busy to go to the pool! School ran late, then we had swimming lessons at a local private swim school, then we left town/had a ton of family in town for three weeks!
So you can see why I'm all nesty about my home town now :)
Posted by: patti | July 22, 2009 at 11:55 PM
I am so so lucky! I have access to a private pool and I have been using it some.
Posted by: don'tcallmeauntie | July 24, 2009 at 09:18 PM
I agree with you. Your town is fantastic. It is a small town in the middle of a megapolis. It couldn't be better.
Also like you, I love my home. I love working on the yard even in the heat and humidity. I just carry a dish towel around and wipe the sweat off. It is just so snuggly here.
But! I wouldn't mind my here being in your town either. However, I doubt you would want me that close. We get along so well at a distance.
Posted by: Grammy | July 25, 2009 at 12:04 AM