An Un-Simple Journey

Well, here we are, about to embark on a journey that is anything but simple. After many sleepless nights, we’ve decided to sell our peaceful home in the ‘burbs and move to a fixer-upper downtown. The reasons are many, but the one that I’ve latched onto is a reduction in my work commute from 14 miles of interstate to one short, walkable mile.

In order to avoid – or at least reduce – the amount of stress this move will inevitably cause, we’re trying to take things one step at a time. And the first step is de-cluttering our current home to put it in tip-top selling condition. Easier said than done, right?

We spent the weekend boxing up a bunch of non-essential items to put in storage, weeding out the junk from the far corners of our closets, dusting the baseboards, and going through a couple boxes of Magic Erasers (Mr. Clean is a genius!). I’m already exhausted. There are 14 boxes labeled for storage, but only a small pile of stuff earmarked for donation. Given the fact that our new home will be smaller, you would think that the donation pile would be bigger. But, it’s not.

The rational part of me thinks that if I own something that I don’t need over the next few months, then I should just get rid of it entirely. I mean, what are the chances that I will ever use that punch bowl we received as a wedding gift, still sitting in its original box? Probably pretty slim, and yet it’ll stick around at least until I discover that there’s no room for it at the new house. That’s another step, and for now, I’m just concentrating on getting our house ready to sell. Wish me luck!

Soundtrack for a Simple Life

Music can elicit feelings happy and sad, and bring memories flooding back. And then there are certain songs that can get you in the mood to just slow down and put your feet up or dance barefooted in your backyard.

Here's my soundtrack for a simple life, starting with an ode to my blog. (Technically, I guess my blog would be an ode to the song.)

Give Me the Simple Life - Rosemary Clooney
Dancin' - Chris Isaak
Easy - Commodores
My Baby Just Cares for Me - Nina Simone
I Could Write a Book - Harry Connick Jr.
Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls
Going Back to Harlan - Emmylou Harris
Everyday Is Like Sunday - The Pretenders
Secret O' Life - James Taylor
King of the Road - Roger Miller
Anything But Love - Squirrel Nut Zippers
J'Ai Deux Amours - Madeleine Peyroux
Days Like This - Van Morrison
One Particular Harbour - Jimmy Buffett

Go Sox, Go!

The Boston Red Sox are having a banner year. At last check, their record was 65-42, with the Yankees seven games back.

And this morning, the Today Show announced that Fenway Park is its latest pick in the America the Beautiful series. Well... to be politically correct, they officially named the #7 spot, "Legendary Ballparks." But, the broadcast was live from Fenway, America's oldest baseball stadium. (This pick makes three places I have visited out of the four they've chosen so far.)

Now, if I had my choice of adjectives to describe Fenway Park, I don't know that "beautiful" would be the first thing to come to mind. But what an amazing place. Hordes of loyal fans dressed in red, white, and blue, eating Fenway franks, cheering loudly as Big Papi steps up to the plate, and singing in unison to "Sweet Caroline" during the seventh-inning stretch. And it doesn't hurt that the Sox have had some really strong seasons as of late.

Adding to the shared spirit is a stadium that has stood for close to 100 years. The history here is almost palpable. Yet, every so often, Boston talks about tearing down Fenway Park to build a new stadium that can hold more fans. Luckily, nothing has come of those plans.

Until the next time I can figure out how to score some tickets to a Sox game, I'll appreciate the beauty of watching the occasional Red Sox game broadcast in HD in Charlotte. Go Sox!

Electronic De-cluttering

I’ve had the same Yahoo account for probably eight or nine years now. Through my job changes, ISP changes, and a notable name change, it’s the only email address that has remained the same. It has also become my inbox-of-choice for website registrations, loyalty programs, e-newsletter subscriptions, and other assorted junk. As you can imagine, after nine years, I get quite a bit of said mail in said inbox.

So, it recently came to my attention that subscription-based emails must include an “Unsubscribe” tag or they are in violation of federal Spam laws. (OK, I’m a little slow!) Sure enough, I noticed that the majority of the emails I had been receiving included an option to unsubscribe. So, last week I began decluttering my email. Weekly specials from Southwest Airlines? Nah – I’ve never flown on Southwest. The newest styles from Urban Outfitters? I haven’t bought anything from them in years. And why does Ticketmaster send me information about shows in Atlanta? Unsubscribe. Yes, I’m sure. Click.

I can’t say that I’ve seen a precipitous drop in the number of emails I’m receiving… at least not yet. But for now, I’m having fun with it. (Where are you, little Unsubscribe buttons?)

A Few of my Favorite Things

Summer is halfway through (or something like that, depending on how you look at the calendar). So, I thought I'd compile a list of my favorite things about summer.

Here's a quick countdown:
5. Thunderstorms
4. Grilling out
3. Cooling off with a swim
2. Flip-flops and bare feet
1. Fresh fruits and vegetables

There's one great consolation in the waning days of summer: Summer is followed by fall, my favorite season!

My Shameless Rant about US Airways

I really don’t like to complain. I mean, I really, really don’t like to complain. But USAirways has – once again – infuriated me.

First, there was the virtual loss of eSavers. (No, USAirways, I don’t consider a $139 flight between Charlotte and Greensboro an eSaver. Who in their right mind would pay that to fly 90 miles when they could drive there in the same amount of time?)

And now, the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Charlotte’s airfares have dropped 30 percent over the last six years! That’s funny, because I used to be able to fly direct to my hometown to visit family for no more than $200 – maybe $230 around the holidays. Now, I can’t get a flight home for less than $300 unless I connect through Detroit on Northwest - thereby adding several hours to the trip. Huh.

Perhaps more infuriating is the fact that I can fly to California (ie, other side of the country) for less money than I can fly to the Northeast.

I don't even like to fly anymore. If it weren't for the unreasonable 13-hour drive, I wouldn't have anything to complain about.

Am I the only one in Charlotte who thinks the lower airfare claim is preposterous?

Quote of the Day

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -- Benjamin Franklin

Just a little something to think about. :)

When the Sidewalk Ends

Fewer than half of U.S. children who live close to school walk or ride their bikes to class, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In sharp contrast, 90 percent of kids did so in 1969.

This should come as no surprise to me. Suburban sprawl is a 21^st century fact of life, and there aren’t a whole lot of sidewalks connecting subdivisions and schools. Not to mention, the era of school vouchers means that most children don’t live within a mile of their school of choice. But this statistic is sad to me for so many reasons.

I grew up in an older city with sidewalks on every street and, sure enough, I walked or biked to school from Kindergarten through the time I got my first car as a senior in high school. Those daily trips were full of simple little memories – filling up on Gobstoppers at the candy store, trying to avoid the bully who hung out at the corner of Elm and Cleveland, and planning our summer breaks on the last day of school. All part of being a kid.

Today’s youngsters don’t get to enjoy those same experiences. There are no more sidewalks (thanks suburbia), no more candy stores (thanks childhood obesity), and very little free time (thanks Mom for scheduling out the entire summer). Compounding the problem are the safety concerns that weren’t around – or at least weren’t considered – when I was young. Sending your children off on their own takes a new breed of courage.

Having said that, I don’t know whether today’s children know what they’re missing. If given the choice, would they pick fresh air, exercise, and bullies over the climate-controlled ride in Mom’s minivan? (Sigh)

There are at least two organizations in the U.S. that are striving to promote the once-ubiquitous practice of walking to school: the CDC’s KidsWalk-to-School and International Walk to School in the USA. The latter coordinates a national walk-to-school day, this year on October 3; sadly, only one school in North Carolina is registered.

Hopefully, this new statistic about walking rates will get people thinking… and on their feet.

A Healthy (?) Summer Harvest

It's hard enough to plan healthy, nutritious, low-fat meals that are appealing to one's fast-food-favoring husband. But my head is spinning (and my stomach churning) with all this talk about the chemical-laden, contaminated, mislabeled products in our food supply. There's the seafood from China, the green onions from California, and an ever-growing list of pet foods. A new story from the San Francisco Chronicle finds that the problem is worldwide.

Luckily, it's summer, which means prime time for fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmer's market, and even a few from my own backyard. There's nothing like tasting a freshly cut tomato, still warm from the sun, and knowing that the corn you're buying was harvested just down the road, just yesterday. Charlotte's Regional Farmer's Market is a great choice for variety, especially during the week when visitors are sparse.

I'm smart enough to know that some (if not most) of these farmers use pesticides and that local does not necessarily mean unsusceptible-to-contamination. But to me, the fewer hands that touch it and the shorter distance it travels, the better. If only I had that land in the country to sow my own seeds.

Take a Vacation, Already!

According to a new poll released by Harris Interactive, only half of Americans will be taking a summer vacation this year. Half of those vacationers will be visiting family and friends, whereas 35% will take a scenic trip and only 30% will visit the beach.

We’ve all heard that American workers receive fewer paid vacation days from their employers than do workers in other countries. Apparently, however, many Americans don’t take advantage of the small amount of vacation days they are granted. Thirty-five percent of respondents to an Orbitz poll said they take 0-5 vacation days per year. And nearly one in five workers said it has been three years or more since they took a weeklong vacation.

What’s the deterrent? Cost seems to a be a frequently cited reason. But a vacation need not be expensive to be enjoyable. This morning, The Today Show began a new series called America the Beautiful. They’re counting down the most beautiful destinations in the US of A, and I’m guessing there will be one not too far from the backyards of all those non-vacationers.

Okay people - you know who you are - turn off those CrackBerrys, take a couple days off, and get out there!

Simplicity Meets Perspective

What exactly does it mean to simplify one’s life? I Google-d “simple life” and came up with more references to Paris Hilton than I care to mention. Ahhh, the irony. A subsequent “simplify your life” search at Amazon.com netted 1,219 self-help books: instruction manuals, if you will, authored by Mary, Mary’s mother-in-law, and Mary’s mother-in-law’s neighbor’s dentist. The variety of available titles would suggest that Americans are eager to embrace the concept of simplification and that publishers are happy to oblige.

I admit that I haven’t read any of these books, but they seem to focus on two primary themes. The first is prioritization: Lighten your schedule, get rid of your debt, stop trying to be perfect, change your life! The second theme is organization: De-clutter your desk, clean out your closets, plan your meals for the week, change your life!

My own quest for simplicity is… excuse the pun… a little more simple and lot less organized. To me, simplifying is about worrying less and taking the time to appreciate the people and things around me more. This life directive was ingrained in me quite possibly from the time I was a child: My parents had a plaque posted in the sunroom that said, “Don’t hurry, don’t worry, and don’t forget to smell the flowers.” As I got older, I gained the perspective to realize just how important this mantra really was and how simple it was to adopt.

Perspective. Knowing how to separate what is important from what is unimportant in your own life. Isn’t that the key? Perspective is something you can only acquire with age and life experience. And for most people, it’s not something that Mary and her mother-in-law can decide for you.

Like Nothing Else

So, I’m driving to work this morning, and in front of me is a shiny new Hummer. These vehicles have been on the streets of Charlotte for years now, but every time I see one, I have to wonder what in the world the driver was thinking.

This monster weighs in at 6400 lbs, and is designed to maneuver over rocks and through water, which makes sense given its original use as a military vehicle. But, are the people who are driving these things around suburbia and over the interstate for their daily work commute getting a whole lot of off-road use? I’m thinking not…

Instead, their gas mileage will hover around 10 mpg at best. On a 32-gallon tank, they’ll shell out $100 every time they fill up… not to mention the high cost they paid for the Hummer in the first place.

So, what exactly is the appeal?

The Hummer’s motto is, “Like nothing else,” and I have to agree. These vehicles clearly stand out, as do their owners. They’re quite obviously nuts!

Fourth of July -- Small-Town Style

Is it just me, or do spontaneous trips often turn out to be the most memorable?

Earlier this week, CJ and I pointed the car east and headed for Brunswick County, home of our favorite beaches and Southport’s North Carolina 4^th of July Festival. The festival is billed as North Carolina’s biggest, and includes a nearly weeklong series of events. As we drove into town Wednesday at 8:30am, residents and visitors had already lined both sides of Howe Street with their lawn chairs in preparation for the parade, which started at 11:00am.

We had bypassed the free preservative-laden continental breakfast at our hotel in favor of the pancake breakfast at Trinity Methodist Church. The line there was long, but I found myself smiling, regardless. Young and old were dressed in various combinations of red, white, and blue. Lion’s Club volunteers sold raffle tickets. Neighbors greeted each other with hugs. A sea breeze rustled through the live oaks.

Southport is everything that is wonderful about a small town. The historic area is devoid of chain restaurants, chain motels, and crass commercialism. Even on a day when the town is crowded with festival-goers, it still feels like the quaint fishing village it has been for 200+ years.

After breakfast, we took a slow walk through the arts and crafts booths at Franklin Square Park and then down to the banks of the Cape Fear River, where a lone sailboat drifted across the sparkling water.

It probably goes without saying, but I would definitely recommend a visit to Southport – preferably a slow, spontaneous visit. Just make sure you don’t tell too many people about this little treasure by the sea.

No Phone, No Internet, No Problem?

56 hours and counting. Our phone and Internet have decided to completely stop working. After several tense cell-phone calls with our provider, which shall remain nameless, I am at my wit’s end. My sanity is in the hands of Time Warner (oops!), and I don’t like it.

Wait a minute. Shouldn’t I be grateful for this? Am I not the one who is trying to simplify my life? Am I being tested?

Take a deep breath, Jennifer. The world will not come to an end if you can’t get online for a few days.

But it does make me wonder, when did we become so dependent on – and even addicted to – having this instant access to information? There are other ways… knowledgeable friends, daily newspapers, reference librarians… but they’re just not as convenient. (Reference librarians still exist, don’t they?)

Time Warner will be happy to know that I’m not remotely ready to give up the “blazing fast speed” of my cable modem. And if said modem acts up again, I’ll gladly take a short vacation from my need-information-now addiction. At least, I hope I will.

A Sunrise Memory

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. -- Kahlil Gibran

I ran across this quote today and it reminded me of taking Zoe for a sunrise walk on the beach. The sand is cool between your toes and the breezes are calm. Best of all, the rest of the world is still asleep, so you have nature’s landscape all to yourself.

Charlotte's Transit Evolution

A few years back, CJ and I left our wedding reception and took our first ride on the historic Charlotte Trolley to our Uptown hotel. We were one of only two or three families on the Trolley, but to experience this charming part of Charlotte’s past capped off an already magical day.

Charlotte’s electric streetcars began running in 1891 and survived through much of the Depression, up until 1938. The trolleys ran again briefly from 2004 to 2006, and now stand idle while Charlotte’s light rail system is built.

Ahhh… the light rail. So full of controversy… the budget woes, the half-cent sales tax, the thinly veiled mudslinging…

I’m undecided about the light rail. I think it’s a great idea, but I also think the people who need to use it the most are exactly the people who won’t. Giving up your SUV to ride public transportation is a major lifestyle change.

When light rail service begins later this year, from what I understand, the Trolley will resume its service between South End and Uptown. New and old will literally converge on the same tracks. I hope they can peacefully co-exist.

Fortune Cookie Says...

Even when I let CJ choose the cookie, I always seem to end up with the... uh... "fortunate" fortune.

I nabbed this one on Friday night at our favorite Chinese restaurant and thought it was rather timely, considering the theme of my new blog. The world is so full of beautiful - and perhaps ordinary - things. I truly hope I don't ever lose the ability to find them and - more important - appreciate them.

Peach Ice Cream

Nothing says summer in the South like homemade peach ice cream.

I don't own an ice cream maker myself, nor would I buy peach ice cream if they sold it at the grocery store. So, when I come across the real thing, I can't help but indulge.

Such was the case a couple weekends back, when we left South Mountains State Park after a quick hike and swim. The roadside "Homemade Ice Cream" sign at Redbone Willy's was like a beacon. Only two of their many flavors that day were homemade. The first was peach, and that was all I needed to know. We got our cones, and savored all but the last bite while sitting in the rocking chairs on the front porch. (The last bite went to Zoe, our always-hungry canine companion.)

Small-Town Girl in the Wannabe-Big City

Growth is good, right? And Charlotte is growing, growing, growing. Just open the newspaper… more schools, wider roads, a new wing at SouthPark mall, and the possibility of (gasp) a Trump condo building! Everything is new, clean, fresh, and expensive-looking – a developer’s dream. And yet, the enchanted feeling I had when I moved here in 1998 is fading. Where is our sense of history? Our sense of authenticity? Our sense of people who are real, and true, and unabashedly middle class?

We have a newer, bigger, better arena, so let’s tear down the antiquated (19-year-old) Coliseum. Mom-and-pop restaurants? Nahhhh, we need another parking deck. And Farmer Jim can’t afford his property taxes anymore, so we might as well buy him out and build a new subdivision... with a quick 20-mile, hour-plus commute over 485.

I’m not against growth and change. But, the changes I’ve seen in this city within the last few years make me long for a simpler life – one without traffic, sprawl, or pretense. “Why don’t we move to the country?” I casually suggested to my husband earlier this week. “Way, way out there. Buy a couple acres, live off the fatta the land, get a couple more dogs…” A quick sideways glance indicated he had either not heard me or tactfully chose not to respond to my plea.

There are compelling reasons to stay in Charlotte. Lots of job opportunities. Plenty of fantastic independent restaurants. A network of supportive friends. The Panthers. And last but not least, my husband’s pension.

But is it possible to stay here without becoming a slave to the system? Is it possible to slow down and simplify without shutting down or being shut out? Only time will tell.