Things I Miss About Smyrna

Other than the obvious (my friends!!) there are a few things that I really miss about my former town that I don't have up here. I present them to you now, in no particular order other than the random way my brain thinks of things:

1) Smyrna Public Library. Okay, I take that back. This first one isn't random--it's the MAJOR thing I miss the most. The one in Hendersonville...well, how can I say this nicely? It sucks. Just as an example, they only have six, SIX, Suzanne Brockmann books. Total. No mention of the newest one, Hot Pursuit, which will be released on July 28 and features my favorite female character in all of her books, Alyssa Locke. Meanwhile, down in Rutherford County, that title is already on order. ARGH!! If I still lived there, I'd have my name on the reserved list for it. Since I don't, I guess I'll be waiting a while to read it because I can't buy a new release hardcover when I'm on a spending slushie.

When I walked up to the counter at the Smyrna Public Library, it was like going into Cheers because everybody knew my name. Remember that? When Norm walked in and everyone yelled, "Norm!" Same thing, only they'd whisper, "Teble," because, after all, it is still a library. I miss Jimmy and Mel and Stephanie.

2) The Book Rack, my favorite used book store which is right off the square in Murfreesboro. I still have about $70 in credit there. I may have to run down there one Saturday and stock up on books so I can stop re-reading all my old books. Of course, in a couple of weeks I'll be too busy planning lessons and grading papers to have time to read.

3) The Parks. Smyrna Rec Park, Rock Springs Park, the library park (Old Rock School), the Soccer Park, the splash pad at Gregory Mills Park, Hilltop-Rosenwald...you name it, we played there. Hendersonville has a good park too, but we've been too busy to go to Drakes Creek. I really loved Rock Springs Park because it was a mile from my house, so we'd walk the dog there and back. She used to love when it had rained recently because she would jump in the creek and splash around. Now she just tries to pull me into the lake with her.

4) The Hospital track at Stonecrest. Another great walk with the dog. It's a mile from my old house, 9/10 of a mile around the track, and another mile home. Great little 3-mile outdoor exercise with the doggie. Sometimes we'd walk to the vet, get her nails clipped and walk back. Which leads me to numbers 5 and 6...

5) Premier Vet Care. I loved our old vet, Dr. Hatcher. They were SO good to Lily. Kinda like the librarians knowing my name, we'd walk in and all the nurses would say, "Oh look! It's Lily!" They always fit us in for appointments, they were never too busy to answer questions, they loved my dog, and they clipped her nails for free anytime I dropped in. FREE! Up here I have to pay $11-15 each time.

6) Stonecrest Family Physicians. Speaking of the hospital, I miss my former doctor, Christopher Thompson (the one on the back, right of the picture in the link). Even though we had to wait a long time to see him, he was a good doctor. He'd tell it to you straight if you needed to lose weight, lay off the caffeine, lower your cholesterol, or whatever. He wasn't perfect, but he was familiar. I didn't have to repeat my entire medical history to him every time I went in there. He treated our whole family (Dan and I for ten years, the kids for the past four), so he knew us all really well. I don't want to start over up here with someone I don't know.

7) Thurman Francis Arts Academy. Although I enjoy NOT watching the boys suffer through three hours of homework every night, there are certain aspects of the boys' old school that I will miss: the arts curriculum, the music, the dramatic productions, the dance performances, the "insular society" that you get in a magnet school, a select group of teachers. The varying ability levels in the boys' classes this year were so different from what they're used to. It was an adjustment, but they did great last year. I wish they were in the same school K-8 like they would've been at TFAA, but Ryan will go to middle school this year. Ugh. Nine days from now. Mommy is SO not ready for that.

8) Blue Coast Burrito. But we're getting one up here soon, so I can cross that off the list in a few weeks. The new one has the sign up and they're hiring/training staff. It won't be long until I can enjoy a fish taco or peasant plate again.

9) Starbucks. Okay, so there's one in Hendersonville, but it's farther away. It's right smack in the middle of Main Street and I never go that way. I want one near me like I used to have. Isn't there supposed to be a Starbucks on every corner of America by now? I'm pretty sure that was in the Constitution or something. I'll have to look that up.

10) My fenced back yard. Someday we'll put up another fence (see: spending slushie), but for now I have to walk the beast on a leash every time she needs to tinkle. She's not getting enough exercise, which is really not good for labs. They go a little loco when they don't get enough running time. I walk her around the neighborhood, but it's not enough. She needs space to stage her daily "crazy puppy freakouts," where she runs at top speed in circles, smiling gleefully, darting around people and stationary objects in her frenzied attempt to break the sound barrier. Right now she's performing these in the basement rec room and it's just a matter of time before something (or someONE) gets broken.

Okay, enough whining about what I don't have. Sometime soon I'll post some of the positive aspects of my new town and my new house. Right now I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

And craving a fish taco.

Sigh.