The Farley-Linley Report

Reasons Why - A festival for young and old

2009-12-16T10:49:00.001-08:00

Just like the dog ate my homework, the Cooter Festival ate my life. The past few weeks seem to fly by in preparations of the festival which celebrated the little turtle with the big heart. Now that the festival is here and gone, I’ve had time to reflect on the significance of an event like this to our community.
Granted my role in this festival was a small one, but nonetheless I was a part of the team that produced the most successful Cooter Festival this community has ever seen. From the outside the festival appeared seamlessly put together; an array of vendors, port-a-lets in all the right places, activities for children of all ages, and of course plenty of cooters. (That’s water turtles for any of you who don’t know.)
But it was during the preparations that I had to sit back and wonder why. Why go through the hassle? Why would businesses sign on as sponsors? Why would volunteers spend their weekend selling t-shirts and picking up trash? Why would the City of Inverness and the Chamber devotes months to organizing such an event?
The more I wondered I began to seek out the reasons why. For starters it provided the community with some great activities to participate in. From the downtown Inverness block party to the Miss Cooter and Cooter Idol contests to the Cooter Triathlon and the Cooterween community costume contest, there was an activity for every person in the surrounding areas.
Secondly, it drew in visitors from far beyond the borders of the community. Visitors, who were attracted here and, hopefully, will fall in love with the community and come back for many more visits. Perhaps even someone may have come to visit for the Cooter Festival and decided that Citrus County is the perfect locale to relocate their business to. (Hey, a girl can dream.)
And lastly amongst a list of many other reasons, it gave a boost to our economy. For one weekend in late October, hotels were filled to capacity, restaurants were slammed, and shops were full. Families came out of their homes and without having to spend a dime could enjoy many events at the festival.
None of this would have been possible if all the aforementioned players had not come together to do something for the good of this community. And for something as what some see as silly as a turtle, is actually a big reason why.

Reasons Why - A day 20 years in the making

2009-12-16T10:48:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a wedding of a close friend of mine. A friend that I made just weeks after my family had moved to Citrus County. A friend who I had the pleasure of going to school with from elementary to high school graduation day and then we attended Florida State University together. Almost 20 years this girl has been a part of my life. When you are only 28, 20 years is a long time.
I thought about other weddings I have attending in my life. With the exception of a few aunts and uncles who by default have known me since birth no other wedding I have ever attended encompassed what I consider a life long relationship as this.
It was almost surreal to sit there in the audience at this wedding. To watch as the same Pastor who baptized us decades ago was now performing a wedding ceremony. To sit there amongst parents of our other friends who carted us to the movies before we could drive and chaperoned our school field trips. To watch my friend’s sister (who coincidentally is my best friend of all time) dressed to the nines stand there as maid of honor like we had talked about since we were little. To see her parents beaming with pride as any parent would be on a day such as this. To sit with friends who had been there for each other at many other major life milestones.
My mind then wandered to my close circle of friends. The overwhelming majority of whom I made while growing up in Citrus County. I remember someone once told me, “You’ll make your best friends in college.” they had said. Not this girl, all my best friends came from childhood.
Is this a standard of small town life? Who knows? But what I do know is this, I’m thankful for my close group of friends who have been there for me throughout my life. I’m thankful that 20 years later we are still a part of each others lives and look forward to the next 20 years. Citrus County was the vessel that brought our lives together, and for that I’ll add it to the list of reasons why.

Reasons Why - Sassa, sassa, land that I love

2009-12-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

By Meredith Linley

It only seems fitting to start my Verbal Praise Tour 2009 where it all began, in Homosassa. My family moved to Citrus County about 20 years ago when my father took the manager position at the Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. Growing up with a zoo right in my backyard was an experience like no other. Besides me who else have you ever met that had a pet hippo?
The transformation of the wildlife park that has happened over the course of the past 20 years has brought great recognition from all over the world. To think that tourists from other continents travel to Citrus County just to visit the manatees down at the “attraction”, as it is still referred to by many native Citrus Countians, is fantastic. I remember when Lu, the hippo received his pardon from Governor Chiles, I mean it’s not everyday that happens. Over the years I have seen the park evolve into a beautiful facility for locals and tourists alike. The many people who played a role in this transformation deserve recognition for preserving its natural beauty for generations.
But this is only the beginning of the reasons why I love Homosassa. Old Homosassa truly is a unique place. They are proud to be a “Florida Waterfront Community”. There are awesome restaurants, adorable shops, and of course friendly locals on every corner. Old Homosassa is also home to a great group of local artists. Some of these artists have storefronts in Old Homosassa, but you can also be guaranteed to find their handiworks at any given festival in Citrus County.
Homosassa is also home to some of the best people, and trust me I’m not the least bit bias. Residents of Homosassa get that sparkle in their eye when they are talking about their beloved. They find new projects to start and goals to achieve. Be it a new sign or stating their own advocacy group – people in Homosassa always have something new up their sleeve.
I’ve heard it said many a time that Homosassa is a quaint little fishing village. And I guess to some it is, but as hopping as I have the place get when tourists are in town, locals are out and businesses are thriving – quaint isn’t exactly the word that comes to mind. I see it more as “Homosassa where water meets the road and comes ALIVE!” Regardless, it’s an amazing community I will always hold near and dear to my heart and is definitely on the list of reasons why.

Reasons Why - Each piece is unique

2009-12-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

By Meredith Linley

It’s quite shocking to me how busy these past few months have been, even more shocking that I have now been home for over 6 months. I guess that this is just how fall is; football games, festivals, golf tournaments, special events, and of course holidays. But as I sit and reflect on the past few months it’s a few events that really stand out in my mind.
Events like the Cooter Festival, the Stone Crab Jam, and the Homosassa Seafood Festival. In recent weekends I attended all three and each one has its own distinct flavor which was something that really got me to thinking. Even though we tend to refer to ourselves as the whole (Citrus County) it really is each individual city or area that brings something different to the table.
This is what really got me thinking. I naturally compare every reason why with my experiences in the bigger cities. In larger cities you will find suburbs and different areas of town. But it’s all the same - big box shopping center on the corner, subdivision, subdivision, school. What do they bring to the table? I can assure you it’s not cooters or stone crabs.
Every part of Citrus County contributes something new and unique to our area as a whole. From each corner different industries and attractions contribute to make our community a destination. And I feel it reasonably safe to say that without one part of this big picture our community wouldn’t dazzle so much. Without the Shoppes of Heritage Village or the blueberry farms of Floral City, the whole package we present as Citrus County wouldn’t be the same. And I can’t even fathom what life was like before the Great American Cooter Festival!
Unfortunately I have to keep these columns under 400 words so I can’t go into detail as to why each corner of our county contributes to my overall list of reasons why. But I invite you to follow me in the coming weeks as I attempt to go through and share with you a few things from each area that have made it to my list of reasons why.

Reasons Why #12 - Pirate Pride

2009-10-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

Last week in a cafetorium decorated with blue and gold balloons hundreds gathered at Crystal River High School. Friday night lights, you ask? Kind of, but something a little bigger than the rivalry on the field happened this particular October night. Last week Pirate Stadium was officially renamed after our long time Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Earl Bramlett which in the hearts of true Pirates has always been its name – but now it’s official.
Let me make it clear that in no way would I have ever considered myself an athlete during my years at CRHS. I was far too busy driving Dr. Ladkani nuts, being sent to Coach Whitehead’s office for dress code violations, and attempting to run the school through Student Government. However, I would doubt there was not a student who walked through the halls whose school life was not affected by Coach Bramlett.
As iconic as Mickey Mouse is to Disney World, Coach Bramlett was to CRHS over the course of the past 3 decades. I witnessed his leadership and his effect on students who came in as young punk freshman and left as seniors with sports scholarships to colleges across the nation. He had a charisma for the school and its athletic program that could be seen even from a distance.
As I stood there in the cafetorium, surrounded by past teachers, classmates, and alumni I was completely struck with the fact of how amazing our school was and genuinely blessed my life has been because of CRHS. Coach Bramlett didn’t stand alone, there were so many of my teachers who had that true passion for teaching and it showed. We had a group of the most amazing teachers and administrators that all loved this community and imparted little pieces of themselves in each of us.
Of course I’m prejudiced, but CRHS was a huge part of my youth and just another thing on the list of reasons why I’m so in love with this community. It’s the people like Coach Bramlett who made going to school enjoyable, getting involved attainable, and growing as a person possible. If it takes a village to raise a child, I couldn’t be more blessed to have had CRHS in my village.

Reasons Why #11 - A true community newspaper

2009-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

Authors note: On my honor I swear by all things good, and holy that in no way, shape, or form were the contents of this column solicited by any person who has or has ever received a paycheck from the organization about which I will soon speak.
On a daily basis I’m constantly finding more and more things, new and old, to add to the list of reasons why I love this community. However last week I realized I had somewhat forgotten, or rather taken for granted one particular organization, led by one amazing group of people, off the list I’ve been chronicling (pun INTENDED). The Chronicle. The local paper, but it’s so much more than that.
Where on earth would we be without the Chronicle in Citrus County? That’s just a question I don’t even want to consider. Having spent the last decade living in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, I can attest to the fact that I never had any quality interaction with any of the large city newspapers. Letters to the Editors were seldom published, press releases not well responded to, events rarely sponsored, and staff presence in the public – barely.
Not the Chronicle though – they are our community. Letters to the editor, sound off, and the website message boards are all opportunities for us, the reader, to give our input. Press releases, the individual city publications, and the features are ways for organizations to get their info out to the masses.
Unlike too many other “media rags” out there, one thing I’ve always loved about the Chronicle was the guarantee that when I would open it I would be greeted with good news. Community milestones rarely go unnoticed by the Chronicle. If it’s a businesses anniversary, a community member who has overcome some type of odds, or the achievement of local children it all ranks as newsworthy items.
It’s no secret the print media world is hurting in today’s economy – but yet where is the Chronicle? Sponsoring major events in the community EVERY DAY. Title Sponsor of the Cooter Festival, the Chronicle. Major media sponsor of the Business Women’s Alliance Health & Fitness Expo, the Chronicle (quick shameless plug, Sept. 26 at the Armory, FREE admission, don’t miss it!). Homosassa Rotary Chili Cook off, Kiwanis Mystery Theater Dinner, Shop Citrus First, Jazz on Bourbon Street benefiting the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum and the list goes on and on and on.
Obviously the Chronicle wouldn’t be what it is without the leadership and staff it has. I almost hesitate to attempt to do justice to the caliber of people the Chronicle staff are, but I’ll try. The leadership team of the Chronicle are just some gosh darn amazing people.
Gerry Mulligan is by far one of the coolest guys around, and definitely one of the smartest. It doesn’t hurt that he has a heart for this community like no other. Neale Brennan has some of the best ideas and her willingness to get involved in every aspect of this community should be commended on a daily basis. If I continue to go on about the leadership team at the Chronicle it will appear like I’m attempting to get a front page spot for this little column, so I’ll just stop now while I’m ahead.
It’s not just the leadership team though it’s every employee. From the great staff photographers, the sweet ladies in the copy room that always help me with the Chamber page on Sundays, and Brian in the online department who is always there to assist me whenever I call – they all rock. And if you ask them, they love their jobs. They love to be an integral part of this community. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
Over the decade I wasn’t living here, www.chronicleonline.com, was my lifeline of staying up on Citrus County happenings. Chances are if you’re reading this the Chronicle is your lifeline too. It’s a critical piece of our community and it’s just another reason why.

Reasons Why #10 - Star light, star bright

2009-10-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I was driving home to Crystal River from Inverness. It was late and I was tired, 486 was dark and quiet, I started to zone out. I began to roll the window down to get a quick burst of air to perk me up the last five miles of the drive, as I did I glanced out the window at the night sky – and practically ran off the road.
What happened to make me do this you ask? A lost wandering cow? A wreckless driver? A UFO? No, it was the night sky. The brilliantly beautiful, clear, star strewn sky. I actually slowed down and pulled off the road for a minute. I couldn’t even recall the last time I had seen stars shine so brightly. I’m positive I lost my breath for a moment.
When I got home I stood in the driveway for a few extra minutes just staring at the sky. It’s really amazing the how clear the stars shine without the adulterations of big city lights. It was something I had never given much thought to living in a city, one of those little things you forget about and don’t realize how much you actually miss.
There’s just something about the sky, something about the stars so high above, it brings peace and clarity of mind. It’s like a reminder that we need to stop and notice the little things. Stop and appreciate what’s around us.
Later in that week I was visiting a friend who lives several miles outside of town. While sitting on the back porch I instantly became mesmerized but the night sky again, I was transfixed and didn’t want to move. It was raw and beautiful, even the lights of the mall slightly taint the view of the night sky from my neighborhood.
At this point I determined that I was crazy in the head, that I was the only person in Citrus County who gazed at the stars. The only one who appreciated the stars in the sky because of their association with a small town community. And I was ok with that.
However, a week or so after this I was at another friend’s house right off of the Kings Bay. There was a small group of us out there, talking about football and solving the problems of the world. One of my friends made a comment about the stars. My ears perked up. I wasn’t the only one who noticed them! We then had a delightful conversation about how the stars really do shine brighter in Citrus County - away from the saturation of city lights, skyscrapers, and pollution.
After these occurrences I realized that stargazing was definitely worthy to add to the list…of reasons why.

Reasons Why #9 - A Community of Caring

2009-10-19T09:53:00.001-07:00

A few Saturdays back the Chamber of Commerce participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowling for Kids Sake event. It was one of those times when you make a comment out loud, the right person hears you and before you know it you have landed yourself in the middle of a project. This time however we were quite happy to oblige as BBBS is a wonderful cause here in Citrus County.
Getting involved in the community was one of the many reasons I took my job at the Chamber so it was my pleasure to rally the troops and form a bowling team. A team, I may add that I assembled but completely dodged the bullet for having to play on – every team needs a “morale captain” – right? Looking back I could have been more aggressive about collecting pledges, but regardless our little team showed up that day high in spirits ready for a fun afternoon, it’s all for the kids anyway.
However it wasn’t the spirit, aptitude, or scores of our Chamber Champs team that struck me that afternoon. It was the overall scene. When I walked in Manatee Lanes was abuzz with people and excitement.
Throughout the course of the day over 50 teams turned out in support of this event. Around 400 people took time out on a Saturday to support a great community program, a Saturday that was smack in the middle of scallop season. Now that’s dedication.
But it’s more than that; you and I both know it. To us it’s not anything out of the ordinary because that’s how Citrus County works.
Several days after this event I was sitting at a women’s networking event talking with many local business ladies. Sharon Malm of New Concepts Hair Salon, said something that really struck me, she said “I’ve never seen people care like the people here in Citrus County do.” It’s true and she couldn’t have been more right.
One any given day at least half a dozen organizations have write ups in the Chronicle for a wide array of charitable causes. From making cards to send to overseas military personnel, to collecting cell phones for women in abusive relationships – people are caring all over Citrus County.
It’s often hard to put into specific concise words to outsiders this concept of community that we have here in Citrus County. But I guess I could boil it down to this – We Care. Sure we have our issues, all communities will – but we care about each other and are willing to step up to the plate as community members to help each other out.
It’s a worthy cause I will serve all day and it’s just another reason why I love our community.

Reasons Why #8 - More than just trinkets, treasure

2009-08-28T07:43:00.001-07:00

by Meredith Linley

I love flea markets. Now, take that with a grain of salt though because you won’t find me out the door at 6:00am on a Saturday morning ready to be the first one there to peruse that days wares. However if it fits into my Saturday morning schedule a flea market trip is always good for my soul.
Citrus County has several good flea markets, however given my work schedule Howard’s Flea Market in Homosassa is my main spot. I love that place; the cinnamon rolls, the footlong corndogs, the fresh produce. (I really don’t have a problem with food addiction I swear.) Any place that sells plants, books of all kinds, kitchen gadgets, and cowboy hats under one roof is my kind of joint.
Howard’s Flea Market to me is the quintessential flea market. The have a variety of homemade goods, vintage finds, and new products. There is everyone from people who are there every week to people who are there once a year. The produce and plants are beyond compare and the local crafts and arts are hard to beat. Trust me on this one, I’ve seen my fair shares of flea markets. There’s one in Jacksonville that only sells poor quality knock-off handbags, day old bread, and pictures of Michael Corleone accented with plastic AK-47s in a frame.
One thing I particularly love about Howard’s are the “fixtures” there. When I came back to the community I had no doubt that Ms. Avon Marge would still be there, and she was with her usual smile and great line of Skin So Soft products. I also held confidence that the corndog guy and cinnamon roll shop would still be there – and they were.
Perhaps my love of flea markets stems from my deep down desire to be a “yard-sale-er”, but I’ve just never been able to. Yard sales feel like an intrusion on someone’s personal space plus I’m just not a haggler. I try to be non confrontation with strangers at all times, unless the stranger is a Gator fan then its all fair game. Since flea markets are in public places I feel more comfortable.
I will admit, I’m a professional people watcher. I could sit and watch people for hours. If you sit at Howard’s for any period of time (I recommend getting a batch of hot fresh mini donuts and an ice cold root beer while you do) you will see a lot of wonderful people. People from Citrus County bumping into each other, people whose kids played tee ball together in the 80’s or people who used to fish together as kids in Old Homosassa before Yulee Drive was paved.
Highways across the nation are dotted with flea markets every few exits. You can stop off and find oddities and treasure at any one, but at a place like Howard’s you’ll find a community gathering spot. It’s a place that offers more than trinkets and treasures to its customers and it’s just one more reason I love Citrus County.

Reasons Why #7 - it's the best place to grow up!

2009-08-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

by Meredith Linley

A massive event occurred this summer. It wasn’t the lunar eclipse, or the release of Harry Potter 6. It wasn’t even the passing of the King of Pop. It was the ten year reunion of the Crystal River High School Class of 1999.
I can personally attest to the massiveness of this event because I was the gullible nitwit – err, blessed person, who planned the whole event (although I did have the assistance of a great reunion committee). Sometime in high school I apparently was absent at a Student Government meeting and this responsibility was laid upon me and for the past ten years all my friends from high school didn’t let me forget it.
However, when I started planning this event well over a year ago I had no idea that I would be newly relocated back to this wonderful county of ours. As the weekend approached (and my stress limit sky rocketed) I began to wonder how people were going to react to my moving back home. I assumed most people would think that I was crazy for wanting to come back to my beloved hometown and I prepared responses in my head for the naysayers.
But do you know what happened? My friends approached me all weekend and approved of the move. Guys would come up to me quietly and say things like “I’m jealous, I wish I could move back.” One of my football player friends said “I love Crystal River, I miss it here.” I was shocked and pleased.
Over the weekend, conversations of moving back home were a main topic. I realized most of my friends would be back here in a heartbeat if they could. And others have plans to move back in the coming years. The reason for this is that it was such a wonderful place to grow up; it’s the place we all want to raise our kids.
That being said I figured it would be best to use their words to explain why this community ranks so high with us. So with no further adieu, here are our Reasons Why We Loved Growing Up in Citrus County presented by the CRHS Class of 1999.
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because where else can you have that much fun on the water and in the woods. Also, I knew that everyone's parents watched out for me as if they were mine because people actually care in Crystal River.” said Lisa Hotchkiss, who lives in Fort Lauderdale and recently completely her Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because there is nothing like having roots from a small town! Being from a small town usually means that you stay with the same group of people throughout your school years and develop strong, lasting relationships. Look at our reunion for example, I can't put in to words how much a lot of those people mean to me and there is no way that you could have that same experience growing up in a "big city".” said Meghan (Bailey) Pitzer who is an elementary school teacher and lives in Apopka.
Rebecca Austin, who lives in Tampa and is an accountant for the Moffit Cancer Center said she loved growing up here because, “The fact the Crystal River only had ONE "Crystal River High School". We were the town; it's why we have such a wide and great group of friends, even after 10 years we easily come back together.”
“I loved growing up in Citrus County because it was a place you know they (high school friends) had your back and you had their back. People could only wish they had what we had in Citrus County. I loved growing up here I would never want to change any of it.”, said Bryan Hinote, who currently is living in St. Petersburg but seriously contemplating a move back to Crystal River.
Maggie Gunther who works at Florida Atlantic University and lives in Fort Lauderdale said, “Knowing any time you leave the house you'd run in to a familiar face and the fact that our teachers cared about the type of education we were getting.” were a few of the reasons why she enjoyed growing up here.
Jonathan Sullivan, who now works for Marriott International in Memphis, TN, (and whose mother makes the best sweet tea in the world) echoed Gunther’s comments; “Something you will always find in a small town is a warm smile and a familiar face. Aside from the people, who wouldn’t enjoy what the coastal waterways here have to offer.”
Even though I try, I really couldn’t have said it better myself. Having a wonderful childhood is definitely one of the reasons I love this community, but having a group of amazing friends who are still there for me all these years later is a reason why I have a wonderful life.

In the blink of an eye four years go by

2009-08-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from Kendall's recent 4th birthday. 4 years old, how the heck did that happen? I mean last week I was changing diapers and fishing obscure objects out of her mouth on a daily basis. Now she writes the grocery list for me and will probably be reading by Christmas. She's smarter than half the people I work with and will probably be smarter than me by kindergarten. She's definitely a handful but its worth it.

Reason's Why #6 - FOOD, FOOD, FOOD!!

2009-08-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

by Meredith Linley

Have you ever noticed how people remember cities from the restaurants they have? Whenever conversation of a visit to a city comes up, usually food is involved. “I was in New Orleans for a conference last weekend.”, is usually answered with, “Did you go to (insert any restaurant)? The have the best (insert any type of food) ever!”.
This can be said of our community. Everybody knows where to go to get the best garlic crabs, deli sandwich, and Chinese food around these parts. And when you are gone for an extended period of time, you crave those things. Now I love food, so for me I’ve craved all the specialties from Citrus County for the better part of the past decade.
Part of the reason I accepted my job was because of the proximity of my office to several of my favorite eateries. The best desserts in town at Cafe on the Avenue are literally around the corner, the best french fries and salads can be found five blocks north at Crackers Bar & Grill, and a Philly to rival those found on the street corners in Pennsylvania are about a five minute walk south at Taste of Philly. My all-time favorite though are the subs from Brooklyn Deli.
My first day of work, it was a no brainer what to get for lunch. I’d even dreamed about how wonderful the sub would be (and trust me – it so was!). While I was in this local deli waiting for my favorite sandwich to be made (Brooklyn Bomber hold the onions), I made a quick update to my Facebook account. “Meredith is having a Brooklyn Deli Brookln Bomber."
This quick update sparked an afternoon of jealousy that spanned the whole nation. Seriously, my Facebook friends who are from Citrus County but aren’t currently living here immediately started responding. “I’m jealous.” “I hate you.” “Those sandwiches are worth a visit back to Citrus County.” were just a few of the dozen or so comments I received.
Working for the Chamber I come in contact with hundreds of tourists and passerby’s each month. One of the first questions they ask is “Where is a good restaurant?”. This is my cue to go on ad naseum over the large variety of fantastic local eateries.
Lack of chain restaurants seems to be a commonplace complaint about our community. Who needs them, that’s what I say. You can get the best Greek salad served with American pride at a MargaritaGrill in Homosassa on the river, the best duck fingers you ever tasted at Coach's pub in downtown Inverness, and there are more than a few places around here that serve wings to rival any Hooters or WingHouse (Sportsters, Tug's, the Cove - need I go on?).
The icing on the cake with the restaurants around here is that they are almost all local. Locally owned and operated, employing locals, and paying local taxes. You can keep your big chain restaurants; I’ve got more than a few reasons why I’ll choose our homegrown specialties over nationwide standards any day.

Reasons Why #5 - Finding comfort in coming home

2009-08-16T11:55:00.001-07:00

by Meredith Linley

This week would have marked the 30th birthday of an extremely close friend of mine. This week would have been one of celebration, maybe a girl’s trip to Vegas or a cruise with a huge group of family and friends. Unfortunately a tragic accident occurred over six years ago and she was taken from us far before her time.
Many people in this community were affected by the death of this bright young lady. She was a great role model in this community. An involved businesswoman, a great mother, and a wonderful friend to many.
I recently faced the fact that I never dealt with her death. Since shortly after she died I moved away, I closeted my grief and continued on with life. Sure I kept the pictures in frames and thought about her frequently. I even got a tattoo to remind me of her on a daily basis. In all honesty though, I never truly dealt with the fact that she was gone forever.
Now I’m home, back in the place where we met, became close friends, and made a million memories. For the first week I was back found myself crying a lot. When I passed a restaurant we used to frequent, drove past her office, and the first time I saw a picture of her daughter (who has now grown into a beautiful young lady in the spitting image of her momma) – tears welled up.
Then I realized something. The reason it was so hard to handle was because the reasons I loved her are all over the place around here. She’s here, whether in body or spirit. And that’s when the comfort came.
Even though our friendship was over the span of a few short years, she managed to teach me so many things. Seeing the pride she had in being a part of this close knit community made me want to be a part of it. Watching her raise her daughter taught me things about motherhood that I hold with me daily. The way she unconditionally loved her family and friends was something I was always envious of, a skill I will never perfect to the extent she did.
It’s difficult at best to drive past her old job and not think about the hundreds of afternoons we would spend there or to go to Applebee’s and not think about all the times we would grab a beer before heading home for the day. I’m quite confident the first time I make an evening out to Midnight Rodeo in Ocala, I’ll probably have tears. Until I make the mandatory stop at Steak and Shake on the way home, then I’ll burst into uncontrollable laughter.
I’m so grateful now to be able to be back home; relive the memories and remember her life every day. It’s no longer tears of sadness that well up, it’s more the tears of joy that I was lucky enough to be a small part of her life. She loved this community and she was a reason why I do too. MLW, you are surely missed but not nearly forgotten.

Mini-me!

2009-08-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

A few recent pictures of Kendall....

30 second recap

2009-08-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

On the odd chance that there are people out there who don't know what's going on with my life (and actually read this silly little thing) - heres the recap of the last 90 days in about 30 seconds.
Back in February I got a call about the CEO position of the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce. The interview process was long, fun, and hard at the same time. I made the final three applicants and then came in runner up. I resigned to not moving back home and started looking for more campaign clients in Jacksonville. 2 weeks after I didn't get the job I got a call from the guy who did get the job. He was offering me a management position with the Chamber. It was a lot to think about, but in the end I decided it was absolutely worth it and I was ready to relocate back to my hometown. Kendall and I moved down on Memorial Day weekend and are loving it. Work is stressful on some days but it was a great career decision and I'm excited to bring about positive change in Citrus County. We have our own place now (after living at a good friends ranch for the first month or so) and are finding our niche. We've rekindled lots of old friendships but have also made some new ones. Adjusting to life without Target and Starbucks is a lot easier than I imagined and life is good!

Reasons Why #4 - Creative Community Playground

2009-08-10T10:40:00.002-07:00

In the spring of 1995, a group of community leaders, elected officials, a corporate playground construction company, and a bunch of elementary and middle schools sat in a room at Crystal River Middle School. The playground company presented a plan to build a community playground in Crystal River. This playground would benefit the entire community, be built of recycled and donated materials, and be constructed with the blood sweat and tears of the community. To ensure that the children of the community would utilize this playground – they sought our opinion.
In the spring of 1995 I was in that meeting and throughout the fall of 1995 I assisted in building that playground. Initially getting involved seemed like an easy way to get some of the needed community service hours I would need to graduate high school, but the further into the process we (the group of friends and I who worked on the project) really began to have fun. If my memory serves me correctly it only took a few weekends of construction work after months of planning to construct. Until recently I just chalked it up to another life experience, an ice breaker perhaps. How many people do you know who have built a playground?
Now it’s so much more than that. Not only is it in my direct line of sight from my new office digs, it’s now my daughter’s favorite place to go to. Surreal defined. If you would have told me 14 years ago in that planning meeting that the playground we were about to construct would one day be a favorite play spot of my 4 year old daughter I probably would have laughed you out of the room. (My life plan at that time only involved having sons.)
Having spent many recent afternoons at the Creative Playground, I realized it holds a spot on my list of reasons why I love Citrus County. True there are playgrounds in every town across this county, but not like this. And trust me; I’ve seen hundreds of playgrounds. This playground was a concerted effort of a community that cared enough about its children to pull together and create a unique place specifically for them. I had always been proud to be apart of its birth but now I’m beaming that I’m around to enjoy it in its maturity.

Reasons Why #3 - The View from Kings Bay

2009-08-10T10:40:00.001-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this could be a rather lengthy column. There are few images that are engrained into my brain that I retreat too more than the view of the Kings Bay. I’ve carried it with me all these years I’ve been away and frequently pulled it out of its mental file.
Now that I’m home, I find myself now always taking Kings Bay Drive as opposed to Highway 19 just so I can drive over the bridge at 15 mph get a glimpse of the beautiful view (the bridge by the way that I have never jumped off of or witnessed any of my friends jumping off of – wink, wink). The view from the Port is another place I find myself often, sitting, gazing, and reveling in that view. One of my personal favorites is the view from Cracker’s Bar and Grille.
The reason for this is that usually from Crackers you will find a sailboat or two peacefully floating in the bay. I’ve always dreamt what it would be like to live on a sailboat. And there’s the little island. The one with the lone little house. I’ve dreamt about living in that house too. Living there would hinder my late night Taco Bell addiction; however can you imagine waking up surrounded by the Bay in all her glory every day?
Growing up many a day were spent on the Bay (and if jet skis were involved, many a pair of sunglasses were lost in the Bay). Whether it was a holiday or just a random Saturday, any day out on the Bay was a good day. She was the fifth friend when a group of four of us were out on the water. She was a good friend, who was always there and taken for granted. It wasn’t until moving on you realized how important she was.
But like any good friend, even after years of not being together – she’s still there for me. She offers serenity, natural beauty, and comfort. She’s the most important member of this community that which everything is built upon. Can you even imagine, even fathom a thought of what our community would be like without her? She’s a reason why we are here and a reason why I love this place.

Reasons Why #2 - Sense of Community

2009-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

One of my first Sunday mornings back in town I was rushing to head to church. This is rather common in my life, I find myself perpetually running 5 minutes behind. On this particular morning it was easier to grab breakfast on the go rather than try and make something at home. So I found myself stopping at a bagel shop near Citrus Hills. I quickly ran inside and got in line to order my food.
The couple in front of me were obviously heading out on the boat and I overheard most of their chatter. They were bedecked in boating attire, discussing the tides, asking one another if they had packed the sunscreen, and placing an extremely large sandwich order. So large in fact that I had to seriously consider leaving without ordering in attempts to make it to church on time. (At this point though I was already late and what’s the difference between being 4 minutes late or being 8 minutes late – not much, late is late.)
After I received my bagel (everything toasted with plain cream cheese), I darted out the door. As I was briskly walking in the parking lot towards my car, I noticed two young adults with their car hood up and obviously having car problems. I knew I had jumper cables in my car and even though jumping them would make me so late for church going would be borderline ridiculous, I figured no one else around would stop and help these kids. And then I saw the most wonderful thing.
Coming from across the parking lot was the large-sandwich-order-ordering-headed-out-on-the-boat couple. They had already intercepted the car trouble situation and even though they had grandiose boating plans for the day they were going to stop and help these kids out. They were willing to take ten minutes out of their bust day for a random act of kindness. Not only did my heart soar because I was off the hook and headed to church running only 8 minutes behind schedule, but it was the first time in the longest time I’ve seen strangers do something like that for each other.
While I’ve only been back a few weeks now, the number one question I keep getting asked is “Why did you want to move back here after living in a big city?”. It’s the little things like this that answer that question. You don’t see things like this in larger cities. Everyone is running in the rat race and no one notices when someone falls down on the sidelines. Its peace of mind knowing that in fifteen years, that could be my daughter and comfort knowing the people of this community will stop and help. This is the type of place I want to raise my daughter, it’s not a group of towns within county lines, it’s a community and that’s truly priceless. It’s just another reason why.

Reasons Why I love Citrus County

2009-08-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

Without further adieu below is the first column I wrote for the Chronicle. The theme of my weekly column is "Reasons Why" (I love Citrus County....there are so many of them!) Hope you enjoy!

Reasons Why #1
by Meredith Linley
I’m an inherent listmaker. Whether it’s in my head, on a post-it note, or on my blackberry, I’m always making lists. When faced with any decision, large or small, I always make a list of pros and cons. So recently when I was faced with a decision to take a job in Citrus County and relocate home; my gut reaction was to make my faithful pro/con list.
After deciding that having a Starbucks nearby was not a necessity – do you know what happened? All I could put on my con list was that there wasn’t a Target within 5 miles of my house. As my mother quickly pointed out, “Meredith, there’s always Target.com.” Mothers are very smart.
Literally, there isn’t enough time or paper for me to list the reasons why I love Citrus County. It’s mildly pathetic actually. I’m convinced I’m the only 28 year old on this planet who has been wearing an ear to ear grin because I got to move back home; home to Citrus County. Of course it’s icing on the cake that I accepted a fantastic job with the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout my adult life (the whopping decade it has been thus far) my end goal was to land a job in Citrus County that would enable me make this area an even better place than it was when I grew up. To have the ability to give back to a community that gave so much to me as a youth and help create a community for my young daughter. As you can assume this was near the top of my pro list.
The longer I resonated the idea of moving in my head, the longer my list of pros got. From my closest friends who live here, to my home church, the incredible view of Kings Bay from Cracker’s at sunset, and the thought of volunteering at my alma mater CRHS – the list was getting a little out of control. So even though I did thoughtfully and prayerfully consider it, in the end it was a no-brainer.
Now I’ve made the move and am back home. Gone was the life I led in the metropolis of Jacksonville, where I had been living and running political campaigns for the last five years. Now I’m here in Citrus County, the heart of the Nature Coast and the only place that has truly captured my heart. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.
The best part of my pro/con list, is that long after the decision was made the pro list continues to grow. Granted, there isn’t a Target in the area, but there are several homegrown businesses here that I’d much rather support than Target any day. Every day something else strikes me that deserves a ranking on my (outrageously long) list of reasons why I love Citrus County.
One of the best so far was seeing a local deli on a Saturday afternoon with the CLOSED sign in its window. Outsiders may see this as an omen of bad economic times. Us local’s we saw the small handwritten sign under the CLOSED sign that simply read “Gone Fishin”. We understood, and we smiled.

It's August - what the...

2009-08-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

I realize its been an excessively long time since I updated and literally my entire world has completely changed so I'm due for an update. However I've been promising to post my columns from the Chronicle online so my friends who don't live here can read them. So here are the ones that have run thus far and I will try and get out a life update so far...although you may be able to surmise alot from the columns.....

I always knew I was a loser...

2009-04-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's hard to post on this topic without knocking on wood. See here's the deal, my child for the most part is an awesome sleeper. And she is NOT an early riser. Seriously the child easily sleeps til 8:30 - 9:45am each morning. I've never been woken up by her before the sun had awoke - like ever. I am eternally grateful for this. Swear.
This being said, I will say that bedtimes haven't ever been particularly easy. She's definitely not one to have a book read to her and drift off into dreamland. She always wants to be apart of whatever activity I'm doing at nighttime. Also Ive always had to be the parent to put her to bed since her daddy has always worked nights since she was born. And I'm somewhat of a pushover. I hate confrontation so I'm guilty of letting her stay up later than most 3 year olds and even worse (gasp!) I let her sleep in my bed. I've finally decided that a) since she's about to start preschool in a few short months and b) she has a perfectly nice bed in her own room five feet from my room and c)she's almost 4 - it's about time for her to start sleeping in her own room. In theory this sounds great. Granted we are only on about night 4 or 5 (and my mom is coming tomorrow and will be taking Kendall's bed so Kendall will be back in bed with me for the long weekend), but things aren't exactly smooth sailing.
I'm trying to establish routine. Read a few books, put in a short movie, sing a few songs, snuggle for a minute, hugs and kisses and I'm outta there. While all that is fine and well, it doesn't prevent her from getting out of her bed about 80 times before I finally threaten extensive bodily harm (just threaten, not follow through - cut me some slack).
The following is our last conversation before she finally fell asleep (about 90 minutes from when she was initially put in bed).
"Kendall, GO get in BED!!!" I said.
She prances/stumps/huffs and puffs over to me on the couch, puts one hand on her hip, cocks her head and replies "No, Mommy you aren't getting a chance to win this game tonight!"

Kendall, 12,466 - Mommy, 0. Yep, I'm officially a loser.

tweet-a-dee-da-leet

2009-04-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

If anyone cares I'm on Twitter - follow me at http://twitter.com/meredithlinley

"I used to think...."

2009-04-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Creative Writing Prompt: Write for 10 minutes using "I used to think..." as an opening sentence.

I used to think....that all I wanted to be in life was a mom of at least 4 or 5 kids. Now I realize that it is by far the hardest job I have or will ever have. Yes it has joys, but it also has pitfalls. My daughter is only 3 and 1/2 and I've already heard "I Hate you Mommy" more times than I can count. I've also hear a million more "I love you so much Mommy". However, after having Kendall I've realized that perhaps one is enough for me. I have my mini-me, my shopping partner, my travel buddy, my river or beach bunny, my snuggle-icious partner, etc. Plus once you've hit perfection = why try again?

I used to think.....everything involving the Gators was teribble. Now I've realized that I just hate the Gator football team and their crazy mullet having cutoff jean shorts wearing bandwagon GED-less fans.

I used to think....people who didn't shave their armpits were weird. Now one of my best friends has hairy armpits and she rocks. She's taught me by far more about life, love, and good health than any of my other friends.

I used to think...that one day I would run for office. Now I think I'm too smart for that and there are a multitude of other ways that I can have a positive change on my community without being an elected official.

I used to think...I'd never own a cat. After having a rat take residence in my garage I think I'm ready to be a cat person.

I used to think...people who didn't give their kids antibiotics were nuts...now I'm one of those people.

I used to think...my mom was mean...now she's one of my good friends.

I used to think...I couldn't survive a day without my curling iron. Now I'm lucky to have one good hair day a week.

I used to think...10 minutes was a lot longer than it was!

I'll try anything once...

2009-04-03T18:24:00.000-07:00

So since I've started blogging I've realized that I love to write. Finding the time, well that's a different story. And while I could just sit here and write about my day and share cute Kendall stories - that won't really stretch my writing prowess. So I'm thinking about giving a go at some writing prompts. I hope you'll bear with me, give positive feedback or snide remarks. Whatever's fitting. Who knows maybe you'll even enjoy it.

Seriously, these people rock.

2009-04-03T18:13:00.001-07:00

Growing up in a small town had it's share of pros and cons. Obviously, everyone knows everyone. Which in itself is a pro and con. It's nice to know everyone, to walk in the grocery store and see familiar places. On the other hand everyone typically knows your business and well that's probably another topic for another day. However in a town where everyone knows everyone, when tragedy strikes - chances are a large amount of people you know will be affected. Unfortunately tragedy struck our small town again recently. We lost yet another friend way before his time. (And it also made me realize this was the 8th friend we had lost since 1995 - seems unreal right?)

The silver lining within any tragedy is the power they have in reuniting people. People who you maybe haven't seen in almost a decade or maybe people who you had a falling out with. And death puts life into perspective. None of the meaningless petty stuff really matters when death is starring you in the face. And while losing Will Bleakley was a horriffic cruel event we were all forced to cope with, it was wonderful to all be reunited. To be together. Again.

You know what I realized. My friends rock. Seriously, the are the best. This is only a small fraction of them but being able to see a vast majority of them and pick back up right where things were left off years and years ago was bittersweet, yet wonderful. And that's why today I love being from a small town. I know when shit hits the fan, when push comes to shove, and any other cliche you can think off happens - I've got an amazing support network. And it's the greatest thing in the world.

It can never be that bad...

2009-04-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

No matter what happens in my day. I get to come home to this butt. No matter how grown up she's acting, how much attitude she's giving me, she still has this butt. This little chunky, squishy, ba-donka-donk. No matter what is wrong in the world, I can look at this butt and crack a smile.

Need a caption.

2009-03-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

How great is this picture? It's so great that my mind can't even come up with a fitting caption. Taking suggestions.

I heart her.

2009-03-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

She's totally on my short list of best friends. I could (and maybe literally should) write novels about all the crap I've been through with this one. We've laughed our butts off, fought like sisters, not spoken for long periods of time, practically lived together, but through it all still great friends. She came to visit me this weekend. It'd been 5 years since we had seen each other. I totally wasn't shocked that we picked right back up wherever we left off. We had a blast, drank way too much, called an obscene amount of friends from high school, paid for the drinking too much, and ate alot of seafood. It was wonderful. And I heart her.

Cleaning sucks.

2009-03-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

I've tried for years to become one of those people who enjoys cleaning. I even have a friend who says when she's stressed she cleans - I say she needs to learn to appreciate Three Olives Cherry Vodka and Red Bull - but that's just me. For the life of me I just can't do it, I can't enjoy cleaning. I think because its one of those things that truly never is finished...although I love to scrapbook and that's also another project thats never finished...I'm disgressing. Regardless, I hate cleaning. I do it because I have to and because it's not an election year (I run political campaigns if you didn't know) and I don't have a maid service 3 times a month. Boo, I secretly wish some scandal would happen and cause a chain of special elections so I can go work full time and get my housekeeper back.

Tomorrow one of my best friends from childhood is coming to visit with her 18 month old son. I truly am so excited I probably won't be able to sleep tonight. However being that she has said small child, I'm feeling extremely obligated to really give the house a good cleaning. See, I'm considerate. Now if was just her I probably wouldn't be going through much stress, just make sure the fridge was stocked with beer and wine and a quick wipedown of the toilet (sorry Meg.), just like I do when my bestest friend ever (who does not have offspring) comes to visit (sorry Sar).

But the real issue here is this. How do the baseboards get dirty? Why do dust bunnies live under the beds? How does brownie spatter end up on the cabinets? Does this have to do with global warming? Is it the smog? Why, dear God, why? Why can't life be clean?

I've made a million resolutions to be a cleaner person, to be the kind of person that gets excited to scrub baseboards and windowsills. They've always been broken - usually by January 3rd. Maybe one day. Maybe one day when I don't have 2 dogs and a 3 year old who goes around behind me pulling out all the puzzles and board games I just put away, maybe then I'll enjoy cleaning. Of course by that time I'll probably be living in a retirement home and said 3 year old will be paying someone to wipe my windowsills and other places.

On a total side note....while I despise everything about cleaning, I highly recommend the product Simple Green. That stuff is amazing - if you don't use it - run to the store now - don't stop and collect $200 - get it, it rocks.

Crystal River High School Class of 1999 10 Year Reunion

2009-03-26T21:14:00.001-07:00

There is always a method to my madness. Yes, this is my personal blog, but coincidentally I'm also the chair of the reunion planning committee. So here's my train of thought - in the rare instance that there are some classmates out there who have not heard about the reunion and are looking for information...if they google the title of this post, this blog may pop up. And trust me as much time as I've spent working on this thing (honestly at least 250 hours thus far - no lie) I'm willing to try whatever unusual avenue to reach the remaining 85 lost Pirates of '99. So if that's why you are reading this - the reunion is on July 17/18 in Crystal River. We have a myspace page - www.myspace.com/crhs1999 - that should give you all the infomation or you can email me directly at mlinley@bellsouth.net. So there you go folks, that's all she wrote tonight.

And by the way, the colors in the logo may be off but I swear in real life it's traditional blue and gold.

Just another day in the life...

2009-03-25T19:02:00.001-07:00

Today was a beautiful day so Kendall and I joined our friends for some beach time. Isn't she just so darn cute?

And here's a funny story from the day. We went to Wal-Mart to pick up my contacts. The opticial guy needed my information for their system. He asked me how to spell my first name. "M-e-r-e-d-i-t-h" I replied. "That's not how you spell your name", Kendall interjected, "you spell it M-O-M." Cute and brilliant at the same time, yep that's my girl.

Fabulous

2009-03-25T18:58:00.001-07:00

Look up fabulous in Websters Dictionary. I think that should suffice.

P-raise the Roof!

2009-03-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've always been a bandwagon girl so I'm jumping on behind my good friend Tamara (www.awalkthroughthewoods.blogspot.com) who jumped on behind another blogger. In this crappy world where the economy stinks, I didn't get the job I wanted, and I was only reunited with my friends to attend another friends funeral - we often forget to give God the credit for whats good in our lives. So off the top of my head - here's some things I can Praise him for!

I have wonderful child. She's healthy and she thinks I'm her best friend.

We live in a great house in a safe neighborhood, despite techinically living in the crime capitol of Florida.

We have a wonderful church and church family.

I get to witness some of the most beautiful scenery God has created on a daily basis.

Besides my pesky allergies I'm in great health as is my immediate family members.

I have the greatest friends in the world and not matter where we live or how long we go without seeing each other, they are always here for me if I need them. (I'm uber lucky to have found such a great group who puts up with all my crap!)

I have a good job, it isn't my dream job but it pays my bills and then some - in this economy - praise be to him!

I have some really cool parents who not only love me but REALLY love each other (in an almost borderline disgusting fairy tale way).

It's girl scout cookie season - enough said!

I have a good friend who went to Iraq and came home safe and healthy.

The Seminoles are headed to the NCAA basketball tournament in #5 spot - hell yeah!

I'm NOT pregnant (not that I even could be without some major divine intervention) but I seriously praise God every day for not being with child again.

And finally - we are only about 24 hours from the official start of Spring! Hallelujah!

Jobs I wouldn't want to have

2009-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

In no particular order here is a list of jobs I know that I NEVER want...now if only I could figure out what I do what to be when I grow up....

A stay at home mom of more than 2 children or a preschool/kindergarten teacher

The cop who has to deliver the news that a loved one has passed

The person from the state who has to tell the Legislature there is a 2.4 billion dollar budget deficit next year

President of the United States

A professional athlete - although I think it would be cool to be a Olympian...badmitton perhaps

A therapist - got too many issues of my own, plus I hate listening

A meteorologist - I'd like to have a job where I'm confident that I'm right at least 50% of the time

A medical transcriptionist or a dental hygenist or anything that requires me to get a degree from Sally Struthers

An apiarist - google it if you don't know

An accountant - or anything else that deals with money I can't spend all day

A cable or internet technician - I think it'd be weird to go into peoples houses when they haven't had proper time to clean and prepare a nice spread for me

Any position at a morgue - enough said

Anything that requires me to wake up before the sun....I'm just not a morning person. I thank god daily for blessing me with a child who sleeps late every day. Thank you Jesus.

Free advice for my fellow mothers...

2009-03-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful day; Kendall spent most the afternoon outside playing with the neighborhood children and then we saw the shuttle lift off into the sky - it was time for a tubbie. She was one dirty girl. I was in the bathroom with her for a good portion of the time. Then briefly I stepped into the kitchen to find something to make for dinner. Kendall hollered from the bathroom "Mommy, your phone is ringing." I went it to grab my blackberry and there she sits looking ever so mischievious in the bathtub. "Where's my phone Kendall?" I asked. And then horror of all horrors, I saw it - in her hands under her bottom - in the BATHTUB. Of course my first thought was she could get shocked from the electronic device in the tub, once I realized that hadn't happened I lurched to get the phone. I'm 99% sure its a goner and will have to go to Sprint in the morning to get a replacement (thank god for insurance).

However, Kendall didn't realize that she had done anything wrong. We often let her take unusual items in the tub to play with (blocks, barbies, cups, cooking utensils, etc.). Never in her 3 plus years had I ever told her that electronics can't go in the bathtub. So here is my advice, if you have small children - make sure they know that they CANNOT take phones, cameras, laptops, video games, etc into the tubbie. Not only is it dangerous, it's an expensive pain in the rear to get them replaced/fixed.

****Editor's Note - So the morning after I come out to the kitchen where my taken apart phone was resting on the counter all night - and lo and behold - he hath performed a miracle and it works! I don't know how long it's going to last and I'm definitely getting a replacement, but thank you sweet baby Jesus!

Maybe she's isn't mine after all.....

2009-03-15T08:21:00.001-07:00

It's been brought to my attention a multitude of times the resemblance between my daughter Kendall and my best friend Sarah. After a weekend back in Crystal River, even more people were confused. So I thought I'd post a few pictures....you all can decide.

Whatever!

2009-03-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've been bad about posting....it's been a crazy month to say the least. So I'm just gonna leave you with this photo. We were at the beach on Thursday, Kendall was having a blast. Then I looked over and she appeared to be sleeping.....whatever.

Here's an idea Mr. President....

2009-02-17T19:03:00.001-08:00

At some point in the past month, I had to deal with customer services representatives from BellSouth, Sprint, and DirecTV within a 2 day time span. (This should have been a lesson into consolidating all my services with one company, but alas that's a discussion for another day.) Now I'll ask you to take a wild guess...how many English speaking reps do you think I talked to...yep, you guessed it - NONE!

Now whether or not they handled my problems sufficiently is not the matter at hand here (because essentially they did), the thing that irks me beyond belief is why these major corporations have to have call centers in foreign countries! So here's my idea Mr. President...how about we take some of this bailout/stimulus money and offer incentives or tax breaks to BellSouth, DirecTV, Sprint, etc to relocate call centers in the United States?

And let's think about this a bit further for a few moments. What type of jobs is the new President offering for all those American's who are out of work - infrastructure. Do you know what that is? Building bridges and fixing pot holes. Think back to the CCC of the 40's - they built state parks; pavilions, cabins, hiking trails, clearing brush, etc. Now let's think about out of work American's, what do you think they would prefer - building a bridge or having a job in a call center? That's a no brainer.

American's love those call center jobs, easy, no college education required, comfortable surroundings, team environment, etc. I mean - who are we kidding - push comes to shove I'd work in a call center all day. $14 + an hour, yes please, where do I sign up?

I'm sure there is something to be said for the call centers in foreign countries providing good for the community etc, but if we are going to pull out of Iraq and GITMO post haste then as a whole we can't be that concerned with the general betterment of foreign countries.

So here you go Mr. President, this is the first of my million-and-one brilliant ideas - hope you're reading this.

Kids say the darndest things....

2009-01-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

I've decided to try and post some of the crazy, humorous, and profound things Kendall says. Hopefully I'll be able to update as I remember more and as she continues to spread her wisdom to the world.

Recently she came into our room where I was folding laundry and announced "Mommy, when we go on vacation, we have to turn everything off. Know why, cause we need to save power!".

John told her to be careful while she was clipping her nails, she replied "I do careful all the time Daddy!".

I should preface these next few with the fact that we have completely turned her in a HUGE Seminole fan.

I asked her to call my parents because they were sad and needed to be cheered up, she says "Why is Gramzie sad? Maybe she saw some Alligators today, not like real ones but like yucky gators, you know. That would make me sad."

Coming home one day Radio Disney played a 30 second PSA congratulating the Gators on their National Championship title this year. At the end, the announcer says something to the effect of "Radio Disney joins the Gator Nation and says GO Gators!". Kendall says incredulously "Did he just say GO Gators?!? Gross!"

**Update 1/28
She came and snuggle up next to me after I had gotten out of the shower. "Mmm, Mommy, you smell good. Did you remember to put some of that arm-PINT stuff under your arms?"

**Update 2/4

Kendall uses (what we think at least) big words for a 3 year old. Words such as absolutely, specifically, interesting, actually, amazingly, especially, difference, etc.

Last night she asked for chocolate milk before bed, I said no. Her reply - "how about we have a compromise and I can have juice?" Do all 3 year olds start wheeling and dealing already?!

**Update 2/5

Today our little walking PSA said "Mommy, when you do something dangerous, you have to wear a helmet."

2 lifelong friends!

2009-01-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I know I haven't updated this is awhile. It seems like the past few weeks have ust flown by. But I did want to post this picture of Kendall and Jordan. Jordan's parents (Randi and Jeremy) were our neighbors in our townhouse in Jax Beach when I was pregnant with Kendall and Randi was pregnant with Jordan. K and J have literally been friends for life! We had a playdate with them today and had a great time!

It's a step...

2008-12-12T16:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we don't have a tree yet. Perhaps tomorrow.

Haven't purchased Christmas cards let alone getting them written or addressed.

Haven't figure out the actual plans for Christmas, including menus.

I'm only about 50% done with my shopping.

Kendall doesn't have a Christmas Eve dress/outfit.

Haven't even thought about baking cookies for people.

But...we do have a holiday photo!

I decided to share it with you because it's just not a guarantee that I'm going to get them printed and mailed out. It's better than nothing.

The big guy

2008-12-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the Neptune Beach Christmas in the Park event. We waited in a long (cold) line to see the mand himself. I'm not even sure if Kendall asked him for anything but she did have smiles!

Thanksgiving and one really (cute) determined FSU fan

2008-12-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

We made the trek to Tallahassee for Thanksgiving. My dad's little sister and her family were there as well as Gramma and David. I was quite sick on Wednesday and Thursday but started to feel better by Friday but that's when the weather got quite crappy. It rained and was just overall yucky the remainder of the weekend. Unfortunately, John had to come back to Jacksonville to work the weekend but Kendall and I stayed in Tallahassee until Monday.

With John in Jax and the weather so crappy we gave out FL/FSU tickets to my uncle and cousin. (They went with my parents and stayed into well into the 4th quarter! Despite the Gator fans and the rain! What troopers!) Kendall and I went to our friends Dave and Barrie's house at Lake Ella to watch the game. Some of Barrie's family were there and they were Gator fans! Her nephews were very adamant and borderline rude about pushing the Gator agenda. The young boys were giving Kendall and the little kids a REALLY hard time about being a FSU fan and kept trying to get her to say "Go Gators". I'm so proud to say she didn't cave! She gave it back to them and stayed true to her Nole pride! It was highly amusing and if I haven't done anything else right in her life I've managed to instill some Nole love and pride in her that isn't going away! Unfortunately we all know what happened with the game but we didn't care - we or lose we LOOOOVVVVEEE our Noles!

We are REAL fans.

2008-11-21T18:31:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we were probably the laughing stock of the national media - and not because we lost. Because we Floridians were bundled up in the stands when the temperatures were probably in the high 40's. I don't care - it was FREEEEEZZZIIIIINNNNNGGGG.

Had it not been for the multiple mini bottles of vodka I was forced to consume I probably would have caught hypothermia. There were layers of clothes, hats, gloves, scarves, and blankets. And a special someone to cuddle up too. Sarah! I was really proud of her - she hung in like a trooper and she usually leaves the games at halftime regardless of the weather! :)

We even stayed all the way to the end hoping our Noles would get an extra touchdown and pull it out. Unfortunately our efforts were in vain as our dear Noles lost - but on their defense they just aren't used to playing in such sub-zero temps!

It's just Friday.

2008-11-21T18:27:00.000-08:00

You may ask - why the get-up? What's the purpose of the fancy costume? The crown? Is it her birthday or something? Nope it's just another day in our house. Kendall dresses up frequently and even leaves the house in these wonderful (hear the sarcasm) outfits. She is that child you see at the grocery store bedecked in faux jewels and tutus. Yep, that's my kid. But I guess its just another reason that we love her.

Catching up...

2008-11-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a few weeks. So here's a recap of some of the crazy things we've done.

Halloween was a great success. Kendall has a blast with Rutger and Rafferty Mowry (cousins/nephews of Eli/Laura who I used to nanny for YEARS ago). Anyway, Henry is Laura's younger brother and Kasey is his wife and they live about 3/4 of a mile from us and we are good friends with them. Tinkerbell costume was a huge hit and even held up during some brief scattered showers. Rutger was a Man in Black and Rafferty definitely had the best costume of the night and was Indiana Jones. Precious!

After Halloween it was a whirlwind of activities gearing up for Election Day. We had a huge parade through Jacksonville. Governor Mike Huckabee, Lynn Swann, Jack Kemp, and Pat Sumerall were the Grand Marshalls and it was alot of fun. It was Kendall's first time riding in the back of a pick up truck!

On a sad note, the restuarant John was managing shut down leaving him somewhat jobless (although he returned to his old job almost immediately). The original 2 owners parted ways shortly after the restuarant opened and rather quickly the remaining owner decided the restuarant biz just wasnt' for him and sold.

The is why Kendall was with me at the office all day on Election Day. She was actually quite well behaved and mildly useful. She waved signs on the road and was hiliarious! She would shout "Whoo Hoo - John McCain!" and "Oh yeah, McCain Baby!". She was also upset the next day when we told her that her beloved John McCain had lost.

We've been hanging low lately gearing up for the holidays and whatnot. It's been uncharactristically cold here in Jax so we've been having fires every other night or so. Hope it warms back up - I live in Florida for a reason.

I'm trying...

2008-11-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

Well it's now been 4 days since the election and I'm still not ok. I am absolutely bewildered at the American people and completely irate with the media and Hollywood. Let me assure you that this isn't a Democrat thing - it's all about which Democrat was elected. Hard to imagine me saying this, but I'd have been fine with Hilary.
But it's about HIM. I think he's scary and I truly am scared for our country. I did alot of research on HIM, his associations, his past, and his plans. Needless to say I was less than thrilled. It's extremely upsetting to me to have a First Lady who has only spent 6 months of her life proud of her country.
Regardless, I'm still crushed. I've been looking for the silver lining and having to put trust that God has a plan. I've never had to deal with such a loss like this - there were so many people fired up for McCain and Palin. I just don't know what happened or what went wrong.
I'm confident I'll never like him, but I don't have to. Lord knows how many people have been so outspoken over their dislike of President Bush (whom I still love.) I'm trying to get over this but it's been really hard for me. I know how many people spent sleepless nights working hard to get McCain elected.
I'm just trying to learn to respect him by January 20th, but I still have 2 months of tears to shed before then.

A labor of motherly love

2008-10-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

One of the wonderful qualities Kendall has inherited from me is my sense of rationale. I'm overly rational, you should see me at the grocery store. So when discussing and deciding her Halloween costume this year - her sense of being overly rationale kicks in. She wouldn't be Snow White because she would have to wear a wig, not Ariel because it's hard to walk in, her hair wasn't long enough to be Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella.
"Mom, Tinkerbell has short blonde hair like me, so maybe I should just be Tinkerbell for Halloween?"
Well it seemed like a good decision, not too popular, had to be a pretty easy costume to find...and it was - but the costumes at the store were so chin-cee. The Target costume was so pitiful the hanger it came on probably cost more to manufacture, the Deluxe official Disney costume at the Disney Store was chartreuse crushed velvet and light up wings. So I decided - I'm crafty - I can do this. How hard can it be? A little sparkley green dress, some wings, slippers - instant Tinkerbell.
Now the underlying problem with this thought process was that I am in the middle of an election..in fact days away and my free time is extremely limited. The other problem was that after deeper thought I realized I needed to go to 4 separate stores to get all the products to make the costume and I would have to pull out the sewing machine.
I worked on it for awhile on Tuesday night and finally finished it up tonight. I'll admit, it's a little ghetto - I'm still a newbie on the sewing machine. But it's quite obvious who she is and she LOVES it - and that's all that matters right?
This picture it's about 98% done, but I put the finishing touches on it tonight and I'll post pictures from Halloween later this weekend.

A night at th Fair

2008-10-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

It's that special time of year...you can smell fried food and carnies...the fair is in town. I opened my big fat mouth at work and suggested that the Republican Party get a booth for McCain and the local candidates and who do you think gets stuck organizing, setting up, and manning it? Yep - me.

John and Kendall came out on opening night. Kendall rode alot of rides and still seems to be the no fear-cavalier. However, the most exciting thing to happen to her was when Daddy won her 2 new fish! She's named them Dragon and Kate and I have no idea why.

Overall it was a great fall family night even though it was pretty chilly!

GO Noles!

2008-10-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

The whole family went to Tallahassee this weekend for the VA Tech vs. FSU game. We got to spend some time with Jon Townsend and Missy. It was a beautiful day for a football game and even better when the Noles won!

FSU has even come up to #15 in the BCS! Whoo Hoo!!

A night with the Cheetah Girls

2008-10-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday night Kendall and I went to the Cheetah Girls: One World Tour in at the Veterans Arena. We were given tickets in a box suite by the Chairman of the Duval Republican Party. Kendall was excited for weeks! She insisted on getting a new rockstar outfit - complete with knee high patent leather boots!

She really was in awe with the place and loved the opening acts. She was dancing with the other little girls in the suite and having a grand old time. The Cheetah Girls put on quite a show - within the first 45 mintes they must have changed costumes 7 times.

Then about 45 minutes in, Kendall was dancing like a rock star as usual. She was dancing on or near the steps in the suite. The next thing I know she's fallen and screaming bloody murder. We rushed out to the hall and some people got us ice. She literally had a huge golf ball sized bump on her head within 30 seconds of the fall. Then the arena EMT showed up. They checked her vitals and whatnot. They wanted us to go to the ER but we rushed home to Daddy and "Dr." Christie came over and checked her out. Dr. Christie deemed she'd be fine and she is except for this HUGE bump on her head.

Regardless of the accident she still says she had a great time at the concert and wants to go back and see the Cheetah Girls again!

Amendments on the November Ballot

2008-10-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

So I know all of you look to me with utmost respect and always listen to my voting recommendations - HA! Regardless, I've decided to post my thoughts on how to vote on the amendments on the November ballot.
Drum roll please....
VOTE NO ON ALL OF THEM!!
However, my conclusion has nothing to do with the substance of the amendments. In fact I agree with a few of them. However the bottom line is that I am a conservative and I'm opposed to all of this constant "amending" to our Constitution. I've looked at all this amendments and there really isn't any good reason that this ideas can not be made into laws by our elected Legislature.
To those of you who remember the bullet train fiasco - we've seen first hand what happens when we amend the Constitution without researching the ramifications. True there are good amendments up this year but none of them seem worthy enough to amend the Constitution for.

Scooters for Hooters

2008-10-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today was the 1st Annual Scooters for Hooters Breast Cancer Research Event (although expect a name change for the 2nd Annual event). It was organized by our friends Tyler, Terrell, Bon, and Erica. All of their moms have had and (thus far) survived breast cancer. It was a great event, they had over 30 scooter (moped) riders ride from Jax Beach to Fernandina and back. Then a great party at Mojo's Kitchen with live music by the one and only Matt Still.

One of our friends who was riding had her mother and 3 aunts affected by breast cancer, and she was well aware that it most likely will happen to her. I realized how lucky I am to have not had any family members affected by breast cancer.

Here are a few pictures of Kendall and the crew. She loves her Matt Still - I'm pretty sure she's the President of his fan club!!

Good for Something...

2008-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

So last Christmas Kendall got a Jack Russell puppy for Christmas. By far the WORST decision of my life, everyone knows I CAN'T stand him. However....tonight he came in kinda handy.

So we discovered about 3 weeks ago that a small mouse had taken up refuge in our garage. John has had several goes at trying to catch him with no avail. He's only been spotted about 3 times and it's most likely because John isn't the best at remembering to take the garbage out but still if you know me you know I can't stand rodents. Give me a snake or spider in the house anyday. I've literally been petrified to go in the garage and have to have Noah (our golden retriever) accompany me when I go out there to put laundry in.

Well tonight, Marley earned part of his keep. He knows he's extremely low on my list and is constantly doing odd things in attempts to win me over. He's brought me a palmetto bug from the yard and one time caught a lizard on the porch in hopes to win my approval. Well, what do you thinks he brings in from the front yard tonight - yep dead mouse. Of course the whole him bringing him in the house and dropping him on the floor about 3 feet from me was NOT COOL and resulted in me having a minor panic attack - I can now go into the garage again.

I hope this was the garage mouse, I'm about positive that he captured the darn thing from near the garbage cans outdoors. I really hope this guy was a loner...if I find or hear another one I'm calling the Orkin man ASAP!!

First Timer!

2008-10-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, everyone else is doing it - so here we go. Hopefully I will have the time to update this...here's to nothing!

j/k/m/m/n
John, Kendall, Meredith, Marley, and Noah