I must have skipped, Eddie. I live in Atlanta and I love it, but it is spread out and mass transit is spotty. The trains are great but, as Theodosia says, limited in where they go and the buses aren't great. There's no question that the traffic is awful. Yes, the summers are hot, but everything's air conditioned, and the tradeoff is a beautiful spring and no snow. I think the IT job market is doing okay and there is an increasing number of corporate headquarters here (Coke, UPS, Home Depot, Georgia Pacific, Rubbermaid, American Cancer Society, CARE). We have some decent museums, a number of theatres and some good music venues. It's not NY, but it's not podunk. People will smile at you on the street, which tends to unnerve newcomers. If you have any questions, my profile addy is good.

Is this a combined heat/electricity figure, Nutty? I forget the specifics from yesterday.

I've been lusting after a pair of Crocs, but was dubious without trying them on. Maybe I'll go ahead and order a pair now, based on lori's rec.

Raquel, get them. They are super squishy-comfortable, the lightest weight shoe and mostly water proof (or when they get wet they redry so quickly).

I bought a pair and Lori rolled her eyes and made fun of me becuase they were so PINK! and SHINY! and FUNNY! Then she tried them on and bought a pair too and now loves hers and wears them with great frerquency.

Today looks like a shiny and hot day (sunny and 101 according to predictions). sigh.

Is this a combined heat/electricity figure, Nutty?

Yeah. But I have a reasonable handle on what it costs to light an apartment, and this place does have gas heat. The heating costs are totally boggling. Who would live there? (Actually the real question is, who would pay that rent -- the high end of average -- knowing the massive added expense that is coming every winter? Clearly, only people who are happy with 50d rooms in January.)

I have it pretty nice, right now. Although I don't control my heat -- the thermostat is in the 1st floor apartment -- I don't pay for a cent of it.

Topic!Cindy – Today is the 6th birthday of Narrator!Niece a/k/a Princess of the Pink. I visited her yesterday to deliver her tribute gifts. The princess was pleased. She got a CareBear and announced “I collect these!” (she has 3). She also got a t-shirt and gift certificate from Limited Too, and proclaimed “I love that store!” (she’s been there once, for Older!Sister). Still, it was nice to see her excited.

By the way, it was my first trip into Limited Too. That’s a lot of pink there.

People will smile at you on the street, which tends to unnerve newcomers.

Heh. This reminds me of my freshman year in college, a friend of mine from high school who had gone to UVA came home for fall break HATING it. Why? Everyone wanted to smile and say hi to her on the street!! She did get used to it, and ended up liking it a lot.

I spent a couple of months working in Atlanta on a detail some years back -- winter of -- 1992 maybe? Not quite the same as living there, but I remember it fondly.

Atlanta itself is cosmopolitan enough that being a Yankee is more a curiosity than a point of contention (though I won't promise that'll hold true outside the city).

That's about all I remember.

I was gonna say, I think my combined electric and gas bills per month for my house are about $160/month in the dead of winter.

Metro Atlanta won't even notice you're a Yankee, Eddie. Rural Georgia might be another question. We have what is called the "two Georgias:" Atlanta and everywhere else.

Topic!Cindy – Today is the 6th birthday of Narrator!Niece a/k/a Princess of the Pink. I visited her yesterday to deliver her tribute gifts. The princess was pleased. She got a CareBear and announced “I collect these!” (she has 3). She also got a t-shirt and gift certificate from Limited Too, and proclaimed “I love that store!” (she’s been there once, for Older!Sister). Still, it was nice to see her excited.

By the way, it was my first trip into Limited Too. That’s a lot of pink there.

Oh, happy birthday to her! These little ones are getting old too fast, and each year, they're closer to world domination.

Clearly, you are a superior auntie, by the way. Good choices. I'm not even going to tell Julia about them. Lately, I've been being badgered into taking her to Build-A-Bear.