Seven Things I Like About My Hometown

First, a note about yesterday's blog--never, ever talk too much about how much you like your job! Friday ended up being one of those days you wish you'd just stayed in bed!
I still like my job, but perhaps I should keep quieter about it!

I could probably come up with seven things I dislike about my hometown too, but on the whole, I love it here enough to put up with what I don't like about it...

1. It's home to the Tennessee Volunteers--football, basketball (now that Bruce Pearl's here!), you name the sport, we love our Vols!! They lost to Cal in their first game, they're behind right now to So. Miss, for goodness sake...but we still love our Vols!! And that leads me to:
2. Orange--where else could you go out shopping, or to a nice restaurant, dressed in what amounts to Hunter's Orange...and not even get noticed?! And while I'm on the Vols:
3. Rocky Top--I was at Walmart this morning for about an hour, and "Rocky Top" must have played over the loudspeaker at least 3 times! I lived in Atlanta for years and never remember stores playing the Georgia Tech fight song...
4. The Great Smoky Mountains--it's the most visited national park in America, and I can drive there in about 25 minutes. I don't go as often as I should; it would be such a great way to get a little "mini-vacation" when I need it!
5. The Climate--I complain bitterly about the cold, but the fact is, we have a pretty good mix of weather. We have definite seasons, unlike some of the even warmer climes--but summer is good and hot (which I love) and winter is, usually, at least not horribly long...
6. The People--oh, we can be a surly lot, no doubt about it, and backwards, and ignorant, and even mean...but overall, we are Southern...polite, friendly, helpful and easygoing.
7. The Pace...this is also, I think, very much a "southern" thing. There is just a different pace to life here than I have seen a lot of other places, and it suits me just fine.