thanks for the memories

~the pavillion and lagoon in the center of  a really great town.

~to Bergner's where I purchased my complete wardrobe of jeans, t-shirts, Columbia fleece
jackets and running shoes - and especially  the cosmetic counter where I was always
shown the anti-aging cremes by the beautiful  kind young clerks.

~to the always infuriatingly polite local police officers who taught me to restrain my driving
habits and to always buckle up.

~to the Speakeasy Art Center where I was going to rent a studio until I found out that the
only available space was on the third floor where there was never any a/c or heat.

~to Big Lots where I sometimes found inexpensive movies I liked and sometimes not.

~to the cashiers, clerks and greeters with whom I formed mini-friendships.

~to the Public Library where I held my only art exhibit and dragged my family down there
on Christmas vacation and got maybe ten total comments from local people.

~to Family Video for providing me with endless hours of entertainment and allowing me
to now have memorized the title of every movie in the store.

~to Kountry Nook for the great personalized shopping

~the two nights I drove around the perimiter of the area that was blocked off and the huge
spotlights that shone amazing me that the people from Extreme Makeover were actually
working through the nights to make someone's dream come true.

~and the Sports Dome - you big overgrown igloo - who collapsed the night of the big snowstorm
and where I enthusiastically waved my little 9/11 flag and thrilled to the sound of Lee Greenwood
singing God Bless the USA