Mic Check.

Is this thing on?

The past 3 months have been a whirlwind of activity. Or as Jason likes to put it, "You do too many things." And it's true. I've managed to steamroll through my first semester of graduate school, neighborhood meetings, band practices, shows and a full-time job in the last 3 months and it has been crrraazy. Not that I think I'm special or different for being so busy, it's just that I'm not at all used to being so. damn. busy.

I like it though. My new schedule has created in me an appreciation for the down time I do have, and I feel like it's actually motivated me to be more productive in my down time. My only regret is that I didn't have time to share relevant discoveries and observations during that time with readers of this blog.

So. Here are a few things that have happened:

1. I created a bumper sticker.

I'm not quite sure if I'm happy with it yet. Somehow I don't think people will get it. It definitely requires a sense of humor. One clever Twitter follower suggested that I should add "WeHo excited" at the end. Reference here.

2. I helped clean up a street and an alley.

On the left is the alley that runs parallel to and in between Southgate and Moore Ave. The photo on the right is on Wingrove next to the fairgrounds. Metro Beautification and Councilwoman Sandra Moore were responsible for organizing this badly needed clean-up, so major props. The alley was way too trashed for the group of volunteers to handle it so Ms. Moore had Public Works on it like the next day. BAM! Trash piles gone.

And of course I've noticed that they've started appearing again. More needs to be done to communicate with residents that trashing the alley behind your house is not an acceptable or an effective way to get rid of your crap.

3. I discovered a back way to school so I can avoid Nolensville Pike rush hour traffic. It routes through Lewis St in Chestnut Hill. Lewis Street is referenced in Steve Earle's song, South Nashville Blues. Neat.

4. I discovered that if there isn't anyone else at Dudley Park and if Jason and I watch them like hawks, one corner of the park is just fenced off enough to let the dogs run around free and pee on stuff. We keep their leashes on for easier grabbing, but it lets them blow off some steam when we don't have time to go all the way to the dog park.

5. I went to Santa's Pub.

Positive's: $2 Yeungling. A diverse group of patrons. It's the closest non-gay bar in the neighborhood (not that I have a problem with gay bars. See Stirrup.). Hipster karaoke.

Negative's: It's smokey. Cash only. Hipster karaoke.

Well, that about catches you up. School doesn't start back until mid-January so I hope to keep writing until then. I have a plethora of Old Guy posts in my inbox so definitely be on the lookout for those.

Also, Stephanie McCullough from the Nashville Civic Design Center will be at the SNAP center tonight to discuss the Wedgewood-Houston study that she helped put together in 2008. So if you're curious about the future vision for WeHo, you should come. Here's a link to the study. Our newsletter has the details about the meeting.