Halloween Up!

I can't stop eating Tootsie Rolls. I never, ever have candy in the house unless it's Halloween, so now that it's here I can't quit gorging on it. I don't even share it with Matt or the kids and just horde it until I've got to yank out the bag of candy on Halloween Day. By then, I've probably eaten half the bag myself. Well, now you know why I don't keep candy in the house....

We've got the house all Halloweened up this year, but the neighborhood has only 35 houses and just a handful of kids, so we don't know what to expect. We've only lived in this house about 6 months, so we have not yet witnessed Halloween here yet. Just one other house on my block has decorations. Hmmm...what a bunch of old poopers!

In our previous neighborhood in South Charlotte, Halloween was quite the spectacle. Every house was dressed up to the hilt for the holiday, and there was one house that was a particular huge attraction with people coming for miles to see it for both Christmas and Halloween. (It's on Long Cove Drive in Providence Country Club right off Tom Short if you're so inclined to check it out). This particular house has a great southern styled porch that lends itself well to spookiness and drama. The fog machine going wild doesn't hurt either.

If you didn't buy your fright decor two months ago, you're pretty much lost. Halloween is a fairly significant thing here in the south, and folks go all out and starting buying up all the good stuff months before. I learned this the hard way when I visited Target and Wal-mart two weeks before Halloween last year, and there was hardly a thing left. So, I made sure to get my shopping done early this year.

In the northeast, Halloween pretty much died in the 1970's after the whole razor blade and pins in the candy thing. I was thrilled to see the holiday had serious energy behind it here in Charlotte, as at least my kids will get to experience it the way I did as a child before the morons went and killed it.

Kids even get to wear costumes at some schools here. That was totally verboten in NJ when we left because we were advised that there might be some religious differences where some kids didn't participate in it. So, to be fair to everyone, they just nix the whole thing. I totally think that sucks and is completely ridiculous. I mean, if Halloween isn't your bag, then by all means exercise your right to not dress up. I think people are way too hung up on being proper and trying to include everyone. This is America, and you have every right to say no if you're not interested in being part of something. It's your right to not participate.

For example, in the northeast no one says "Merry Christmas." You say "Happy Holidays" instead so as not to offend anyone. Here in the south, there was a big movement last year to encourage people to get over it. People took back the ownership of saying Merry Christmas. I mean, if you're not Christian, isn't it easy to say something like: "Thanks, but I'm Jewish."

We're so worried about offending people that we either don't say anything or water it down. I'm not saying it's right to assume someone celebrates Christmas or Halloween or whatever, but we shouldn't feel compelled to be all-inclusive every time either. I would be thrilled to have my kid learn about a variety of holiday customs from all different faiths and religions, and I'm opened minded enough to accept that there's more than one way to open a candy wrapper.

Speaking of candy...there goes another Tootsie Roll.

Happy Halloween people!

Recommending My Cleaning Lady

I keep getting emails for the name and info on my cleaning lady, Derly, so I've decided to put all the info you'll need on her here. Please make sure you tell her Lisa sent you! She works homes in South Charlotte, upper Union county, a bit of Mint Hill and in Cabarrus just above Mint Hill. Here goes:

Derly (704-449-5668) has been helping us keep our house neat for a bit over 2 years now, and she's been doing a terrific job. Before her, I had several other folks that helped with the cleaning, but they were downright terrible. It wasn't even that they didn't clean too well (one person didn't even lift up stuff to dust under it), but the worst thing was that they were never consistent with the day or time they came. I had one person that literally called or emailed me every week to ask if they could change the day they were coming that week. There was always an excuse: dentist appointments, doctor visits, school meetings, English classes--it was really unbearable.

Thankfully, Derly has never changed the date or time on me once since she's started pitching in. She's also very thorough and usually comes with a partner to help her, so it's like you're getting two people for the price of one. Lastly, she's also very honest. I have mistakenly left a credit card and even the check book out in the open, for example, and it was not touched. There have been a few times where I wasn't going to be home and I've given her access to the key for her to get in and out, and everything has been perfectly fine.

Derly is Portuguese, so you need to be a little patient in terms of the communication side of things. When you call her the first time, you'll likely leave her a message and her young daughter will call you back and do some translating for you. She'll set up the first appointment where Derly will come over and give your place a once over to get you a price. Feel free to haggle with her a bit until you come to a fair price you both feel comfy with. Just don't think you're going to low-ball her, because she's not a stupid woman and quite a shrewd business person. She will be cheaper than services like Merry Maids, you can trust me on that. But she's not going to let you rake her over the coals on price either.

I have no trouble telling her exactly what I want done, as Derly has mastered all the important words of her trade that enable her to do her job. She'll ask you for example, if you want your baseboards cleaned of not? Fans? etc. She's also pretty flexible, and I've tossed her some extra money to clean the inside of the windows (she doesn't do the outside) or clean out the fridge.

What I love about Derly is that she's thorough. More thorough than I am. For example, she gives a quick dust to all the oil paintings that I have on the walls. Now, I don't even do that normally. But she sure does. She even takes the garbage out of every pail in the house--including the baby's diaper pail. A couple of times I rushed out of the house because I had a few appointments, and didn't have time to make my son's bed. Well, Derly did it for me without asking. (Ok, I confess, that the beds are never made unless I have guests or Derly is coming over. Who has time for that?!).

Last, you'll need to buy all your own cleaning supplies. I just keep mine in a crate on the floor in the pantry for her to utilize. I have a box of kitchen garbage bags and a couple of rolls of paper towels and that's what she uses. When something is empty, she'll put it in your counter to signal you need to buy more. Make sure your vacuum cleaner is handy, too. She uses her own broom, and her own mop. What I love about her mopping, is that she uses this massive squeegee that she wraps a small towel around. It gives a much better cleaning than a string or sponge mop, and the everything is nearly dry, too.

I can't say enough about Derly. She's worked out perfectly for us, and those that have used her after I've recommended her just love her too. See if she a match for you. I'd love to hear what you think.

Private Wells and Septic Systems

Thank goodness the rain is still coming down here in Charlotte. We've had a devastating drought this summer and these last few days of continual rain have been welcomed by everyone. We were just weeks away from forcibly having to cut our water consumption by 50% as ordered by NC Governer Easley.

I'm on a well out here in Union County, and I've never had the luxury of having well water. Coming from New York City, there's no such thing and I'd always heard negative things. I'm on septic tank as well, and I've always heard horrors about those as well. Well, truth be told, I haven't really found a single pinch of difference. In fact, I'm starting to think it's better.

For one, my well water does taste perfectly delicious. I had it all tested before I moved in, and the water had no unusual bacteria or chemicals present. It also doesn't have any fluoride that one usually finds in local city water, so you have to make sure to use fluoride toothpaste. No big deal, as we all do that already.

I'd always heard that the water pressure coming from well water is not as good as city water. Well, that's not true either. We have the same exact pressure level. And, the best part about it, is that I don't have a water bill. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

The idea of a septic did kind of scare me I have to admit. I was warned (by city dwellers) that they always stopped up and stuff always came back up. Well, in the six months I've been on a septic that has not happened. Knock on wood. I definitely have become more conscious of what I put down the drain, tho. I thought nothing of tossing frying pan oil down the drain when I was connected to a sewer--which I already know isn't the right thing to do either. Now, I can it and throw it in the trash. We also don't allow our garbage disposal to grind up half of a meal so that it clogs the septic. I guess, overall, I've become more conscious as to what my pipes are eating. And I don't have a sewer bill. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Even though I could have continued to water my lawn all summer despite the drought because I have my own well, but I did not. I never watered once. I have a patchy, half-dry lawn like those of you on city water. We turn the water off while we brush our teeth and all that usual fare. We're trying to be reasonably kind to the environment. Around my neighborhood, however, there are a few million dollar mansions with the lushest, greenest lawns I've ever seen. There's a big sign out front of each that warns "Irrigated by Private Wells," just in case neighbors decide to call the governing agents on them because they're being wasteful. Hmmm.....

One needs to maintain these systems as any other part of your home, of course. You should have a septic company come out and check your system annually, and there's recommended products such as BioSafe that you're supposed to flush down the toilet to keep things clean and in working order. You can also get a water check test kit for under $10 bucks to check the bacteria levels in your well annually.

In Charlotte, most of the newer neighborhoods within the city limits are connected to sewers and public water, but out here in greener pastures there's many homes with quite the opposite situation. In fact, most people living in the USA do not have access to public water or sewers. So, don't be afraid of being in charge of your own water and sewage. You won't miss the bills!

49% of Residents Want to Leave NJ and Come to NC/FL

An interesting tidbit appeared in yesterday's Charlotte Observer newspaper, claiming that a recent poll said 49% of the residents living in New Jersey wants to move out of the state and go to either North Carolina or Florida.

Digging around, I found the story in the Star Ledger which appeared on October 17th. Don't just read the story itself, but also read the near 50 comments from readers that wrote in to voice their thoughts. Here's one particularly entertaining one:

"New Jersey, if the fumes, taxes (personal and corporate), traffic, and corruption don't kill ya, the stupidity in government will!

Hey, here's an idea, let's tax the people who don't make as much; an idea that will work right? Less tax to those who make more, more tax to those that make less. This state is in dire straights right now, along with many towns. Towns need more help financially, and the state has no funds to help.

$3.5 BILLION in deficit? The state just keep running up the credit card bills, chasing out the businesses. There is soon to be a tax on the tax.

I guess discussing this is like trying to introduce logic to an illogical equation. Nothing will change, anytime soon. Get used to it, or be prepared to move. I felt exactly like these people about living in the northeast. Taxes too high, cost of living is nuts." -1lvdherelong

I can totally relate to what these people are feeling, as I was one of them over 3 years ago. Between the taxes, the cost of living and the traffic, you simply don't feel like you can get ahead in the northeast. You're working like a maniac to pay bills.

A friend of ours who still lives with his wife in northern Jersey is purchasing a house and told us the property taxes were going to be $9,000. He said it without any emotion or shock...as if it was all normal. I guess in Jersey people just accept those numbers. I held my breath when I heard the figure and said to Matt--can you believe we're paying $2,200 property taxes for 3 acres??

So, I don't blame folks in New Jersey for wanting to run as fast as they can. And you won't be alone, because your buddies that left a few years ago are already waiting here for you.

Use the Internet to Research Your House or Neighborhood

I was talking to a realtor last week on the condition of the market in Charlotte, and she confessed that it has slowed down quite a bit from spring time. She explained that the the housing bubble elsewhere in the country has finally affected Charlotte in that folks can't sell their homes to come here. In other words, someone in New Jersey who is itching to get south is having to sit on their unsold house and can't make the move until it happens.

In Charlotte, homes have never really sold for those inflated prices around the rest of the country. There's been a slow and steady increase in home values that work with the national average. We also enjoy moderate property taxes in comparison to other areas. That gives those looking to purchase a home here good buying power. You get a heap for your money. I recommend using the Charlotte area MLS site, Carolina Home, versus Realtor.com as the listings are more accurate and give you better photos.

If you want to do a bit of research and find out what your house or the homes in the neighborhood have sold for within the last 5 years, check out websites such as Zillow and Domania. I used these tools successfully when buying in New Jersey as I was able to get vital information that helped me devise an offer. All you do is plug in an address and the info is all there at your fingertips.

When I was living in Morganville, NJ, for a year in one of those terrible cookie-cutter neighborhoods where the houses sat 12 feet away from each other. The house I lived in could be bought here in Charlotte for $125,000, and I won't tell you what unspeakable sum of money I bought the very same house for there (with $10,000 property taxes!). I purchased the home from someone that was selling it themselves and not using a realtor. So, I was left without an intermediary to the offer haggling for me. I had to do it myself. I went to Domania and looked at the recent comps in the neighborhood, but then I was also able to see that the seller had purchased the house two years before and that he was attempting to get over $100,000 more in that short time period! With this information in hand, I was able to tell him, "Look, I know you paid $X for this house just two years ago, and the comps say $Y. I'm ready to walk away if I can't get this house for this offer." He looked aghast and a bit sheepish when I told him EXACTLY what he paid for the home, and we were able to come to a reasonable number--well, at least what was reasonable in New Jersey!

The internet is an amazing source of information when it comes to home buying and selling, and not when it comes to purchase price either. Want to know how many registered sex offenders live within a certain mile radius from your home--or worse, perhaps right next door to the house you are buying? Check out The National Sex Offender Registry site and plug in your address. You may be duly delighted or horrified by what you find out. North Carolina has it's very own site, NC Find Offender, that does the same thing. And many of the local counties have their own version of this as well. Just do a google search for "cabarrus county nc" and "registered sex offender."

Need to know if you're buying or living near an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) superfund site? Check out their site to determine if you're going to be living near a toxic dump. Scorecard is a site that takes it even further, and can help you determine things like agricultural and water issues.

If schools are a concern for you, there's a number of interesting tools such as Great Schools that give you general data about every school in the country. In North Carolina, students have to pass the ABC standardized test. The scores have gone up this year, check out how yours did here. There's plenty of info if you go directly to the counties themselves to research what is happening in the local schools, too.

Property taxes are another issue for home buyers to consider. You should be thrilled if you're coming from the northeast. My property taxes were $10k per year, and now they are $2,200 for three acres of land! For tax numbers, check out these sites and do the math:

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg
• Gaston
• Iredell
• Union
• York, SC

So, as you can see the internet can provide a wealth of info before you go ahead and dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into a humungo purchase like a house. Happy searching!

Indian Land, SC

Ah, Indian Land. I really, really wanted to live there, but couldn't find a darned house to buy since it's so tiny! Indian Land is in Lancaster County and is part of the Fort Mill, SC, zip code as it does not (yet!) have it's own post office. It's just minutes from the Ballantyne area on highway 521 just a bit away from primo property in NC. You can buy a house for a song, with dirt cheap property taxes. It's a real estate buyer's dream.

There's a neighborhood in Indian Land named Black Horse Run that I adore. It's an equestrian friendly community that allows owners to have 2 horses on every 1 acre of land (though many residents do not). Much of the neighborhood was built in the 1980's, so you have mature landscaping and decent sized lots. There is also a neighborhood pool, a barn, riding trails and a wonderful lake. The homes are a bit smaller than what you find new right now, but they are at a pricepoint that affords updating and in adding on. Houses in the subdivision generally go quickly...if you find one for sale at all.

Indian Land is set to explode, as you've got a heap of growth happening on the 521 corridor. Del Webb's 50+ neighborhood, Sun City at Carolina Lakes, is driving much of the growth and is sells out quickly each time a new building pod area starts up. Sun City has incredible amenities for those who fit the over 50 age profile, including a golf course, boating and a club house. Del Webb plans to build another similar subdivision in the next few years that does not have golfing for those that are not inclined. Investing in these neighborhoods is money in the bank.

Many property owners along 521 have recently put their larger parcels for sale to capitalize on the real estate boom that's happening, and they are being snapped up for retail and homes. And, it's proximity to Ballantyne doesn't hurt either. Gasoline is cheaper in SC, so you'll find lots of NC plates visiting the closest gas stations over the South Charlotte border. Plus, it's also home to Southern Spirits, our favorite liquor store here at Charlotte Central.

This area is served by Indian Land schools, which are decent; and not Fort Mill schools, which are excellent. In my opinion, however, I think the schools in Indian Land will get even better as the area is further developed.

Do not miss out on a little gem of an area--check out Indian Land, SC. You won't be sorry you bought ahead of the boom.

Fresh Milk Delivery to Your Home in Charlotte and Fort Mill

Yep, it may sound crazy, but the milkman still does deliveries to your house. About two months ago, I contracted with Lakeview Farms Home Delivery, which has a farm up in the Blue Ridge Mountains and does home delivery in the Fort Mill/Union County area.

I confess I'm not one of these organic, health food crazed people and I am usually not willing to pay more for something organic. In other words, I don't actively seek out organic foods at all. What I did seek, however, was convenience. I have two young boys at home that consume milk as if they were little calves, so I couldn't keep racing to the supermarket every few minutes. I concluded that I was willing to pay a wee bit more for my milk if someone would bring it to my door (I guess that's the New Yorker in me coming out). Little did I know, that Lakeview was not just going to bring me convenience, but way better tasting milk.

You get a chance to talk to the owner of Lakeview Farms, Jim, when you call to set up your service and make sure you're in the delivery area. He describes their offerings, which includes much more than milk--they've also got eggs, cheese, yogurt, butter, juice and all other sorts of organic goods. They come to your door and bring you a small, metal insulated milk box that you keep by your front or back door, and this is where Jim will drop your goodies. Last week, while I was traveling to NYC on business, I gave Jim access to my garage refrigerator and he simply put my order in there for me since I wasn't home.

The milk comes in those wonderful glass bottles like your grandma had. What I love about them right off the bat, is that they have a handy plastic handle to carry them around. Also, they're recyclable glass, so when I'm done with them I simply rinse them out and put them in my milk box for Jim to take away. But the absolute best part is the quality of the milk. The stuff is thick and rich--even the 2% variety!

You need to give the bottle a shake before you pour so the creaminess swishes around. One of the delivery men advised me that milk in the supermarket is easily a month or more old before you buy it. It's completely pasteurized to the point that it is sterile so that it lasts a long time on the shelf. Plus, it comes from hormone filled cows. He told me that my Lakeview Farms milk was just pulled from the cow a few days before and that the pasteurization process is a little less severe than mass produced milk. It kills all the necessary bacteria without rendering it completely sterile. My milk dude also advised that my milk came from happy cows--roaming freely to eat pasture and not tied to some stall eating feed. I like happy cows. I want them to be happy so they can make this tasty milk for me.

My 4 year old outright asks me for milk to drink since we hooked up with Lakeview Farms. He loves the stuff and says that it's as creamy as ice-cream. I get the full milk for the kids, and the 2% for the adults. The stuff is dreamily divine. Yummy even.

To be straight, it is more expensive than the supermarket stuff--$3.39 for a half gallon. But it is completely worthwhile as far as convenience and taste, in my opinion.

Lakeview Farms doesn't deliver everywhere, but a call to them will let you know if you're within their delivery footprint. Owner Jim was telling me that a couple of folks in one particular Weddington neighborhood wanted their milk so badly, that they petitioned the rest of their subdivision and got a dozen other families interested and they successfully scored a place on the delivery route.

Here's other home delivery services around the Charlotte region:

Absolute Organics - Veggies and fruits

If you know of any others, please let Charlotte Central readers know by submitting their names here.

New Garage Doors: Cox Door Company

I've been busy ripping our house apart from top to bottom. We started with the kitchen reface, and now my beaten down garage doors were the next target. The poor wood doors that have served this house since 1987 had finally given up. To start, they had water damage and were rotting; and the openers were opening and closing whenever THEY wanted to, instead of when I needed to get in and out of the house. Basically, everything had hit the statistical end of it's life and needed replacing.

I used Cox Door Company, a family-run outfit out of Indian Trail. They were professional, courteous, came out when they said they would and offered me a fair price for the work. First, we tried to repair the existing garage door openers to see if they had any life left in them. The repairman warned me that this was not the best route of action given the condition of everything, but being a cheap New Yorker, I had to at least give it a shot. Sure enough, the very next day they started acting up again. The repairman came back at no charge with brochures for new doors and openers.

Now, I've never purchased a garage door before, but I was amazed at the options and price ranges. I knew that I wanted a carriage house (barn) styled door, as you drive directly up to my garage and it's a big part of what you see. I figured it should at least be attractive.

These doors can cost you a fortune, but I settled on two eight foot Haas Doors. The repairman advised that though there were other options that were more expensive, that he considered these doors to be the best on the market. They provided a tight seal against the elements and were a sturdy and paintable steel with an insulated center. These were $700 a pop--which is way cheaper than other doors that were easily twice that to start. I decided to go for the style with no windows, as the fix-it dude said that they allowed heat to enter and they might be a security issue with someone peeking into the windows. There goes $1,400 bucks for two.

Next came the openers. Luckily, my home warranty covered both of these since they were both barely functioning. There were two options: the first was a $300 residential Liftmaster with a 5 year warranty; and the second was a $450 Elite Series Liftmaster with a lifetime warranty on the motor. The warranty would only cover for the cheaper one, but I ended up springing for the more expensive model and sucking up the difference. Bang! Another $300 bucks for two openers.

At the end of the day I spent $1,700 for two new doors and opener units, and the things work like a dream. Who new a garage door could be so quiet? Finally, I don't have all sorts of creepy-crawlies getting into the garage since the new seal is super tight. Plus, the temperature in the garage has dropped at least 25 degrees with these new doors. How do I know this? Well the opener wall control unit tells me the exact temperature in the room, the time, and date and a whole bunch of other things. Now, if it would only tell my husband to take out the garbage, I'd be set!

Getting a NC Driver's License

I'm not proud to admit it, but even though I've lived here for three years, I never traded in my New Jersey driver's license. Once I heard that you had to take the written test in order to get your license transferred, I clung onto my old license like a toddler hangs onto her favorite blankie. I hate tests. Let me repeat--I hate tests. I still wake up in a cold sweat some nights dreaming that I've forgotten to study for some college final.

When I moved from NYC to New Jersey, they also had the written test system, and I hung on until they changed the rule and you didn't need to take the test anymore. Amen! I waited out the system and won! One day I was hugely pregnant with my first son, and I got nailed by a Jersey cop going 60 in a 45 mile zone. I handed over my NY license, and pretended I'd just moved to NJ (reality was that I'd been living there two years). My parents were in the back seat, and the cop took one look at my huge belly and let me go with a warning.

Now, let me say that you are required to change your old driver's license to the NC one after 30 days of living here. Ahem. And what I was doing was completely wrong. After about a year of living in Charlotte, I got pulled over by a cop as I was racing home to make a business phone meeting. I was going 60 in a 45 zone again (sorry!). The police man asks me for my license, and I tell him that my husband has moved here, but I'm not officially moved yet (sorry again!). Okay, I fibbed! He carefully took down the address in Charlotte and entered it into his cop computer, and he told me to slow down. No ticket, only a warning. A bit after this, instead of studying for the NC drivers test, I purchased a radar detector. I didn't get caught again.

Last month, I realized that my NJ license was about to expire within 4 weeks. The other issue, was that I was going to be boarding a plane for business travel, and my only form of picture I.D. was about to kick the bucket. I HAD to suck it up and take the darned test. I basically had no choice. I used this handy cheat sheet and read it over until I had it committed to memory. I went to the Monroe DMV and grabbed the road signs card at the front desk and sat in the waiting area for about an hour studying the thing like a fiend.

I'm nervous as hell, but get called into the testing room finally. I did my eye test by looking into the little contraption and reading the letters. Passed. I then do the signs test in the same little contraption. Passed. The man then sends me over to the computer where I would be taking the actual driving test. There's a young guy already there in the throes of his exam, and I sit down and put on the headphones to listen to the test and get ready to go. I'm sweating. I'm scared. I gotta pass or I can't get on that plane with an expired license. I can't drive either.

You have to get 20 out of 25 questions correct, and I race through the thing with flying colors because all the questions are EXACTLY the ones on the cheat sheet! I got just one wrong at the very end because it was worded in a funny/tricky manner. I see the kid next to me still stammering through his test and I pump my fist in the air as I knew I passed. He glances over at me in dismay and I shrug (sorry!).

I go back to the fellow that tested me, and he grins. He sends me over to get my photo snapped and minutes later they hand over my brand new, legit North Carolina Driver's License. I could not have been prouder, and it got me a bit closer to feeling like a native Charlottean. I was no longer sporting an transplant license...now no one would be able to tell the difference between me and a long-time local.

I still have my radar detector, but I've also slowed down quite a bit--after all, I live in Charlotte.

Went Back Home to New York for a Few Weeks

You guys already know that though I'm living in Charlotte, I still work remotely for the New Jersey company I've been at for the last 6 years. It's truly a lucky break that the place allowed me to move here three years ago and still keep my job AND my old salary. And this week, we happened to be going IPO, so I was invited to the festivities at the New York Stock Exchange. I also decided that I wasn't going to visit family when I went back to New York, and was just going to work, shop and chill out. Shhhh....don't tell my mother!

Anyway, last week I did my thing at work 12 hours a day, and then enjoyed some shopping at Loehmann's, Century 21 and Daffy's--stores that would make a killing if they ever moved to Charlotte. One thing I do find in NC, is that the clothing is pretty pedestrian unless you go to one of the many boutiques in the area--but the who the heck wants to pay those prices? Everyone, for some reason, seems to dress exactly the same here. Every time I return to New York for work, I go with an empty suitcase and load up on clothing to bring back to Charlotte.

I booked my travel at the very last minute, and there were no hotels available in Manhattan, so I had to stay in a little rathole in Jersey City just across the river. At 7AM, I took the path train over to Wall Street, which is nothing more than a 5 minute trip. The train swoops around Ground Zero, and there was activity going on there much as it has been for the last 6 years.

I see this swarm of bodies running out of the train and up the long stairs that lead everyone up to the street level. It's this twice-daily rush hour ritual that always appear perfectly choreographed and everyone moves like a swarm of ants heading out of the hole to get up to the surface. I sure don't miss it. I don't miss standing on a NYC subway platform in August when there is zero airflow and everyone is sweaty and aggravated. I don't miss cramming onto the F train while the guy next to you is unknowingly jabbing his briefcase into your ribcage. And I sure as heck don't miss rainy days when you're jumping over puddles at the crosswalks while hoping not to get sloshed by the crosstown bus.

I finally come out onto Church Street and I immediately get that rush that happens to me every time I step in Manhattan--I always wish I could live here again. Of course, when I'm considering this I don't have my 2 young kids tugging on me and I'm not thinking about the fact that to live in NYC well, it requires you to be a millionaire. There just is something about Manhattan that is like nowhere on earth. I see Trinity Church around the corner and my knees feel weak...what a marvelous building.

Later in the day, I headed back up to our office on 19th and 5th Avenue, and I started looking for the restaurants and bars that I used to frequent as a single twenty-something. The Coffee Shop is still there....Union Square Cafe still around....Chat n' Chew check!....Steak Frites outta business...ah well! It's amazing how much things change in New York every time I go.

It's 11AM, and the 3 other women I'm with and I settle on the Coffee Shop on the corner by Union Square Park. The moment the menu hits the table, the waitress is immediately asking us what we want to order with a surly attitude. We haven't even had a chance to look crack it open, so we're struggling to come up with an answer and after 10 seconds she walks off in a huff. Clearly, I'm no longer used to the fast-paced pressure of everything in New York.

I order a Cuban sandwich, since there's virtually nowhere to get a decent one in Charlotte other than at Carlos Cafe in Rock Hill, SC, which is a bit of a hike for me when I get the craving for it. I also order a pomegranate mimosa--what the heck, I'm in New York! At the end of the day, we head over to the bar at the Soho Grand Hotel for a drink, and I make my way over to the elegant walnut bar as a bartender with a mohawk takes my order. And we end the night at the Canal Room, a club on West Broadway. I felt content that i had a fully quintessential New York City day.

Finally, I get on the plane at Newark and there's delays. Someone can spit on the tarmac at Newark Airport and you're guaranteed a delay due to "weather." The claim is that it's second in delayed flights to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. At some point I get to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and I grab my car and get on 77 South. I turn on the country music station and sing along to the Dixie Chicks' Cowboy Take Me Away.

I'm home. I'm happy here. I love living in Charlotte.