Thursday, May 5, 2016

No place I would rather be........


I'm back home today after three days in three states and eight stores. I drove from Tennessee into NC on Tuesday and stopped at the state line visitor's center to pee and get something to drink that would make me have to pee some more. The interstate visitor centers on the state lines are always a pleasant place to stop and take a break.

Someone wrote a post on their blog a few weeks ago about our politics here in NC and there was a comment that said something like "no way could I live in the south". I remember thinking when I read that comment, "No way I could NOT live in the south." I love North Carolina, born here, lived here most of my life, no place I would rather be. Its deep in my soul. Yes, our Governor is an idiot and if you have been listening to NPR around here, he proves it more every day, with his uninformed comments. But the people that live here are not idiots. Gerry has been photographing transgender folks all week for a story the AP is doing about this pee bill, as I am calling it now. He has met some interesting folks, and in my travels this week, so have I. There are good people here, let us all pee where we want to you stupid politicians!



The visitor center on I 26 crossing into NC is really beautiful and there is a little trail that leads to an overlook. You can see Mt. Mitchell in the distance, the tallest mountain on the east coast. It was nice to get out and walk a few yards from my car and feel like I was deep in the mountains. Traveling this much is taking a toll, mentally and I am trying more and more to find ways to take care of myself. Taking food with me, trying to get some nature and I bought a new book, so I try to find a little time to read too. The spirit must be cared for.


Rhododendren is in full bloom up in the hills. I lucked out on this clear blue day with temperatures in the 60's, the air was crisp and spring was rocking and rolling.


This is why I am seeking solace wherever I can find it. The stores I am charged with "fixing" are an f'*ing mess. When you are breaking all sorts of sales records and so busy slammed with customers you can't even take a break, your store goes to hell. Leonard just had the biggest month in the history of their company and yay, business is good, but I have a long road ahead. I have never seen retail stores in such a mess. All of the guys are amazing though and 99% welcome me with open arms and are glad for the help. I did run into one mean ass woman this week who I chose to ignore because my day had been a good one and she was not going to rain on my parade. Some people just gotta act like a bad ass, its really boring.



I have taken over the Leonard instagram for a little creative outlet. Its fun trying to make a good photo on a Leonard lot! leonard_usa.com I think is the instagram location.   I love this vintage poster I came across in one of the stores. Mr. Leonard raises these cattle, apparently he is famous for them. I would love to see us do a retro ad campaign with these one day.


Beautiful day up in the mountains


I got lost looking for one of our stores, they had moved, no one told me and my GPS took me to an empty lot. The lot was near a house that had an old Leonard greenhouse in the backyard. Love this vintage Leonard stuff I'm coming across!

Nice to be home. I am meeting so many kind people and getting to spend time traveling the South that is so engrained in my mind. So many memories as I drive the backroads and the interstates. But it sure feels good to sleep in my own bed! Life is very different now, but I do love that paycheck in my account every Friday. The trade off is on most days well worth it. But I'm tired.....

7 comments:

cookingwithgas said...

I'm with you. I love it here. I just think the wrong people are in charge.
Now excuse while I go outside and pee.

smartcat said...

The weirdness of politics is everywhere. (Don't get me started on what has gone in RI in the past!)
The big thing is that no matter how embarrassing our governments are the people are generally good!
The obsession with bathrooms and who uses them goes right over my head!

Lori Buff said...

If you think about transgendered people as normal people who just happened to be born with the wrong genitalia the issue looks like a birth defect that is fixable. Would you deny some the use of a restroom if that person was born without legs? Would you deny someone a prosthetic limb if they were born without an arm? No, and the politicians of your beautiful state don’t seem to get that.

I love the beauty of North Carolina and I’ve met so many wonderful people that live there I would love to live there too if it weren’t for the politics. They are even worse than GA, go figure.

Michèle Hastings said...

Born in New Hampshire and now living in North Carolina... I won't let the politics affect the love I have for my new home state! The landscape is very similar to NH, but the weather is much better. We can affect change in the government by making our voices heard, and heading to the polls, not by moving away.

Tracey Broome said...

Totally right, the wrong people are in charge, we all need to go vote in November and get them the hell out of office! The political climate is the worst I have ever seen. There are narrow-minded, uneducated and ignorant people all over, NC just happens to be the one in the spotlight right now. I worked with a transgender and I can tell you, I fear for her safety in a bathroom way more than I fear for my own. But I do love this state, warts and all :)

Dennis Allen said...

Transgender folks have been around since ??? Laws to restrict their restroom choices only became necessary this year.There has been no rash of child assaults.( none that I have heard of) that prompted the legislation. Incidents of hetero men wearing dresses and hanging out in women's restrooms have not increased in recent memory either.What has increased is people looking for a license to hate. I sure hope we get over it.

Tracey Broome said...

Dennis, you are so right!