Well, they are finally tearing North Hills down today, and I actually cried.

I grew up at that mall. David worked at Hackney's, the old sporting goods store, delivered prescriptions for the pharmacy, and, then, for the mall itself doing mall security. Barb wrapped presents at the old pharmacy and later worked at Chick-fil-A when it first opened. My first job was Chick-fil-A, and, then, Su & I worked together at Wills Book Store ~85-86. Oh, and let's not forget World Bazaar. For a long time,
half my house was decorated in crap that I got from the 3 or 4 months of working there.

I remember eating at K&W on Sundays after church and walking through the mall on the heels of my patent leather shoes and smacking my feet down just to hear the snap that my shoes would make. All the stores were closed of course. Well, all of them except for the pharmacy. It was Sunday, after all.

I remember getting "lost" in Penney's on several occasions and crying cuz I couldn't find Mom....only to find her with some nice saleslady's help 1 or 2 rows over. To this day, Mom would be naked if it weren't for Penney's (and Belk's). Thank goodness, it's staying put.

I remember Record Bar where I bought my first vinyl album, "Adam and the Ants". Damn, I'm sure that most if not all of the albums in my brother's HUGE old collection came from that place.....Zeppelin..Emerson, Lake, & Palmer...Moody Blues....

I remember the old pet store where Chick-fil-A is (was). I wanted that chow dog so much that I was saving my pennies in the Cooties game box. Seemed like a good enough place.

I remember the old Woolworth's. I always thought it was weird that they had grocery store shopping carts. Found out today that my cubical neighbor at work used to work there.

I remember stupid old Joey that I worked with at Chick-fil-A trying to kiss me out of the blue in the freight elevator when we went to take out trash when I was 16. Ick.

I barely remember the old hobby shop that had it's store front where the cookie store later appeared. As you walked in the mall entrance down that hall that later became the food court, there were display boxes of stuff imbedded in the wall that the hobby shop had to sell.

If I had a nickel for every Scotty dog or every K&W jello cube that I have eaten, I'd be rich.

Farewell, dear North Hills. You will live on in my heart!

Wow!

It's been a whole year since I first bared my belly and danced at my first hafla.

I remember being so scared and so sure that I wasn't ready to dance in front of people. I remember feeling so unsure about the choreography. I remember feeling so daring for wearing a choli. Of course, everything went WONDERFULLY. My parents, 3 dear friends, and my boyfriend all came to support me. Dad still calls me a "hootchie cootchie dancer", but at least I know that he's just kidding.

After 11 mos of dancing, I was asked to join a local troupe which has been quite challenging. I haven't given up yet though. I guess that it would have been nice to come into a troupe where the exisiting members took you under their wings for a while. Not this troupe! I've been expected to act as an equal to my troupe sisters, and that's where the challenge comes in. I'm giving it my best shot for sure.

Random thoughts: Nikki went to the vet last week, and ALL her blood tests came back fine....which is awesome for a 16 year old furpuss. On the work front, I met all my objectives for my quarterly bonus! YIPEE!!! Yesterday, Andrew & I hung rich burgandy red draperies in the computer room to help block out the sun since he'll be working from home in his new job. Oh, and I went to a scary movie Friday night. Yep, me! "House of 1001 Corpes" could have been worse for a non-scary-movie-watching person. No bad dreams yet.