Building a Mythology

I am tired. I am weary. I could sleep for a thousand years.

Well, at least I feel like I could. Apparently, no matter what time I go to be or how tired I am I can only sleep for 4 hours at a go. Then, by the time I want to go back to sleep that Sprout is awake and the sleep is no longer and option. My sleep deprivation is but one of the wonderful things going on with me today - I also have heartburn! Apparently this is a side effect of the new medication I've been taking. I have been eating Pepto Tabs like they were Necco Wafers and I tried some wheatgrass this morning because I read it was good for digestion.

I was lied to.

Wheatgrass and Revisions. What a morning.

Also, I need a babysitter, ASAP. Army may or may not let j^C off work at a reasonable hour this evening and I need to go to the Open House at That Sprout's school. Fun fact: Sprouts are asked NOT to attend this event. Hence the need for a babysitter. Of which there are none to be found. Because I don't have a support network in this fabulous burg. Which brings me to my phoned in video:

I don't like it here. I have tried to like it. I was very positive about it when I got here. I don't hate it for the reasons everyone else hates it either, like crime and lack of things to do. The crime doesn't stress me out and there are plenty of things to do. I just feel very out of sorts, out of place, and out of touch here. This makes me not want to take advantage of what Fayetteville has to offer and leaves me bitter and unable to see anything good in it other than food, apparently.

I know that Crescent City is not the magical wonderland that I've mythologized it to be, but I can give you 5 much more enthusiastic answers about:

The Top 5 Things in Crescent City

1. The Orange Groves - There used to be these orange groves at the south end of town that used to capture my imagination. They are still there, but they aren't as lush as they used to be. Still, if I drive by them as the sun is setting, I am transported to somewhere else entirely. This place makes me breathless.
2. The Taquiera - There is a Taquiera in Crescent City that sells freshly made Agua Frescas. Sometimes they have Cantaloupe Aqua Fresca, which is the best. They also have real refried beans and all sort of authentic Mexican dishes for dirt cheap. 
3. Lake Stella - Sister lake to the more well known Lake Crescent, Lake Stella is the first lake I ever went swimming in. There are these massive, gorgeous oak trees at one end of the bank with limbs that bend all the way down to the ground. They are dripping with Spanish Moss and they form an archway over the road that runs past the lake. The only weeping willow tree in town can also be found growing by these waters.
4. The Cemetary - It's pretty. It's peaceful. There's history. I don't want to talk about it. What I will talk about is the road that runs past the cemetery and back to the highway. It winds through the trees and the ferneries and as you are coming down a slight hill, you are far enough above the tree line below to see Lake Crescent. It's another one of those moments of the everyday sublime.
5. The Intermediate School -  Parts of the building have been around since the first part of the last century and the architecture is truly stunning in places. It's a pity they decided to lower the ceilings. Many of the classrooms once had 10 foot ceilings with huge windows that looked out on to the lake, or the water tower next door. There is an auditorium with a decent sized stage. I used to want to buy the place and live in it as though it were a huge manor. I think I love it so much because I have so many memories there though. 

What is the take away here? I like beautiful things. I like nature, even though I say I don't. I think where I come from is beautiful in its own way. And I would rather be there than here, even if I can't get great Pad Thai and homemade ice cream from a farm. What I could get is a glass of Cantaloupe Agua Fresca with some friends who knew me when we were all young. People make the top things matter. 

Meanwhile, I don't have people in Fayetteville and it's very ugly. Like a Red Stripe Bottle, but without the fun inside. My enthusiasm for my new home has evaporated. I am left with nothing save disdain and contempt. There are some really great people here, don't get me wrong, but I need a partner in crime. A best buddy. And all the good people in the world can't make this place less ugly to look at. That would involve razing Bragg Boulevard and starting over from scratch.

Note: I have ceded to the machines and ceased editing my videos. For now.