Landfill Reclamation Project

Well, here it goes. I am going to reveal a strange fact about myself that only a select few people know. In an ideal world, I would produce awesome scuptures from recycled metals and other abandoned goodies. That dream has been put on hold due to this one little thing called a source of income. Much to my pleasure, the City Hall art exhibit for the last few months has been a display of hubcap art. It is part of the Arts Council of Williamson County's Landfill Reclamation Project. While most of my co-workers do not seem to understand the appeal, I LOVE it! Just think of where those hubcaps could be.....and what we can do with all the excess waste filling our earth! I know these are not exactly impressive pieces of art, but they are fun to look at and really get the imagination going. Obviously, these are not works of professional artists, but just think what someone really talented could do with these materials. This looks like a fun project for the creative soul.

Here's some of the hubcap art--one is stained glass, and one is even a clock:

Hallelujah!

Well, sorry for no posts in quite a while. But, guess what??? I passed my AICP exam (by a mere 3 points)! I am so relieved!

D-Day

Well, the time has come. Tomorrow is my AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) Exam. 170 questions, 20 of which don't even count against my score. 3.5 hours. Weighted score between 25 and 75. 55 needed to pass.

All I gotta say is that I WANT IT TO BE OVER! I am pretty optimistic about it, but pretty anxious. It's basically luck on which questions I get asked because I know alot, but they could throw just enough off-the-wall questions at me to keep me under that 55. Oh, the horror!

On the upside, my co-worker is taking my Planning Commission items tonight so that I don't have to go to the meeting....and I don't have to come into work at all on Friday. Well, I'll keep you posted. By 4pm on Friday, I should know my fate.

Goin' to the Chapel

One of my best friends from high school got married this weekend. She was such a beautiful bride, and we had such a blast! I just can't believe she's married! Here are some photos from the weekend (thanks to Dabney for providing them).

Next to get married--pretty sure it's this couple right here:

That's my other best friend from high school! Her beau caught the garter! And, she would have caught the bouquet, but she was robbed!

The most wonderful weekend of the year....

It's that time--the 49th Annual Christmas Village at the State Fairgrounds! You don't want to miss it. It is probably our last year at the Fairgrounds, and we have the best merchants from all over! Thursday kicks it off with Sneak-a-Peek if you are lucky enough to get a ticket, and Friday through Sunday are open for general admission. You can get tickets at SunTrust Bank ($7) or at the door ($8).

November is the month for Nervous Nelly's!

November is here. The stress has fully set in. This weekend, my maid of honor duties surge in a climactic finale at my high school friend's wedding. While it will be fun times, I am little nervous about getting everything done without a hitch! What an I say, I like things to be perfect?? At least (and I know the bride would agree), the weather is going to be absolutely beautiful this weekend. That is one less thing to worry about since the wedding is outdoors! Not to mention, Sunday is a big church day for my "church lady" mother. She and my dad are singing with their quartet at church, and my bro is leading the Lord's prayer for Disability Awareness and Organ Donation Sunday.

After my weary return to Nashville, Christmas Village commences. If you don't know about Christmas Village, you should just come to the fairgrounds and find out what it is all about. I am in charge of site management, and things don't seem to be going to smoothly for me this year. I will be really glad once Sunday after the Village rolls around. Don't get me wrong--I love being at the Village. The shopping, the Christmas tunes, the free samples--you can't beat it. It's the parking problems and moving 75 park benches that I can live without. Next year, it is definitely time to step down to a lower position on the board!

Three days later, my skills as a professional planner are to be tested. I take my AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) exam on November 20th. A few months of studying just don't seem to amount to much right now. As every day passes, I seem to get more nervous. The embarrassment of possibly failing keeps me studying, but I am not very confident. I know that I know alot about the planning world, and my graduate work prepared me well for this test. However, it has been a few years since I graduated, and I am afraid my memory has been slacking. Any prayers you would like to pass my way would be greatly appreciated!

In midst of all the hoopla, I decided to keep it lively this past weekend with a 2-day Halloween celebration (which was followed by many hours of studying land use case law). Between the foam, the MC Hammer jackets, singing Miley to the Vanderbilt fans on the sidewalk, and learning the distinct difference between White Castles and Krystals from Wayne (my sorority sister's boyfriend) kept me highly entertained and distracted from my upcoming month of major events. Here are some photos from the weekend.