You can't take the honky-tonk outta the girl.

I just returned from a week spent in the small Iowa town I grew up in. I attempted to debrief on my sunny drive home through the corn fields and cow pastures while listening to commercial-free country. I eventually got caught up in the paradox of my transitional/do I even have a permanent address life and gave up, uninspired.

Until I got to work.

We're creating posters for a competition through NAHRO based on the theme, "What Home Means to You". I got a number of landscapes and houses on a hilltop pictures. Then Deon showed me his -- HEY, DEON -- written in large bubble letters.

Well, those are some sweet bubble letters, Deon, I said, but not really what we're going for here.

Let me explain, he said, Home to me is everyone yelling my name...my mom, my friends, my neighbors...because they all want to talk to me or ask me a question or hang out. Get it now?

Got it. Wow, Deon. You are exactly right.

For the past week I had people yelling my name at the OK Cafe, Northwestern's commencement, Barnes and Noble in Kansas City, Pizza Ranch, the Koffie Hoek, Fareway, my parent's kitchen, Dairy Dandy, along the Tulip Festival parade route, on the patio, at our five-year class reunion, at Double D, in Wal-Mart and driving down Frankfort Ave.

I completely agree with Deon, home is where everybody knows your name. And, oh, how sweet it is.

Haiku for LOST.

I'm a fan of LOST.

Dread Tuesday nights without it.
Best acting ev-ah.

Avocados.

For the past month(s) I have basically lived off of the most delicious dish I've ever created. I'm no cook [my family will firmly attest to this], but I bet they'd even be impressed with this one. Basically, I make couscous [which takes literally 5 minutes], cut up an avocado, sprinkle some salt, add kidney beans, walnuts, a little olive oil and the juice of an orange. This covers two meals and it's so good that I eat it over and over again [with slight variations].

All this avocado eating has literally given me dreams about one day owning my own avocado farm. After some research I learned that most avocado farming is about the watering, and knowing how advanced irrigation systems are these days, I think I can handle that. I would bring my crop to the local farmer's market and I'd wear a hat like this:

and it would be awesome.

I believe it was my Yakima, Washington birth that makes my heart lean towards the tree fruit life. The best date I've ever had was spending an afternoon four-wheeling through the apple orchards with Popsicle in hand. [Ah, first grade....you were good to me.]

I love the life in the city and I plan to build a "career" [whatever that looks like] within an urban setting, but when I tire of that [or choose to retire, I suppose] I think the life as a farmer would suit me well.

Plus, I look good in those hats.