Mike's Corner

Ahh! To be 4 years old again. Here's Savannah (Jimmy and Tracy's daughter) and Gray (next door neighbor and best friend) totally enthralled in their Disney TV. And what a pretty dress. I haven't worn one like that since I was 4. Oops...never mind.

I went in to work for a couple of hours last night, just to check out the scene. Nice people, slow store. John and I went to Taco Mac for a few beers after the shift. I think we're going to get along very well. This afternoon, I made a surprise stop at JC Penney's, where Shannon was supposed to be hard at work. She introduced me to her Operations Manager, Brad, who was also supposed to be hard at work (this web site was actually on his computer screen when I walked in). He is a card let me tell you, A.D.D. and all. I finally made it out to Jimmy and Tracy's around 3:30 (I left my place at 12:15). We're going to grill some Bleu Cheese Burgers tonight on the back porch. Yum! Pictures coming soon.

I realize that I haven't been here very long, and nothing will ever replace my memories of Opelika and the fantastic people that I met there, but I can already tell that Atlanta is where I need to be. It's just a perfect fit. I decided early this morning that today would be a sight-seeing day, just to figure out my surroundings. Shannon was not as enthusiastic as I was, but I dragged her along anyway (she's the type that goes to a store on a mission). Before long, she could finally see how much fun it is to walk for hours on end (with no purpose) through all of the different stores (it is the company that matters most). We walked through Target, spent almost two hours in Borders (where we enjoyed two Lattes and a delicious Key Lime Cheesecake), then had a wonderful dinner at my Outback in Austell, where we met a lot of my new coworkers. They welcomed me with open arms, and seemed to be genuinely glad that I will be joining their team. Even though I'm not expected until Monday morning, I'm going to pop in for a visit at work Friday night from 6 'til 10 to help out on expo and meet the rest of the staff. I'm heading to Jimmy and Tracy's on Saturday (lemonade and such by the pool), then getting back to work mode on Sunday. It's hard to believe that I haven't worked since June 30th!!! Pitiful! It's a rough life, but somebody has to live it...

I finally got everything moved in to my new pad in Hotlanta. Now, of course, I am faced with the arduous task of unpacking everything. That's not working out so well, because there is so much to do over here. I live right behind East-West Commons, where there is a Lowe's, Target, Border's, Chili's, O'Charley's, WalMart, Ted's, and about 70 other stores and restaurants (I spent over an hour in Target yesterday just walking up and down every aisle). And of course there is the staple of every community: Waffle House. Scattered, covered and chuncked, please. I also made it by the Austell Outback yesterday, where I met my new boss, John. Nice guy. I think we'll get along well. The kitchen is incredibly clean, which I like. They have the new plasma television behind the bar, which is awesome. John gave me the rest of the weekend off, which is unbelievable, so I don't report back to work until Monday... at 10:00 AM. Killer! I still don't have my internet connection set up (I'm using Shannon's at the moment), so it could be a day or two before another post. Stay tuned!

I've always been fascinated by bridges. Don't let me get near the History Channel when there is a special about how an old bridge was built. Here's an article I found this morning after hearing about this grand opening in South Carolina. It's quite impressive, at over 3 1/2 miles long.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on July 2 in Charleston for the new Arthur Ravenel, Jr., Bridge. During the ceremony, various dignitaries, including Governor James Hodges, SCDOT Commission Chairman L. Morgan Martin, and Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., made comments about the 8-lane, $631 million bridge, the largest and most expensive bridge project ever to be undertaken by the State of South Carolina. When completed, the bridge, which will connect Charleston to Mount Pleasant over the Cooper River, will also include bicycle and pedestrian lanes, and will be one of the largest bridges in the country.
The new Ravenel Bridge will replace the current Pearman Bridge (built in 1966) and the Grace Memorial Bridge (built in 1929). The Grace Memorial Bridge has numerous signs of age and wear, making its replacement a necessity.
Planning for the new bridge has taken an arduous twenty years, primarily due to wrangling over how the bridge was to be financed. State Senator Arthur Ravenel, for whom the bridge will be named, was instrumental in bringing the bridge's construction to reality by tenaciously pursuing funding. The funding for the bridge is a combination of federal, state and local tax money plus a $215 million federal loan.