The Old Stompin' Grounds - Well, Sort Of ...

This weekend I am in Columbus, MS, helping to organize some of my father-in-law's things.  Master Organizer Molly came with me, and so far we've been to Wal-Mart three times (and maybe once on the way down).  Today we located all his flashlights (at least the ones we could find) and put them in a few drawers of the storage container we obtained from the 'Mart.  Then we gathered all his pocket knives and relocated them in some of the other drawers of the container.  Another storage container is full of his watches.  What can I say - the man is stylin', especially for a 97-year-old dude!

Anyhow, after an early dinner at The Grille (it's 5pm - dinnertime for us AARP-ers), GDizzle and Steve were headed off to Wal-Mart (perhaps in search of new watches, flashlights, and pocket knives).  Molly and I decided to head to Starkville, my hometown, which is about 26 miles away. (Just as a side note, Steve and I grew up 26 miles apart.  We didn't meet until college, when we both were in school at Mississippi State University).  Anyhow, since both of my parents are deceased and my brother and sister and their families live elsewhere, I just don't get to Starkville much. Since I had finished my organizing for the day, I decided to go see the Starkville sights.  And drag Molly along for the ride.

The big news (for me, anyway) was that a Starbucks has opened in Starkville.  Sure, there is a Starbucks on the MSU campus, but this is a full-fledged Starbucks (except they didn't have a Starbucks "You Are Here" Mississippi mug - and apparently there isn't one available.  You need to get on that, Starbucks!)  Anyhow, since I can remember when the McDonald's first came to our town back when I was in high school, having a Starbucks is big news to me!

It was fun riding through town, seeing what had changed and what hadn't.  What has been torn down (the Shoney's where Steve and I had our first date, and the MSU swimming pool where we first met), and what hasn't.  What stores have just had the names changed and remembering the stores I went in as a child.  The church where I grew up, and the new building going up there.  Driving past a few friends' childhood homes, and their now-adult homes (some of my friends still live in town).  Of course, I pointed all this out to Molly, who was as thrilled as you can imagine to hear all the old memories and facts.

All too soon, it was getting late and time to head back to Columbus.  I didn't see any old friends (possibly because I didn't call them to tell them I was in town) or do any shopping (downtown was closed and I couldn't handle another Wal-Mart run).  As we rode through the campus one last time (to point out where Steve and I were married), I remembered all the friends and memories of growing up in Starkville.  I thought of what it's like growing up there now.  And I was thankful for all that is Starkville - from The Mug and Cone to Starbucks, and everything that has come in between the two.  See ya' next time!

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Today was a great day because:  organizing watches and knives and flashlights, oh my!; Zaxby's Zalad lunch; Old Navy shopping; dinner with GDiz, Steve, Molly, Judy, and Lynn; GDiz chatting with the table full of his lady friends; touring Starkville; Starbucks Starkville