My Homes

Here is another list-- houses and cities that I've lived in:

• My first home was on Holly Hill in Decatur. I only lived there a couple of years and really don't remember anything about it.
• When I was two, we moved to Lamp Post Court, also in Decatur. It was a Spanish-style house with a court yard in the front. My Dad was a novice landscaper and he loved the Spanish style and he loved cacti. We lived here until I was in the 8th grade-- sharing a room with my brother, Jim. Our room had a bicentinial motif- red/white/blue wallpaper and blue furniture.
• The next house was on Smokerise Court. We were the first residents of an upscale neighborhood. We had a 5,000 square foot, contemporary home. Our living room ceiling was over 20' high! My brother, Joel, and I shared a floor, while Jim lived one flight up and my parents were a flight above him. We had a backyard full of woods and a creek running along the property line.
• After highschool, I moved to Athens and attended UGA. I lived in Russell Hall on the 17th floor. My roommate was Jay. We shared a room that was about the size of my current bathroom, but we had everything we needed-- two beds, two closets, two desks and a bathroom down the hall. I only stayed in the dorm for a year.
• Sophmore year, I moved to a home that was the former Athens Raquet club. I lived with four other guys-- Jay, Keith, Mike and Dan. We had a full bar, tennis courts in the front yard, and the Yellow River running through the backyard- and we were surrounded by woods.
• The next "house" was the 1 bedroom apartment that was over my Dad's house. I had one room, but it didn't stop me from getting roommates. The first one was my best friend, Chip. Next was my boyfriend, Dennis Chapman. After Dennis moved out and the relationship was over, my brother Jim moved in. He was only there for a few months. I had a going-away party for him when he moved to Athens. I met Steve that night at the party and he moved in with me the next day. We redecorated the place with a black and white theme. awe got rid of everything we owned that wasn't black or white.
• Jim moved back in town with his new wife, Angie, a couple of years later. Steve and I gave up our apartment and let Jim and Angie have it. We moved to Tahoe apartments and had a huge two bedroom place. We had a dining room and sundeck. We also had a lake nearby where we fished and raised our puppy, Edward. It was 1989 when a stray cat showed up at our door. I fed him and named him Bixby.
• My father passed away in 1990, so Steve and I moved back to his house on North Decatur Rd. This time we lived downstairs with Joel. Jim & Angie, and their new baby Jaime still lived upstairs. We all lived together a couple of years, but there were too many of us under one roof, so we sold the house, shortly after Steve and I broke up and he moved out.
• My next apartment was in Norcross. I lived with my friend, Kent. The apartment was cool- a roommate floorplan. We had a pool and good neighbors. But.. I didn't stay long. Within 10 months, I had a lead on a great house in Midtown.
• I moved to Argonne Avenue. It was a three story townhouse and I loved it. I painted and wallpapered and landscaped. I built a waterpond in the backyard. I got a puppy I named Betty. I lived there a couple of years before I had a falling out with the landlord and he doubled my rent. I moved out that night and moved in with my friend, Debbie.
• Debbie and I lived on 11th Street in a home that once was very nice. It had been divided into three apartments that were pretty scummy. I loved spending time with Debbie and our puppies-- she had a greyhound named Gabby and I had Bety and Bixby. We got a couple of ferrets and some lovebirds, and a bat that lived in our fridge. We were walking distance from Piedmont Park and loved taking our dogs on walks around the lake there.
• The next home was the loft in Atlanta, the "Metropolitan". I moved there with Betty and Bixby. Our loft overlooked downtown Atlanta, Woodruff Park and Five Points. This is where I met my friend Carmen. She had a dog named Free that Betty fell in love with. I lived on the 16th floor for a year and then moved to the top (17th) floor into a 2 bedroom. I lived in the bigger space for another year before the building turned condo and I had to move.
• I ended up at the Cotton Mill Lofts, in the Old Bag Building, in Cabbagetown. I loved the 20' ceilings and exposed brick walls. We had a great pool and cool neighbors. Then we had a huge fire and the building next to mine burned to the ground. All of a sudden some of the neighbors that I thought of as friends became activists- assuming the role of victim and fighting for payment of expenses that they didn't have. The whole attitude of the place changed and I had to get out. Betty, Bixby and my new puppy Shelby moved to East Point.
• I bought a house on Westwood Avenue. It's a 2 bedroom/ 1 bath craftsman bungalow. I first fell in love with the huge backyard and sunroom. If I had it all to do over again, I'd buy a house with a smaller yard. I've been here for 5 years and I love it. The house is now 55 years old and is beginning to show it's age. I throw some paint on it every now and then and pretend that it's upscale! I've met some good friends here, and said goodbye to Bixby- he died last year at the age of 21. I still have Betty and Shelby, and have added two more dogs to the family- Clara and her son King.