The MNN (Mom News Network)

Have you ever felt like you had more than one mom watching over you? Has the entire town you grew up in ever known all your business, maybe even before you did? Have you ever been pulled over by the police on the main road and before you can get home to tell your parents they already know? If you said yes to any of these then you may have been a target of the MNN.

The MNN is an elusive organization of mothers who have banned together to watch over everyone’s children. When you were a kid this meant someone kept a watchful eye over you and your friends playing in the street. It was the babysitting co-op where the moms babysat neighborhood kids in exchange for coupons they could use to get a babysitter in the future.  Did you get grounded at recess? Don’t worry about breaking the news to your parents- THEY ALREADY KNOW, but they will pretend they don’t to see if you say anything first. As we got older it was the same old thing, just bigger issues. Make-out with the cute guy behind the gym (and no one was around)? The MNN knows. Run that stop sign in Westpark? The MNN knows.  Fighting with the best friend? THE MNN KNOWS.*

I have been trying to escape the MNN for as long as I can remember. I now live 1,400 miles away and have successfully escaped.  Well, I thought I had escaped. One of the founding members of the MNN is moving to the very state where I currently reside and I GUARANTEE that my being twenty-six-years-old will make no difference to the MNN powers that be. Well it was a nice MNN-free six months.

*Disclaimer: The MNN isn’t ALL bad. It’s nice to have mom #2 to run to when you’re fighting with your own. Or to pick you up from soccer when you need a ride. Or to teach you how to use the fancy knives. Or to give you a job when you really need one. Or to help take care of you when you’re sick. Sometimes I don’t think I’d be the person I am today without such a fantastic MNN. But officially, I’m annoyed.

It's Been One Week

One week, 1400 miles, 22+ hours of driving and 6 states since I arrived in Maryland. The majority of which was spent getting to know the area and searching like a maniac for a place to live. My hopes for snagging a cute “downtown” loft were shattered early on, but I ended up finding a nice place within biking distance to work and walking distance to the market (score!).  This week wasn’t all serious stuff though; in fact it ended up being more fun than anything! To break up the trip, my Dad (who so wonderfully helped me move) and I stayed the night in Nashville and met up with my brother for some fun, live music and beer on Broadway. After making it into Maryland (almost winning the license plate game: 45 states and 3 international!), meeting the great people at my new office and beginning the great apartment hunt we headed out to Leitersburg for the Annual Peach Festival. Later in the week we went to Gettysburg for some good ol’ Civil War fun. The history buff side of me is LOVING being in such close proximity to so much amazing American History. (Side note: I’m also not used to this whole: I can drive less than an hour and be in a different state thing. Exciting!). We ended the week going to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, where I learned: 1. There are over 400 different species of sharks and 94% of them are considered harmless 2. Jellyfish are seriously interesting to watch 3. I don’t like sharing viewing space with small children (I WANT TO SEE TOO!) and the best part 4. The aquarium has a volunteer diver program where you can help out IN THE TANKS! After viewing some crabs at the aquarium we decided it was time to eat some delicious crab at Obrycki’s before I dropped Dad off at the airport. 


Now I’m currently sitting in the middle of my living room floor staring at towers of boxes, mostly labeled ‘BOOKS’. I have a strong dislike for the unpacking part of the moving process. While it’s exciting to set up a new place and decide where everything can go and make it all cute and homey- you have to decide where to put things! OVERWHELMING. It has also become abundantly clear that, while I have too many things, I have no useful things. For example: my kitchen is practically empty. There are the couple Belikin Beer glasses I picked up in Belize, some divided plates (an issue for a different post) and far too many Nalgenes. Dad to the rescue again and voila! I am now the owner of a toaster oven. Now if I could only make myself walk to the market and buy groceries…


Tomorrow starts my first official first day at the new job! (Does anyone know where all my grown-up clothes are?)

Nashville

Antique Tractors in Leitersburg

Gettysburg

Sea Horse