I’ve had the opportunity to know Jay and Amy Taylor since shortly after arriving in Birmingham back in 2004. The first neighbors we got to know in Goodall-Brown, I probably miss the ability to just go down the block for a drink and a conversation most of all.

Saying that they and Jay’s family weren’t putting their all converting the Kessler Building into lofts in the midst of Birmingham’s theater district would be an understatement.

The building was originally named for B.H. Allen and underwent its last major renovation in the 1950s. The Kesslers incidentally were from New York. The article scanned and available online via Birmingham Rewound shares some information about the work done during the summer of 1959.

The building’s even gotten a shout-out over on Preservation in Pink after Kaitlin came through town for a visit back in 2009.

This sign is located in one of the display windows near the front door. While it’s noticeable all of the time, it probably sees a lot of attention at the end of the year, when the windows are decorated for Christmas and folks leaving a show at the Alabama may just find some time to walk on by…

As always, feel free to check out the rest of the Neon in Birmingham posts on the site.

Today though I’ll be working from the “office” since Betsy’s car won’t start.

Yes, if my car was running, I’d probably just hop into it and head down to one of the numerous automotive shops to get some help figuring out what’s wrong. The thing is, my car hasn’t run for more than a year.

Granted, I’ve been looking for a way to force myself to work from home more often in 2012 – perhaps a way to help stay a little more focused on the goals I’ve laid out for this year. I’ve just come to realize sitting here just how dependent living in Birmingham is on owning a car.

One of the major changes in how I lived my life when I first got to town was my increasing dependence on my car. The last year in Savannah, I averaged about 15 miles/week if I didn’t plan on heading out to the beach. If I did, I ended up doing closer to 70. I lucked out in working less than a mile from my house, allowing me to walk or (more often than not) bike to the office. I only drove at night and on weekends and even that depended on what I was doing. There are several, including Betsy, who can recall offering me rides home to keep me from biking at night. I’ll point out though that as great as it was while living there, much still needs to be done (and is being accomplished) for cyclists in the Hostess City.

A month after arriving here, I was averaging six miles a day by car just getting back and forth from the office. The districts I served drove that total up significantly, since it meant driving literally from one side of town to the other. There were some months where I turned in 500 mile+ mileage reports. Luckily we didn’t have to leave downtown for much while we lived there, save groceries. It also didn’t hurt when I could get most of the things I needed in my districts while I was out visiting them.

Where we currently live in Norwood (the neighborhood site’s apparently being rebuilt) is convenient to downtown though it still makes more sense to drive in compared to hopping on my bike. The hills and steep inclines aren’t really the problem, though they contribute to it. It’s more of a mental barrier in tackling the Interstate that runs nearby. There’s also the fact that many things needed aren’t just around the corner as they were in Savannah’s Victorian district.

You’d think attempting to build my life around being online would require less driving (with the onset of things like Skype and the Google+ hangout). The funny thing is, the more time I’ve spent online, the more important it became to see folks offline.

The fun in dealing with that reality (and others like making a grocery run) hits home hardest when you can’t really get out when you want to – an argument used often by those who wonder why people ask for alternatives to driving, like walkable communities and mass transit.

Having grown up in a city with components of all three functioning in a reasonably acceptable manner, why can’t we have it all?

For the time being from where I sit, I can’t. It’s OK, but at some point a lot more folks are going to start wondering why too…

Thoughts?

Cheers.

You’d think it’d be easy enough, especially considering how many places I’ve lived. The oldest was a garden apartment on the edge of the historic and Victorian districts in Savannah, GA (c. 1870); the newest place was the former “Downtowner Motor Lodge” known to many SCAD grads of a certain era as O-House (c. 1985) during my freshman year of college.

I vaguely remember my mother putting plastic over the windows in the living room of our 17th floor apartment at Fordham Hill in The Bronx (built 1950) for years. It never really mattered to me since the building did (and still) works on a steam furnace that sort of negated the draft since we couldn’t control when it was turned on or off.

The American foursquare we’re currently renting has finally led me to apply some of those lessons learned from my historic preservation classes in college. This includes being willing to fill in the gaps from time to time.

I’ve become a bit of an expert recently with regards to filling gaps:

• Replacing what’s probably the original weatherstripping
• Using clear silicone caulk to seal gaps and holes in windows
• Realizing I should have paid more attention when Mom put the shrink wrap over the windows

There are other solutions that could be useful down the road:

• Putting new fiberglass insulation in the attic*
• Hanging curtains over all the windows
• Installing new windows*

Some solutions are easier than others. Some would involve determining if we’d actually be able to buy the house (hence the asterisks next to them).

Part of tackling the problem is deciding exactly which solution works best for you at that time, as the right one may end up being just one fix or a combination of several.

It’s similar to tackling the world of tips, rules and plans. I’ve decided that they should all really be called guidelines; they can help lead someone to a solid conclusion in the end, but some of the ones offered up may not necessarily be right for you. The advice offered could be a good starting point for t hose looking for help in figuring out how to tackle a problem.

It’s something I’ve been considering a lot as I prepare to tackle daily blog posts for the first time in a couple of years. I’d let so many people tell me what I was doing wrong or right I forgot why I’d attempted to tackle this project in the first place what seems like years ago – to have a conversation, share and learn.

Maybe as I get back to rambling it won’t be so necessary to have to get validation from the “in” crowd to know I’m doing what’s best for me. The fun part will be figuring out just what to offer up as advice or suggestions for best practices.

By the way – what helps you tackle your task without worrying about everybody else?

Cheers.

I wrote a post over on my other, slightly more professionally focused site last week about what Land’s End was able to do by being a social business and not one solely driven by broadcasting the company mantra. The issue in general is something that’s been on the minds of others in recent days, including Jay Baer after his recent experience on a Southwest Airlines flight and Mark Ivey taking a look at Coke’s Honesty campaign.

I’ve never gotten the chance to meet Brian Murkison – I’ll blame my ability to bury myself into a hole and want to work too much. His brother’s one question has sparked a community of people who are currently praying that a doctor’s diagnosis isn’t the final chapter in a crazy holiday season. It’s help to remind me that there’s something to be said about the need to think about how important some things will be in grand scheme of things. It also made it very difficult to edit the post with an update earlier today about Brian.

Is it more important to win a popularity contest or to make a lasting difference in your community? Should you pretend life is going great or should you lean on those you know – both physically and virtually – to help you get through whatever your facing?

The story I wrote about meant more to me than most because the people being supported and lifted up, including Ben and Brian’s parents, David and Ellen, are ones who will forever hold a special place in my heart. They helped me get through a period of life where I would have rather died instead of fought on because I was willing to let the words of others define who I was. I leaned on that group harder than I think I should have been able to for an extended period of time and more than some of them may realize. Ten years later, I’m being reminded of just how special they are and just how I could come to my definition of the word home. I wish I could do more for them.

All I want for Christmas this year is for them to know peace and to feel the warmth of a community of friends and strangers who will continue to care long after the attention has faded away. The ability for them to experience that request means more than any physical thing or award that I could receive this holiday season.

If there’s one other request I can make of you, it would be to gather pop tabs from any of those cans of soda you’re drinking from and taking them to your local Ronald McDonald House or find out how you can help at the one closest to you. I’m including direct links to the ones located in Savannah, GA and Birmingham, AL).

Thank you – and cheers.

When did you feel most at home this year: in your life, in your space, in your career, in your skin?

I’ve only flown home on Christmas Day once – in 1999. I’ve also been lucky enough to have never lived that far from an airport (despite the fact that I hate flying with a passion). I don’t even remember the circumstances behind the trip. I only remember the drive to the airport that morning for the 6 a.m. flight. I know I drove myself there (since extended parking in Savannah) was relatively cheap back then) and I remember the fact that I only heard two songs during the trip.

One of the songs was Grover Washington, Jr.’s version of Jesu (Joy of Man’s Desiring) from Breath of Heaven – played in his honor as he’d passed away the week before. The other was Kenny Loggin’s Celebrate Me Home – a song that wasn’t exactly written for the holidays though it’s become a staple for some communities. Here’s the track:

A quick look at the song’s lyrics probably give you some framework as to what I consider home.

I felt most at home this year during the second half of the year. It wasn’t in a particular place though but in certain situations.

• New Yankee Stadium with my brother watching a Yankees vs. Red Sox game
• The front porch with Betsy on a Saturday morning during the summer
• Giordano’s splitting a pizza with Andrew Huff in Chicago
• Broome Street Bar with John & Heidi
• #wjchat
• Beers with Wade Smith just catching up on life

More important than a specific place for me now is the idea that home is where I am welcome (and feel most welcome). There were times I felt more at home running from place to place; other times it was a good book and a cat keeping me from reading it. I guess it’s the side effect of essentially living as a nomad. I’m not really sure if I can ever truly go “home” and stay there.

I guess I’m at home always looking for the next stop on the journey. I’m also comfortable with home being more of a state of mind instead of a physical place.

How about you?

Cheers.

Photo: A long blurry road. acnatta/Flickr.

“Oh, your last name’s Natta? So you’re nothing, huh?” *insert stupid laugh here*

One of the things I’ve been doing over the last few months is researching the last name and its meaning, since I’m tired of hearing folks immediately equate “Natta” with “nada” – as simple as it is to do so.

It’s a bit of a sore point, more because of the battling through stuff this year than anything else. Luckily, I’m a sucker for doing online research.

That image you’re seeing over to your left, that’s the family shield. It was weird to finally find out one existed. This discovery led me to do something I hadn’t yet – look up the last name’s meaning in  Latin. The result wouldn’t have made a lot of sense if I hadn’t found the shield first:

A reed mat.

Go figure. It’s a little more comforting, though a quick look at another way to interpret the last name is even more intriguing – since it’s also the name of a village in Benin in Africa (and located smack dab in the middle of the Slave Coast).

A little digging into some Norwegian slang led me to finding out it’s used to say “good night” by folks over there. It’s translated in Swedish as the infinitive of the verb nattar, used to describe putting children to bed.

I mean, there are even night stands named for us.

It was a relief to take that approach to researching the name since most online searches take you to pieces written about the 1963 Nobel Prize in chemistry winner Giulio Natta. Not that it’s a bad thing to have folks associate you with that…

A recent visit from my cousin – and fellow New York native – Laura sparked the interest in really digging a little deeper. I hadn’t seen her in nearly 17 years and it was long overdue. She was also only the second family member to ever pay me a visit while in Birmingham (though I wasn’t the primary reason for her trip). reminding just how out of touch I’ve been in recent years despite the fact that it was probably needed and necessary.

It made me realize just how much I wish I knew about my family and why I do the things that I do. I figured the last name was a good place to start since the conflicting meanings behind my first and middle names are quite funny – well, not really.

My oldest uncle on my father’s side had done some research pointing to a much stronger Italian connection that I’ve been able to find so far, but I really haven’t talked to many of them in several years (save the increased number of texts between my brother and I). Tackling even this small amount of research so far has helped me think of how I want to approach a few things in the coming year a little differently than I’d intended.

At the very least I have a shield to ride into battle with…

Cheers.

Photo: Laura and Andre in Birmingham.

UPDATE: After taking a look at the post again, I figured out it also fit the bill for my #resound11 post for the Day 15 prompt:

What discovery did you make in 2011? What kind of impact did it have on how you view the world today?

That’s when I’ll be one of the Three Wise Men in the Aldridge Repertory Theatre production of Langston Hughes‘ Black Nativity. The show opens this evening at 7 p.m. and there are still tickets available for the five performances (for $10 each).

Finding out I had the chance to do this was sort of a pick me up a few weeks ago. See, the way the play was written, the Wise Men don’t have singing roles and many productions have turned to prominent members of the local Black community to fill those roles. Kidding about the opportunity on Facebook led to some very interesting responses to say the least. I guess it’s one way to start getting back out in the community in time for 2012. For some, it’s also a way to say thank you to your community’s sages.

It’s a fairly eclectic list of folks you may see processing from the East to see the baby Jesus. It could be Anthony Underwood, Deon Gordon, or John Paul Taylor.

Reading Hughes in high school and college and growing up in New York, I’ve always wanted to see the the play performed. For the last two years I’ve been waiting to hear about progress on a film version of the work (which is supposedly still in development according to this interview).

The play is performed across the country, including a 41 year-run in Boston, a production in the Lower Ninth Ward and one entering its fifth year in Charlotte.

There are many holiday traditions out there. One of mine includes staring at a Yule log on a screen (but that’s another post).

Every once in a while you need to find a new one or stretch your boundaries just a little more. This year I thought it was one of those times where the boundary pushing should win out. We’ll see – and I’m sure I may see some of you there as it happens.

How about you? What are some of the things that you do for the holiday season? What are some traditions in your community?

Cheers.

Photo: Getting fitted at the Carver. acnatta/Flickr.