I've been tagged by Stacey to tell about "MY CITY". This is the first time I've been tagged, and I've only lived in my city since May or June (I don't really remember), so I'll try to answer everything as much as I can. I have been visiting this place occasionally on the weekends for a few years now, but I've learned a lot more since living here!

Three places (things) I love here:

1. The ocean!!! Growing up in the Midwest, I visited the ocean for the first time when I was 13 or 14 (on previously mentioned horrible family vacation I begged not to go on to Florida). So, regardless of my failure to avoid seeing the ocean as a child, I really love it. There's something that's so calming to know I can go down the street and hear waves crashing in less than 10 minutes.

2. The Town Center. This is where I work, and it's a cool little place in "downtown". It's got the best steakhouse, The Funny Bone, Johnny Rockets burgers, The Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's, California Pizza Kitchen, the coolest little stationary store and the ice cream shop with PUMPKIN ICE CREAM! It's just a really trendy little place that's growing really quickly. There's also a big fountain area with lots of benches and tables, and they have entertainers play there on summer evenings. It's a great place!

3. The military presence. Have I mentioned we live a couple of minutes from the largest Naval Air Station in the world? There's something great about the manners of the young men and women in the military. It's a pleasure shopping at the mall or grocery store with them. They're quiet during movies at the theater. They aren't rowdy in restaurants. I know there are some less mannered ones out there, but not here. Not that I've seen. They have their bad moments, but I'll save that for later.

Three places (things) I hate here:

1. The roads (because of the drivers). When you put thousands of people from all different parts of the country in one place, they're all going to drive as if they were at home. There are New Yorkers here that drive like New Yorkers do in New York. We're not in New York, but you couldn't tell because of all the honking, finger waving, pointing, etc. Regardless of military status, people can be rude and nasty behind the wheel of a car!

2. The Peppermint Club. I've never been there, but it has the ugliest storefront on Atlantic Street! I guess it was the happening place in the eighties, but we're in 2006 now, and I'm guessing the paint and decor has not changed since then. It's red and white striped and as ugly as anything I've ever seen!

3. Walmart Supercenter. Period. It's so packed! The traffic is so bad in the parking lot that they have a police officer directing traffic in and out of the parking lot. Hello? That's a sign to stay away!!!

Three places I like to go to with my friends:

1. (Duh!) The beach! My bestest girlfriend makes the best beach companion! We know what the other is thinking, and when an old man walks by in a Speedo, I already know she's thinking, "Awwww, old man buns!" We skip saying it and just giggle. We've witnessed many strange things together there with sand up our cracks!

I don't know anywhere else I'd rather be.

Three things an outsider (or I) wouldn't understand about my town:

1. The "no cursing" signs. I don't even understand them. I'm trying to post a picture of one, but it's not working.

2. The drivers. Yet another thing I don't even understand.

3. Why each hurriane season, everyone has to run to Home Depot or Walmart purchase all of the survival supplies. Why don't they have last year's survival kit? It just seems like there would be a certain point when the only people needing a hurricane kit would be the newcomers. Maybe I'm silly, but what did these people do last year when the hurricanes hit?

The fanciest neighborhood:

I don't really know, but it has to be one of them in the residential area of the oceanfront!

The ugliest neighborhood:

I don't know where it is, but we had a realtor take us through it. Can you say "GHETT-O"?