The other day, I heard about a random shoot-out at a West Knoxville apartment complex.
Now, mind you, most of the time, the local media stretches my definition of ‘West’ Knoxville to include anything that is, essentially, west of downtown. So, it’s not odd to read a story about something that happens near the UT campus and find it described as 'West.’
Technically correct; functionally not so much.
Anyway, I didn’t think too much of the story at the time. The News Sentinel article said it took place at the Manor View Apartments. Then, as luck would have it, this morning I drove by the apartment complex where Lisa and I lived early in our marriage.
Turns out it is the same one. In those days, however, we knew it as Plantation Manor.
In the world of re-branding, I guess Manor View has a better connotation than Plantation Manor. But, that caused me to wonder who wanted to name the place for a plantation in the first place. It doesn’t look anything like a plantation. It’s a bunch of buildings carved out of the side of a hill!
Is that kind of the same thing as Coke and 'New Coke’ back in the day?
Or is it more like Prince and the “Artist Formerly Known as Prince?”
Or maybe it is more like the product consumers once knew as “Oil of Olay” (which my father-in-law jokingly called “Oil for Old Ladies”). Now it is simply “Olay!”
Ole’!
Anyway, the whole news story thing reminded me of a few things about the old apartment. I used to play tennis with some guys who were high school friends of my sister (and later we all became friends, too). There were three of them and they needed a fourth. I was just downstairs.
The place had a nice pool, too, which was centrally located on the premises.
Lisa and I like to remember some fun times from our Plantation Manor days. For example, once we heard the old song “Don’t Worry. Be Happy.” When the line came up about the landlord being mad when the rent was late, we were reminded that we had forgotten to pay ours. I scurried up the hill and put our check in the night drop just ahead of the deadline.
We also learned some valuable lessons during our years at this apartment.
I, for one, learned that it is NOT a good idea to give a surprise party for someone who doesn’t like surprise party. For the record, it wasn’t my idea! I was just the ’party of the second part’ for…ahem…the party.
And, to be honest, I didn’t get in TOO much hot water for that one.
Those were some good times. It was a nice place to live, then. Of course, we didn’t have a Cheddar’s or a Wal Mart just around the corner.
Of course, I don’t recall that we had any shootings, either.
JG
Originally posted 11/14/2012
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