Balter Beerworks ain't got nothin' on me.

Three years ago I moved in with a co-worker to a loft in downtown Knoxville. Trying to live through a divorce and see who I was on the other side combined with having friends with good intention leave my life abruptly felt so lonely.

So lonely. My life had never been so quiet and lonely.

But I got started making a new life right away. I knew I wouldn't find it in my apartment - I had to get out and start looking. I started small.

I started going to this hole-in-the-wall called the Corner BP. I'd go alone if no one was around. But sometime the Roomstress would come too. It wasn't a very fancy operation, so it was no surprise when it ceased operation the summer after I moved in.

Last fall, plans were announced to re-open the Corner BP, this time named Balter Beerworks - and would also benefit from a $3 million renovation. It became another brewery in downtown, and opened earlier this spring.

For her birthday, and for our last hurrah together, I took the Roomstress to Balter for a celebratory dinner. We marveled at the craftsmanship of the restaurant, gasped at how fancy it all was, and said more than once "Can you believe THIS used to be the Corner BP?"

And I get it. No one needs to point it out - I understand the illustration. I moved in a sad little eggshell of a divorcee... and three years later I'm not. I'm just not. Everyone said it would happen. And I believed them. Sort of. But now here I am. Life may as well have invested $3 million in me.

Actually... I think it did.

It's like graduation day, honestly. And even though I've felt more than a couple of twinges of sadness when I think about moving out of the home I've had for the last three years, I know I'm moving on toward something bigger and better.

i was sad when i had to pull down all my fluttery butterflies

bye guys... thanks for watching over me....

And tomorrow; moving day. After that?

Who knows.

But I guarantee it'll only get better from here. And here's already pretty damn good.

Over and out.