First Impressions

I've been here for longer than a week now, and am slowly getting adjusted. We've done quite a bit of work on the apartment, so there are really only 3 more boxes to unpack. And since we're waiting to get a shelf from Ikea delivered to us in order to do it, they may stay closed for just a while longer.

Mom came into town just a few days after I got here and worked her magic with closets and bathroom spaces and limited storage. She's amazing, thanks mama!

First impressions are often....well wrong. So I'm curious how much of what I've noted up until now I'll still come to believe in 6 months or so....but for now, here are my first impressions of Dallas.

1. It's hot! And there's this retarded thing called humidity here. Ugh, not fun. Today it's 88 degrees, humid and grey. Fun times in May!

2. No one wears cowboy hats or cowboy boots. Seriously. I have yet to see a single person. I think that trend tends to stay in the more rural parts of the state. But I'll keep an eye out!

3. Tollways suck. In what will likely become a topic of much further discussion, Los Angeles tends to spoil people in many ways. The weather (see #1), and the freeways being two of those ways. "But what?!" you say.  "Surely you can't mean the Los Angeles freeways have anything positive about them!" To which I will answer, "Aha, but they do! They are, after all, free. So when getting acquainted with the city, and needing to make constant recalculations to your route much to your GPS' chagrin, it will not cost you $8 to go 3 miles."  Also, you are spared the rather obvious annoyance of the tollbooth person and persistent honking of the cars behind you when you do not have the exact change required to Pass Go and Collect $200.

4. Hello cheaper living! Not only is our rent waaaaaaaaaaaay less than it was in L.A., our new car insurance is exactly half of what it used to be. That's right, HALF. Not too shabby! In what will surely become a topic of  much further discussion, Los Angeles spectacularly distorts people's notions of what's an acceptable amount to pay for....well, anything. I knew this of course, but I clearly didn't know it, know it. Lesson learned!

5. People are....exactly the same as in LA. Before I got here I heard one of two things about the people in Texas: They're all conservative hicks that will shoot anything that moves, and They're the sweetest people ever! Well, turns out neither of those are true. People are people--here, there and everywhere. So while no one has yet to lecture me on the many accomplishments of the venerable George W. Bush, no one has brought a Welcome to the Neighborhood fruit basket to my door either. Maybe I've just got to give both some time....