my surreal life & setting up house, texas-style
so it’s about 2 1 /2 weeks before I get the house in texas.
time to stock up on cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry stuff, etc.
one important thing to note before you start thinking i’m completely insane and jumping the gun a bit is to realize the husband and i have had to get rid of, drink, eat, use up or give away anything even vaguely related to cleaning, anything liquid and anything that could constitute “food” in any way, shape or form. booze too. that’s why at my birthday party i thrust gift bags filled with spices and gourmet pantry items into my intoxicated friends hands before their cabs whisked them home.
yes, my friends, the same rules apply when you’re moving as apply when you’re taking a plane. so this whole proposition is going to cost a bit of cash, hence my desire to phase it in.
but strangeness has been the only constant really.
the bugs here love me. i am rapidly collecting an assortment of bug bites from huge welts to small bumps. i can’t imagine that it’s very attractive but I sure as hell am not wearing long sleeves and long pants when it’s over 80 degrees. it’s also very, very itchy.
bought bug spray and as green as i want to be, i intend to douse myself with it whenever i’m outside at night. and last night i heard about some kind of once a month bug treatment for the yard that you spray all over your patio area. gonna pick that up too.
driving is also strange. so many weird ways to get on the highway, from michigan-style left turns and u-turns to left exits. no announcements of exit only lanes or lanes ending. it really makes no sense. like california, texas’ highway infrastructure is put together with gum, toothpicks and rubber bands.
one more weird thing: no cabs. that makes going out with friends a little dicey. after living in a country where dui is super serious, i'm very paranoid about having more than 2 drinks when I go anywhere if I’m driving. and I only will drink 2 if i’m eating and if i know i’m going to be somewhere a long time.
the texans don’t seem very bothered by it however. so, that's another thing to worry about if you’re out driving around on friday or saturday night. or really any night since they also have happy hours here….
anyway, i’m sure soon i’ll just get used to all this stuff. atill it’s funny to compare notes with other foreigners – the xanadians I’m living with right now and my coworkers who are not from around here. in a year or so i’m sure it won’t all seem as surreal as it seems now.
time to stock up on cleaning products, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry stuff, etc.
one important thing to note before you start thinking i’m completely insane and jumping the gun a bit is to realize the husband and i have had to get rid of, drink, eat, use up or give away anything even vaguely related to cleaning, anything liquid and anything that could constitute “food” in any way, shape or form. booze too. that’s why at my birthday party i thrust gift bags filled with spices and gourmet pantry items into my intoxicated friends hands before their cabs whisked them home.
yes, my friends, the same rules apply when you’re moving as apply when you’re taking a plane. so this whole proposition is going to cost a bit of cash, hence my desire to phase it in.
but strangeness has been the only constant really.
the bugs here love me. i am rapidly collecting an assortment of bug bites from huge welts to small bumps. i can’t imagine that it’s very attractive but I sure as hell am not wearing long sleeves and long pants when it’s over 80 degrees. it’s also very, very itchy.
bought bug spray and as green as i want to be, i intend to douse myself with it whenever i’m outside at night. and last night i heard about some kind of once a month bug treatment for the yard that you spray all over your patio area. gonna pick that up too.
driving is also strange. so many weird ways to get on the highway, from michigan-style left turns and u-turns to left exits. no announcements of exit only lanes or lanes ending. it really makes no sense. like california, texas’ highway infrastructure is put together with gum, toothpicks and rubber bands.
one more weird thing: no cabs. that makes going out with friends a little dicey. after living in a country where dui is super serious, i'm very paranoid about having more than 2 drinks when I go anywhere if I’m driving. and I only will drink 2 if i’m eating and if i know i’m going to be somewhere a long time.
the texans don’t seem very bothered by it however. so, that's another thing to worry about if you’re out driving around on friday or saturday night. or really any night since they also have happy hours here….
anyway, i’m sure soon i’ll just get used to all this stuff. atill it’s funny to compare notes with other foreigners – the xanadians I’m living with right now and my coworkers who are not from around here. in a year or so i’m sure it won’t all seem as surreal as it seems now.
posted by jooles_p at 8:02 AM
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