Tumbleweed>Tumbleweave

So it turns out, I’ve been living a pretty poverty stricken life for the past…7 years? Recently, I got a kush-as-fuck* job with The Lab on The Hill (TLoTH) and moved to the little bubble of a town adjoining it. I’d like to return to my blog, hopefully once a week, to document the differences and to keep my friends up to date on my life’s goings on. I’ve been in this new state for a week and so far I’ve found some pretty weird things. Warning: I’m about to show my California self.

Car Idling

Seriously? People still do this? I guess it’s hot as balls while waiting for your grandmother to send mail at the post office but why don’t you just go INSIDE with her where it’s air-conditioned. You’re sitting in the passenger seat. You’re not going anywhere.

Streets not labeled

You don’t want me to know where the post office is. Why should it be easy to find a public service building? It’s not like I need to file an extension on my taxes or ship my entire worldly possessions.

Plastic bags

Who does this anymore? Not only do the stores only seem to have plastic bags, they do that thing where they double bag them. Pieces of shit fall apart anyway. Good thing I imported all of my Good Californian Reusable Bags. Oh wait….they’re still in the mail. In the post office can’t seem to be able to locate.

On site laundry

BEST. There is super super cheap laundry on site. I am in love with this fact. I no longer have to trek my 40 lb of laundry every two weeks to the questionable-at-times laundromat next to the 711 five blocks away.  Brb…gotta go put stuff in the dryer. ::returns:: 25¢ for 12 minutes. Insanity pants!

The word Albuquerque is too damn long!

I’m not going to be bothered to learn a word that has more letters than the days I’ve visited it. That’s what airport abbreviations and autocorrect are for. Damnit ABQ.

Gender norm enforcements

This is probably the thing I’m having the hardest time adjusting to. First off, I’m the scientist. There seems to be a pretty obvious age-related gap in the sexist reactions to this fact. The perspective property managers all assumed PartnerPenguin had gotten a job at TLoTH because he was talking to them while I quietly wrote notes and decided which apartment I wanted to pay my paycheck on. Contrastingly (and thankfully) all of the peer-aged people we’ve met have waited a beat when we said we moved here and then let me say “for my new job.”

There are also many things I had forgotten existed after living in California so long. The only options for someone you live with are “boyfriend” or “husband” and if you say anything else, you get looked at funny. Some men I’ve met here act as though their wives are a necessary, but cumbersome commodity. Likewise, women seem to disregard men, especially their husbands, as real people with whom they should communicate. This is a preliminary observation and by no means an absolute judgment. Just very disturbing to me.

Un-ironic bandana usage

It’s windy here. The wind has particles in it. Sometimes microdermabrasion is unwelcome. Still didn’t expect people to honestly wear bandanas on their faces. One more way I can now be a Western Bandit!

Unpredictable skies

It’s clear and sunny outside; let me wear only one sweater! WRONG. It’s windy and freezing. 100% of the time. And when it’s not windy and it looks like it should be warm, the sky is lying.

No recycling

Barbarism. No town/county-wide recycling means if you actually do want to recycle, you have to make a trip to the dump. Ain’t nobody got time for that shit. But I still made a recycling area just in case I change my mind.

Judgmental cross walks

Want to know one sure way to discourage people from walking instead of driving? Make your cross walks extremely judgmental. Whenever I push that little button, I seriously doubt all of my decisions to walk instead of drive anywhere. But there aren’t any side streets and drivers don’t seem to care about pedestrians so J-walking isn’t an option.

Library!!

The best thing about this town is its library. Seriously. PartnerPenguin was at a loss why co-working spaces always fail here. Then he went to the library. The library here is what libraries nation-wide should aspire to be. It is clean, friendly, has big windows with great views and a huge science fiction section. It’s three stories tall and one entire floor devoted to children and teen literature. There is a gallery on the top floor and there is art you can check out for 4 weeks at a time so your new house isn’t so dreary. There are abundant topo maps. There are meeting rooms you can rent out. I got my library card on my first visit.

One thing that I think is super cool about the library is that it’s built in conjunction with the old folks home. There is a good section of large print and audiobooks. I think as people get older, it is so American to exclude them from community and make them feel isolated. I really appreciate that this community has decided to make its public service buildings easily accessible and approachable.

GMO crows

There must be something in the water. Or the air. Or both. I shit you not, these fuckers have a wingspan of 4 ft across. It’s a little Hitchcock-y and more than a little disconcerting.­­

Thanks for reading and hopefully I’ll become more of a regular poster again!

*As defined by someone who made <$4,000 one year recently.