On Saturday, Marty was running (back) to the grocery store to pick up a few forgotten things for my birthday party. On his way Marty noticed that the driver of a city cop car was his co-worker's husband. The co-worker's husband had been on sick leave for quite a while, so Marty thought "I'm glad to see Cory is well enough to be working again." Marty continued on to the grocery store.
Later that evening, Marty got a text from his co-worker that read "Cory says if you don't wave next time you see him around town, he's going to pull you over and give you a ticket." No wonder this town is so friendly when bad manners can get you ticketed. But I guess warnings come via personal text message because of course the cops have that phone number.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Things could be way worse...
My friend, Alina, posted note today about her recent move. Her comments make me think that this small town isn't as big of an adjustment as I thought. And I thought it was fun to hear from her.
Alina got married a while back, but her husband lived in Pakistan and had several years of school left. They decided to get married anyway and live apart. You can guess how fun that was. It stunk, in case you thought otherwise. So she moved to Pakistan in November to be with him.
A month ago she moved to a city called Lahore. That is pronounced just like you think it would be and, yes, it does sound like THAT word. There is a whole line of jokes and inappropriate comments that can be made about that, but I won't go there. She was happy for the move because Lahore is a bigger more liberal city. The girl that grew up in Santa Clara, CA and use to shop at Banana Republic doesn't have to wear a full burqa in public anymore.
Alina has lived in Pakistan before, but not as an adult with her own household. I liked her comments on some of the challenges. She hopes to get a car soon because the traffic is really dangerous for a motorcycle and the rickshaws can give you a headache. I don't think I ever actually seen a rickshaw, let alone have it be regular transportation. Once you get to the bazaar you were headed off to, you better have a lot of energy left because bargaining is required for every purchase. Doesn't sound like there is anyplace with price tags and a cash register, which could be fun. Also, she really misses dustpans and vacuums. Pakistan is a dusty place. You would think someone would make a dustpan.
As far as food, I assume she likes the food since she grew up with much of it. Eating at her house was always delicious. But, she didn't grow up with the specific set of bacteria that come with the meat and veggies she cooks with. The way she wrote about it, it is just expected to have a few trips to the hospital until your digestive track adjusts. That sounds very uncomfortable. Despite that, she is still cooking and trying to collect recipes. When she asks for a recipe, people give the quantities with their hands... this much oil, this much water, this many onions (holds up fingers), a pinch of masala... That's really funny to me. Was that handful of water equivalent to a half cup?
Well... I'm headed off to a friend's for dinner. We are having the fondue left overs from the luncheon we put on earlier today. Our men folk are happy the women left some for them to have. Good times here in Blanding!
Alina got married a while back, but her husband lived in Pakistan and had several years of school left. They decided to get married anyway and live apart. You can guess how fun that was. It stunk, in case you thought otherwise. So she moved to Pakistan in November to be with him.
A month ago she moved to a city called Lahore. That is pronounced just like you think it would be and, yes, it does sound like THAT word. There is a whole line of jokes and inappropriate comments that can be made about that, but I won't go there. She was happy for the move because Lahore is a bigger more liberal city. The girl that grew up in Santa Clara, CA and use to shop at Banana Republic doesn't have to wear a full burqa in public anymore.
Alina has lived in Pakistan before, but not as an adult with her own household. I liked her comments on some of the challenges. She hopes to get a car soon because the traffic is really dangerous for a motorcycle and the rickshaws can give you a headache. I don't think I ever actually seen a rickshaw, let alone have it be regular transportation. Once you get to the bazaar you were headed off to, you better have a lot of energy left because bargaining is required for every purchase. Doesn't sound like there is anyplace with price tags and a cash register, which could be fun. Also, she really misses dustpans and vacuums. Pakistan is a dusty place. You would think someone would make a dustpan.
As far as food, I assume she likes the food since she grew up with much of it. Eating at her house was always delicious. But, she didn't grow up with the specific set of bacteria that come with the meat and veggies she cooks with. The way she wrote about it, it is just expected to have a few trips to the hospital until your digestive track adjusts. That sounds very uncomfortable. Despite that, she is still cooking and trying to collect recipes. When she asks for a recipe, people give the quantities with their hands... this much oil, this much water, this many onions (holds up fingers), a pinch of masala... That's really funny to me. Was that handful of water equivalent to a half cup?
Well... I'm headed off to a friend's for dinner. We are having the fondue left overs from the luncheon we put on earlier today. Our men folk are happy the women left some for them to have. Good times here in Blanding!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What's in a name?
A lot. That's what's in a name. Now that this isn't a craft blog, I need a new name. Any ideas?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The MASSIVE Shopping Trip
Yesterday I went shopping. That means that I woke up at 6 am so I could leave by 7 am drive for 2 1/2 hours and then spend the day stocking up on things. My neighbor Keri drove and took all the seats out of her minivan in preparation for our expedition.
We did not actually leave at 7 am because I forgot to empty the lint tray in by dryer and all my pants were still wet when Keri got here. So I invited Keri in for some hot cocoa and by the time we were done sipping, my pants were dry. Phew. I really didn't want to wear a skirt. I only shave my legs once every 2 weeks in the winter time.
We stopped at a variety of stores including, Big Lots, Joanne's, Hobby Lobby, Tuesday Morning, Ross, a furniture store, Sears, the Hallmark store, Ashley's Furniture, Lowe's, Target, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, and Safeway. In case you lost count that was 14 stores. It was a long day. By the end the whole minivan was piled from floor to half way up the windows. Most surprising thing about our shopping trip may have been that I didn't actually buy anything at Hobby Lobby.
I say that the minivan was filled half way up the windows for dramatic effect. While it is still entirely true, I'm leaving out a detail. Keri was looking at dining room sets and she found one. That made the minivan fill up quite quickly. In fact, it was mostly full before we even start grocery shopping.
Keri's table was quite the find. I'm pretty excited for her. She had very specific requirements for her table. It had to seat at least 6, be solid wood with no veneer, and still be within her price range. On top of that it still had to be cute and fit in her minivan. At Sam's Club she found a table that was all of those things. It was a lovely counter height, cherry finish table with 8 chairs. While we shopped, she had almost decided to buy it.
As Keri wandered from the juice isle to the freezer section, she saw a set of boxes for the table she wanted. The top box was ripped open. When she asked the associate about it, she was told that specific set was discounted by $200 because of box damage and potential damage to the table. We checked the pieces in the dented boxes for damage and could not find any. Score! She got $200 off the table that she was about to buy anyway.
That was the big highlight of the trip. None of my purchases were nearly that exciting. I got a bunch of little stuff like seeds, Tylenol, almonds, etc... Most of what I bought falls into the "don't have it here" or the "way too expensive here" categories. My favorite example is goat cheese, in Blanding $4 for 3 oz, at Sam's Club $6 for 16 oz.
Keri and I weren't the only Blanding residents that spent their holiday shopping 2 1/2 hours from home. We saw 3 families from Blanding. Keri says that's actually fewer than she normally sees. When she comes on a Saturday she usually sees 4-5. Strange.
We did not actually leave at 7 am because I forgot to empty the lint tray in by dryer and all my pants were still wet when Keri got here. So I invited Keri in for some hot cocoa and by the time we were done sipping, my pants were dry. Phew. I really didn't want to wear a skirt. I only shave my legs once every 2 weeks in the winter time.
We stopped at a variety of stores including, Big Lots, Joanne's, Hobby Lobby, Tuesday Morning, Ross, a furniture store, Sears, the Hallmark store, Ashley's Furniture, Lowe's, Target, Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, and Safeway. In case you lost count that was 14 stores. It was a long day. By the end the whole minivan was piled from floor to half way up the windows. Most surprising thing about our shopping trip may have been that I didn't actually buy anything at Hobby Lobby.
I say that the minivan was filled half way up the windows for dramatic effect. While it is still entirely true, I'm leaving out a detail. Keri was looking at dining room sets and she found one. That made the minivan fill up quite quickly. In fact, it was mostly full before we even start grocery shopping.
Keri's table was quite the find. I'm pretty excited for her. She had very specific requirements for her table. It had to seat at least 6, be solid wood with no veneer, and still be within her price range. On top of that it still had to be cute and fit in her minivan. At Sam's Club she found a table that was all of those things. It was a lovely counter height, cherry finish table with 8 chairs. While we shopped, she had almost decided to buy it.
As Keri wandered from the juice isle to the freezer section, she saw a set of boxes for the table she wanted. The top box was ripped open. When she asked the associate about it, she was told that specific set was discounted by $200 because of box damage and potential damage to the table. We checked the pieces in the dented boxes for damage and could not find any. Score! She got $200 off the table that she was about to buy anyway.
That was the big highlight of the trip. None of my purchases were nearly that exciting. I got a bunch of little stuff like seeds, Tylenol, almonds, etc... Most of what I bought falls into the "don't have it here" or the "way too expensive here" categories. My favorite example is goat cheese, in Blanding $4 for 3 oz, at Sam's Club $6 for 16 oz.
Keri and I weren't the only Blanding residents that spent their holiday shopping 2 1/2 hours from home. We saw 3 families from Blanding. Keri says that's actually fewer than she normally sees. When she comes on a Saturday she usually sees 4-5. Strange.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Small Town Continued...
Here are some of the things about our small town that have amused me recently (still feels a little unnatural to say "our" small town):
- The grocery store does not sale calrose and jasmine rice. This is the first grocery store I have ever shopped at that doesn't have calrose. I didn't think I was picky about rice, but I guess I am. The options at the grocery store are long, short, and brown. I'm not that picky, really. If someone else is cooking, I'm thrilled about whatever type of rice they serve me. When I'm cooking I like calrose or jasmine as my regulars. I use other types as recipes require, but I'll have to plan ahead so I can pick it up on vacation. Costco size containers have a whole new appeal. I don't want to run out.
- We live on the "snob hill" of the town. Half the doctors live around the corner in "expensive" $300,000 houses. "Snob hill" is something different here. Expensive is something different here.
- Shumways and Blacks make up half the town. It makes it hard to keep track of who is in which family. To make it more confusing Blacks marry Shumways and visa versa. "So, you're cousins on both sides?" I might need you to explain that again.
- I still get a kick out of the fact that the one stop light in the whole county is 20 minutes away. Truth be told, it isn't needed. I think the county planners just wanted to add a stop light.
- New health insurance and new town means we need new doctors. After asking around I scheduled a physical with a doctor that had only the most positive recommendations. He lives around the corner and I teach his daughter in Sunday school. His family brought me Christmas cookies. Question of the day... do I address him as Curtis or Dr. Black?
- My family doctor will also be my OB-GYN because there aren't any here. The nearest one is Cortez, CO. But that's OK. My family doctor has probably done more pap smears and delivered more babies that most OB-GYNs his age.
Small Town
On November 29th my husband and I moved to a small town of 4000 people in the middle of the desert. Marty had graduated, got a job, so we moved. I considered this moving to "real life" with Marty being the primary bread winner. For the first time I was going to live to someplace unfamiliar, with no family but Marty, where I didn't know anybody. I would most likely be facing that no matter where we moved. Moving to Blanding meant that on top of that, the nearest Wal-Mart is 90 minutes. The nearest international airport is 5 hours. Just a reminder, I grew up within 20 minutes of at least 4 malls. I probably would have been more comfortable in NYC than I was here. But in NYC I would not be living in an adorable 3 bedroom brick rambler! There are advantages to a small town.
That move was a whole 2 1/2 months ago! I'm adjusting and I rather like our situation here. However, almost everyday I'm reminded how small this town is. There are all sorts of little things I find odd and entertaining. I know a lot of people won't share my amusement because that is their normal, different senses of humor, etc.... But that's one of the great things about a blog, you don't have to read it. And, let's be honest, who am I writing for anyway? I do hope that at least my mom reads my posts even if I am writing for myself :-)
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