3/7/2006
What I Have Learned....
since moving back to Wisconsin.....
Since I don't have any kids, a husband, or a Man in my life at the moment, most of my blogs have to do with ME! Yep, it's all about me! Me...Me....Me! :-) But hopefully you will find my blogs amusing, thought provoking, sentimental, sensitive, silly, sad, helpful, and always something you can relate to.
Last evening I was sitting out on my deck watching evening settle in. It was a very warm and humid day and that had lingered with the twilight. It's nights' like those that I do enjoy. There was a storm to the North and I could hear far off rumbles of thunder and see distant flashes of lightning. Whether it makes it to me, time would tell.
Anyway, I was thinking about what I've had to learn since moving here. Where I use to live the population was less than 50,000. A tourist town in the desert. This was the whole town.....no other larger town closer than a 3 hour drive. I spent from my mid teens to my mid 40's there. I learned how to drive there and at that time the population was half that and all the town had were Stop signs.....not a Stop light for miles!
So I thought this might make a good blog and give many of you a good laugh:
What I've Learned:
- how to read a map to get me 2100 miles East of where I was
- how to use and depend on a compass
- to watch the Weather Channel before going for a long drive
- to have AAA on speed dial
- how to use a cell phone (never had one before moving, and still don't use one except for emergencies when traveling)
- how to use a lawn mower and weed whacker/string trimmer (sort of on this one!)
- when to fertilize the lawn (4 times a year apparently...who knew!)
- how to use an extension ladder to clean out my gutters (just twice)
- who to call to clean out my gutters
- how to drive on slippery rain kissed roads in Spring after a long winter of oil and gas residue.....never knew about that!
- how to drive in Rush Hour traffic (which is actually 3 hours)
- when to leave before Rush Hour traffic! :-)
- how to drive on an expressway (this took a while to even get on the damn things)
- how to escape being crushed between 2 semi trucks that don't see you because you are in their blind spot or maybe they're just asleep, on said expressway
- the easiest way to rake and move fallen leafs in Autumn, use a tarp and then pull to the curb for pick-up
- to appreciate and marvel at each change of season (had them in AZ. but nothing changed other than the temp!)
- to check in the garage before closing the door so any chipmunk or other varmant that I once thought was oooohhh soooo cute doesn't get stuck inside and gnaw away the seal at the bottom of the door to get out!!!!
- how to winterize my 1934 Cape Cod house (it has small, minor issues, I call them cute quirks)
- how to be an expert at putting plastic on my windows and still see thru them
- how to shovel wet snow (every half hour or break my back)
- shoveling snow period.
- how to drive in snow (good thing I have 4wheel drive, somtimes it's usless tho)
- to wear layers of warm clothes
- to actually buy warm clothes.....things made of wool and such materials.
- how to sleep under multiple blankets and not suffocate
- to actually wear PJ's to bed.....flannel to boot!!
- that I don't get Hot Flashes during the winter, when they would be welcomed, just during the summer (I don't understand this at all and probably don't need to voice that, but, I want to know why?!)
- that you can never have too many gloves and hats for the cold
- not to get your truck washed and then park in the garage for the night (first time I did this my doors were frozen shut the next morning)
- that you have to wash your truck underneath as much as possible or it will rust from road salt (I have some rust and it really bothers me! )
- that I now know that seat heaters aren't a joke and are a "good thing" :-)
- to always have an umbrella....keep one in the truck
- to remember to close truck windows due to rain and bee's and wasps, etc.( rain came a few times a year in Az.and you knew it, bugs....too smart to stick around I suppose!)
- you can never have too many jackets....for every type of weather (use to have 2, one for winter and one for really cold winter)
- that fireworks are a part of summer (every Fri., Sat., or Sun. night for whatever Festival is going on. And there's always one or more going on) my first experience with this was the beginning of June in my rental and I thought we were under attack!
- that shopping is a National past time for most women here
- that everything is more expensive here
- that I can make more money here
- that Midwest people really are nice.....I mean really nice, I'm not kidding!
- that I have more Bad hair days here then I care to think about
- that I'm glad my family is here for the days I feel totally alone
- that I enjoy being here..................almost all the time! :-)
I'm sure I could think of more, but you get the idea. Most of you will probably think "Duh, Colleen, that's all common sense"! And I agree with you and I pride myself on my abundance of common sense. But when you have lived all your adult life in a totally different part of the country, another planet as I refer to it, you don't have it all in your "common sense memory file"! :-) But I'm learning!!
Anyhoo, I hope you got a few giggles at my expense! If you are enjoying a long Hoilday weekend have fun and be safe!
Colleen
工具 
說明
