Garbage pick-up. That's something people up here take for granted. Our kids are enthralled with the automatic trucks that lift the trash cans to empty them. Even I have to admit that's a pretty cool device. However last week we must have put the garbage out too late, and our trash was left by the curb. We spent all week speculating over why the neighbors' trash got collected and ours hadn't. Maybe they didn't know we lived here. Maybe we put it on the wrong side of the house. Maybe this, maybe that. Turns out the garbage man must have arrived before we put it out at 6:30 that morning. That's something we never worry about south of the border! Consequently we spent the rest of the week smuggling garbage out in the trunk of our car and depositing it in dumpsters around and about. What else could we do?
Simple things like that take adjusting to. Another thing is the traffic lights. In Mexico they blink green several times before turning yellow, and then red. Here the yellow comes without warning and then instantly turns red. It wouldn't be so bad without the threat of those little hidden cameras that snap a photo of your license plate as you pass under the red light. Ask how I know about those!
Three years ago we got a ticket in the mail with a photo of our car running a red light here in Ohio. We were horrified. Of course I blamed Jim and Jim blamed me until we checked our calendar and the street location and determined that in fact I was the guilty party. Ahem. Didn't hear the end of that one until yet another ticket arrived by mail, and my accuser was found to be the guilty driver. Now I am downright paranoid. I may give the children whiplash slamming on the breaks when I see yellow. The added stress comes from driving a borrowed car, knowing the ticket will go to the car's owner, not directly to us.
Here are some things we do like about living here:
garbage disposal
clothes dryer
dishwasher
carpeted floors
reliable internet connection
drivers who have actually passed a driving test
libraries
bowling
cheaper gas prices even though it is self-serve
green grass everywhere
Walmart
DQ blizzards
The list will hopefully grow. We are adjusting. Again.
dishwasher
4 comments:
You slamming on the brakes at gas lights sounds like me driving one of my first times driving to the Tlacolula market. Did I ever tell you about when I slammed on the brakes with a car FULL of guys?
I was going over that hill normal speed, and everyone kept telling me -- "Come on Hannah, you can make it" (the light was green still from the top of the hill) so I pushed gas a little harder. I then realized that no, I really can't make it... the light was already flashing green. So I SLAM on the brakes as hard as I could and we stop dead in the middle of the intersection right as the light turned red. And cars coming from the sides were starting to come at me, the drivers were laughing at me. So I put it into reverse, and all the guys in the car started yelling at me to go forward because I was already most of the way across the intersection.
Like mother like daughter, huh.
Good thing Mexico doesn't have those cameras, or else they'd have a picture of the entire car in this case
P.S. The guys in the car were Chad, Mike, Lucas, Isaac... and maybe Miki? hahaha.... dumb dumb.
Glad that you are adjusting. Love your list of things you like about the U.S.
Jamie, I enjoyed your post and glad you guys are enjoying your time up there. I def have to agree with you about BOWLING and WALMART, they are two things we love...Brad has a hard time with the traffic lights in the States now too...funny.
This is such a funny post! Things I don't even think of!
We set our garbage out the night before because I think our guy comes at 5am. I think they can come as early as 4. And those automatic garbage trucks are new to the area - only about 2 years old!
Post a Comment