a new ecosystem

so as you all know, i have recently moved to the valley of the sun. it is an interesting contrast to my previous midwestern life. this blog will serve as a place for me to update all of you i left in the midwest (and all of you who live elsewhere) on my life in the desert.

so far, i can't highly recommend it. i rate it as "OK."

Pluses: you don't need raingear as a mainstay of your wardrobe, you don't need to wear socks, you might have a citrus tree right outside your house (i am patiently waiting for the lemons to turn yellow), cheap massages at the massage school.

Minuses: you should buy stock in sunscreen companies, dust, the air is so dry it makes your mouth all dry and then you drink lots of water and have to pee all the time, there is no good produce and the farmer's market is a joke (literally less than 1/4 of the one in bloomington), dust, unless you really like to sweat you should become nocturnal if you want to go outside. i also hear there are some crazy scorpions around, but i have yet to see one. (don't worry, they are not deadly.)

i am also stunned by that fact that this is the year 2006 and people here still insist on watering their lawns (why do they have lawns in the desert is another question) in the middle of the day. are they unaware that they live in a desert? that it is over 100F during the day most of the year? that water evaporates?

ok, that is all for now. more later. whenever i feel like it or have something to update you on or need to amuse myself.