- While the humidity is making a monster out of my hair (embrace it, I know!- it’s just hard to embrace something this big) that same humidity is working wonders on the skin. Bean’s itchy eczema is nearly gone, and I feel like a baby. Someone told me that would happen, but as a child of the west, I was skeptical. Color me convinced.
- It’s hot. It’s damn hot. It’s completely weird having it be so hot, then get overcast and pour rain. But the thunder and lightning are fantastic.
- It’s really really green here. It’s a different green than the northwest, but it’s nice.
- My neighbors, despite the warnings about folks being more aloof, are quite nice and people have been very friendly.
- Sorry folks, but y’all just don’t know how to drive. This California girl was trained in a stick-shift on the hills of San Francisco and my first merge ever was on 101 north. The southern charm thing is nice, but seriously- learn how to merge and which pedal is the accelerator.
- Grocery stores are a bit different. Prices are comparable on most things. Milk is more expensive, they don’t have Tillamook cheese (*weeping*) or Darigold butter (*wailing*) but I’m sure I’ll ferret out some decent options. It’s also the first time I’ve lived on the Helmans side of the mountains, instead of the Best Foods side.
- I love the international feel of the neighborhood. Within a few blocks, I have every option conceivable for food and shopping. There’s a giant grocery store that is all variety of foreign foods that I can’t wait to hit.
- Fireworks are legal here, and my kids and I took full advantage of it last night, watching the neighbors blow up several loud things, and lighting our own case of sparklers with much glee. Until the storm blew in and we had to go back inside. Then we just stuck our sparklers in a piece of cake and called it good.
- I will never, ever, ever again refer to the first and second Battles of Manassas as the first and second Battles of Bull Run. Lesson learned.
- I must brave the DMV and the DOL for my driver’s license and my car registration next week. I hope it’s better than CA, but I know it won’t be as easy as WA. Hoping for somewhere in the middle.
- Have yet to see any fireflies. The kids are sorely disappointed, but have found one very interesting little centipede looking thing that brought great consternation to the masses.
- Hail is fun.
- Do not get Gorilla Glue on your while trying to fix a table that broke in the move. Do not get it on your favorite purple skirt, and then, especially, do not attempt to wash Gorilla Glue off with water from your skin. Turns out Gorilla Glue likes water.
- More Later.
8 thoughts on “A Few Observation on Virginia”
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Dandelion Mama 
Re: the drivers
I consider myself a pretty mellow person, willing the let the ebb and flow of traffic happen as it may. But every freakin’ day I encounter multiple [vulgar synonym for clueless, unpleasant people] on the roads of the DC metro area who are incapable of being anything other than [vulgar synonym for clueless, unpleasant people] out on the road, and I become sympathetic to those who take out a big gun and just start taking the [vulgar synonym for clueless, unpleasant people] out. Luckily I don’t own a gun.
I can feel your relaxation, Tracy. It is long overdue. To a bright new future which I know is coming for you.
I grew up in South Carolina, and my naturally-curly mop spent most of the summer time in ponytails. Mostly so I didn’t scare little kids.
RE: Tillamook cheese
Try Safeway…that is where I would get it when we lived here.
While not as educated as you, I am a bit of a snob for Tillamook.
I just about lost it until I found it here.
Another term to learn: “War of Northern Aggression.” 😉
Such a wonderful list! Good luck with the DMV. Ended up we had to make 3 trips to get it done. And what is it with tables and moves? Ours broke during this move, too. Luckily, the gorilla glue did not get on my clothes or skin. (Maybe my son’s and a ward member’s who were helping, but not mine. ;))
If you can, try and find a small-ish town DMV. It won’t be as busy and hopefully things will go much smoother than at a big city DMV.
And who told you southerners would be aloof?? It boogles the mind how wrong *that* bit of info is!
My aunt glued her fingers shut with some crazy glue. Thankfully, it was only one hand and when she dialed 911 with the other, they told her that vegetable oil was the only way to get it unstuck. She had to massage it in for quite some time, but it finally did the trick! Not sure if it has to be a certain kind, but canola works! Next time, avoid the water and go for the oil…