Suburban Living

Well, I've been out here for almost a year, and tonight was a great microcosm of some things I never thought I'd be getting used to about suburban living. Here they are:

1) People here drive. The time spent living in the suburbs is inversely related to the amount of consideration one gives to walking short distances. A year ago, I almost always walked to the train station, about 3/4 miles away. Now, I head straight for my car to drive the few blocks to the station.

2) There are bugs here. No city bugs like roaches (thank goodness) but I've had ants, a handful of centipedes (greeted by one just a few minutes ago, actually - oh and by the way, those suckers are FAST. I was unable to kill it before it darted behind my furniture and so now I'm afraid to go to bed, hence this post...), and a gargantuan spider on my garage door today.

3) There is grass here. And the grass gets watered. As a matter of fact, I got wet returning from dinner tonight.

4) There are gardens here. I looked out my back window today and was surprised to see in my complex's backyard these two huge green things. I'm not sure whether they are watermelons blooming late, or pumpkins not yet turned orange. I will keep you updated!