Moving

[lance]

Sir Lance,
In 1997 I made almost the identical move. Midwest to the Southwest! I was itching to get out of St. Louis and I knew nobody in California so the furthest I could go was a cousin in Phoenix AZ. Just packed everything into my old pickup and pointed her toward the west. It was definitely different out there from home. I hope you like the warm weather 'cause you're gonna get plenty. Watch out for the scorpions and rattlers, learn some Spanish if you don't already know some and get the A/C in your car charged up before you leave. Get used to wearing shorts and sandals and make sure you have acces to a pool and you'll be fine. Good luck!!!!!

K-Man,

Great advice. I will definately watch out for the rattlers. Funny thing about the heat. I was talking to my sister-in-law about the heat in Vegas. She was like, "Yeah, we stay at 103 during August but were not like Flagstaff, they stay at 110". I guess it is all a matter of perspective. This same sister-in-law declared to my brother, in all seriousness, that 45 degrees was cold.



My brother, having endured many a subzero Ohio winter, informed her that 45 was not actually cold. I remember talking to this Vietnam Vet I know who told me that one time it dropped to 95 when he was over there and the guys in his platoon broke out jackets because it was cold to them.

The rattler thing brings up memories. I remember playing baseball in Houston when I was 12. I was playing with the neighborhood kids when all of a sudden a side winder crawled across the third base that I was manning. I just calmly walked back to the house informed Dad. Dad came out with hoe and took care of the sidewinder. Scary moment though.

-LanceMan

[Natasha (candygirl)]

It's all relative - I grew up in Chicago, so I knew what hot and cold meant. Then I moved to California and by college, my definition of cold was "when you have to close the windows."



Lance, hope you hear about that job soon - very exciting!

[K-man]

Everyone in Phoenix told me that I would get used to the heat and that a winter temp of like 45 would feel like a freeze out but that never seemed to happen. I never really got used to the heat and the cold in the mid-West didn't feel that cold when I would visit in the winter. One other thing you might get use to is things like mowing your lawn on Christmas day. That was really wierd for me. Plowing snow on Christmas day?....yeah, that seems normal, but not mowing grass. Anyway, you'll get used to it.

[Nostradamus]

I've been told you can scoop up the huge-ass scorpions with a coffee can, but I've never needed to try it myself. Praying Mantis will eat scorpions, if they have them in Vegas. Of course, the Africanized Honeybees are moving north, so the scorpions and rattlers may not seem so bad anymore...

[Natasha (candygirl)]

Of course, the Africanized Honeybees are moving north

That has struck fear in my heart for years. Seriously.

[Jody Barsch*]

[the Africanized Honeybees are moving north] has struck fear in my heart for years. Seriously.

For me it's mosquitos with West Nile virus.

[K-man]

I've been told you can scoop up the huge-ass scorpions with a coffee can, but I've never needed to try it myself. Praying Mantis will eat scorpions, if they have them in Vegas. Of course, the Africanized Honeybees are moving north, so the scorpions and rattlers may not seem so bad anymore...

Unfortunately it's not the huge-ass scorps you have to look out for. The really nasty ones are the Bark Scoprions that will barely cover a nickel. Nature is so considerate that way. The tiny little ones that can crawl anywhere carry all the Ka-Pow! in their sting. I didn't know Praying Mantis' killed scorpions.?. Maybe I should have turned 100 or so loose in my apartment when I lived there.

[Nothingman]

Here up north we've got a little west nile virus, but unless your a horse, an infant, or a cardiac patient, it's not much to worry about. You almost never see any black widows or brown recluse spiders, but I did have a bad Hobo spider problem when I lived in a basement apartment, nasty aggressive things. As long as you’ve got some bear spray with you when your hiking, and you don’t get between mamma moose and her calf you’re fine. The good news is they’re bigger than a nickel, the bad news is you aren’t out running either of them.

[Megs]

[the Africanized Honeybees are moving north] has struck fear in my heart for years. Seriously.

For me it's mosquitos with West Nile virus.

For me it's the freaking cicadas. But at least they are harmless. They are just loud, dumb, huge, and disgusting.

[K-man]

My dungeon apartment is so infested with bugs I quit smashing them. What's the use? There's always one more bug. I do get a little concerned when I find the black widows and brown recluse though. Haven't found any bear or moose down there yet. I think maybe the rats scared them off.

[Nothingman]

I forgot about the rattle snakes. You have to be careful when floating the river, if you get up on the bank. They like to take naps in the sun, can't blame them. Visitors are always freaked out, but if you stepped on me while I was taking a nap I'd be pissed too. I think people think they are horribly aggressive, they see the animal guys with them on TV poking them with sticks and squeezing their heads, of course they're grumpy. In reality they are pretty lathargic, and if you mind your own business they'll do the same. But that's enough animal edjucation for one day. Glad you don't have any bears in your basement K-man, those must be some serious rats.

[Nostradamus]

A friend of mine once took an odd job cleaning out a really nasty apartment that had been trashed by its last tenants. There was only one rat, but it was hanging dead from a giant spider web that covered the ceiling. He never actually saw the spider, but he was well motivated to finish the job quickly, even if he didn't get paid nearly enough.

[K-man]

How interesting that just the other day we were discussing moving and this past Sat. the drunken b**** that I rent a room from throws me out. Says she is selling her house so I have to leave. That's just great! Thanks a lot! AHH who cares right? I'll move into my old car and pretend I've gone camping for the summer. Interestingly enough though; last night I met my new roomate. A small mouse woke me up as he scampered across the foot of my bed at about 3:30 am. I wonder if he got walking-papers as well?

[Nothingman]

K-man, sounds like a change of scenery is a good thing, despite the unplesantries of moving. I've found the less drunken b*****s we have in our lives the better. Good luck to you and Mr. Jingles.

[K-man]

Thanks Nothingman, I think you are very right. It will be 5 years on Labor Day that I have lived with the drunk and though a change/move is not exactly what I wanted in my life right now, when I do find some new digs, I KNOW I will look back one day and be like "What the hell did I wait so long to get out of there for?".