Stuff I've Noticed

I've made some observations in my month living here, and I'd like to share them.

We have to drive ten miles to get to church. And, said church has a brick-and-wrought-iron fence around it, and the gates lock. Last Sunday we had a potluck dinner after church. It looked like a bunch of piranhas had swum through. And far too many women wear pants and jeans to church. I still don't have the story behind that, but I'm surely going to ask about it! Our lesson manuals are distributed in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The banks are open seven days a week.

There's a Dunkin' Donuts on every corner. Their Milky Way hot chocolate is really good.

It's humid here.

They have so many streets and roads here, that they have run out of names. You may *think* you're on the right road, until you realise you want Bristol Pike, not Bristol Road. Also, there is a Street Road here. Talk about unimaginative!

There is a turnpike here. What that is, is a highway that you get to pay to drive on. Supposedly it is maintained better, but so far I haven't noticed that. The fun thing about the turnpike though is that they have these things called Service Centers. These are like rest areas on steroids. Each of them has a different name, and they are usually named after prominent historical figures. There is not only a gas station, but a building that houses at least two different choices of eating establishments, plus a convenience store. The restrooms are clean, well-lit, and climate-controlled. Many of the Service Centers have a pressed penny machine, which is fortuitous, since I collect pressed pennies. While you are driving on the turnpike, you'll see a sign stating the distance to the next Service Center. It also lists the brand of gas station, and the current price of gas. Also listed are the restaurants. That way, if none of those floats your boat, you can drive on. I think Service Centers are way awesome.

There is no Deseret Industries here. And the Goodwill store leaves a lot to be desired. But there are a million antique stores around.

The squirrels here are grey, not red. And they are FAT! They look like those pickups with an extra set of wheels on the back.

There's a laundromat down the road from the school. The sign outside says "AUNDROMA", because the L and the T fell off. I just *know* there's a little girl running around here named Aundroma, because her mom thought it was a cool name.

People talk funny here. I have to ask everyone to repeat themselves, because the first time it just didn't compute.

But overall, I like it here. I like the trees and the hills. I like being in a smallish town, but close enough to the city. And I like being near my brother.