No more bad attitude

O.K. I'm over it. Really. It's not so bad here in Jersey. I can think of several things to be happy about:

1) No bugs. I am so used to ants crawling all over my kitchen counter or scary prehistoric roach monsters lurking in dark corners that I cannot get used to the fact that, if I leave a crumb on the counter nothing happens. Nothing. It will just stay there for eternity or at least a few hours or overnight and no little varmint creeps out of any crack to claim it. This is big. In Grenada and Texas, and in New York City for that matter, you can barely turn your back and your counter comes alive. I am still obsessively wiping my counters after even the smallest snack, but I'm sure that habit will leave me soon.

2) Fall is a real thing, not just the time of year when football happens. I've heard about it and seen it on TV, but this is the first time I've experienced it for myself. It is actually in the 70s, and I can accessorize with sweaters and jackets and scarves, and we can take a walk in the park and not drip sweat. The weather today was reminiscent of December in Texas and never in Grenada. And it is not even October.

3) I found Stubb's Bar-B-Q Sauce (from Austin, TX) and Brianna's Fine Salad Dressing (from lil' ole Brenham, Texas) at my local store. That's an indirect plus for Jersey, but still, a plus.

4) Yesterday Liam and I drove to The City for a play date with Karen and Paul. We left our house at 8:30 a.m. and entered the Lincoln Tunnel at 8:46 a.m. We found free parking on the street (only on Sunday!) just a few blocks from Times Square. We went to Bryant Park and hit the Flea Market by The Port Authority and were home by 1:30 p.m. So now I know the best (only) day for driving to the city, which makes it a little easier to see our friends there. And when there is no traffic you realize, hey, we really do live close.

5) When I left the city yesterday a little part of me was glad to be heading to a home with trees and grass around it. I appreciated the convenience of having a car, and the ability to get away from the chaos. I'll admit, it is easier to live in Jersey.

There, five things I like about it. Who's complaining now?