Saturday, January 12, 2008

Parking Lot Reflections

The thing about the US 'o' A is that you spend a lot of time in parking lots. Driving in them, parking in them, and walking in them. Almost every activity involves a parking lot.

I've found that time in parking lots is conducive to coming up with blog material. And being laid up with a sprained knee and the inability to walk is conducive to writing that material down.

It's interesting to be back for an extended period of time. Comfortable and disconcerting, familiar and eye-opening, enjoyable and depressing.

Let's start with the things I love about the USA, that I took for granted before I moved away.

***Young girls playing soccer. Tons of them. And they are really good. They are strong and fast and smart and having fun. Seeing this as I run around the track around the field on which they are playing makes me really happy.

***People actually talking about the issues in politics. Everywhere and everyone. And they know about the issues and they care about them and they are going to vote. It's refreshing.

***You can go to the grocery store at 3 in the morning because it's open and it's safe.

***This orchestra. Wow, they sound fantastic.

***You can get almost anything you want done. Fast. Gotta love it.

There are some other things but those are the biggies so far.

Now, the things I detest.

***Driving everywhere. It makes me feel ill, partly because gas is up to $3 a gallon, partly because the radio is just atrocious, and partly because the actual act of driving just gives me a stomach ache sometimes.

***The health insurance system (or lack thereof). Good thing my knee is getting way better way fast, otherwise I would be shelling out a hefty chunk of change.

***Did I mention the parking lots?

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