Concrete Jungle

Like I said in my last post, I moved recently. I’m living in a new state that I had never even been to before April when I came for less than 24 hours. All I could have told you about Kansas was that Jason Aldean describes it as a “fly over state” soooo that was encouraging. Another new experience for me is that my residence is considered “downtown,” that’s right I am a city slicker, a pavement pusher, a woman-about-town!

I live on Main Street in the large metropolis of Ottawa, KS; the city where shoes are not required and Hoverounds rule the sidewalks. So, as you could imagine, I have been bombarded with many different issues that pertain to city living. For example, I live right by a stoplight so in the morning it is very loud because, like in most cities, Ottawa has its own form of rush hour. I haven’t taken an official tally just yet, but I would guestimate that an average of 100 cars go by…this may seem small to you, but when it is 7am, it sounds like a NASCAR race out there.

I have gotten used to this over the past month however, I cannot get over the shenanigans that go down here at night. I think that Main Street is home to an underground drag-racing society. I have been hoping that I will look out the window and see Vin Diesel and Paul Walker outside filming the next The Fast and the Furious movie, but I usually just see an old Impala that someone put rims on. 

Plus, I don't understand the need to peel out on Main Street, the speed limit is 20mph. Is it cool to brag, "Hey, bra, my Impala with spinners can go zero to twenty in 4 seconds...."

A view from my window that doubles as the meeting area for Ottawa's underground drag-racing crew

  

Yesterday, I received my first parking ticket. Obviously, I was really upset with this mainly because it really was my fault. I was parked in two hour parking for nine hours (according to the ticket) and that is against the rules. What really upsets me about my fine is that I parked in the same exact spot for the past two months and have not received a ticket…I also parked in that same spot for NINE DAYS IN A ROW when I came back to Texas and didn’t receive a ticket then…why now? Well, Ottawa’s meter maid is an older gentleman who rides around in a three-wheeled car thing, so I guess it took him a second to come down our direction.

Where I was parked. Notice the sign? ha

It’s okay though; I will just have to cut out a trip to Pizza Time this week in order to pay my $5 parking ticket.

My latest inconvenience as I am trying to assimilate to downtown living occurred last night. It was midnight and I was just about to fall asleep when “BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ!!!” I hear a ton of drilling out my window. So I glance outside and see a work truck with a man in the crow’s nest who is drilling holes into the side of the building. Naturally, I was very confused why this would be occurring at midnight. Much less what the heck is so important he would need to be drilling into the side of a building right next to my window. Not surprisingly (because city living is very spontaneous), he was putting up Christmas lights.

Christmas in August. The large blurb of light in the center is not a UFO, it's the po-po busting some butt.

Nothing beats losing sleep over Christmas in August.