Nikki is always having problems at work, with people staring at her and giving her dirty looks... for no darn reason. She's been so stressed with all the bills, worrying whether we'll have enough money to get down there, and tired of taking care of the finances all by herself. I wish I could help, but I have no job... and I haven't had a job since I moved here in August of 2007. Nikki just found out two days ago, that they're going to be laying off HALF of the subsititute teachers working for our county school district. Seniority rules, and she's only been a sub for two and a half years. More and more, it looks like we're making the right choice in moving.
We've been trying to get our brains around how we're getting all our animals down there. We have one cat carrier, and we need to get another. Then we have three rats, three mice, and a White's treefrog. We suppose we'll just put the rat and mouse cages on the passenger seat and floor of the U-Haul truck, and the kids can hold the cat carriers, or put them down on the floor at their feet, in our car.
Sarah is especially thrilled with having unlimited time on Nintendo DS. Her and Savannah both got one for Christmas. We've been limiting their time to an hour a day. On the trip down (approx. 24 hour drive, split into two days), they get unlimited time. Good way to keep them busy and focused on something other than asking every ten minutes, "Are we there yet?" Unfortunately, Skylar will be much more idle. Maybe we'll give her a big coloring book and some crayons, which she'll drop every few minutes and whine until one of her sisters picks it up. Other than that, I don't know. Ideas, anyone (cheap ones)?
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There are a lot of wild animals down in Arizona that we're not accustomed to, such as rattlesnakes, scorpions, and tarantulas. I am a bit concerned about these animals being around, but I really hope that there aren't any skunks. We didn't have them on Long Island, at least not in the four different towns I lived in... so coming to Michigan was a shock. Those things can be a half mile away and still make your nose want to commit suicide.
Someone had told me they were concerned about Mexican gangs in Tucson. The south side of the city is a particularly bad area, but these gangs are supposedly all over the city. I asked two other city residents, and they said that there are gangs in most US cities, and they're not worried about them. They usually just go after each other and leave other people alone.
A friend of a friend likes to go mountain biking. I've never lived in a place where mountains are nearby, so mountain biking has quite piqued my interest. Tucson is a very bike-friendly city in general, so mountains or not, biking sounds like great fun, and a nice alternative to walking.
Some interesting facts, most of which are taken from a website called The Pepper:
MSN named Tucson as the fifth best place to live in the US, as well as the fifth best place for outdoor activities (walking, hiking, and mountain biking, yay!). It was voted "friendliest city" by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, and Bicycling Magazine said it was one the three best cities for cycling. Tucson was named as the healthiest environment for women, by Self Magazine. Forbes said it was # 20 of the best cities for jobs. Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association ranked Tucson as # 9 for cities that are best suited for fitness and walking. Criteria include crime, mass transit, air quality, and the number of historic sites, museums, parks and gyms each city has.
If you're still reading, then kudos to you. You're either very patient, have a lot of time on your hands, or are interested in Tucson like I am. Comments are welcome no matter what the reason. Thanks for tuning in!
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