G-town

There's nothing like moving to a new town that will make you see anew, possibly even, dare I say, inspire you to write again? Let's hope. Here's a very short and quickly growing list of things I've seen/experienced/dropped my jaw at over the past couple of weeks:

-Things close for no reason. Like the DPS on a Wednesday. (This, after three years without changing my license plates.) And gas stations (because they are "on vacation.") Gas stations. Exxon. On vacation.

-Denied for beer (trying to buy for those who helped me move), yet again, at 28, by the gas station I live behind, for having an out-of-state license. I tried to play the "I work at the university" card and it got me absolutely nowhere.

-I've been looking for furniture so I went to The Caring Place, a Methodist thrift store (note: there are 4 Methodist churches in town - the first having held services in Swedish up until a few years back) and the nicest couch I found had a used pregnancy test underneath the left cushion.

-A truck with the personalized plate: CHRUCK. And spray-painted on the back of the cab: OLD-WHITE GUY.

-Then the dream of the woman who eats books in front of me, at me.

-There's a restaurant called Chinesefood.com. That's what's in neon on the storefront. You can eat inside. I'm not sure if they deliver or if you can order online.

-$15 luncheons at the library to hear "best-selling hill country authors" read from their works.

-The bookstore on the square with the empty upcoming events calendar.

-Gray hair, pleated Dockers, antiques.

-This used to be a dry county. There's one official bar, The Office Lounge, and it's fucking scary.

This is all to say visitors are forever welcome and strongly encouraged, even those who have moved or are moving. I have a couch, sans used preggers test, which sleeps two, and a bed which used to sleep two on occasion. I'm curious to hear about everyone else's culture shocks, whether it's in the working world, a new geography, or otherwise.