GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!
We made it! While the first Motorhome kicked the bucket 110 miles north of LA, thankfully we didn't die somewhere on the freeway between the Hollywood sign and the Statue of Liberty. At times we thought it was a possibility (I'll upload the photos of our hotel room in Conroy, Oklahoma soon). We didn't kill each other either. In fact, what didn't kill us has definitely made us stronger! Despite wind, rain, scary truck stops, bad fast food, dirty hotel bed linens and 2,800 miles of bumpy road, we pulled into our new home exactly one week ago. It's been one heck of a week, to say the least! Joe started his job in the city, I flew back to LA for an interview, we unpacked the house, moved furniture, found pet stores, doctors, changed our insurance plans, opened new bank accounts and have already hosted the local preacher and his wife (I wanted to ask him what he thought about many of the red states we passed through where signs adorned with quotes from the Bible hung next to "Adult Bookstore" signs, but I thought better of it). While at times we thought we were going to die (when I looked out the window, for example, to find the movers tossing a box of Fiestaware dishes onto the driveway) we're finally feeling (somewhat) settled. Despite how organized I (think) we are, like it or not, we are now at the mercy of companies like Con-Edison, Time Warner and Verizon to get us up and running. This morning, while on the phone with Verizon trying to install our DSL, a customer service agent said, "that address doesn't exist." After assuring her that it did (I was standing in it, after all) I headed to the local library where I discovered a world I knew little about. In high school and college I thought it smelled like old lady shoes. Today, it was like walking through the gates of heaven. I've been without Internet connectivity for ten days; no daily variety, no daily horoscope, no New York Times online, no hechtips....Who knew a library could be so liberating? When in need...
FEEL LIBERATED:
If, for some reason, you are in desperate need of an Internet connection or need to make FREE copies (I interviewed the librarian, of course, to discover these services are available in 99.9% of libraries across the country) head to your local library. I picked up a FREE library card, logged on (she said I could sit here for two hours, print for free, make free copies, etc.). They even have DVD's one can rent for FREE. Again, who knew? To my friends in academia, pardon my ignorance. My library, until today, is located on the corner of Google and Wikipedia. Now, my new favorite place is the library!
TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: I called 411, found local library and was here in four minutes
COST: FREE
STRESS LEVEL: I found something in New York state for FREE: LOW
