Things I Have Learned

So moving from the Southeast to the Pacific Northwest, there are a lot of things a girl can learn. Here are a few things I have discovered.

-How to Cross Country ski. They call this Nordic Skiing. Also discovered after only attempting it twice, I have the ability to teach it to a newcomer and almost sound like I know what I'm talking about.

-First Chair has nothing to do with your middle school band skills. This refers to being first in line, and then riding the first chair of the day up on the chairlift. It requires arriving at the slopes at minimum an hour before opening. I will never be First Chair..not in middle school band, not now. Other ski lingo I have picked up on include-The Trees, Taking Turns, First or Fresh Tracks (see First Chair), Bluebird Day. I also am trying to work "Right On" in to my vocabulary more, but has not taken hold yet.

-Too many traffic circle can make you car sick. Bend loves traffic circles, you are guaranteed to have to go through at least one almost anywhere you are attempting to go.   They also like to put "round about art" in the middle of them. It can be anything from a statue of a deer or miner to abstract sculptures.

-Its possible to be sunny and 60 one day, snowing the next. Much like SC weather, but with snow.

-You can earn $0.25 just for drinking a 6 pack of beer. They charge a 5 cent deposit fee, but then you can turn them in and get it back. But they don't recycle glass (in the normal recycling pick up).

-A Butte is a hill/mountain/volcano. They like to name things Buttes.

-About Tree Wells. You do not want to fall in a Tree Well, you wont come out very easily if at all!

More things I have learned:

-Fred Meyer is just a fancy Kroger, that also sells clothes, home supplies, camping gear, etc.

-If you have a craving for Food Lion brand generic cookies, but find yourself living in the Pacific NW (thousand of miles from the closest Food Lion)...have no fear, you can find those at your local Grocery Outlet.

-Don't buy granola bars at Grocery Outlet, they will be hard as a brick. Chips, bread and sometimes frozen food are all good buys. Also to be avoided are dairy and meats.