Settling In

Pulling into Burbank last week, the first thing I noticed was what's different: the new McDonald's on the corner, for example. "Hey!" I shouted. "There's a new McDonald's!" Then I remembered that I don't really care for McDonald's.

The boxes are pretty much all unpacked. We have our library cards, and have already been to the library twice. And after just a week, I've already gone back to referring to freeways the way southern Californians do; it's not "I-5" or "Hwy. 101," it's "the 5" and "the 101."

The newspaper is full of fashion ads. One of them informed me that all my ties are obsolete, that in 2008, everyone needs to be wearing new skinny ties. This left me wondering, is there a place in L.A. County for a person who likes to live simply and shop at thrift stores? I'm also finding it harder to distinguish between what I want, and what I need. (A trip to Disneyland, or another month's health insurance?)

One thing that's been nice: the weather. But some big storms are on the way. The prediction is 4 inches of rain over the next several days. That's more rain than the L.A. area had in the whole last year...