Wednesday, June 14, 2006

This is NOT Mr. Roger's Neighborhood

I knew where I lived wasn't the most glamorous of locales in San Antonio, but I didn't realize just how BAD my neighborhood was until last night when I was walking the dog.

Within a 10-minute time frame, I saw a transvestite, a "beast with two backs" (if you know your Shakespeare, you know exactly to what I refer), three prostitutes, and a four-kid crew stripping the wheels off a Beemer at the gas station next door. Then there's all the half-wild cats roaming around, making the whole apartment complex smell like a litter box badly in need of changing! I felt like I was in the middle of a Wierd Al Yankovic-esque version of "The 12 Days of Christmas". Hmmm, how would that go? Maybe something along the lines of:

While walking the doggy, what did my two eyes see? A transvestite dressed to party!
Walking faster with the doggy, what next appeared to me? Public nudity and a transvestite dressed to party!
I'm jogging with Ziggy and now what can it be? Three call-girls, public nudity and a transvestite dressed to party!
Now I'm dragging the doggy when suddenly I see: four gang-bangers, three call-girls, public nudity and a transvestite dressed to party!
I'm locking up the doors - but what's all that screaming? Five feral cats, four gang-bangers, three call-girls, public nudity and a transvestite dressed to party!

So, anyway, it's obvious that the minute my lease is up, I'm out of there. I don't want to buy a house, though, because the minute my dad "leaves this realm" if you know what I mean, I'm out of San Antonio. The economy is nice, but it just isn't worth it - for one thing it's too darn hot and dry. For another thing, it's too dirty. And lastly, I don't really have too many friends here. The only thing holding me here is the fact that my dad needs me (and the fact that Jamie inherits everything). I know, it's mercenary to say, and horrible to think about, but it's the truth. Warts and all, here I am. So, once Dad is beyond my help, Jamie and I will be moving. Hopefully by then I'll have my degree (maybe even my masters, too) and we'll leave Texas all together. Where we go from there just depends on where my career (or heart) will take me.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with transvestites? Are you just jealous because he had a better outfit?

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

LOL! His (her?) dress was very pretty - but sequins just aren't my style. I'm more the "understated-elegance" type, while he (she?) had more of an "Anna-Nicole cheap-harlot" look going. LOL!

Love you Bubby!

Anonymous said...

Btw, A bit early to think about it, but if when you think of someplace nicer to go, Tucson, Arizona is beautiful and not as hot as southern Texas. If you're looking for someplace with more variety in it's weather, Ann Arbor Michigan is quite nice, too. A bit small and boring for my tastes, but I could see it as a decent place to raise a kid and since it's a University town, there's plenty of book stores and coffee shops (I'd go nuts without books and coffee).

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

I don't know where we'll go yet. I've always wanted to live somewhere that had lighthouses - like somewhere maybe in New England. I don't know why. Like I had mentioned on Monkey Mama's (that's Ann, Lydia and Everett's Mommy) blog, Jamie and I are going to be taking different vacations all over the place when we find some great airfare deals. I guess I'm hoping we'll fall in love with somewhere when we're on vacation. But Ann Arbor does sound nice! Love you!

Anonymous said...

Ah, well, I have no problems with transvestites as a group, but I dislike seeing anyone (male or female) dressed like a cheap slut, even real females who work out regularly. Like I always say "Class is sexier than a** any day.".

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

That's funny! I think I like it (the edited version, of course). LOL

Suze said...

ann arbor is okay, but it's also quite expensive and full of snobs who think they're like east coasters.

madison, wisconsin is pretty great! :) i could list the attributes, but gosh, then i'd sound like i was bragging...

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Okay, won't be going anywhere ridiculously expensive to live (unless I get a ridiculously large salary somewhere LOL).

I don't know where Jamie and I'll end up, though. I guess I'll have to see where the good Lord takes us!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I hate those snobs on the east coast.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Ummmm.........Joel? Don't YOU technically live on the East Coast?

Oh, and I was talking to Becky last night, and her husband's nephew lives in NYC with his wife and kids, and she said the only affordable place they could find was in Spanish Harlem. I don't know how you guys feel about living there, but if the price is right.....

Love ya!

Suze said...

now, now, i didn't mean to insinuate that all east coasters are snobs. sorry if i offended anyone. i'm just saying that ann arbor can be a pretentious place is all. madison can, too, occasionally. i'll admit that...

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Suze, I don't think anyone took it that way. I think Joel was just being his witty, sarcastic self.

And I think if you really want to talk about snobby places, dear old Georgetown, KY, may be one of the places that takes the cake! LOL

I think everywhere can be snobbish at times. Right now, I'm just concentrating on finishing up my bachelors, so then I can get my MLS. We'll take as many vacations as we can along the way so that we'll have more of an idea what all the different areas of the country are like, so that I can broaden my employment opportunities.

Hopefully I'll finish up my MLS by the summer between Jamie's 5th and 6th grades so the transition won't be too terribly hard on him. And who knows, I may get an employment or other opportunity after I finish up my bachelor's degree, and work on my MLS elsewhere. But, one thing is for sure: I want out of San Antonio!

Lydia said...

Jenn, have I been such a horrible friend to neglect telling you about what an awesome place Chattanooga is to live? Its perfect for people with kids. And we have plenty of GOOD coffee shops and libraries. Its affordable, too. The weather is great because its never TOO cold and it doesn't get higher than 100 in the summer--I don't think it does anyway, although this summer it feels a lot higher than 100 to ME. Plus, really cool people like Geron and Moi live here. You should look into it.

Becca said...

Tucson is very beautiful, and there's a great bohemian area near UofA with nightlife, music, art, and theatre. It does get hot, though, around 112 in the summer. I lived there for a year. The only problem with Tucson is that there isn't much in the way of jobs (no big businesses or anything, except the resorts). You have the AF base, UofA, the Catalina foothills with the resorts and chi-chi restaurants, and it's all filled in with some very questionable areas. The buses are great though--it's one of the best public transit systems in the West.

We want to back East, probably to New England where Tom is from and good deal of his family still lives. We were *this* close this week to making an offer on a 10acre farm property with ponds in mid-Vermont, but it's already under deposit. How we were planning to afford it we're still working out. But we figured we could farm, subdivide out some of the land, and have fishermen come to the provate property to one of the ponds. We could put in some hiking trails, get some horses, and maybe do a bed and breakfast (the house was huge, but needed some TLC).

Oh, well. Someday.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Ummm........ Tennessee is beautiful, true. But I have personal reasons for not wanting to be too close to someone who currently lives in TN. (No, I don't mean you or Geron, silly).

I don't want to live close enough to this person for him to feel like it would be feasible to try for visitation. If this person lived elsewhere, or if his legal connection were severed, then I would be more than glad to live in TN. And Chattanooga does sound pretty!

Suze said...

oh, i know joel wouldn't take me seriously. would you, joel?

anyhow, madison is the type of place where people say "man, it's f$%#ing hot outside" when it hits 80. :) :)

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

But anyway, who knows what will happen in a few years, where my heart/career/God will take me, etc.? I just know I want OUT of San Antonio - in fact, I'd like to get out of Texas period!

I would like to take a road trip through New England in the fall, though. Fall has always been my favorite time of year, with the little bit of a snap in the air, the trees turning such beautiful colors, and the faint hint of woodsmoke wafting by when the sun goes down. I miss fall. There is no real change of seasons down here. It's just hot and dry or dry and hot.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Yes, Suze, I'll consider Wisconsin, too. It all just depends on A) where I can find a job that pays well, B) were the cost of living is most reasonable in relation to said salary, C) The education system, D) environmental factors (for instance, I don't want to move somewhere next door to a toxic dump site)

So in the meantime, I'll pray about it, work on actually getting the degrees that will help ensure our future, and see what happens. Like I said, I've got a little while to think about things. And, knowing my dad, he's too stubborn to "shed this mortal coil" anytime soon, so I have a bit of a wait ahead of me..... [sigh]

Lydia said...

Well, you haven't met the baby yet and I think its awful rude of you to prejudge her like that!

Lydia said...

Oh, oops. I guess I should have read the rest of that to see it was a "he" before going off on you. My bad.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

You so funny, Lydia!

Becca said...

Maybe we should start playing the lottery. Tom and I could buy that 10 acre farm, and we can set up our own loony compound, like the Kennedys. Tom and I can run the bed and breakfast, Ann can teach, Susan and Lydia can do summer camps with the local kids, and Jenn and Everett can run the local library. That would be kinda cool. But only if some of us buy tickets.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Vermont is too pricey - maybe we could do it somewhere not quite so expensive. And as long as we're dreaming: how about a pony, and a train track that runs all through the property, and a theatre to put on summer stock productions, and we'll grow our own food.... LOL
It sounds like a nice dream though!
And I've felt for years that buying lottery tickets is a waste of money - it seems much better to me to save up and work really hard to get what you want out of life, even if it means sticking your neck out and risking failure. Lottery tickets are all about luck and odds; working and taking risks for what you want is so much more satisfying. However, that's not to say if someone gave me a winning lottery ticket I wouldn't snatch it in a heartbeat! LOL

Hugs to you all!

Anonymous said...

I would love to live in a compound with all of you. Maybe we can run the Kennedys out and take their place on cape Cod!

Suze said...

Heh, we play the lottery every once in a while, like every 2 months. good thing we know we won't win, so it's not like we're disappointed. Beckers, i dunno about running a summer camp with local kids in your utopian fantasy. i teach piano and i think one kid at a time is plenty. i would, however, be happy running a chamber music festival. that would rock.

madison has tons of parks, awesome schools, a kick-ass university, good politics (hometown of russ feingold and tammy baldwin!), the state government, miles and miles of bike paths, about a zillion farmers' markets, a bus system...but it IS a little pricey. property taxes (what else would pay for all those good public services?) are pretty high. we think it's worth it, though. and it's nothing like living on the east or west coast. it's just pricey for the midwest.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Suze needs to get a job doing the PR and marketing for Madison, WI. Sounds like a running radio ad, doesn't she? LOL

Don't know where I'm going yet, but I sure do want out!

ann said...

wish i had a microfone on this so you culd hear my mom snoring right behind me as i type. anyway, isn't there some way we could kick that kid out of tn so you could move here? the last thing it is is "snobby." you knoww when you're in a parking lot or narrow domestic road and have to do something awkward with your car and kind of wave to say "thanks, excuse me?" well, here, people really wave back (like they know you) and smile real smiles. and they do that when you pass them and they're walking, and if you accidentally run over their puppy, or whatever (no, not really), but when you pass them with your cart at Kroger...or maybe they're all just so excited to see a cute little indian boy. whatever. anyway, politically, well, we won't go there, and the churches suck (in our town, but not in all tennessee...there are lots to choose from, at least), but other than that, we love it here. lots of grass and trees.

but i think you guys could adapt about anywhere you go, and make friends, and have fun. and i know you'll get on your feet financially soon enough. and i was gonna say something else about this, but maybe i should email you.