pasta for everyone

He arrived to fix the satellite and nearly the first thing out of his mouth was, "Uh... have you lived in this area before?" Apparently it was clear I was a recent addition to the neighborhood. "No. I just moved here last month."

"Where did you live before?"

"Orange County."

"This is a really bad area."

Every time he came back in to check the television he made another comment.

"This place might look nice now but I give it a couple more years and it will look like the places down the street."

"My friend lived a couple blocks from here and he was mugged at gun point."

"Just don't go out at night."

Thanks, fucker. That is so helpful.

This is nothing I have not already heard from anyone I have talked to who knows ANYTHING about this city. Really? You LIVE there? When the kids talk about it they say, "You moved to the ghet. to. And they really do say it like the two syllables belong in two completely different sentences.

I really do not see what is the big drama. I do not feel unsafe and every time I look outside I see about 20 kids playing outside. Sometimes all in the same yard. I swear each unit must have at least three people to each bedroom. If it were so unsafe why would parents let their children out?

I might be slowly falling in love with my life again. Might. Maybe. I don't know. But I did find a close place to buy avocado rolls. And I enjoy the kids. Especially when they say things like, "Are you serious?" and "For real?" These things are helping.