Traffic's like a cattle drive

Granted, I've never actually witnessed a cattle drive. But, I have seen a cow, which puts me ahead of a lot of my fellow Jerseyans. And the most recent cow I saw was at Visions on Friday night (that's right - there was a cow at a women's expo. Don't question it, this is Texas.)

Before I get too into the weirdness that is cows at a trade show, let me lasso this one back on topic. I'm a Jersey driver. I scare my Connecticut and Upstate New York friends with my constant honking, Italian one finger saluting, cursing self. I've driven to Boston in rush hour, something I will never EVER do again. I've had several near-death experiences as a passenger in New York City - in a cab, in a van and (perhaps worst of all) with my mother (just kidding, Mom!)

Therefore, I consider myself an expert on bad driving. Bennys (tourists to the Jersey Shore from Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark and New York) are classic examples: running stop signs, turning right from the left lane, I've seen it all.

Then I moved to Dallas.

People here are out for blood. They drive crazy, they own guns and they tailgate you at 80 MPH in giant Ford pickups on monster truck wheels. Route 75, the highway that runs north/south, is so insane during rush hour (which goes from 6 AM until 4 AM as far as I've seen) that I find myself wishing for the relative sanity of the Parkway South on Fridays in the summer.

Let's review some traffic laws that Dallas drivers have decided are optional. Red lights don't really mean stop if you were anywhere in the vicinity when they were yellow. Signaling from turns, heck, even being in the correct LANE for turns is considered a sign of weakness. Nodding in the general direction of stop signs is just as good as actually stopping.

Luckily, these drivers seem to be confused by my little Vespa and me. They keep their distance (or pull up next to me and catcall), and for that I'm grateful. Nevertheless, I'm still not afraid to honk or yell - even if I am on a scooter.

Valet for A Vespa

This weekend I spent some time with a bunch of other Northeast-to-Dallas transplants, and we were discussing (over several glasses of wine) some of the major differences between the Northeast and Texas. My favorite comment was about how we feel compelled to dress up on Sundays if we're going out in public, even if we're not going to church (it's true).

That got me thinking about one of the differences I've noticed most: valet parking. Now I'm a Jersey girl, and we Jersey girls are lazy in our own right, but Dallas takes the cake (and eats it too). Dallas has valet parking for restaurants, concerts, movies, the mall, cafes, sandwich shops... you get the idea. (Coincidentally, the only time they don't have valet is when there's no parking to be found for miles. Go figure.)

Most of the time, valet's your only option - the only parking in the area is reserved for valet spots, so you have to fork over $5-$10 for the privilege of having someone else park your car.

Maybe it's because Dallas girls wear such high heels all the time... (I wore jeans out to dinner on Friday *gasp* and got some looks from my fellow females. I was in a pizzeria. Get over it.)

I digress (as always). I have, however, found a solution to the valet parking problem: my Vespa. Valet guys don't expect to be allowed to just zip off on my Vespa, so my approach now is to just hover around the valet stand until they notice me and point me to some prime sidewalk space. Close parking, no payment necessary, and a Vespa monitoring service all-in-one! I could get used to this...

Next up in our Dallas-is-kind-of-lazy series, grocery shopping. (Seriously.)

Honestly, who isn't on facebook?

Well, to answer that question, my mom's not, but she knows my login information, so that's close enough. I'm pretty excited because I just launched the museum's Facebook page and, after some hard work (thanks Colin and Nic!), I think it looks pretty good.

I have to pitch a social media plan to the board next week, and I'm starting to get pretty nervous. Luckily, fate's on my side and I found this article, which sets me up for a lot of common objections and how to respond to them. Being prepared to present new media to a group of VIPs? Check.

I'm trying to decide what to blog about for the museum - I want a mix from exhibits (to go along with our podcasts), current women's issues, and discussion about the museum's future. I really want to start the conversation about the museum - there's nothing on blogs, twitter, etc. yet. Scary yet exciting!

In Vespa news, honking at me then waving and saying "nice wheels" is not a good idea. It does get my attention, but it makes me swerve, and I don't think I'll make an attractive trauma patient. Thanks.

The economy and pick-up lines

Graduating during a economic decline, recession, rainy day (whatever you want to call it) is hard. Employers aren't hiring, gas prices are skyrocketing, food is expensive, and I've even had to cut back on my weekend bar-hopping (jeez!)

I recently invested in a Vespa to get to and from work and save me from spending a fortune on fueling my Ford Escape. Since I've gotten it, I've been the recipient of more than my fair share of pick-up lines, catcalls, and kissing noises from passing car windows. I'm wearing a helmet and sunglasses. It's not attractive.

Anyway! The majority of the pick-up lines haven't been at me. They've been at my cute purple Vespa, which averages around 65 MPG. Yesterday, while I was stopped at a red light, a guy walking by yelled out, "what an efficient little thing!" (Now, if he had said that directed at me, I probably would have decked him, but the Vespa can't fight back).

In the era of a declining economy, my scooter's fuel efficiency is more attractive than I am. Ouch.