There is some severe sensory deprivation going on here. There are the weather, the landscape, the slow pace and then there is the complete lack of the sort of culture/civility I'm used to. I have never heard so may remarks about "gays" in my life--except when I was growing up in San Diego. Everyone seems repulsed when I mention moving to the Hillcrest neighborhood, because that's SanDiego's "gay" neighborhood. However, it's also where all the culture is. I've never seen so many drab, lifeless, landscape paintings in my life either. These are strange times indeed.
Over and out.