Oh Salem. . .

I decided I needed to familiarize myself with Salem today. You know, scope out all the best shopping places, i.e. TJ Maxx, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. I was on a hunt for cheap storage solutions. Our place is small, and I want to maximize the space. Thanks to my wonderful phone for having unlimited texting and the ability to text google for addresses and directions (our internet wasn't working yet) I found all the places I needed to go!

As a side note: have any of you ever used google text? It's amazing. Just enter in 466453 as the number (google) and then text away! Example: I want to know what the weather is going to be for today. So, I enter in google's number (well, it's just programmed into my address book) and enter the words, "weather, salem OR" and send it off. A couple seconds later, I get the current temp as well as a three day forecast. Pretty sweet, eh? Or, perhaps, you're super curious about what time it is in china right now? Just enter in Time: Bejing, China. Seconds later, you'll find out the current time. So, today, I needed the address to TJ Maxx. So, I entered in, TJ Maxx, Salem OR and got the address. Then, to get the directions, I just entered my current address and then the word "to" and then TJ Maxx's address. Worked like a charm. Did the same thing when I wanted to figure out how to get from TJ Maxx to Target. I love Google.

So, on my from our new apartment to TJ Maxx, I was at the intersection of Commercial St. and Madrona. Commercial is a busy road with lots of traffic and lots of weird people walking down it. Today, there was a man waiting to cross the road and he just looked a little scary. I couldn't tell if he was mentally unwell, or if he was physically unwell, but whatever it was, I locked my doors. He was wringing his hands, looking this way and that, never making eye contact with anyone. I thought maybe he was deprived of drugs? I don't know. All I know is I felt for the poor man.

Later, as I drove from the Maxx to Target, I saw a kid on Center st. Center st. runs through a little bit of a rough patch of town for a few blocks and then it enters into a much safer part of town. As I was driving, I saw a kid (and I really wish I would have taken a picture) who was in camo looking skinny jeans and combat boots. Oh yeah. And then he had on a very fitted jacket with a guitar strapped across his back. As I passed, he was talking to himself (while muttering, so it seemed, four letter curse words under his breath). I just started laughing. It's a different world down here, people. But, I love it. Our ward is the bomb and we've got the best upstairs neighbors (in the form of my brother and sister in law. a sister in law who shares my name. it's not confusing or anything though.) We like Salem. Despite the weirdo's walkin down the street. :)