Oddities

I've noticed a few things around here that tell me I'm not in Texas anymore.

1. Seagulls. I'm used to grackles. I forget how close we are to the water.
2. Strange noises--this encompasses a lot. The windows aren't great, so we hear the cars on the road. I miss my windows and my quiet street. The water heater makes a strange buzzing sound. In the mornings I think I hear flocks of ducks flying over. Oh, and there are all the apartment sounds that I'm not used to--like being able to hear someone else's phone, garage door, television, water running, etc.
3. Parking. Troy pointed this one out. People here like to back into parking spaces. Last night, in a mostly empty parking lot we saw a Corvette back into a parking spot. Okay, he could have pulled into the spot and pulled through to the next one--which was empty! Most of the freaking parking lot was empty! Even if he hadn't pulled through when he parked he probably could have pulled through when he left. Bizarre.
4. Bailey is doing well. Expressing her own oddity she recently climbed onto my chest and slept there until Ross woke up. She snored! She's been doing that a lot lately. It's odd and cute.
5. I mentioned it before, but the carpet is strange to me. I'm not used to having carpet. And the floor vibrates when the heater is running.
6. Taupe walls. A prospective tenant asked if they could paint over the blue room in our house. I cried. I'm surrounded by taupe walls--and they want to paint over the best paint job in our house.