New York City to Milpitas -- a long haul
I was born and raised in New York City. I lived right in Manhattan till I was 21 and then moved to Queens. New York is a big city. Then I moved to California. At first I lived in Mountain View. Since 1983 I've been in Milpitas. Milpitas is not a big city.
Yesterday I read the Milpitas Post. I don't often read it, but occasionally I like to catch up on local affairs. The Post publishes a police blotter article every week. Last week's crimes consisted of:
> Robbery at pizza parlor gets $263.50; runs away; no one hurt.
> Robbery at supermarket of 2 bottles of brandy worth $45; alleged perpetrators arrested; no one hurt.
> Robbery at sports equipment store of $150 worth of sneakers and a back pack; perpetrators back up into parked car while making their get away, and before being apprehended and charged not only with the theft, but hit and run.
> A group of teens harassed a man, threw a rock that his his leg, and ran away.
> After a verbal altercation, a man was found in possession of a skateboard (not a crime), Amphetamines, a switchblade and the ever popular "drug paraphernalia." He was arrested for having those items, not the original altercation. He was from out of town -- the big city of Oakland.
> Graffiti reported on building
> Graffiti reported on building.
Now remember, dear readers, I'm from New York City. Do you know how lovely it is to live in a city where "graffiti" is actually listed on the police blotter; a city were the total robbery take for a week was $458.50; a city where... well you get the picture.
My mother would have literally rotted on the vine here in Milpitas. She lived in a building that rumbled and rattled when the subway, which ran under the building, passed by every 5 minutes, night and day. Her bedroom window overlooked Lexington Avenue, a block from a major hospital so ambulances would siren their way through whenever there was traffic (basically from 4:30 am till 11:30 pm) and she kept her window open because she loved "the sounds of the city." She claimed it kept her alive, and she did live to be 93, so who's to argue.
But I love living in a city where graffiti is listed on the police blotter.
