Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I aged around a decade after a few days. My long hair was dry and snapping off and looking terrible. I bought a recommended conditioner, I used pure coconut oil from TJ's, and nothing helped the whole time I was there ( 7 days) and then it took me a few days to make it look normal again back here in Tulsa.
If we move there do I have to have short hair?
Worse was a wrinkled face and hands, dried out. Drank more and more water, used coconut oil, used moisturizer, it didn't matter. My vanity took such a hit. It aint easy being late forties anyhow, but jeesh, do I have to look even older living there? On the upside I developed a gorgeous tan so at least my skin was even toned if not, dare I say, whithered.
Nasal obsession. Either it is blocked or running or bloody booger snot (sorry) or bone dry and changing throughout the entire day every day. Does that get better with time?
Defensive driving! I wasn't on guard as much in Atlanta! Like the four lane sweeper, the slam and turn without signaling, the turn out right in front of you though they had the last 4 seconds to turn out in front, and my most unforgetable, the straight forward going car deciding to turn with me (right turn lane) that I almost crashed into. And looked at ME like I was a jerk.
Oh, and that after 3 days there I figured I was ready for Santa Fe, but when I got there I was sick and nauseated and felt like I was wearing a lead suit. I did nothing there but stop into a Dollar Tree and then high tailed it out of there.
Is something more wrong with me than others? Should that couple thousand feet matter? Will that change if we move or will I likely not be able to include that Santa FE day trip.
Later I'll give my likes.
Tell me if I'm stuck with these dislikes or that things change with more time (of course the driving will stay the same).
Oh, in addition, this is a disappointment. I saw not a lizard or roadrunner, I was bummed about that. Well, the roadrunner could have been flying overhead, but I wouldn't recognize it that way.
Last edited by TULSA2ABQ; 10-28-2012 at 10:32 AM..
Hair - I don't think that will improve. I've been here 25 years and if my hair gets long it's scary to view in the mirror. Whenever I go east to visit friends and relatives in southeast Texas...Mississippi and Tennessee...the hair improves dramatically.
Skin - As you age and your skin gets thinner, I think that issue will worsen. My wife puts moisturizers on and uses sunscreen when biking and hiking. I'm too lazy to do those things.
The nasal thing - I was fine the first 15 years. The past few years I get sore throats, allergy-related bronchitis and irritating nasal conditions from late autumn through spring every year. Whenever I head east to TX, MS, TN...these conditions improve within 1-2 days. When I come home...they come back within 1-2 days.
Driving - I haven't done the research, but some folks say our auto insurance is higher here than most places. I guess there is a reason for that. Being retired, I pick and choose when to venture out most of the time. I find 9:30 AM till 11:30 AM to be a pretty good time for me.
The Santa Fe experience - You mentioned "that couple thousand feet." I guess you were referring to the difference in elevation between downtown Albuquerque and Santa Fe. But...remember that Santa Fe is about 6000 feet higher than Tulsa. Even parts of Albuquerque are about a mile higher than Tulsa. I suspect you were already suffering from some elevation sickness in Albuquerque that was exacerbated or made more apparent when you got to Santa Fe. Unless you have some medical condition that prevents it...you would acclimate to the elevation change from Tulsa within a few weeks to a few months.
It is dry here, but Oklahoma is not a 180 from New Mexico. When I travel to the south, my hair looks awful due to the humidity, and hairspray doesn't hold in humid weather, so I really prefer the climate here for my hair. Just use a good conditioner. People need to drink lots of water here, which also helps with the dry hair and skin.
As for the altitude, everyone handles it differently. I don't notice a difference, but others do. You sound like you noticed a big difference. Your symptoms would ease with time.
Roadrunners are not a dime a dozen here. One can go months without seeing one. I have yet to see one fly since the are ground birds. I suppose they can fly short distances if they are scared or chasing a potential meal. Typically, Roadrunners run. Sorry you were disappointed.
Remember the very first time you watched The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy stepped out of her black and white world into a technicolor magical land? THAT is ABQ. More real than real. Like the rest of my world is looking through a shaded film. Everything in ABQ POPS, is stunning, and in sharp relief. I expected beauty, and was counting on it, but the difference between any picture and being there is huge.
Elena Gallagos park, well, I went around the right and took the higher picnic area. Being that close to a major crazy city (street level) I had many moments of such stillness and silence, that was like instant meditation. I am too late for being born Indian, but if there is an "in" into their religion, sign me up. Your land is ALIVE!
I watched the stunning sunset and the glittering lights of the city below. Very nice. Oh a real sweet encounter with a bright blue bird. And I saw my white feather (which shows up in my life) as a giant white cloud looking exactly, exactly as a white feather. I figured I'm right where I'm supposed to be.
Putting aside my nasal issues, it felt real good to breathe in ABQ and to be moving in space. The breeze is very much like wind-kisses you get laying on the beach, or maybe skin is so sensitive from the DRY lol.
The sun is whiter, cleaner and a force to be reckoned with! It'll find its way into your car and cook an arm ha. I love the sun. Went to the Rio Grande Nature park, and there was such stunning schools of goldfish in the trees, oh, no that was autumn leaves, and against the rich blue skies, doesn't make one pause but stop dead and stare.
On your negatives. . . Although I have severe sinus problems, it doesn't seem to me that the dryness is a big deal for me. In the past I've tried to keep close track of humidity levels, indoors and out, and I didn't end up noticing much correlation with the severity of my sinus problems and dryness. I think maybe it did bother a bit more initially than it does now, however. Even so, there tend to be a lot of individual differences in these matters. I don't think anyone can promise you things will get better for you.
I'm not happy with what the dryness does to my skin, and I should probably do more about it. I'm male so I can probably get away with more, but I'd still prefer not to be too weather worn too soon. My skin definitely looks a lot older since I moved here.
I never drove (except for driving lessons and a test to get my license) before moving to Albuquerque, so it's hard to judge. Being inexperienced myself, I probably contributed to the bad driving in the first year or so after I started driving. I think I've gotten better. I definitely see people doing some crazy things on the road, but most of the time I don't find it too much of a hassle. I'd say the really bad/reckless drivers are still in the minority here. But I moved here from Philadelphia, and even though I basically didn't drive there, I would say there is way more aggressive driving there than here. There are certain major intersections there where the amount of people running the red light (with plenty of time to stop) is just staggering at times.
I think I've only seen one, maybe two, road runners in the time I've lived here (since 2008). I don't spend that much time outside (allergies) so I'm sure it would be quite possible to see more than that, but they aren't going to be all over the place. Lizards keep a pretty low profile, I find. What I have noticed is that at least in the more urban locations where I've lived or spent time, there tends to be a brief lizard season (maybe after we've had some rain) during which they make more of an appearance. I don't know where they go the rest of the time.
I suppose they can fly short distances if they are scared or chasing a potential meal.
They routinely glide, they do not appear to have the ability to gain much altitude, they can jump pretty well. I have photo's and video someplace, but out of time right now.
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 10-28-2012 at 04:12 PM..
Roadrunners are not a dime a dozen here. One can go months without seeing one. I have yet to see one fly since the are ground birds. I suppose they can fly short distances if they are scared or chasing a potential meal. Typically, Roadrunners run. Sorry you were disappointed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poncho_NM
They routinely glide, they do not appear to have the ability to gain altitude. I have photo's and video someplace, but out of time right now.
Roadrunners actually fly quite well and they can use those wings to jump to the top of a block wall, structure, or cliff edge to snag a meal (and it looks effortless). They just don't fly for very long or very high, and it's rare to see it.
I don't think it's so much that roadrunners aren't good as flying, as other birds are really bad at running.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What did I like?
