Thanks, mrwunfl!

Simone: All the guys at work say that while the BMW Roadster convertible is a beautiful car, they still think I should lean towards something like the Toyota Solara -- much less expensive overall to maintain (parts, etc.).

Plus, I like the fact that the Solara seats 4! Toyota has been good to my family -- they've been driving a Camry for years and years!

That carpool sticker sounds useful...I'll have to find out if I qualify...

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

My new Prius, 1 week old, takes 87 octane - the "cheap" stuff, according to the owner's manual. The only 3 hybrids that are eligible for the HOV lane stickers in California are the Honda Civic, the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. No other hybrid qualifies.

O o bettyo 7 o, a Solara would be an excellent choice. My white Solara looks good between those new California plates.

4) You can leave your shower curtain and rings back in The City. Shower stalls are the thing here.

5) Don't go to Costco for a case of Lemon Pledge (for polishing wood). The kitchen and bathroom cabinets will be made of wood but they will be painted over. In glossy paint, probably white.

6) Long straight hair is not just for girls and young women. It is relatively common for women of any age to wear there hair that way.

7) Stranger may smile and say hello to you here. It is highly likely that the person is neither dangerous nor crazy. There is a good chance that the person is normal and is just being friendly. Of course, some dangerous/crazy person might still smile/hello, but there is not a general rule here making that a one-to-one relationship.

8) If you are driving and you see a person in the crosswalk ahead of you remember that YOU have to stop for THEM, not the other way around. Even though you are in a one-ton-plus Solara and the ped is in t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, the ped will step in front of you.

What is a shower stall? Is it that sliding door?

Yes, that is what I mean. Not a shower stall exactly but a fixed window and a sliding window door mounted on the top of the side of the bathtub.

What, they don't have sliding glass doors in places other than L.A.?!?!

On A/C, while that's generally true on the westside other than for the newest of apartments, air conditioning is almost always the case in the Valley. You wouldn't want to be without it there. Full stop.

mrwunrfl -- item number 6. I've had straight long hair since I was 4 and I'm not changing now! I only wish men would stop doing the shave bald thing because they've lost a few hairs on top. It doesn't make 'em look any younger. Or less balding.

Sure other places have sliding doors, but just not as common. Seems like that is all I saw here when looking for a place to live.

re item 7, about strangers. I am referring to my experience in beach towns (South Bay and esp. Seal Beach). Being up in the city, YMMV.

Surfergirl, re #6:
How men wear their hair is not something I generally notice except for one shaved-head guy. From the looks of the stubble/shadow on his head, I don't think he was balding. I think he shaved to get that look. Used to be a "Kojak" look.

9) the sushi practice is a bit different, I think. The itamae places your sushi board/plate in front of you with ginger and wasabi on it. Then he places your sushi on the plate after he makes it. The practice for the customer is to pick up the sushi from the plate on the counter dip it into the soy dish that is on the counter in front of customer, then eat it. That is, in front of the customer is the bar, behind and just above that is the counter, behind the counter is the seafood, behind the seafood is the sushi chef.

This is different from two other practices:
1) chef gives you the plate and you place it on the bar in front of you. sushi chef places sushi directly on the counter. customer transfers sushi from counter to plate on bar. Then dip & eat.
2) plate goes on counter. chef puts sushi on it. customer moves plate with sushi to bar. dip and eat. Then empty plate goes back on counter for more sushi OR customer raises plate forward for chef to place sushi on it.

Also, I have seen miso soup served without a spoon and customers drinking from the bowl. This is, of course, barbaric.

We're lugging our terrific LG air conditioner from NYC (with Energy Star). That baby is powerful and quiet!

Re: sliding shower doors...I'm always scared the door will get stuck, and I'll be trapped inside my tub. I know, I'm weird...

Taking the A/C?!? Wow, and I thought my husband traveled heavy!

Hi surfergirl,

Yes, hubby wants to rent a large van or small truck and drive across the country with many of our "essentials."

He also wants to take along our ficus plant (which is more like a small tree)!!

Ficus trees do well in So Cal. I am told that the trees on Main Street are ficus trees. The are about as high as the street light pole.

mrwunrfl: We would like to have a lemon tree if we have a backyard/garden/roof area. Do lemon trees do well in the area (as they do in southern Italy)?

You can buy dwarf lemon, lime & other citrus trees from most nurseries or even Home Depot. Yes, they do very well and are suprisingly prolific!

Now if I only could find a decent dwarf avocado tree . . .

Of course lemon trees do well here. So do lime trees. In fact, I have so many limes on my tree this year, I have been giving them away by the cartload!

Yes, definitely lemon trees. When I lived in Manhattan Beach 15 years ago there was a lemon tree in the back yard with lemons always available. There was a nice bouganvilla on the back fence. And poinsettia plant (appropriate, as it was on Poinsettia Ave).

Saw a lime tree yesterday. I think it was limes, but kind of funny shaped. Tree was really loaded with them.

Haven't seen an orange tree yet even though this is ORANGE county.

I'll never forget the first time I smelled the flowers from a lemon tree in Capri, Italy. Pure heaven! Now I'm addicted to buying lemon soap whenever I'm in southern Italy.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Can anyone give some advice on the cheapest place to rent a large van and schlep our goods across the country? U-Haul, we find, is a bit expensive.

Also, I'm an AAA member. Do they have great deals for van rentals? Or is a car dragging a large trailer a better way to go?

THANKS, FODORITES!! --Bet