there's a weekly local paper here called the 'arvada sentinel'. it's very local news. my favourite section, 'cop shop', lets you know all the local criminal happenings in the area. for example:

"Two female Arvada West High School students were walking home. As the cut through Allendale Park, they encountered a fellow student, a girl they had an argument with at lunchtime, sitting in a white van. The girl allegedly was with her female cousin and her aunt. A maelstrom of slapping and hairpulling ensued as the girl started to fight with the victim. Witnesses said the aunt provoked the girls to fight and, when it appeared her niece was losing, would separate the girls and promptly restart the fight. A motorcycle officer pulled up and everyone ran, witnesses said."

they're a scream. and such fine journalism. this week there is also mention of a driver "too intoxicated to speak", a neighbour who announed that he was "going to get a knife", and a man with no shirt on trying to steal beer from a local supermarket. criminal masterminds all.

i;m getting myself organized...very slowly. my new atm card arrived in the mail yesterday. it has wagons on it - very american. now i'm trying to decide which picture i want in the background of my cheque (they're big on personalize cheques here). i can't quite decide between leopard print and a shot of firemen erecting the flag at ground zero. hmm... tough one, that.

but good news on the social security front: my born abroad certificate should arrive here any day now care of our very own monkey mail. thanks, monkey! did you know that you can send things next day delivery overseas for only $9.70 or so? that's a pretty good deal. you see? australia post isn't so bad after all.

thanksgiving and christmas stuff is swamping the shops already. the christmas coloured hershey's kisses are on sale now. i like them. they had autumn/halloween ones too, in orange and gold etc. very preeetty. i should have bought them. oh well.

you know what? starbucks is a real plague over here. i mean it. they are absolutely everywhere. half the supermarkets and bookstores have their own starbucks instore. i think they really need to be held responsible for all the rubbish they keep foisting onto people: gingerbread frappacinno, eggnog latte etc etc etc ad nauseum. eeeew. yuk. it makes my flesh crawl.

it's sunny now. i'm going outside. i need to fix myself a suitable running route. and fast. i have donuts and candy and all sorts of nasty things to shed. sigh. i think snow may make running a bit difficult, though. i have seen little slip on spiky things to pu over your trainers but i have my doubts about such things. hmm. we'll see.