So … apart from the facts that it’s May 1st, we’re supposed to get 3 to 5 inches of snow overight, and it was 90 degrees two days ago, does anyone else think it’s amazing that it’s called Winter Storm Achilles?!

That thing where your letter carrier puts a postcard from your synagogue, addressed to a Jewish neighbor who lives a couple of blocks away, in your mailbox.

“There are literally dozens of us!”

I don’t often post the nice messages I receive here at the blog, as the nasty ones tend to be funnier. But this one really stood out to me because it’s pretty important to me to attract the best students to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In the past few months, I’ve attended a number of events designed to provide talented high school students with information about the University of Nebraska. And one of the most common refrains I’ve heard is that one of the biggest choices they’ll have to make is whether to stay in Omaha or come to Lincoln. I wouldn’t have thought, before I moved to Omaha, that this was a choice in anyone’s mind. But when I first moved here, and everyone I met assumed that I taught at UNO or that I would want to simply “switch” to UNO’s political science department to save myself the drive, I began to realize that people think the University of Nebraska is the University of Nebraska, whether it’s in Lincoln or in Omaha.

If my blog persuades even one person to make the switch, I’m happy.

The other night, I attended an event and I was told to park in Lot D. Driving up, I came across this barrier. It was possible to drive to either the right or the left of the barrier. To the left, there was a break in a fence with a parking lot beyond. To the right, the road continued for more than a hundred yards before turning to the left.

I turned to the left and entered the parking lot through the break in the fence.

After parking and exiting my car, I noticed a parking attendant running toward me. When he got closer, he started screaming at me: “Do that again and I’ll have your car towed!” I told him that I had no idea what he was talking about.

Apparently, I was expected to go to the right of this barrier — toward “No Public Parking” — and then drive more than a hundred yards, turn left, drive another two hundred yards, turn left again, and then enter the parking lot.

In other words, pay no attention to the giant sign on the enormous barrier.

Now that’s a ballot box.

This thing looks like it would survive a nuclear war. Or already did.

Well, it took significantly longer than we anticipated … but we’ve finally  moved into our new house. And not a moment too soon, since the new semester begins tomorrow and there’s a baby preparing to join us here in a little under two months!

We still have a fair amount of unpacking to do, so you’ll be spared photos of the interior of the house since it would mostly be pictures of boxes and clutter. But, if you’ve been wondering why the past few weeks have been relatively quiet around here, it’s because moving takes an absolutely ridiculous amount of time and energy … especially with a two-year-old.

Regular blogging should resume now that I’ve reassembled my desk.

The city doesn’t collect trash way out here in the exurbs, at least not yet, so we have a choice of companies who will pick up our garbage and recycling for a modest fee.

The company we’ve chosen is the least expensive, collects the widest variety of recyclable materials, and also seems to be the most robot-friendly, which my son enjoys.

Of course, as the pictures of our first trash collection at the new house demonstrate, the robot waste management system isn’t quite as efficient as just having a second guy who hops on and off the truck at each house.

It’s been very quiet around here this weekend, blogging-wise. But that’s because we’ve been moving. Now that the furniture is in place and some of the boxes are unpacked, I thought I’d send a quick update from my phone.

This is the backyard at our new house, which my son is enjoying to no end.

A sun bear reacts to triple-digit temperatures at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska, where the temperature reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
(Nati Harnik/Associated Press)

I feel you, sun bear.

(via netnewsnebraska)

I don’t usually blog about the weather … but c’mon!

Possible $25,000 Pyramid category:

“Things you see in a parking lot in Nebraska”

Remember this?

Here it is: Our new home-aha in Omaha.

When are you coming to visit?

I spoke too soon.

Seller did not disclose water and mold in basement.

This handy “United States of Television” map really highlights how few shows take a chance on the Heartland. I mean, I suppose I’m not particularly surprised that no one has constructed a show based in Omaha or Des Moines … but how is it possible that there isn’t a single show set in Chicago?

I think someone needs to reboot “Perfect Strangers” …

Update: Jacob Levy notes that “The Good Wife” is set in Chicago. This doesn’t dampen my hopes for a “Perfect Strangers” reboot, but it does raise the question of why some current shows are left off the map while other now-defunct shows are on it. What else is missing?

(Source: slavicinferno, via motherjones)