You guys are stuck with me

[cosita]

I loved omaha.
We're putting an offer on a house in benson tomorrow and if all goes well we'll move out late january. On a whim my husband applied for a job managing an auto shop on dodge and got the position even though he can't start work until feb. (it's the off season for auto shops)
I must be an odd ball because I much preferred benson to dundee. The shopping there is more in tune to what I'm looking for. Maybe I just wasn't driving around the right areas but maple st. had much more to offer me than did Underwood and Dodge was more commercial than what I'm looking for.
I'm within walking distance of the coffee shop, used book store and best of all the yarn store. (I'm a knitting geek)
My biggest surprise was how hilly Omaha is. I seriously pictured it to be completely flat.
While the old market area is smaller than downtown San Diego, I think it's much nicer. My parents are thinking about buying a loft above delice (I think thats the name.)
My only real concern is driving during the winter. I'm not sure thats something I'll ever try. For one, I'm not sure I could stop a car without sliding out. The other concern I have is I'll be damned if I know where the lanes are once the snow covers up the roads.
Anyhow, it really is a nice city with lots to offer. Thanks for all your help thus far. I'm sure I'll be bugging you again in the not so near future asking for directions and recommendations for shopping. Which reminds me, where the heck are the grocery stores there? I saw a few but beyond wild oats and whole foods, most of what I saw sort of scared me. Josies, Joses, j something in benson... is that really a grocery store? I just drove by and the pictures and sayings painted on the outside of the window weren't a good selling point for a newbie.

[MTO]

Hey dude that’s great! And if you prefer Benson, than you go with your bad self. Thanks for the compliment we are glad to have you. As far as winter driving weeeell ya’ll learn all about that. Honestly most people in this city can barely drive in the winter either.

[cosita]

My husbans originally from Michigan and according to him it's like riding a bike. We were out driving around in the snow on Saturday, we made it without crashing. So far so good. I think for now I'll leave the driving to him though.

[eomaha]

Welcome to Omaha! Benson is a great area! (is that Louie's grocery store you're referring to? Maybe it doesn't even go by that name anymore) You'll probably find more 'conventional' supermarkets up on 72nd Street or down on Saddlecreek. Maybe someone with more knowledge of the area has a better suggestion.

Your parents are looking at a loft over Delice?! I'm jealous... they must have some serious money to spend!

[Finn]

Welcome to Omaha. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour and were impressed. Of course, we would be willing to help with anything else. Ladyred will probably be your best source for a grocery store, but here are a few options (since Bakers on 72nd and Blondo closed): Albertson's on Sadle Creek near Cuming St. (820 N. Saddle Creek Rd.), Hy-Vee on Cass (7910 Cass St.), No Frills on Blondo St. (8005 Blondo St.), Albertsons at 72nd and Military Av. (4405 N. 72nd St.) and a little further - Bag-N-Save near 90th and Maple St. (2650 N. 90th St).

[Asten]

Cosita - so glad you enjoyed your visit! (we told you so!)

So, in advance, welcome to Omaha! We'll be here to help!

[Omaha Cowboy]

Welcome to the Big O!..

..Ciao..LiO....Peace

[ladyred]

Cosita,
Welcome to the Big O neighbor! You will find down the hill at 72 nd and Military a large Bakers Supermarket. Also within relatively close driving distance (around Maple and 90th) is a Bag N Save. Plus on 108th and Fort is a large newish Hyvee. If you venture farther west on Maple there is also a Supertarget.
On North 72nd they are also just beginning to build a new shopping area on Sorensen Parkway that will have another Supertarget plus many more shops. This is all within about a 5-7 mile circumference from my house on North 65th St.
Anymore questions please by all means let me know.
Patty

[StreetsOfOmaha]

Congratulations, Cosita.

I actually prefer Benson to Dundee myself. You'll love the nieghborhood and the city.

Welcome, and just take it easy in the snow.

[guy4omaha]

Great news Cosita. I know I speak for others as well when I say I am excited about your moving to Omaha. You are not uncommon at all with your surprise to the hills here in town. Most out-of-towners have this flatland image before coming here. You are going to love spring with the hills and the rebirth of that season. You will want to check out the Ponca Hills area then.

But anyway, welcome, and I think we should have an eomaha party for your arrival. Come on gang, let's do it. We should get together anyway! How about an event at inPlay?

[cosita]

My husband and I keep grumbling because it's dropping down into the low 50's at night and our house doesn't have any heat. The furnace in Omaha keeps calling our name.

[Big E]

Yeah, wait until that furnance is fighting off -6 here. Low 50s and an extra blanket will sound pretty appealing.

-Big E

[Minneapolis Boy]

Yeah, but now we're heading back up to the 30s & maybe 40!

[AlmostinOmaha]

Welcome from a fellow former San Diegan/Californian. It's COLD here...but it's ok as long as you buy some really warm clothes! I've bought 3 jackets since I've been here (october), as well as gloves, scarves, boots, hats, etc. I need to buy some long underwear...I have one pair that I kept avoiding wearing...but when I finally wore them I realized that they really do help, no matter how frumpy they seem!

Be sure to buy a shovel as soon as you get here too ! I heard that if you don't shovel or snowblow the sidewalk between your house and your neighbors you could get a ticket! One of my neighbors only shovels 1/4 of the sidewalk...while we do the whole thing typically - what's that all about? It seems petty to me to stop without doing the whole thing - it's like only 15-20 feet I think. Some people just do the bare minimum I guess.
As for driving in this frozen land, slow down and be careful of the other drivers - they're the ones I worry about.
Good luck with your move. I hope you're hiring movers - it's pricey, but makes life so much easier!

[Swift]

Don't worry about it too much, they rarely give tickets (i've never heard of it actually happening). Sometimes you luck out with neighbors (when we first moved to our house, one of our semi-old semi-retired neighbors would shovel our walk for free before we could get outside to do it).

[Asten]

Don't worry about it too much, they rarely give tickets (i've never heard of it actually happening). Sometimes you luck out with neighbors (when we first moved to our house, one of our semi-old semi-retired neighbors would shovel our walk for free before we could get outside to do it).

I have heard of people being ticketed for this... they don't go out looking for it, but especially when it's slick and a danger to those walking, etc, they *do* ticket. Besides, this is Omaha - it's the neighborly thing to do!

[TechnicalDisaster]

Tickets are only generated from complaints, and usually to persons/businesses with heavy foot traffic that don't clean their sidewalks. Ive seen news stories where people have been ticketed for not clearing their sidewalks where elementary students walk from home to school.

[adam186]

Don't just do it because you don't want a ticket. "Think of the children, someone think of the children..." Simpsons (late Mrs. Maude Flanders)

[Big E]

That would be the late Mrs. Maude Flanders.

Mother of Rod and Todd: "We're torsos!"

-Big E

[adam186]

^Haha, okay I changed it. Thanks Big E!

[AlmostinOmaha]

No...that's not the only reason I would shovel the sidewalk... but I was just surprised that there was a law that said you had to! It would be nice if there was a law that they had to plow my neighborhood instead of me slipping and sliding all over the road! I've only seen them on my street once and it's snowed like 3 times since I've been here. Oh well!

[OmahaJaysCU]

No...that's not the only reason I would shovel the sidewalk... but I was just surprised that there was a law that said you had to! It would be nice if there was a law that they had to plow my neighborhood instead of me slipping and sliding all over the road! I've only seen them on my street once and it's snowed like 3 times since I've been here. Oh well!

Oh just wait, this isn't even that much! The fun has just begun.

[adam186]

^That is so true. Let the games begin!

[AlmostinOmaha]

That's so NOT what I want to hear! Thanks a lot! I want to hear that this unusual to get so much snow...that this is a fluke! Wishful thinking...I know!

Happy Thursday!

[TechnicalDisaster]

It would be nice if there was a law that they had to plow my neighborhood instead of me slipping and sliding all over the road! I've only seen them on my street once and it's snowed like 3 times since I've been here. Oh well!

Don't you live in Chalco? Our SID taxes have paid for and have plowed our streets by 10:00 a.m. every day that it has snowed this year. I wonder why you are getting missed.

[Finn]

On an unrelated note, great new sig line Bradley!! Although, you did not include one of my favorite photos from your collection - the man with feather hat at the Renaissance Fair!

[AlmostinOmaha]

Bradley - I didn't realize that...I have only seen a plow once and the streets do not look plowed to me at all...I will ask a neighbor (when I see one which seems to be infrequently). if they've seen a plow. Thanks!
On another note, it took my husband over an hour to get downtown this morning...he left at 6:50 and got into work at 8:45...accidents around here and on the freeway - Yikes!

[adam186]

^Ya, accidents are usually more frequent during the first few snow falls. People forget how to drive in the snow every year it seems.

[TechnicalDisaster]

On an unrelated note, great new sig line Bradley!! Although, you did not include one of my favorite photos from your collection - the man with feather hat at the Renaissance Fair!

Thanks!

Bradley - I didn't realize that...I have only seen a plow once and the streets do not look plowed to me at all...I will ask a neighbor (when I see one which seems to be infrequently). if they've seen a plow. Thanks!

Didn't you notice all the snow piled up at the end of your driveway? I'm off to shovel it out right now.

[AlmostinOmaha]

Bradley - I'm telling you...no plow in my neck of the woods. I snowblowed my driveway this morning and there was no big pile at the end of the driveway...there still isn't! Do you know who I should call...it probably says in our paperwork somewhere...I'll have to dig it out!

[guy4omaha]

Almost in Omaha,

Don't know the specifics in your neighborhood with the snowplows but in my SID in NW Omaha, we haven't plowed these "baby" snows. We're saving our snow clearing budget for when the big snows come later. Your SID may be doing the same.

These snows while small relatively speaking are also much earlier than the norm if there is such a thing here in the midwest. So we don't want to spend all of our plow bucks early. Also, this cold spell is much earlier than average.

But that is the neat thing about Nebraska winters. They each have their own personality. Some winters see hardly any snow early in the season. Some see hardly any snow late. Some see hardly any snow all season long. We'll just have to wait and see what this year brings.

And as the current forecast suggests, there is a warm up on the way next week. So even though we have some bad days in the winter, there are repreives all along the way, USUALLY, as well. It is not unheard of to have some very warm days in January every once in awhile. The warmest I can ever remember it being in the heart of winter was an 80+ degree weekend in February about 15 years ago. That was really unreal. But we will probably have a few days in the 50s or 60s salt and peppered in there before spring returns.

[TechnicalDisaster]

Bradley - I'm telling you...no plow in my neck of the woods. I snowblowed my driveway this morning and there was no big pile at the end of the driveway...there still isn't! Do you know who I should call...it probably says in our paperwork somewhere...I'll have to dig it out!

I'm not sure. Maybe you could try your real estate agent? I have lived in Chalco for 5 years and the plows here have always scraped the snow, no matter how big or small the snowfall was, on the same day of the snowfall (almost always before 10:00).


Do you live in a circle? Do cars park in the street right by your house?

[AlmostinOmaha]

No and No...I'll look into it - Thank you for your help!

[cosita]

Yeah, wait until that furnance is fighting off -6 here. Low 50s and an extra blanket will sound pretty appealing.

-Big E

Now that's just mean.