El Paso-isms

This is a list, but there's really no rhyme or reason here, so don't try to make logical connections.

1. Why are there so many shopping centers here? El Paso is a city full of half-empty shopping centers, and even though most of the shopping centers on the east side of town are half empty (or more than half empty), in the past two days I've driven past at least five sites where they are building new shopping centers. This is a phenomenon that I just don't understand. And I don't really see this happening in other cities, either. Is there a logical explanation for this? 'Cause if there is, I'm not smart enough to figure it out on my own.

2. Do you know what the word "yoco" means? Neither did I, until I read an article in the El Paso times yesterday about some stupid "Bring Your Brightest Bling" party at the El Paso Museum of Art (kill me). Here's a link to a description of the party. It's for El Paso's "young, sophisticated" people to socialize and network (KILL ME). Problem number one is that the El Paso Times is one of the most pathetic newspapers I've ever come across. Given, I'm pretty sure that nobody's crowning achievement is writing for the El Paso Times and the minute a person actually turns into a decent journalist they get a job at a different paper, but still. I have never taken a journalism course in my life, even in high school, and I'm fairly certain I could research and write better articles than anyone on their current staff. The paper is a joke, and trust me, that's not just some snobby, elitist opinion of mine. I'm not one of those El Paso bashers anyway. I actually like El Paso other than the fact that the whole damn city currently reminds me of my idiot ex boyfriend. Anyway, problem number two, the paper wants to tell people where the cool stuff for "young, sophisticated" people is happening? Trust me, the young, sophisticated people of the world (whoever they are) know where the hip stuff is happening without having to be told in the Arts section of the paper. The most annoying thing, though, was this sentence in the article describing the party as a place for "Yocos" to mingle and then in parentheses the reporter explained "Yoco is short for 'young cosmopolitans' and is the new term for yuppies." Is it? Is it REALLY? 'Cause I'd sure never heard the word yoco before. Neither has anyone else I asked. Google didn't even turn up anything,which leads me to believe this isn't exactly pop culture slang. The fact that the reporter or the museum or whatever is apparently making up the word "yoco" isn't even the most annoying part, though. The annoying part was that the reporter had to explain what a yoco is. You don't explain stuff like that. Just use the word. When was the last time you saw a word defined in the newspaper, unless the reporter was specifically coining a new word/phrase? If you want to use a word, use the word. The people who are in the know will understand it. The people that don't understand it will use context clues or ask their friends or look it up. I don't know why I'm ranting on and on about this, it just annoys me that the majority of the paper seems to be written with the assumption that its audience is a bunch of morons. They're not. And if they are, well, sink or swim, people. I just hate when stuff is dumbed down.

3. I got a fun new hair cut today and had a nice chat with my hairdresser. He also cuts Mike's hair, so he's heard the whole breakup debacle from Mike's perspective already. And when I got to the part of the story about how Mike finally told me he's in love with Jenny, Victor snorted and said, "He doesn't love her. He thinks he does right now, but he doesn't. She's a bartender. She's not even from here. He just thinks he loves her because it's new and exciting." I'm not sure why those are reasons not to love someone, but it made me laugh. I asked Victor if Mike made it seem like I was crazy about the whole thing, and Victor said no and added, "Mike just said that he can't handle long distance relationships and you always knew that all along so you should have known better than to get all attached." Fine, that's probably true. I finished up by telling Victor, "He doesn't love me anymore, so I'm done with it for good," and Victor laughed and said, "Of course he still loves you. He will always love you. Just wait, I can already tell you exactly what's going to happen. Years from now you're going to be married with a family and you'll be happy, and he'll run into you and realize what he lost. He will always love you, always. That's just how it works." And I told Victor, "Yeah, but I don't think it works the other way. I won't always love him like that. I warned him when I'm done I'm done, and I meant it. I'm going to move on." And Victor said, "I know that. And it's his loss. And believe me, he's going to realize what he lost eventually. Maybe not any time soon, but he will. Trust me, hairdressers know everything."
Deep down, I have a feeling that's true. That's how I like to imagine things turning out, anyway. Since at this point we won't get back together, I'd at least like to come out on top. Then again, who doesn't? But it was nice to have an objective source agree with me on the fact that Mike still loves me. I mean, obviously he's still afraid he has feelings for me or else he'd be able to talk to me and hang out with me like a normal person, right?
Anyway, there's a good chance Victor pretended to be on Mike's side when he talked to Mike, but I don't care. I'm gonna assume that Victor really is The All Knowing Hairdreser and that he's absolutely right in this particular case.

Alright, time to load up and go to the mountains. I'll be back to the connected world on Saturday.