There Aint' No Trees in my Back Yard

Don't expect this to be short. I will try to contain any overflow while attempting to communicate the accumalation of events that have occurred while collecting news stories, adjusting to city life, and in my everyday misadventures in the "mid-west." Let's start off with an understatement..."Culture-shock."
This is the feeling I have been trying to cope with from the start of my existence in this town. Though only two-and-a-half hours away from my hometown, the people of this area are significantly different from most back home. Sure, there are a few rednecks running around up here, but no down-home folk have I been able to spot. Events move more quickly here, everyone is rushing around, pushing, running, and multi-tasking. No wonder things are so screwed up. Conversations last less than a minute and noone takes the time to truly understand what you are saying, everything is based on asumptions stemming from preconcieved notions about who you are.
Example: I'm considered a hillbilly up here (which is quite alright by me, Lord knows I do not want to be considered a part of this culture). Because of the notion that I am a bonified, one-leg-shorter-than-the-other, whiskey-drinking, hooting-holloering hilljack many of my conversations are shortened by virtue of the listener filling in the blanks with what he/she is expecting to be my opinion while I am trying to convey a thought on a certain subject, even if my view is opposite of said listener's preconcieved notion. And since reporters are who I mainly hold any length of a conversation with, I find this very unsettling.
I have had my trials and tribulations with this town, this job, and these people and I am sure that more are to come...shortly...tommorow. I will now commense to condense. Further reading will give the shortened, highlighted version of recent events. I know time is short for everyone, so I do this with respect to the importance of yours.
MY JOB:
My tripod broke my first week, it is still in the shop. I am as of now lugging around a 20 y/o steel beast that enjoys fresh blood from my knuckles on a daily basis.
2 of my 3 batteries have bad memories and will only last approximately 3 minutes each. Interviews go more quickly right now.
I am having trouble finding a happy medium with my mic, levels are either overmodulated or too low (this is especially true with reporters). Stand-ups are currently off of my agenda for packages.
One of my P2 cards went AWOL today after a card hand-off to the assignment desk. A bill is in the mail, which will be forwarded to the assignment editor with my best wishes.
Great news...The cooperate chief photog is in town and he will be riding along with me ALL-Freakin'-DAY tommorow. I'm not exactly sure how to read this development....
THE CITY:
The people here are rude, inconsiderate, unrelenting in getting thier way, and "upity," I know a few people who would fit right in.
Traffic sucks. Noone knows how to drive back home, why did I expect any different here. The problem is there are MORE people who don't how to drive.
NOISE, NOISE, NOISE.
No hills. This place is considered "Rolling land." Which means us hillbillys looked at it and kept on rolling to higher ground to avoid these assholes.
MY DIGS:
A townhouse is not a house, they call it that to make you feel better about your living situation. This place is nothing more than a two-story apartment with all the dreadfulness an apartment carries.
My walls are thins, floors too. I can hear, smell, and almost taste the nieghbors cooking.
The area is noisy, there is very little piece for any man. No wonder people blast thier TVs.
MOST RECENT TERRORFYING EVENT:
Triple homicide. Tow packages due from my reporter and I, one for the 5 and one for the 6. While logging footage in the live truck and preparing for the live shots, 6 gunshots ring out from behind the residence of the murders. Seemed the killer wasn't done. Two more people wounded. What do I do? Grab my camera, hit the record button, and run towards the shots. As far as I know the shooter, or the killer, who are most likely the same person has not been caught.
WHAT PISSES ME OFF:
There aint' no trees in my backyard.