Home Sweet Texas

 

 Thankfully, Jake only had to go #1 as there was a no dumping sign nearby.  But this is our stop near Lake Belton when we arrived.  Nothing notable happened in Lubbock other than a quick rest and return to the road.  Our AirBNB is in an area called Morgan's Point, north of Belton where Sonny and Karen live.  The roads there meander in the rural area which I didn't see a single yard fence.  I think there was a reason.

It is hard to call this place anything but beautiful.  The inside is stunning and perfect for our 1 month adjustment to the area and transition to Nolanville.  So far everything is looking good on that front.  Speaking of front's, check out that deer on the right near the porch.  This area is swarming with them and, yes, they are protected.  Below is what the yard looked like in the afternoon.

They also hang around the back, outside the windows.  This house is actually a few streets off from that first house we almost bought.  I didn't know when we heard about the deer that it would be this much of a part of living there.  Nice area though.  I'll throw a few more photos in as well but right now it is time to unpack and arrange things for the next few days.

I Knew I Shoulda Taken That Left Turn At Albuquerque!

 

I can't avoid thinking of Bugs Bunny when thinking about where we woke up today.  It was a hard drive as the potholes in Arizona are no joke but day 1 is finished and we pulled into Albuquerque for the night.  I feel sorry for anyone living there only for the fact that they have to spell the city's name over and over.  But, again we were pretty tired and ready to pass out.  The doggies traveled pretty well once we got going.

The next morning we were ready to hit the road and Jake did a quick inspection of the car and truck as I pulled the tarp on the truck tighter.  If he hadn't done that, we wouldn't have spotted our deflated tire.  So, after unsuccessfully attempting to inflate it as we got our morning coffee, we decided to head to the closest tire store to ensure we would be safe for the road.

One new tire later, we are on our way to Lubbock and our new home state.

Emptying The Nest and Hitting The Road

 

Today is the day.  This photo above is our final farewell to the valley I called home for the last 50 years.  The next 50 look pretty bright with my co-pilot for life.  The packing and loading would not have gone as well as it did without the early assistance of my brother-in-law Cory and the sweat and hard work of my sister-in-law Kelly and nephew Jake.  Although we thought we would have more than enough room, we did not.  A last minute save came from our neighbor Roy.  We were unable to get our BBQ, lawnmower and many last minute big items in and he took them off our hands.  We were at wits end and he made it happen.  I hope he can use the items or sell them and make some cash.

It was a tough day as beyond the loading of things, our baby bird flew the nest.  David is growing with his job (recently promoted internally) and has a relationship he wants to stay and build on.  This wasn't easy but I'm so freaking proud of him and the man he's become.  I know he is meant to do great things in this life and he is well on his way.  It is just going to be tough not having him close.

You can see how tightly packed the trailer was in the photo of Jake and David.  There were some tearful goodbye's.  It was really hard on Kerry but I also know she has been ready to leave for awhile.  The gameplan is to make it into Albuquerque, New Mexico tonight if all goes well.  I feel like we got away with something because there were so many ways for this to not happen or happen within our timeline.  Wish us luck and send a prayer or two.

 

 

Kinda Day-Trippin'

 So, we decided to do something a little crazy.  Ok, it's hard to say that so soon after saying we are moving.  But, since we know we are moving and we know we need to see some of the homes we are deciding on, we took a drive to Texas.  With our 3 vehicles, we decided to drop one off there so we could drive 2 of them when we move on July 4th.  We scheduled a flight for today and that meant that we would try to hit as many homes as we have on our list before leaving.

Kerry drove the first leg and "kicked Arizona's ass."  I took the next leg and we arrived in Temple early yesterday.  We needed a quick clean up and decided to go to Buc-ee's.  I really should take some time and talk about its gloriousness but this is about the trip and a crazy 48 hours.  We grabbed food and went to get coffee before meeting with our agent Tiffany.  If you are looking in the area, I highly recommend her and can get you in touch.

At this point my brain was kind of shutting down.  I let Kerry take this leg of the trip as we followed Tiffany house to house...to about 9 houses all over the area.  By the end, we had a really good idea of what we were interested in and went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner before going to sleep.  Prior to going to sleep, I told Tiffany to put offers in on two of the properties.

We woke up the next morning, went to see aunt Karen and uncle Sonny and dropped the car off with them.  They took us to the airport and we are now home.  This was a crazy trip but highly productive and we've heard back from one of the offers already (our top choice) and started the process.  The ball is rolling.

 

Post-Trip Considerations And Fetching Offers

 

Just a pleasant day hanging out with the dogs.  We missed these girls on our trip.  Thankfully, David took good care of them.  I don't know if they get more possessive after we've been gone or not.  Hope the snuggles make up for it.

I figured that I should fill you in on what has been going on since the flight back from Texas.  Well, we had several delays due to miscommunication from the airline we took.  This left us with way too much time on our hands (like more than half a day at just one of the terminals.)  Kelly and Greg were browsing online job prospects in Texas.  And, I can't say I blame them.  It's beautiful out here and, for us, it is going from a metropolis of over 3 million to a county (Bell) that in 2020 had just over 153,000.  I have to admit, we even looked at home prices and jobs in the area.

Walking the dogs later that week we saw several homes in our development up for sale.  There is something human about comparison and, when you see a home that looks like yours nearby for sale, you get curious as to how much they are selling it for.  Anyhow, then during one of our cuddle sessions with the dogs in front of the TV, a commercial comes on for OfferPad about finding out how much they would offer for your home.  Kerry and I looked at each other and said, "What can it hurt to find out?"

The gears that were slowly digesting the idea just a few weeks ago started moving a little more.  And the offer we received -- was for more than that other house (that I think was renovated more recently.)  We suddenly had to seriously consider things.  Kerry's job gives her the ability to continue working remotely.  I know that Kerry would like to move but, with all my family here in Vegas, she would never ask me to relocate.  I would have to make a career change but the physical wear on my body was not going to improve.  The benefits of small town life, David having a steady job and already looking to move out...maybe using the equity in our home while the market is exploding would be the smart thing to do.

I would say we took days to contemplate it and weighed the possibilities but I think we were on the doorstep before we called to ask about our home's value to the buyer.  We cleaned up a little, let them come and do an inspection of the home and decided to do it.  When asked if we wanted a 30-day, 60-day or even a 90-day close of escrow, we went for the latter.  It will give us time to maybe get rid of some stuff, gain some paid time off from work and organize ourselves.  Looks like these dogs are getting a new home.

Texas Trip 2: Day 6

 

Today was our final day in.  I figured we should see where we were staying.  As I said, the view is awesome but I have to say that the place grew on me.

One thing that needs mentioning is the steep stairs going up to the door.  They are wobbly, have just one rail and don't inspire confidence.  But this is your first view of Greg on the trip as we pack up the last of our stuff and head to the airport.

How about a purposeful selfie photobomb?  I mean, you have the lake back there and the family too.  It doesn't get much better.

But, it wouldn't have been the same trip if it wasn't with this wonderful woman right here.  I love experiencing new things with you.  It's weird to think how comfortable this was here.

And we are off!

Well, we thought we were.  The trip back was nuts and after some yelling, screaming, tears, hours and promises not to fly a certain airline again, we made it back home.

Texas Trip 2: Day 5

 

 So today was a pretty full day.  We drove around a little here and there but the major stop of the day was Aunt Karen and Uncle Sonny's house (also called Crazy Acres) pictured here.  I still think about seeing my first cardinal sitting on a tree out here almost 5 years ago.  I also remember trying to take some seeds from one of the flowers they have on the property and trying to grow it at home.  I guess I have to settle with memories and photos.

This trip was a little different from the previous year as Texas gained another family member, Grandma Janet. Funny, cute and sharp witted...we now have evidence of where Kerry got her height.  She's due to turn 100 later in July.

Here we got all the girls together.  I love seeing the smiles and there were some great moments shared here.  But hunger called and it was time to revisit an old friend...Rudy's.

 

I had to make sure to get a photo of their menu because it is a blur when you go through the ropes and you want to try so many different things but there is only so much room in this stomach. 

Grandma Janet was a little broken up when we left.  We told her we will be back so she needs to hang around for us.

Texas Trip 2: Day 3

 

 Again, gotta love this view as I'm having coffee this morning.  We have a trip to San Antonio planned.  I really don't know much about the area but the tours should fill in some of the blanks.  Kerry's been there before though.

The four of us took the boat tour on the river walk and did get a history lesson but also it was a chance to just unwind.  Of course, there isn't anything quite like this in Las Vegas. 

Our vantage point for these shots was a little restaurant called Saltgrass Steakhouse where we grazed.  Good food.  I thought we'd be taking some back with us but we killed it off before heading off for a little shopping and the trip back to the lake house.

So, upon our return to the house, our phones started going off like crazy.  My first thought was it was an Amber alert... it wasn't.  It was a tornado warning.  It was heading in our direction and we were advised to not go out and to prepare at home.  We were planning to grab dinner but instead hunkered down and maybe had a few more drinks than we originally planned but it took the edge off.  We learned that the tornado went south of us down to the towns of Jarrell and Elgin.

Knowing we were in the clear, we went out to get some BBQ at Clem Mikeska's.  Good food.  But I really should have tried a sampler of their items to get a better idea of what they have.  Maybe another time.  After all that excitement, we went back and crashed for the night. 

 

Texas Trip 2: Day 2

 
Today we stopped in to Kendall and Adam's after driving around town for coffee.  They are building homes not far from the AirBNB.  Interesting as you start wondering what the price difference is as home prices are soaring back home.

 

Since we have daylight now, I was able to show the view, which was better than we expected.  You can see the lake just out past the firepit.  This would be our view every morning.  The exterior of the house isn't much to rave about but this is worth it to me.  Our search for Tito's was resolved as a friend of Adam and Kendall's left some at their house and they offered it to us.  Tonight we watched a movie and packed it in for the night.

But it sure was great seeing these smiles today.

Texas Trip 2: Day 1

 

So, today Kerry and I made our return to Texas.  It took a lot longer than we thought it would...almost 5 years.  This time we brought Kerry's sister Kelly and her husband Greg.  It was a busy day flying in and then we directly drove via rental car to our cousin Sheila's house to meet her fiancee Shawn.

Tacos aren't just a comfort food.  It's the language of love.  And that is what I feel for these people.  Oh, and they provided tacos.  They are getting married in October and we are discussing how we can get back to attend.  We were a bit a bit late getting there as we can't trust our GPS at the moment.  It was great to see Aunt Karen, Uncle Sonny, our cousin Kendall, her husband Adam, their sons Luka and Maverick and a bunch of baby goats (Bonbon and Milkdud)!

We made our way from there to our AirBNB but had to go look for wine and Tito's to stock up.  We found out that hard alcohol has specific places you have to go for it (it's not like Vegas in every 7-11 and grocery store.)  Found the wine and will have to try tomorrow to find Tito's.  I don't want to have to drive to Austin tomorrow (where it's made) to get it.

Shaking Off The Rust At Camp Ironwood

 

 Kerry and I decided to do something out of the ordinary.  We heard about a couples retreat that wasn't too far from her hometown.  Tucked away, it's far enough away from things to call it a getaway and we would easily do this again.

Here is the view as you drive past that marker I posted first (and a bunch of little signs teasing you on your way in.)  It has that vintage cowboy movie set look.  It's where you check in and can pick up a few things before driving to your cabin.

You didn't think I'd skip talking about the eating arrangements, did you?  One photo is showing off their smoking setup for tri-tip they would serve during dinner.  I was really envious.  Not that I want to get that far into competition 'cue but it just looks darn pretty.  They were in the process of expanding their dining hall, so I'm unsure of how much better it normally looks or will look after.  But, it was a nice crowd and you meet some nice people on the 3 days you are here.

So, the plan each day was breakfast, listening to a guest speaker, roaming activities, coffee and snacks, planned activities and dinner.  Sometimes it would be followed with sitting by the campfire.  The area has a pond/lake probably used more during the summer.  You can see some of the tables with checkers and other games are in the area.  Behind those doors there is coffee.  Of course it's the most popular spot after the dining hall.  Activities included archery, axe tossing, saw blades tossing (imagine throwing that extra circular saw blade in your garage like it was a shuriken), gun range, games area, horseback riding, wood branding and escape rooms.  The old film aesthetic runs through the decor property-wide.

Overall.  We had a blast and plan to go back soon unless something crazy happens.

Happy Unexpected Returns

I was thinking about it today that it has been almost 28 years since I wrapped up a semester in Reno before heading back to Las Vegas.  It was also when my grandfather Gilliam passed away.  My return home was a rerouting to a small community on North Dakota's Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation called St. John.  The only time I remembered being there before was 1984 for the town's 100th anniversary.

Why is this coming to mind now during the great self-quarantining?  Well... I am sitting in an airport getting ready to go back.  Right now I'm asking myself when the appropriate time to put a mask on is.  Only 3 airplane rides there and a long drive back.  Hoping to get back in time for my anniversary.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Travel Tip #483

You have been busy with life.  Things get hectic but you still need to get some things done right or it will take more effort to fix it or you'll remain frustrated later.  That is where this tip comes in handy.

Guys.  If you are taking the girlfriend on a trip, you must book the room yourself.  Yes, this could be out of your comfort zone.  You may get yelled at for picking a lousy hotel, room or view but, trust me, you must do it.  Why?

Hotels have stepped up in the last dozen years.  The idea of customer service ranks high and to them that means familiarity.  So you will find you are asked for your name, called by that name and it will sound forced while it is repeated often.  Technology is amazing because they have your name in the computer once you book the room.  You use that name again when you check in.  So, they will repeat it thinking customer service wins over customers.  If the name is wrongly spelled, expect to hear it mispronounced often.

Ladies.  I will not leave you out.  If you really want to mess with your boyfriend, book the room yourself.  Why?  Because nothing upsets a guy more than being called Mr. (enter your last name) more than once per time you meet an employee.  He may even correct that one person but it will not be changed in the computer and he will get called that way again by the next one.  That could be about 8 times a day if you work it out right.

Guys.  If you are reading this too late, do not answer the door, phone or approach a desk of any type to avoid this issue.  My apologies if she read this first.