We're not in Kansas Anymore

Today we got wired...with Cable TV (300+ channels and nothing on), digital phone (free local & long distance for one year) and high-speed Internet service. Time Warner calls it Road Runner and the 3-part package runs less than $100 a month! So no more trips to the apartment business center to try and stay connected.

BTW our apartment phone number is 512-906-0637 and we will keep the cell of 916-622-0183 until our family package expires. So what's been happening?

First order of business was getting Texas license plates. To do that we needed a vehicle. We found a car on-line ahead of our move and it was wonderful to have it waiting for us the day after our arrival. We bought a 2007 Previa, actually known as a Toyota Sienna Van. Karen drives while I sprawl out across the 2nd row of seats. We really love it and it meets our needs perfectly. Check out the gallery for pics. We put it to good use right away as my 2nd cousin Karen Manhart was in Austin for a wedding and needed a ride to the airport to fly back to Sacto. So after a brief visit and lunch she made the popular Southwest connection. We will be looking into Express Jet in the near future too, as they have started low cost direct service from San Antonio to Sacto.

We knew we weren't in CA anymore when local TV reported that they're expecting a very bad flea season! Karen also met a few fire ants while checking in on our property. But we had never seen our parcel in summer before, fully leafed out, and it is beautiful. We are also looking into a couple of nearby parcels, just in case we have some camp followers in the distant future. We met some new neighbors that had just transplanted from the Northeast to be near their children that also live in The Arbors. Imagine that!

We have narrowed down contractors to two bidders and hope to get final numbers next week. Best guess is 7-8 months to move in. We can't turn around at this point anyway as we were forced to surrender our CA driver's licenses in exchange for new Texas ones. Our license numbers are one digit apart just like Michael and Sharon's. They will be over later today to help us finalize all the new connections and maybe go swimming if the weather permits.

So far the weather has been very hospitable with some rain most days. Austin has had record spring rainfall and everything is very green, yet not too humid at this point. We have been thinking of that special family member who has a heat-related skin problem. Even though it gets very hot here, we think the extra moisture might actually help the condition. Just a thought.

It is hard to believe that when we got married 34 years ago today that our dream back then of retiring in Austin would come true so quickly. BTW my meds are affecting my memory so it may not have actually been Austin. But I know our dream was to experience every new adventure together. So it remains to be seen what new adventures the next 34 years will bring. But for now we hope to fully embrace the Austin Adventure and to endeavor to keep in touch. We hope you will consider doing the same.