Cloudy w/Thundershowers later 73°F/23°C in Cedar Park
Buongiorno,
So, here we are, a week into the new adventure! The Christmas tree is - miraculously – still
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| MikeBo & Jordan, Jaydan |
When push finally came to shove, Dana and I decided that the most expeditious way to get me moved was to do the exact opposite of what she and Jason had done. Where they rented their own truck from Jason’s company, loaded it themselves, and, enlisting the help of Jason’s brother in driving, caravanned with the family SUV and the truck from Lake Forest, California to Leander, Texas across 1400 miles of desert with four kids strapped tightly in their car seats with only one overnight motel stopover. After completing that Odyssey, Dana and her brother decided they were not going to allow their elderly patriarch to drive that route by himself. (They both conjured up visions of old gringo bones bleached by the sun scattered around the New Mexico desert). So, in quick order, I made reservations on Jet Blue for Lola and I, hired a moving company and a car hauler, and set off for Texas. Joe the Car Hauler gave me a two day estimate on moving my truck, so I loaded it up with my computer, printer, TV set and some other essentials, locked the tonneau cover on the cargo compartment, and waved good bye. I’m still waiting for my furniture and the rest of my belongings.
Thanks to the stuff I brought with me on the plane or followed me on the car hauler, I am able to get a head start on setting up housekeeping. Also, the fact that I’m moving from a one-bedroom-one bath apartment into a two-bedroom-two bath place means I still have some shopping to do. So I installed my coffee pot in my new kitchen and headed for the nearby department stores, for some added necessities. But, the end result of this effort is that I can move in as soon as my bed is brought in and start living there while I finished the unpacking. My computer is in with the internet hooked up and working. My TV is hooked up to cable TV and working. I’ve even done a couple of loads of laundry with the new washer and dryer which are in a compartment just off my kitchen. Which brings me to another “thank you,” I’d like to make before I go any further.
Doctor Jeff Sodl, the master mechanic in the Orthopedics division at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center didn’t just fix my shoulder. He changed my life. Before the operation, I was literally a pain-wracked cripple. The role model for a contemporary One-armed Man in an upcoming sequel to The Fugitive! I had very explicit instructions about how to use my newly reconstructed wing, and I followed his instructions to the letter. But when all was said and done, I was amazed at what I was able to do in the way of packing and moving boxes. So, credit where credit is due! Mille grazie! Dr. Sodl!
The initial tour of my apartment and all the lease negotiations were all done on line. Just as she had two years ago when I was in Italy, Dana scouted out the locations and the deal was finally done on line after Devon, the apartment manager took me on a video tour with his IPhone. My Texas move-in date was the same as my move-out day in Rancho Santa Margarita. So easy does the new property company make moving in that Devon tells me that sometimes months go by before he even meets some of his new residents.
Austin is a modern day “boom town” that reminds me of my experiences back in the 60s, first in Arizona and a few years later in California. People from all over the known universe sensed that good things were happening, and were streaming in from the four corners of the world to grab a piece of the dream. My own reasons are narrower – the geographic location is not as important as being close to my family. And, I am living proof that age need not stand in the way of beginning a new life’s adventure. I plan on slowing down in a few weeks long enough to join the kids in celebrating my 75th birthday!
Now, where the hell is that moving van?
Ciao,
MikeBo
©Mike Botula 2015
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