It is time for me to leave Austin and return to the driveway. I have had a great time here, and I am sad to leave. But as Tracey Chapman would sing, “Leave tonight or live and die this way.” Continue reading
Reluctant Return
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Category Archives: Travelogs
Want Versus Will
I’ve been having an amicable discussion with my older (retired!) brother Don about whether or not I have the will to adhere to the kind of budget that will be required should I decide to retire soon. Continue reading
On Super Bowls, Statehood, and Snipers
It was a cold, blustery day yesterday in Austin. Down to the low 40’s with a stiff 20 mph north wind. I was determined not to let the weather ruin one of my only two weekend days, so I put on my fleece pants, three layers of shirts/coats, fleece gloves and hat, and walked for almost five hours. Continue reading
Full Circle Back to Weird
After sitting parked in my parent’s driveway for two weeks, I was getting a bad case of “driveway fever.” There are only so many trips down to the local Walmart, or through the many fast food drive-thrus lining the main street of our 5,000 resident town that I will allow myself to make. And my dear parents mean well, but Continue reading
New Shoes, Black, Size 16…
Aren’t they beeee-utiful? Exciting stuff here in North Texas!!
I almost quit my job last week. The amount of work and projects seem to be inversely proportional to the number of people that remain on my “team”…..from 4 teammates a year ago, now down to a team of “me.” I even went so far as to call HR in attempt to order the “Intent to Retire Workbook” only to have them tell me they wouldn’t send it to me until after I had given them the date of my “intent to retire.”
But then I went to the Dodge Service Center and laid out $900 in a matter of a few hours. Continue reading
Urban Honey
When I was in Jersey City last September visiting with so many good friends, I got a little behind on the blog because there were so many people to see and old haunts to revisit. Yet one of my favorite days while there never made the blog. Now, my dear beautiful friend Paige is in the hospital, weighing heavily on my mind. So I am inspired to go back and finish one of my best memories…
It was over dinner of burgers and brews at the White Star Tavern with two of my sailing buddies, Dan and Paige, when Paige announced, “We are beekeepers now!” They bought a bee hive. 500 bees. In Jersey City. On their third floor rooftop. Who knew there were “penthouse bees? “ Continue reading
Rough Re-entry and One Last Look Back…
I left Oaxaca on a perfect Sunday morning with the temperature gauge on its way up to the mid 80’s, and landed in DFW that night to 17 degrees. I had to wait for Super Shuttle in the wind tunnel that is the Lower Level of DFW for half an hour, wearing nothing but a pair of cotton pants, thin cotton socks, a light knit jacket, and the small gauzy blanket I had stolen off of AeroMexico. Continue reading
Following Yonder Star
One of my favorite things about visiting Mexico over the holiday season, in addition to the glorious weather and gorgeous scenery, is the authenticity with which the Mexican people approach the holiday season.
Decorations tend toward nativity scenes, piñatas, and poinsettias, and less toward tinsel and tacky Griswald-esque lawn ornaments. Continue reading
Whhaa-hocka happened to Oaxaca??
I left Oaxaca after my 2012 visit, completely smitten. I came home and started looking at the VRBO sites to find a place for rent. After months of searching for “The RV of My Dreams” following the sale of my Atlanta home, I was just about ready to give up hope of finding one that felt right. So working remotely from Mexico to escape the winter seemed like a distant second when it came to lifestyle choices. Continue reading
Dangerous Curves
Traveling with Don is always an adventure, as he is not content to take the road “most traveled.” You can always be sure there is going to be some wild and crazy adventure involved, even if it is just a day trip. And since he speaks better Spanish than me as well as being the “alpha dog” in the family, I am always eager to follow.
This time, it was to discover another one of Mexico’s “Pueblo Magicos,” Continue reading