When I was in Austin for my two week escape from the driveway, I went to dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant. I love to sit at the sushi bar and watch the edible art being created as I sample the small plates that come up one by one, while sipping $3 sake until my gums are comfortably numb. The place is always packed, so it is always a crap shoot whether you will be seated next to Continue reading
Old man winter’s back in town! Looks innocent enough, right? Just a sheer, subtle layer of shimmering slickness. Not to worry, right? 
Too bad I was driving and couldn’t grab a photo of the rear end of some guy’s car dangling overhead in thin air, high off the edge of the overpass Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
I have been parked in the driveway of my parents’ home in Central Texas. Having grown up here, I know the old joke about “Don’t like the weather? Just wait 15 minutes!” had to be coined about Texas, as it is common for the temperature to drop from the 80’s to the 40’s in an hour. The weather was pleasant when I arrived, but the forecast predicted the always dreaded “wintery mix” on the way. Continue reading
Here is “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” of my month-long trial run at full timing in the Austin Pecan Grove RV Park. (It’s every new RVers rite of passage to use that title just once, right? ) Continue reading
I spent my last weekend of my month in Austin finishing up my list of things I wanted to see while here. The first was the LBJ Presidential Library. I have made it a goal to visit all of the libraries, or at least as many as possible. Continue reading