Thanksgiving weekend

So this weekend I went to Houston to see Linda and David Ling. The drive there Friday morning was quiet and uneventful. It was cloudy and it rained a few times. It took about 3.5 hours to get there.

That first evening they had already planed on having a second Thanksgiving dinner with there small group. There was maybe 12-14 people. David had cooked a brisket, and there was all the normal side dishes.

The wind was blowing the whole time I was there, but they are close to the cost.

The drive home took a bit longer as there were a lot more people on the road. The East bound traffic going towards Houston was backed up for miles. I was glad I was not going that direction.

This next week I am going up to Dallas for work. I also get to work during the day. This last week and this coming week, I will have seen a good chunk of TX.

T-minus 20 days

Car fixed

Well at least my drive to Austin seems to have been worth it. Had to have a wheel bearing replaced. You never quite realize how loud something has gotten when it slowly starts making noise over time. My car is so much more quiet now, it is unbelievable. With the combination of the type of sound and the volume level, it was like driving a steam locomotive around.

I can now drive to Houston without having to fear that one of the wheels is going to fall off my car.

Car repair

So my car started making a strange sound over the weekend. I have tried finding a place that would take a look at it. Apparently there are only 3 Subaru mechanics in all of SA and they are all backed up with jobs for weeks.

I am going to have to drive to Austin (1.5 hours with traffic each way) tomorrow just to have it looked it. Joy

License plate fail

So my new personalized license plate is...

NKJ 472.

At the tax office, where they issue license plates, I ended up getting the window with the sign "agent in training, please be patient". He could not figure out how to order a personalized license plate. So I just settled for what he could give me. Oh well.

Another friday drive

So I went on another drive today. It did not go completely as planned.

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I came to some roads that were really private roads behind gates. I did not feel like getting shot so I did not try to get around the gates. I just drove back and went around. In the end it was just as long of a drive, and was still fun.

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Here is a picture from the drive. This is what the "Hill Country" looks like.

I think this may be the last drive, as it already starting to look all the same. Maybe I will try one more, going south to see what that looks like.

T-minus 30 days

Most of the big bits of the party to plan are now done. Just have the little details to deal with.

This is a first

Well, for the first time, ever, I have bought a Christmas present more than a week before Christmas. Something to do with having to ship stuff half way across the continental United States has a little to do with it.

No... it's not for you. ;)

One more step closer

So I am one more step closer to having a Texas license and license plate. Today I passed the silly inspection that they make you get once a year. From what I read, it is just a way for the inspection stations to make a killing selling light bulbs for 10x the going rate. If you have a bulb out, and you do not buy the replacement right there, you still have to pay for the inspection, but will also have to pay again when you come back after you have fixed what ever is needed.

Most people would call this a scam. But it is a "service" when it is being ran by the government.


Anyway...


Well the winner of my license place contest....

Gabe's entry of 'JSTVSTN' (just visiting)

Now watch, they won't let me have it I bet.

Someone sucks

San Antonio or Google... one of you two suck.

Again, I had a nice frustrating evening trying to get somewhere in this honorably laid out city.

I wanted a steak for dinner, I have been wanting a steak all week. The good steak places I have been told about were too far away (strike for SA) so I tried looking up some steak places closer. Google maps has been less than reliable for me in SA and again it fails me (strike for Google).

So I decided to just drive and see what I could find. Well every time I have ever tried this method, I end up finding the same 6 or so crappy chain restaurants (strike for SA). On top of that the retarded layout of the roads, mean you are going to miss the turn to the place so you have to go around (strike for SA). Even the parking lots are crappy designs (strike for SA).

After I was done with what I was doing this evening I wanted to find some ice cream. Well just repeat the same frustrating ordeal from above all over.

Now I know that Google changed stuff with there map data about a month and a half ago, and may people are not happy, but I was having bad results from the day I got to this town. I truly hope that Google has not messed the Vancouver/Portland area up as bad as SA is. I have to think that it is just the crappy layout of SA that causes Google to have a hard time providing good results.

If I had hair, I would pull it out.

Getting on the plane to fly back to SA in December is going to be hard.

T-minus 5 weeks

5 weeks and counting.

839 hours 54 minutes
839 hours 53 minutes
839 hours 52 minutes...

Tinkering with the layout

So I was tinkering with the layout a little, I made things a bit wider. If you see any issues, please let me know.

Also Google was nice enough to add a new little feature that allows you to rate each post without having to leave a full comment. Give it a try.

Friday afternoon drive in the country

So with gas prices being so low, I went for a drive today. No reason, just to drive. There are a couple of things about the "country" around SA.

One, there are too many people. I was only able to find one road without a bunch of people on it.

Two, there are power lines running everywhere ruining the view. Yes there is a bit of a view north of town, what is called the hill country. Just too bad you have to see all the little power poles blocking up the scenery. (Insert the Signs song from Five Man Electrical Band here. Actually the road that really is deserving of the song in SA is I-35 going to Austin. Billboard ally)

I still had a good time anyway.

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Highlight of the drive, there was a cow wandering in the road. It was kind of funny watching Texans try to figure out how to catch a cow! I would have figured that they got tough how to do this in elementary school.

My new bed and my back

So I bought my self a new bed when I moved. I had quite a bit of the money left from what I was given for my relocation left so I bought my self a nice bed, I got a Tempur-Pedic.

It has not taken long to get use to, they say to give it about 6 weeks. It is a little on the weird side though. If you are laying on your side, you will make a dent in it. Then if you lay on your back or your stomach, you have to wait for the foam to expand, all the while you are laying half in the dent and half out, other words, not level. It is really not that big of a deal.

I had heard that foam beds like this get hot. I have not experienced this.

At my old job, I had a standing desk. I also got to walk around for a good part of my day. My new job has me sitting for 10 hours. I have asked to get my desk raised, and for what ever reason, I keep getting excuses. Well my back has really started to hurt. I have sent several reminder emails, and am going to go to the doctor if things don't get better soon. I know my problem is that I slouch. I also try to get up and walk around as much as I can.

I don't want to be a pain at my new job, but my pain is starting to bother me.

T-minus 6 weeks

6 weeks from today I will be landing at PDX. I will literally be going strait from the airport to Jason's bachelor party. I won't even be passing go, collecting $200, or even stopping at my house.

I am not really that excited, I have only been privately counting down for about the last 3 months. ;)

I still need to plan a little bit so that I get to see as many people as possible while I am home.

Prayer request

I work with a guy that was on vacation for his first grandchild to be born. We found out today, that his daughter passed away during labor. His grandchild is OK though. Just pray for him and his family. His other daughter is also due in January.