Arrival

So that was quick. Movers arrived at 8:45a, movers left at 12:15p. I ate. I cleaned. I dropped off the keys and drove to Houston by 6p. I checked into a lovely hotel and had a martini. I might go back and have another for dinner. And since I've been so good, perhaps another for dessert.

Movers arrive here tomorrow for a 9am move-in. A week of unpack and check out new neighborhood, then the work thing begins.

I know I've mentioned them before but these guys are the best movers anywhere; its my third move with them.

Herman's Movers (214) 388-5567

Done

Everything I own just left on a truck heading south. After my sandwich I will be heading in the same direction :)

Ready, Set, Summarize

Everything is packed. Only the essentials - the coffee pot and laptop - are on the counter.

I moved to Dallas 15 years ago. It was not my destination, I was on my way to NYC and decided to stop and do a quick contract with MCI to cash up. No regrets really; I made some good friends, did well in real estate and learned many marketable technical skills.

That said, Dallas is still one of my least favorite cities and I'm ready to move on tomorrow morning.

Home

I have a home now, its in the Museum District of Houston. I will post pictures when I move in next week. Until then expect choppy, disconnected and/or disoriented posts, at best :)

Museum District Anyone?

So now the Montrose lease fell through. I swear I have heard some crazy ass stories and excuses through all of this trying to lease a property in Houston ordeal. Now I have come full circle back to property I saw in the Museum District. Lets hope this one works out since I move in 6 days! :)

(Sheesh, I didnt have this much trouble when I BOUGHT my townhome)

Montrose

So far the Rice Military area is not working out for leases. One unit was all sage green walls and ceilings. Understandably the owner was not willing to repaint. Understandably I passed considering all my stuff is red, orange, black and white. Whatever happened to white walls? lol. The other unit was pulled off the market Friday at 5pm. This was after we negoatiated a price, filled out the lease application and moved money around to get the process going. Some excuse about a brother in law "surprise" coming into town for a month of training and letting him use the place. Sketchy? You bet.


Anyway, I went back to Houston yesterday and looked at another round. This time in downtown and the Montrose. I love downtown Houston; its nothing less than amazing what they've done since I lived there last. New skyscrapers are going up all over the east end, along with even more sports arenas. The retail is coming in, although not nearly enough to support the throngs of people creating waiting list for downtown residential.

Then there was the Montrose. What can you say, its always been a funky area and its even more so now. $500K townhomes next to sex shops which are next to churches which are next to schools which are just several blocks away from River Oaks, the old money neighborhood. Like I said, funky.

I found a 3-story townhome there. It had been empty for 3 months at a decent price and then I found out why. Its 2500 sq. feet but really only has one bedroom. The second bedroom is only 10x10 which pales in comparison to the master which is 25x20. The second bedroom is the major access to the patio, making it more of a sitting area or TV room. There are no interior walls except for the ones on the bathrooms and the small bedroom, everything else is open. The place feels more like an art gallery or museum, which I loved, very unconventional.

Lets hope this one goes through. That would most convenient considering I move in a week.

Speaking of that I better get back to my boxes and bubble.

Rice Military

I think I've decided on a place to live. Or at least an area. It called Rice Military. I really liked the Museum District and Midtown but ugh, the prices and parking situation are unreal. Midtown was also a bit too young for me. Rice Military is north and west of dowtown Houston about 5 minutes. Its an old neighborhood that had been an off-limits hispanic community full of auto mechanic shops and salvage yards when I lived in Houston in the 90's. But its going through some drastic renovation. I think we could call it transitional.

All the buildings face the main street, Washington Ave., with parking in the back, which kind of reminds me of Oak Lawn. Now that the Montrose and The Heights are too expensive, people are heading in this direction. Its a very quirky mix of people you encounter walking Washington Avenue: a still strong hispanic community seems to get along well with a growing number of gay couples, young professionals seeking a more gritty, less expensive area and the occassional suburbanite looking for the new undiscovered in-town restaurant and bar.

Its less than a mile walk to Allen Parkway and the Montrose. A mile from Memorial Park. A block away from I-10 and 15 minutes from the Med Center where I'll be working. I love the huge old trees, the streets with no curbs and for being so close to downtown, its very quiet. (Except for the train that comes through randomly, which is OMG loud, lol)

In walking Washington Ave. today I talked (in Spanish) to a young guy with a tamale cart selling beef and chicken tamales for $6/dozen (they were very good!) Then a young single lady who does physical therapy at Baylor. Then an older gay couple who just made a killing selling a home in The Heights. At the end of my walk I discovered a new sushi place being installed. I might move in just in time for the grand opening :)

Destination Houston

Oh, and for those that haven't heard, its not just me moving to Houston. My parents started building a new lakehouse in the Houston area. They will be moving when their house closes in Savannah. If you were planning on visiting them in Savannah, better hurry.

Boxlandia, Redux

I have to take a break. There are just so many hours one can sit one the floor bubble wrapping stemware. So far all my books, CDs and non-essential kitchen items are in boxes. This seems vaguely familiar, like maybe I was doing this same time last year :)

I feel the need for a one hour yoga class and then a martini. If only I hadnt packed the martini glasses.

Investments

I was lucky enough to learn in my early teens that you never know who your friends are until you move away. Oh sure, you can have 1000's of people you like and consider "friends" but most will quickly fade after you move.

The New Yorker and I were discussing that just yesterday. He experienced it quite heavily when he left Dallas. I know I will too. I can almost predict the 2 out of hundreds that will make an effort to keep in touch. No reason to feel sad for the others; cameo appearances have their place in life and about 99% of the people you meet are just that. Know them, like them, move on but don't hold on.

Then the New Yorker described his first experience with what I can only call the low-rent, middle-manager technique. You are familiar with this technique too. This is when someone is upset with you but instead of communicating such in a direct, adult mannner (assuming the person is older than say, 13) they just say nothing. Then he went on to describe another experience with what I like to call the stern-mommy management style, where again, instead of communicating effectively the person just assumes a passive-aggressive, cold, disconnected disposition. Well I had to laugh. I forget that people like this exist. To me its just simple time management to let go of these people. Done. And really there isn't even a reason to be upset about it since there are billions of other people to meet.

Reflecting, its nice to be at a stage in life where you know where to make time investments and more importantly, where not to.

The Blink Of An Eye

I wasnt sure what to expect from this one. It was nominated for a bunch of awards last year so I thought it deserved a place in my Blockbuster queue. After it arrived I read the synopsis and put it back in its sleeve without a viewing. It sounded depressing - a man has a stroke and is paralyzed completely except for his left eye. Oh, how fun! About a week later I watched it anyway.

It is depressing on some level, its simply the situation. But this is a great film that will move you on several levels, just not ones you are expecting. The filming style is innovative and edgy, giving the viewer perspective from the main character, Bauby. What's even more interesting are all of the characters who interact with Bauby, quite challenging acting considering Bauby never speaks or moves. Beyond that, it was fascinating that, with considerable help and an interesting form of communication, Bauby published a book. The book is the title of the film.


I watched the whole thing, loved it but it wasnt until later that night that someone told me it was based on a true story, an editor for Elle magazine.



The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
9.5/10

That's A Wrap People

Offers in, decision made.
Goodbye Dallas, its been, um, interesting.