It's been a long time...
I must sincerely apologize for my lack of presence on my blog. I could throw out excuses as to "I am just too busy" or "I haven't had anything to write about". Basically, I lost motivation. I have an inability to keep focused on one subject or thing for any more than a small frame of time. I told myself I would constantly update and write to this blog. If you read the only 3 post I have, I haven't updated in a year and a half, it looks as though my plan to relocate failed miserably. I'm sorry for that! I thought I would get in the habit of writing and it just didn't happen!
I could also attribute my lack of update to comfort zone. I don't have my desk or chair. Every place I've lived I have been sitting on the floor with my keyboard in my lap, making it more of a challenge to write longer pieces. I get the idea "Hey! I need to update my blog! Then I sit down, bring it up and stare at it... "Where do I start? What do I start with? I have so much to say and I have no idea how to say it. This is going to take some time. This is going to take a lot of typing and forming of memories to be put to text. This will probably hurt my wrists trying to type for so long... screw it. I'll update it on my NEXT day off!" And so the cycle continued... for a year until it finally became a lost, faded idea, sitting upon the back burner that holds so many other ambitions I have set aside for more tangible, and instantly gratifying entertainment.
These are but excuses and does not make up for the fact that I promised I would keep up on. I hope you forgive me. I can't guarantee that after this update that updates will continue. It seems that every once in a while, I get this overwhelming urge to write and create. This blog started during one of those episodes, if you will. It's been a while since I've been struck by that all encompassing passion and motivation.
Where to start? I could start with my trip to Austin, TX and recount my adventure driving the 1,250 miles down. I could skip forward and describe my living conditions and the almost comical characters that I lived with in the first house. I could touch on the amazing 5 bedroom, 4,000sq ft house I lived in for a short time and the drama that arose, there. Stuff that has developed with my father that past year. How I was taken aback by a confident female and the crazy events surrounding our rocky, early relationship. Which has now blossomed into an amazing coupling that I could not have seen coming. My job and the annoyances that are tethered with it. And finally, my present environment in my own apartment.
Oh, how I would love to just write and write, trying to have the reader grasp the exact emotion and sensation I was feeling at the exact moment of the event taking place at that time. However, that would be pretty wordy and boring for most people. Instead, I'll try to be concise and maybe draw you in with only the most powerful emotion during any event.
The drive down to Austin was over the course of 2 days. I planned on pulling 12hrs the first day and 5hrs the second. Lets just say, it didn't go strictly like that. I had said my goodbyes the night before and I had to just load my car with the essentials that I would need when for moving. What accounted as "essential" for me was what would fit in my newly owned 2006 Toyota Corolla. Not a small car, but by no means an SUV with tons of room. Therefore, I was quite limited in which luxury items I could bring with me. To this day I regret not finding a spot for my Pizzazz™ Pizza Oven. This baby was pretty much my go to for cooking frozen pizza. I received this appliance as a gift from my father for my 20th birthday. A $40 purchase by him that has lasted me to this day, 7yrs later. How about that for an investment? Problem is, I couldn't fit it in the car and had to leave it at my friend Craig's house. But, I'm happy to report he still uses it quite regularly.
Ok, sorry, weird appliance tangent... Anyway, I had planned on getting up at 9am, packing my car and starting the trip by 10am. Solid 12hr drive to find a motel by 10 - 11pm. to crash for the night. Well, I have this thing where I enjoy sleep. Skipping over my non-tetris like ability to pack my car in the most efficient way possible, I didn't make it out by 10am. I officially hit the road at 11:30am And hadn't really "started" on my journey until around Noon. I can make that time up, right? HA! Just you wait....
I had bought a GPS the previous day to help me along the trip. I programmed my new address and let Susie direct me. I gotta say, she was amazing and never lead me off course or into a field. I was very pleased. Of course my trip couldn't have just been boring and uneventful. Ok, I'll give you a recap and then I'll give you a realization I had later. The route I was directed to take was to drive south through Indiana, around Indianapolis, then southwest toward Illinois. I would basically cut through the bottom half of Illinois to get to a major interstate that straddled the boarder of a few states. I drove along the state lines of Missouri/Kentucky proceeding south down the Missouri/Tennessee line which turned into the Arkansas/Tennessee line. I cut west around Memphis and shot through the middle portion of Arkansas. I ended up stopping at a motel just southwest of Little Rock.
Ok, so that's the path I'm to take which is fine. I hit the bottom half of Illinois and finally started heading south again when I encountered rain. Never thought to check for weather conditions prior to leaving. Why do that when it was clearly sunny in Indiana? Yeah.. I'm dumb. I hit the rain in southern Illinois around 6:30pm. It's November 30th and it gets dark around this time. I'm driving roadways and highways I have never been on, in the dark, in the rain. With only a Monster to keep me up and my GPS to guide me, I push through the weather and just stay calm trying to find my way and not encounter any problems. The rain, wind, lightening, thunder gets to the point to where I can barely see the Semi-Truck brake lights, ahead of me. Apparently I crossed over the Mississippi River at one point, all I remember is a large bridge and zero visibility via rain. To the point: I drove 6hrs in the dark during a heavy rain storm which impeded my vision 90% of the time. Can't say that I felt safe. I was frustrated and annoyed at the horrible conditions. Oh, and it was my first time driving a Manual Transmission more than 5 miles! At 11:30pm I decide it's time to end this journey for the night and find a place to crash. I find a Super 8 right outside of Little Rock. Pretty much looks like a place you would go to get stabbed. Parking light poles were out in a few places. Rain still steadily falling. I get a room and they charge me $60! Holy crap! I thought it would be like $30 or $40. NOPE. Sheesh, and then she gives me the key to the building waaaaaaaaaay in the back. Thanks lady, I planned on getting mugged on my way down. Drive 800 miles in treacherous weather conditions? Check. Get jumped in a motel parking lot? Check. Sweet. Well, needless to say, I wasn't mugged. Actually, I think I was the only person at that entire motel.
Now comes the realization. I unpack my toiletry products and am chilling in the motel when I turn on the TV. It's already set to the weather channel. The weather man is recapping this evenings weather festivities. "10 tornado's were spotted around the Missouri/Tennessee line this evening causing extensive damage and dumping almost ??inches of rain ......" WHAT? TEN TORNADO'S.... OH. MY. GOSH. I braved 10 tornado's for this journey!!?? How did I miss those tornado's???? Austin better be freaking amazing for this. I could not believe it. All that rain and wind that was pissing me off had been TORNADO-LIKE WEATHER! I sat on the rough motel bed just thinking "holy shit, I am so lucky. I can't believe that.." I ended up sleeping quite well that night from the exhaustion of driving.
I awoke the next day and started back on my route at 10am. I paid the motel, scoffed at my bill and went to find breakfast. The 2nd day was a breeze. Literally, no hiccups or issues. I drove 7hrs the second day. It did feel quite long when I finally entered Texas. Was all flat and boring. Nothing to see, really. Lot's of ranch style housing and brown grass, burnt to a crisp from the unrelenting sun. Leaving Indiana Nov 30th at 40º and entering Texas on Dec 1st at 79º was quite a shock. Unfortunately, my timing was quite problematic as I reached Austin at 5:15pm on a Monday. I had never seen a rush hour like I witnessed that day. Austin is quite hilly as well, which I was unaware of. I had done fine, cruising at highway speeds in my Manual car, but hills? I had not done hills before. Lets just say, everyone around me knew I was quite new to driving this car, haha. I finally made it to my destination at 5:45pm. and parked in front of what I would find out to be one of the craziest residence I had ever lived in.
That's quite a lot to read, I hope it's not too boring. I'm kind of just winging this at the moment. If I get to it, or think of it, or if my girl pushes me for it, I'll start in on that first house. I'll recount the events that transpired which were quite... adventurous, let's say ^.^
Hope you enjoyed the read through. I'm sure I'll sit down and just write out a story sometime, just need the motivation to do so!
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