Why Austin?

I've been getting this a lot lately... "TEXAS? Are you out of your mind?" So let me explain - Reader's Digest style:

1) We decide about a year ago that we want a decent home to live in after I graduate.

2) We look at the real estate listings in California for our next home.

3) We realize that we want to live somewhere else besides California after reading the listings.

4) We write-up our ideal city description. Night life, gay community, arts, AA community, etc.

5) Christopher spends a lot of time in Texas - especially Austin and Houston during disaster relief work and at conferences.

6) Austin keeps popping-up in our research.

7) We go to Texas in July '06 to research Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

8) We fall in love with Austin and the University of Texas. (Rob hopes to get MFA there, CJ can work there.)

9) Rob finishes school and we get ready to move to Austin this June.

It's a very cool town. Exceedingly liberal, arts-oriented, HUGE nightlife, historic and VERY affordable. Also, it is only a day's drive to one of our favorite places in the world - New Orleans.

Y'all need to come visit.

The Scene of the Crime

Mom and her friend, Joyce, have come to visit for my graduation. Part of the celebration was a great dinner with friends at The Melting Pot. It is amazing how much one can eat, one searing-hot forkfull at a time. This is what our table looked like before we all crawled out of there as if it was Thanksgiving.

We did it!

23 years later.... Rob gets his degree. I didn't do this alone. Christopher has been a saint and very supportive. I also have Art and Kelly to thank too. They have been rooting me on and looking at my artwork saying, "That's nice. Now how many more of these do you have to do in order to graduate?" I am really a fortunate guy.

How many moving boxes can you fit into a Geo?

Thank God our friend, Doug, moved back to Sacramento from the Bay Area last month. We inherited all of his moving boxes. I got just about all of them into the Geo. I couldn't see out of any of my mirrors, of course. So I hope no one was hurt in the transport.

Back Up & Running

OK, I am going to make an effort to use this blog more now that we are getting ready to move. Right now, it's all about packing and getting ready for my mom's visit. She arrives this Friday for my graduation. This entry is so boring that the only people who will read this will be Christopher and Kelly.