Back Home Again

Fifty-One

Today is my fifty-first birthday.  Dear Lord, how did this happen?  Where did my forties go?  That was quick!

I actually baled straw on my birthday.  That's what I came home for, so we kicked off (my portion of) the baling season on my birthday.

Later that evening, I was treated to dinner by my sister, her husband, my brother, his wife, and two nieces.  We went to a restaurant called Stookey's in Thorntown.  The most awesome onion rings you will ever eat.  It was a good time.

Here's a photo of the adults outside the restaurant (taken by the nieces).  Thanks, guys, for helping me celebrate my birthday! 

Texas Bound

I got the relocation package and began making plans to move to Texas. All my belongings have been in a storage unit back in Indiana since last summer.

I flew back on a Sunday and began doing last minute packing. I picked up the 17 foot U-Haul truck on Tuesday. My buddy Carl flew in to Indy on Wednesday and we immediately began loading the truck. It took us 2.5 hours to load. I had to leave some items behind because the truck was jammed full. We drove to Terre Haute and spent a short night there. We arose the next day at 5am, showered, and hit the road. I was hoping to make it to Texarkana. We blew through there around 3pm. Carl said, "We're going all the way to Houston." We got into town about 9pm and went to unloading. With the help of my friends Gail and Pam, we got it all unloaded in 1.5 hours. Carl and I then stayed up and did some unpacking.

The next day we returned the U-Haul and then Carl flew back home on Saturday. I can't thank Carl enough for moving me down here. He drove 19 hours straight except for 20 minutes that I drove in Arkansas. What a trooper!

So now, as of April 1, I am a Houston resident. Never thought I'd say those words.

Homeless

"L.A.'s fine, but it ain't home
New York's home,
But it ain't mine no more."  --- Neil Diamond (1971)

I'm really beginning to understand the lyrics of that song.  Ever since my sister and I swapped houses in August, I've really been kinda homeless.  Yes, I still own the Indiana house.  But I don't live there anymore.  I'm working in Houston at the moment and staying with some friends.  But I don't live here...yet.  My home office is in Tulsa now and I stay with some friends there.  But the office will be closing next summer. 

I went around looking at apartments today in Houston.  Ooo wee!  Do they have some steep rent around here or what?  Yowzah!  I don't think I'll be needing the granite countertops or the wood floors.  Just a shitter, shower, and a roof over my head. 

I've got clothes in Indiana, Texas, and Oklahoma.  It sure will be nice to get settled in and have a real address again.  In the meantime, I can be reached by email or cell phone.  My sister is forwarding any mail I receive in Indiana.  I'll be sending out my new address when I get moved into my new place in Houston. 

It's an odd feeling being homeless.  Thank God for good friends.  

Driving the Tractor

On the farm, we start driving the tractor at an early age.  You could say that I've enjoyed the breeze blowing through my hair even before I had hair.

Three Weeks

I will be moving out of Indiana in three weeks.  In November I head to Tulsa reporting out of our office there, which is closing next year.  Then I will be relocated to Houston.

Lots of things to pack before then.

Hard to believe this day is almost here.

Anybody need any wool socks?

The First Load

Every move has to start somewhere.  Mine started today.  This is the first load that I took to my new storage unit.  Seemed easy enough.  I brought a huge padlock that I recently used on the U-Haul trip to North Carolina.  There was only one problem, it was too big for the bracket.  I discovered this after I unloaded the truck.  Crap!  I reattached the zip-tie to the lock bracket to make it look it look like it was still somewhat locked (to the blind, maybe).  All the other lockers seemed to have a round keyed lock.  I went over to the nearby Lowe's and found exactly the type of lock that I had seen.  Except there were two sizes.  I went for the larger one.  I quickly got back to the storage shed, and luckily all my stuff was still there.  I closed the door and had to fiddle with the lock to finally get it to lock.  I then tried to open it again, and I thought I was gonna break the key off in the lock.  I left it alone.  The next day I returned with an old combination lock that I use at the gym.  I played with the new lock for about 10 minutes and finally got it to unlock.  Whew!  I really didn't want to have the company bust into my locker the first day!  I attached the padlock.  I will get the correct lock later this week.  

Even storage units have a learning curve. 

Moving

I have been sitting on this bit of news for about a month now:

I will be leaving Indiana before the end of the year.  I will be moving to Oklahoma in November and working out of the Tulsa office.  I will be staying with the Nelson family while I am there.  I will still be going down to Houston for most of December and January.

Then next summer, I will be relocating to Houston, TX.  My company has been very generous to let me telecommute from Boone County these past seven years.  They allowed me to be near my parents during their time of need.  I will always be grateful for that.  But now they are anxious for me to return to the headquarters...just not this year.

I'm going to keep my house here in Indiana, because you just never know what will happen in the future.  My sister is going to live here in my house and watch over things.  I will just rent an apartment in Houston (not one of my favorite cities).  So, I am packing my stuff up to put into storage until next summer.  Sometime in August, Sis and I will switch houses and I will move up to Dad's house which will be put up for sale very soon.  If it sells quickly, I may be moving to Oklahoma sooner than expected. 

Even though Back Home Again doesn't really make sense as a title for a blog when I am no longer back home again, I will probably keep the blog name as is.  I'm too busy (and lazy) to change it and start all over.  So for the time being, this is probably the best place to keep track of me. 

The Baling Crew

I just recently found this photo of me in a box out in the garage.  This was taken the summer of 1988.  Several things strike me funny about this photo.  First of all, I'm wearing a polo shirt to bale straw.  Secondly, it's tucked into my pants.  Third, I have my hat on backwards to maximize the tan on my face.  Fourth, I'm not wearing sunglasses; I'm squinting because it's so damn bright out there.  Fifth, no gloves!  This must have been early in the baling season, before I figured out the proper attire for baling straw.

It was also the same summer I made my appearance in LIFE magazine.

Turning

Last week, my car was in the shop to fix an oil sending unit.  It was lunch time and since I had no food in the house, I decided to drive the old beater truck down to my favorite lunch eatery.  My brother came along for the ride.  It was already a hot day so we had the windows rolled down and the back window open.  The truck needs a new muffler too.  In other words, it was a loud ride.

I was driving down a two-lane road approaching a retirement golf community on the right.  The speed limit was 30 mph.  Since my speedometer doesn't work, let's say I was going 30.  I don't think the truck will go much faster than that.  Just as I'm within a few yards of the entrance, this old man pulls out in front of me.  I hit the brakes.  The old man gave me a dirty look and I gave him one back.  WTF?

Then as I went a further down the road approaching a left turn, I noticed that my right turn signal was on.  My turn signals do not shut off automatically after you complete the turn.  I last turned right about a mile before the golf community entrance.  So the old man thought I was turning right and proceeded to turn left in front of me.  No wonder he gave me a dirty look.

I've become one of those people that drive for miles with their blinker on.  There's my sign.  I am officially fifty. 

Fifty

Today, I am fifty years old.  I've received three invitations to join AARP so far.

My sister and her family took me out for lunch at Frank & Mary's Restaurant.  My brother, niece, and another sister joined us.  I got to wear the funny birthday hat as they sang "Happy Birthday" to me.  That night, my brother and sister-in-law treated me to dinner at their house.  It was a nice relaxing birthday with no big surprise parties.  I hate surprises. 

My sister in Austin sent me this hat in the mail.   Ain't she funny?  In two years she'll be sixty.  I think I'll send her a walker in the mail.  That's if I remember.  Because....I am fifty, you know.

At least now I don't have to worry about dying young.