Not much happening. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about crispy-ness. Imagine how different the world would be without crispy-ness. It’s shocking, really. I wonder if there are people anywhere who go through their entire lives not knowing crispy-ness. What is that like? If such people exist, their experieces ought to be documented–quickly.

Margaret and I are making an effort to talk about things we like. (this is not related to the mass hysteria/brainwash currently sweeping the nation that is making people suddenly very happy with “Dubya”–who I still don’t think is capable of running a lemonade stand in Texas, much less this country…be afraid). Despite how it might seem on Motel sometimes, there are lots of things that I like and that Margaret likes. Crispy-ness is one example. Bowling, family, dependable friends with their priorities straight are another (1,2).

We ended up buying a video camera with our republican bribe check. I’m finally getting a chance to make the movie I wrote 10 years ago…although it’s completely different from then. Maybe in a better way. I’ll be posting movies here as they get done.

Well, today is as good a day as any to write something here. Events in NYC and D.C. have us seriously freaked out. Our desire to get out of Texas just increased about 10-fold. I guess being in the middle of nowhere, and a nowhere like texas at that, and not really having anyone around during a time like this has got us feeling very anxious to get away. It’s also got us thinking about how fragile our situation really is. We’re thankful that we don’t live in a big city, or go to work in a big building, and that we have each other for support. Flying is out of the question for me and Margaret for a while.

Last weekend, however, we did fly. We went to Sacramento for the weekend, then to SF for meetings. Met with a realtor and looked (in a not-ready-to-purchase) way at houses. Out of 6 houses, we liked 5. Sacramento seemed much more friendly and homey during this visit. That was nice. There are people in Austin I would miss…but all things considered, this isn’t where we belong.

I wonder if anyone reads this besides me. I really don’t write often enough to keep any sort of audience interested.

This last weekend was my sister’s Michigan wedding reception. What a great time! A huge pig was roasted. At least 150 showed up at the park across the street from my parents’. Much beer was drunk. I saw friends and relatives who I hadn’t seen in years…including my Wyoming grandparents who I hadn’t seen since I was 15 or so. (and that was 15 years ago…e-gad!)

We also managed to do other things including: met Margaret’s friend in Ann Arbor and had lunch (very nice); drove around Ann Arbor and remembered how nice it is there in the summer; visited with David, Kelly, Lydia (lil’ over one year old) and Colin (turns 5 next week). Lydia’s adorable and says “Hi!” every five seconds right now.

We had a meeting in San Francisco last week, then spent the weekend in Sacramento (aka Sacatomatos). Nice town. Quiet. Not even close to Austin in hussel-bussel-ness(sp?). But, that could be ok. It makes lots of sense for us to be in California. Sac is the perfect place to live for cool short road trips. There are great old neighborhoods that remind me of the mid-west…maybe some Chicago hoods. I’m thinking they probably have tons of Karaoke contests in Reno. I’ve got to do that some time. Sac seems like the kind of place where we could be hotshots without devoting our lives to being hot shots…where we could invent our own scene and maybe get some attention (which is really what it’s about for me). I’d like to start a bowling alley. Ask me again in 5 years.

Just got back from another trip. This time to Vegas for my sister’s wedding (on June 30). Kathy and Jay got married at the Tropicana. It was great to see everyone there. The wedding was a quick vegas-style thing (but planned well in advance). The reception was excellent, with a very bad elvis impersonator (turns out he wasn’t really an elvis impersonator, they just asked the DJ if he’d wear the costume and he agreed.) Karaoke. (karatee okie, or what do you call it….just saw ‘Duets’, that’s what the Karaoke hustler–played by Huey Lewis–calls it.) Margaret and I kicked out the jams.
Oh, two weeks prior to the wedding, my brother came to visit and Margaret went to L.A. to visit the new Nephew. David and I rented a guitar and recorded some songs. see the Gunrack stuff or check out the 180 Gs!. Having David out here was an excellent time. I don’t get near enough of a chance to hang out with him as I’d like.
Back to last weekend….After Vegas, we flew to Portland, OR and visited Ken and Meg and Emily. Ken made fab ribs (and lots too). Then we went to their beach house in Lincoln City where I apparently became a legend at the Karaoke bar (are you seeing a pattern…my next career), I blew up lots of fireworks, we started a fire on the beach on July 4th (despite the 35 mph wind and cold weather) and I had a great time. I love small beach towns and Lincoln city is a fine one. We’ll be returning there.
This Thursday we travel to California again to train a client and to spend some time in Sacramento to see if we really like it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because I don’t know how much more texas I can stand.

We went to San Francisco last week for business and to visit family. We spent quite a bit of time with Elizabeth and Paul. I’m glad we did. We’re seriously thinking about moving back to California. Probably not the Bay Area, though. Sacramento looks nice. I’ve never been there, but it looks nice: affordable, no earthquakes, cexercise/>lose enough to both the ocean and the mountains, has an airport, is on I-80, Amtrack, capital…hmm. Something to think about. We got back to Austin and there had been a very big storm while we were out that split one of our trees down the middle. We have to get half of this tree cut down now. sigh. We paid more for our house because of the trees, but we’ve spent a buttload of money chopping them down every time they threaten to fall on the house. What’s the point??