Oklahoma Was Never Like This

What an adventure gang. What have we learned?

I'm going Larry King/Sid Hartman style since a lot has happened...

Oklahoma is the new Indiana. Both KS and TX are hot and dry, but OK takes "hot and dry" to another level. Once we left KS for OK, it immediately looked much dryer than KS. Anders started saying, "Yellow! Yellow! Yellow!" as we looked out the window.

Oklahoma must lead the nation in people just standing around and staring into the middle distance.

It was 106 degrees as we sat in a random OKC traffic jam. OKC is actually building a skyscraper! The OKC terrorist attack memorial is well done and moving.

Dallas had an extensive light rail system, but Houston doesn't?!

Atlas Van Lines crushed about half of our nice wedding bowls and glass. If it was a wedding gift that Anna liked, then it was probably pulverized in the move. The grease marks on Anders' toys indicate that they went through his toys looking for valuables since valuables are often hidden in toys. I had a moving allowance, so we let it rip, but next time we are using U-Haul, if we can ever muster up the courage or gumption to move again.

It's hot here.

Anders enjoyed seeing many of his old toys and his old bedroom rug. He loves running around our house yelling. He calls himself "Captain Poop" and then he says "funny." Anders is basically a chilled out entertainer. Anders just shouts when he's in an open space. He likes to rule the air with the sound of his own voice. He did so at Ikea the other day and at Target tonight. He loves shouting "Anna!" at the top of his lungs. Yes, he knows our names, Anna, Jon, and Doreney--Anna's mom is watching Anders as we settle in. We could not be this moved in without her.

It was a five hour process today to get our car registered and get me a driver's license. Anna did not have enough documentation on her for a license, so MN is sending paper work reinforcements. We thought things would be loosey goosey in the South, but not here.

I love Sugar Land. It has everything. I would probably never leave were my job not in Houston. The suburban comforts are pretty nice. I got a haircut, chair massage, hot towel, and head massage for $16 as I watched Sportscenter! Three ladies cleaned our house for four hours for only $80! Even Dorene, the cleanest person I know, was impressed.

"Texas is like a fascist state, it's really conservative, but things get done there." New Orleans native, former Dallas resident, and friend Jack Epstein, May 2011. Jack, by the way LOVED living in Dallas...

The ladies who cleaned our house came on Sunday morning, as did the movers, and our landlady, Vera Cheng, to bring us a bunch of Chinese food--on Sunday MORNING! The next day, all at once we had the technician turning on our gas, two guys fixing our garage door, and Vera's handyman trying to fix our plumbing. It's amazing. People do stuff here. They show some hustle.

Now, granted, we still lack hot water, but our landlady is on the problem and I am confident that it will be fixed. The reason we bought a house in Athens in the first place was that we could not get our landlord to respond to our maintenance requests. He left a sink running for six days before he showed up. We had trouble sleeping at night because we heard water running. That place was such a nightmare. I can't stress enough how much better the quality of life is here. People help you with a smile on their faces. They more than show you where things are, but take you to those things. One worker at the Home Depot randomly stopped us and tried to get us a better deal on the air filter we were buying.

Another plus, is that we need not get basic cable here just for TV reception. We bought digital rabbit ears for $21 so now we get a slew of stations that come in crystal clear. We get some interesting stations, including Communist China Television or CCTV. There news studio is in Beijing and their English is just a little off and their graphics are all red. I like the channel because I for one welcome our Red Chinese overlords. Having health insurance taken care of would relieve much financial worry...

I think we had more square footage in our old house, but this one has more living space. We didn't spend a lot of time in our basement during the cool and cold months.

There is only one DMV office in Ft. Bend County. There is almost always a long line snaking out the door. I packed containers of water, granola, more documentation than one would need for a CIA security clearance, safari hat, flip flop crocs, and red mesh Decorah Letterman mesh shirt from the Dick Wuest Collection. I was still sweating gravy when I got inside the DMV building the room. I look like a criminal in my DMV picture. I love the TX tags. I couldn't get my Ohio tags off fast enough.

Our hall toilet is broken. Vera's handyman will try to fix it this weekend.

Anders takes all the repair guys in stride.

Anders played with all four colors of balls for a discrete and prolonged period at Target. I think "Red Circle" keeps those balls in the toy section to amuse toddlers while parents shop. I don't think they expect anyone to buy those balls.

I love how everything at my school is named after someone. For example, my room is on the quad, where many of the scenes from "Rushmore" were shot. Needless to say, I could not be happier! Anyway, in the "Diana Poteat Hobby (yes, like the airport)" North Quadrangle is my room, the "Hally Randall Carver Risher, David and Will Randall by Fairfax and Risher Randall." I don't know who they are yet, but I'm happy to be there!

I think Iowa played at the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl one year. Well, they are a single store on the west side of Houston. I don't think they have that bowl anymore. It would be fun to be inundated by Iowans for a minor bowl game should that opportunity ever present itself.

I did not imagine that local news would be so concerned with the weather in the Caribbean. They are actively rooting for a hurricane.

Young Arthur ben Ari will not need shunt in his head after all!

We we wake up in the morning the windows are fogged up almost every day. I don't even mind the earlier sunsets here as it means that it will get slightly cooler.

We now buy food at Ikea since we live close enough to do so.

Atlas better honor our claim or else Anna will seek Texas Justice.

When I got my new driver's license today I had to "surrender" my OH license. They have signs saying "the eyes of Texas are upon you" as they both scare you and ask for your help spotting criminal activity.

Shell seems to have a monopoly on Houston area gas stations.

We were missing a piece so we could not get Anders' crib fully assembled. A new piece should arrive shortly.

I've never lived in or visited a place with as many furniture commercials as Houston.

People like to give themselves knick names, like a TV lawyer ad for "The Hammer." Tom Delay's office is in our GPS for some reason. I'm looking at Anna.

After my friend Jeff Bloodworth left Athens, he said any place you move will be so much better than Athens. We agree so far, but this heat is no joke. I love the sunshine. It reminds me of the summer of '05 in Athens when it didn't cool down until the second week of October. I remember a day when we had a heat index of 122. That said, summer in Athens has nothing on this place.

Summer is to Texans as Winter is to Minnesotans. Both states have much pride and think they are the center of the universe. There are more similarities than I expected. It's kinda fun to live in a state with a superiority complex. I was congratulated on moving to TX by a utility company employee as I set up service. KS, IA, and OH all had inferiority complexes.

Perhaps early tomorrow I'll take Anders on a walk. He wants to go outside, but it's too brutal.

Even Trudy doesn't want to go outside, and cats are desert animals. We debated whether or not to let her roam our fenced back yard, but Trudy settled the argument.

I might back track later as I think of other things, but that's it for now.

Hey, a Central Time Zone advantage is being awake to watch Jimmy Fallon--he's really funny!

103.7 The Adult Alternative might be the only time Anna and I have ever been excited to listen to the same radio station.

Ok, I'm really out this time.