Tour de Texas

Ahhh---final days in The great Lone Star State!

After leaving the girls that final Tuesday night, I headed home for one last night on River Birch. I was utterly exhausted, but I managed to get my air mattrress blown up before crashing hard. It seemed to be the first night in a couple of months I didn't have something to do---something that needed to be done, something that needed attention, etc. I could simply go to sleep. And indeed I did!

Up early the next morning, I finished loading the car with the last few things---Howard's goodies (he'd been at my friends' Jessee & Rudeene's place since Monday morning), clothes for almost two weeks, a box of needed things for my first night in Memphis (I'd get there late one evening, and the movers would be there the next morning) and my very empty propane tank. (The movers won't move a propane tank, so I let it totally empty so I could take it myself. I was assured it'd be safe as long as I let it completely empty by allowing my grill fire to burn out.)

Once everything was loaded, I cleaned the house a little more. I had vacuumed each room as the movers emptied it (having the vaccuum go on the truck last), so the only thing to do was wipe down some counters. I also got rid of the remaining items in the 'fridge and freezer; I had sold my 'fridge to the buyer; my rental house in Memphis has a fridge in it. I went ahead and left the extra unopened bottles of water, an unopened gatorade, and almost as an aside, I went ahead and left a sealed and unopened thing of deli meat. It seemed a shame to toss, and it was sealed---never opened. And it was good for a couple of more weeks. I figured if the buyer didn't want it, she could always throw it away. I was so tickled to receive the following email from her a couple of days later (the plant she refers to is a mother-in-law tongue plant I left for her that I started from the one the owner before me had left behind after she moved out):

Hi Jana,

I just wanted to say thank you not only for the plant (I love plants) but also for leaving that lunch meat in the refrigerator! I was focused on moving stuff in on my lunch hour yesterday, so I neglected to eat lunch; then while moving more stuff after work, my blood sugar must have crashed because I suddenly felt extremely weak and shaky and just HAD to eat immediately. I stumbled, trembling, to the refrigerator thinking, “Surely there’s nothing in there, but it’s worth a shot and I can pass out in the kitchen as well as in the living room.” Then I opened it and voila – FOOD! I grabbed it like a starving monkey and pulled out the plastic wrapped meat handing the outer container to my friend from work to check the expiration date for me. I said, “I’m eating this unless you see a reason to stop me before I can get into it!” He said “July 19.” as I crammed a big chunk of it in my mouth. Phew . . . still conscious.

You saved me! Today I ate lunch at lunch time.

I hope everything goes great for you there. I’m really glad to have met you. Give me a call or write any time.

And there ya go---a reason I left the lunch meat!

After having the car completely loaded and the house clean, I waited for a little bit to say good-bye to my neighbors Ray and Laura. Ray had just left to run an errand, so I waited a bit, visiting with Laura and playing with the kitties one last time. They are so cute!







Ray made it home, I said good-bye, and that was that. I was off. I spent over eight years in that house---the first house I bought. They were a good eight years, and the house was just right for all I needed during that time.

But no time for nostaglia then! I had errands to run! First stop, off to see the buyer (now owner) of my home to deliver her keys, garage door opener, and all the info I'd been compiling---security codes, important phone numbers, terminex transfer info, sprinkler system book, etc. Ah--and I needed to pick up the check for the sale of my 'fridge! That done, next I stopped off at the store to pick up some salmon I'd cook for dinner for Mom that night (of course, I had a cooler packed in the car), off to the bank for last-minute details of opening my new account (TN doesn't have Chase banks), and finally, I picked up Howard.

By noon, we were headed south, leaving Fort Worth, leaving Tarrant County. Deep breath, say good-bye in the rear-view mirror, and keep on a driving.

On long drives, I enjoy listenting to books on tape. (okay, technically, on CD, but I still call 'em books on tape.) Usually I borrow the books from my local library. Of course this time, I wouldn't be returning. So I'd bought my own book at Half Price Books in preparation for my trip: The Innocent Man by John Grisham. It's not your typical Grisham novel; in fact, it's not even a novel. Instead, theis book is about the Ada, Oklahoma convictions of several men back in the 80s. Fascinating account of the holes and horrible things in our "justice" system.

(I used to support the death penalty, but as long as we have things like this happening, how can I? I say that, then there are the other cases---like that of the murder of Lisa and Jayden in Fort Worth. They were murdered in their home---about two blocks from my house. Lisa was seven months pregnant, and Jayden was her son. Lisa had co-owned the nearby fabulous bagel shop, which now has a touching "In Memoriam" devoted to Lisa and Jayden. And the facts surrounding that brutal and incomprehensible killing make it hard not to support the death sentence given to the man convicted of the murders---Stephen Barbee. (CNN Story) It's a personal struggle within me, how I feel about the issue. But we also have groups helping sort through some of the mess of mishandled convictions. The new Dallas County DA, a TexWes Law alum, is even encouraging his office to look more deeply into what's happened in Dallas County by finally allowing some DNA testing to be done when warranted. In years past, it seemed the DA's office was more concerned with fighting such testing on any technicality it could. Finally, the office will allow the Innocence Project to recommend what cases really should recieve testing---and test 'em. For more info, see this Dallas Morning News Story and this Washington Post article.)

Anyway---so the drive's not that long with some great listening to do along the way.

The next two nights, I visited Mom and Aunt Emily---and finally got to see Sophie!! I'd really missed my kitty. While at Mom's, I got my old computer up and running for Mom. (folks, a "recovery disc" does not recover lost files; it does the opposite, returning your computer to day one, effectively deleting all files you have created since then.) I cooked dinner and lunch each day, tried to help out in other small ways, and had a nice time visiting with both of them. It was great to be able to catch up with my aunt a little, although unfortunately, our chatting left Mom feeling a little left out. It's tough sometimes when three folks are together and two of them get involved in a conversation. But in general, it was a very nice visit.

Friday morning, I helped load up Emily's car and loaded up my own. We all pulled out by about 12:30. Mom was headed to Emily's for a two-week stay at her house. After all, Emily had been away from her own home (and husband) for over two weeks. How wonderful that she would be able to help Mom out for the next two weeks at her own home!

I spent the weekend, of course, at Dad's. We had a great time visiting Friday night before everyone else arrived, then again at the end of the weekend on Sunday evening. (and I finally got to watch The 4400 this summer!) Monday morning, I once again loaded my car, stopped off at the clinic to say good-bye, and headed east on I-30.

The trip went well. Sophie and Howard made it just fine, happy to arrive at our destination late Monday afternoon. Of course, I've already written about those adventures. :-)

And driving through Texarkana, I was sad to leave Texas. Sure, I'll come back to visit. And what the rest of my life holds for me, who knows. But for now, it was off to Tennessee. I was Memphis bound!