Time flies

Where do the days go? It seems like I just closed on the house. I then went to California to have Thanksgiving with Craig and his family. Returned to Texas and almost immediately drove to Florida with Val to see Sally's brother, Jimmy and his wife, Teresa. They own several condos there that they rent out as an investment. And Jimmy wanted to meet "this Val person". We had a great time with them. It was all very comfortable, and we had some good seafood and wine and walked the beach. The beaches there are so beautiful and white. Well, I was discussing with Jimmy about what I should do with the money from the sale of the house that is in Sally's Family Trust, and he suggested I get a condo in Panama City Beach. He thinks the market is about as low as it could get, the condos rent well, and the income makes a few percent on the investment plus the tax advantages of depreciation. I wasn't much interested at first, but he persisted and I went with him and a realtor to see a repo that is selling below current low market value. Short story, I bought the condo and it is scheduled to close escrow next week. Lorrie and Kathie (daughter in law) are going to go to Florida in early January to furnish and decorate it. They had so much fun and success here and at Winter park in Colorado doing that, and they are excited to help.

Val and I will probably drive out the first week in January and overlap with the girls and try to finish up so it can get rented by mid January.

Craig, Kathie and the boys will be here on Christmas day and stay for a week. Then Craig will go back with the boys when the girls go to Florida. Kinda exciting and a little scary and impulsive (for me). Oh well...

Am debating whether I have the ambition to send out Christmas cards this year. It's been a couple of years, and since I have a new address, it probably would be worth it. But that doesn't guarantee that it will happen. So don't be upset if you don't get one and be surprised if you do.

It is sold!

Well, closing was on Thursday and the house is no longer mine. After what seemed like forever with the water damage, etc, etc, the house got on the market in late August or early September and closed November 10. I am so pleased that it went pretty quickly, and the buyers got a great deal. They seem to particularly like the yard, which was Sally's pride and joy. I'm so glad that someone wanted it who would appreciate what she did. Most people probably would bring in a bulldozer and put in a pool.

Very gradually, I am getting the new condo organized and the final boxes unpacked. One of these days, I may post some pictures.

I'll be going to California for Thanksgiving with Craig's family like last year. Should be fun. Leaving on Saturday November 19.

Fingers crossed

Degas House

There is a good offer on the house!!! We are now in the option phase so the buyer could back out without penalty. However, they seem to really like it, and they appreciate the yard as well that Sally had worked so hard to establish and maintain. The option period expires on Monday and closing is scheduled for November 10. I am holding my breath and crossing my fingers hoping that nothing derails this process. The buyers will be getting a very good deal and I think they appreciate that. It will be like lifting a burden off my back when this is finished.

Val and I had a great time in Louisiana. We stayed in Lafayette on the way down to New Orleans. Very interesting--heart of the Cajun country with great Cajun food. In NO we were in a house that

Preservation Hall
had belonged to Degas' family. Went to the French quarter and did stuff like Preservation Hall and K-Pauls restaurant. Really had fun and ate too much. But I now remember how sleazy Bourbon Street is. Once every 20 years or so is enough for that. We didn't see any evidence of Hurricane Rita, but we didn't go looking for it either. Here are a couple of pictures.

It's Raining!!

We are having the first sustained rain since about February. It isn't too heavy so there shouldn't be any significant flooding. We really need it--everything was really stressed from the drought and the water restrictions. I know those of you in the west and the deserts think we don't really know what a drought is. I suppose that is true, but it is so unusual here that it does make an impact.

There is some action on the house sale, but nothing definite yet. I'm hoping for a serious offer soon, however....will let you know. I'd love to get it sold even if I need to take much less than I would want. It does look really good now.

Yesterday was Sally's birthday. She would have been 70.

This week Val and I are going to New Orleans for a couple of days--she got something on Groupon (whatever that is). We will be staying in the Degas house. Here is an excerpt from the NY Times:

Edgar Degas travelled to New Orleans during the fall of 1872 to spend a few months visiting the considerable American branch of his family. His visit is something of a legend in New Orleans, told and retold with the casual disregard for historical accuracy that affects many New Orleans memories, but it is barely known elsewhere. The journey to New Orleans marked a key moment in Degas's career, however. Distracted and stalled in his profession on his arrival, he left the city with a new sense of direction and resolve. He also took with him, in his portfolio and his mind, several unforgettable images of New Orleans life.

Who knew?

Gradually getting things organized here in the new condo. I like it a lot and it shows all the work that Lorrie, with Kathie's help, has put into it. Lorrie has been so sweet and working so hard on the new condo as well as getting the house on the market in top shape. I couldn't have done it without her.

Time to go back to Texas

Well it's that time again to leave one condo and go back to another condo. Trying to get everything ready to leave--to make sure everything is clean and safe. Sally was excellent at that with her somewhat OC personality. I'm trying to mimic all she did. Sitting here now typing this and looking out at the La Costa Golf course from the main room of the condo. There is a Phoebe (bird) sitting on the railing of the tiny balcony. I'll miss this as always but am looking forward to getting back to Sugar Land and seeing Lorrie's family and my friends--and Val who left here about two weeks ago.

Still some action on the house sale, but no serious offers, unfortunately. Keep hoping.

Tonight will go see Christopher in the Carlsbad HS marching band perform at half time of their game. Shortly after getting back to Texas, I will be going to the "Battle of the Bands" in Sugar Land to see Stephen and Andrew with the Stephen F. Austin HS marching band. Band has been a great organization for the grandchildren and I'm pleased that they have stuck with it through high school.

Some interest in house but no offers yet

The house has been officially listed for about a week.  It has been shown a couple of times but the action seems pretty slow.  But, as they say, it only takes one right person.  So I'm hopeful.

Alan at the Hearst Castle

I am still in California.  Val and I went up to Santa Barbara and then Paso Robles for some touring of the wine country on the Central Coast.  It was very fun.  We also went over to Cambria and up to the Hearst Castle, which I hadn't seen for ages.  It is an amazing place. Here are a couple of pictures.  One of Hearst Castle and one of Santa Barbara Harbor where we were having lunch.

Val at lunch at Santa Barbara Harber

I'm so glad to be here and not at home in Texas where the brutal weather and lack of rain is taking its toll with the vegetation dying and the wildfires destroying large amounts of land and homes.  There is apparently smoke in the air all the time.  

House is on the market

Finally!! Here is the listing. Not sure it will work but the listing looks good. There will be a broker open house next week to show the house to area brokers. I am hoping that we will get some action. Lorrie has been working like crazy to be sure that the house and yard are perfect.

Val and I have been busy. We spent a couple of days in Denver visiting the Bedfords and Waldrons and going to a Rockies - Astros game. Rockies won. We also visited museums, botanic gardens and ate at some great restaurants. We have more friends and things to do in Denver but that will have to be at another time. We have also visited Boyd and Helen in Redlands and Ken and Maureen in Manhattan beach. This weekend we will have my long-time friend, John Gerber coming to visit and also Julie Woosley will be coming. So it is a busy time. We hope to take a trip to the Santa Barbara - Paso Robles wine regions some time in the next week or so. Just watched "Sideways" again to get ready.

Val is here

I'm settled back in Carlsbad and Val is visiting. We are doing a lot of things around here like the Zoo, a play and walking on the beach. Friday we will be at a Padres game (Craig has tickets and can't go). After the game we may go into the GasLamp district of San Diego where Craig and his band are performing. In spite of his hectic schedule and travels, he is dedicated to his weekly practice and the occasional Gig.

Last week we went up to Laguna to have lunch with a friend from Merck, Liz Stoner. Her daughter has been at Chapman University in Orange for the past three years and now is in Vet shool. Chapman moved to Orange in about 1953 and took over my high school campus when our school moved to new quarters. So I had 2 years of high school at the buildings that are now a part of Chapman. They have expanded a lot but he old buildings are still there and look great. We had a good time catching up with Liz.

This week we spent a day in Redlands with Boyd and Helen and went to the Redlands bowl where the Dallas Brass was performing. They were very good. Yesterday we came back from Redlands through Orange where we had lunch at a soda fountain with some of my high school friends. A "panorama" picture of the lunch attendees is here.

Meanwhile, Lorrie has been knocking herself out trying to get the house in perfect condition for a sale. Some remodeling has been done and the yard has been manicured. The realtors should be staging it as I write this. So I'm hoping for a quick sale--you gotta hope. Lorrie says it has never looked so good and I believe her. I'm rather glad I am not there to see the changes that have occurred.

Pretty busy

I am back in California for the rest of the summer, I hope. Lorrie is supervising the process of getting the house on the market including getting everything looking great for the sale. The realtors will be "staging" it soon. I hope it will sell. It is a lot of work for Lorrie. She is an expert in interior design (has a bachelor's degree in that from CSU) so she is perfect for this challenge.

Since getting back to California, I have been traveling some. I spent a week on the east coast First I was in Princeton, NJ for a meeting and then went to NY to meet up with Barry and Laura, my friends from Merck days. NY is warm these days. On the weekend, we went upstate to their country place which is near the MA border. It was much cooler and fresher there. We were joined by three other couples from Merck or ex-Merck. The so called "Old Farts Club". I hadn't seen any of these folk since I retired in 2002. So it was great fun swapping stories. Saturday we went to Tanglewood, the summer venue for the Boston Symphony, Sunday we went on a 6 mile hike before returning to the city. I was experimenting with a photo app on the iphone that allows for 360 degree panoramas. It is posted here if you are interested.

Hope my next post will be about all the imminent sale of the house.

Lots of progress, finally

I've been in Texas since July 5. Timing turns out to have been good. The flooring had all been placed and the finishing was happening that week. I have gotten agreement from the insurance company USAA to release the final payment. I think I have the bank's agreement also, but they are more difficult requiring all sorts of forms and stuff. So I hope when I return to California tomorrow, I will be able to find the checks in the mail to reimburse me for the repairs.

I am filling out forms for a realtor to help with the sale. There are some additional things to do to make the house more sellable and these are ongoing. I hope to have it on the market pretty soon.

Grandson Christopher accompanied me to Texas and has spent the time with his cousins, Stephen and Andrew. I think the heat and humidity has been a shock to him as it is to most people who wander in here from some place else. Texas has not only had record heat but also a severe drought so that many living things are no longer. People are wishing a hurricane or tropical storm would blow through (just kidding, I think). So I will be happy to get back to Carlsbad where the high temperature during the day is 6-10 degrees cooler than the low temperature here at night.

50th

Lots of thoughts today. You think that you are getting over the loss and sadness but then, occasionally, it returns. Plan to go to San Diego this evening for dinner with Barry--that should cheer me up. Will be back in Texas July 5-16. I hope the flooring is complete by that time and we can get the house ready to be put on the market.

In Cool California

Left Houston on June 2 and spent 3 days in Tucson with Ray and Julie Woosley, great friends for many years. It was a good time as usual. Arrived in California on June 6. My friend, Val, came out on the 7th and has been here since. She will be going back to Texas this weekend. It has been fun having her here. Val is a master gardener and has been helping to fix up the condo with its plants in pots on the patio and balcony. We are using the Darwin approach. If something can't make it, it gets replaced. We have been doing touristy San Diego stuff here, but there is still a lot to for Val to see.

The weather has been pretty typical "June gloom" with morning clouds and usually afternoon sun. This is a big change from Houston where the temperatures and humidity are about 100%. It will be a shock to go back.

We took a hike in the Torrey Pines state reserve. It is one of my favorite walks in this area. It is always interesting and beautiful. Here are a couple pictures. Some day I need to get out here earlier to see the California poppies that are wildflowers in the reserve.

Still problems with the house in Richmond. We have the wood and were getting ready to finish the job, but the moisture readings on the floor were still too high. So it looks like the plywood subflooring will need to be ripped up to let the concrete slab dry out. This will delay things further (and cost more). The nightmare continues... But the Sugar Land condo has come together nicely and is now very livable. Lorrie continues to monitor it and is also doing the decorating and furnishing. She is so sweet and helpful. I will need to go back to Texas some time to finish up dealing with the bank and insurance company about the house repairs. Probably will go in early July. Lorrie and John and their boys will be in California through July 4 looking at colleges. I will see them around the holidays.

We have seen Kathie, Craig and the boys but they have been so busy that we haven't spent much time with them. Craig travels to NYC a lot recently and Kathie has had some trips...leaving for Seattle this week. We will take the boys to the farmer's market today. This is something of a tradition in the summer. Sally used to take them every Wednesday and they pick out fresh produce for their family. Anything to get them to eat something other than fast food!

June 25 would have been our 50th wedding anniversary. My good friend Barry Gertz will be in town from New York and we will have dinner and a toast to Sally. Thank goodness for friends and family. Val and I went met Boyd and Helen in Temecula for lunch on Monday this week. It was great to see them.

Going to California for a while

Gradually recovering from the China trip. It really takes a while to readjust to all those time zones. But now thinking about going to California as was our wont for the summer. This is first time that I will be leaving the new condo and I need to try and think about what I need to do to get it in shape to leave. Should be a lot easier than leaving the house. I know I will need to come back here at some point when all the repairs are done to get the house on the market and also to try and get all the money from the bank and the insurance company. If you have ever had a disaster to repair, both the bank and the insurance companies make it as hard as possible to actually get it done, even when you have had approval for all the funds needed. First, the insurance company has something called "recoverable depreciation" which in my case is about 20% of the total funds. So I have to get the house repaired, show that I actually paid what was estimated, and then get that money released. Second, the mortgage company, in my case Wells Fargo Bank, takes the money that the insurance company has approved and puts it in an escrow account, and then releases it a little at a time, based on the amount of repairs completed. So you have to pay for the repairs up front to get the money. No wonder so many people have not gotten what is owed to them after hurricanes, tornadoes and such. If you don't have the resources to pay for most of the repairs yourself, you can never get the money from these guys. Anyway, enough of that rant.

I have honed down the pictures I took in China to a still large collection. For those who are interested, you can see them here. I hope you enjoy them. There are three short film clips near the start of the photo collection so try and play them if you can. It was useful to go though these pictures and relive that most wonderful trip.

Back from China

Just returned from a great trip to China. I went with Judy and Joel Bedford from Denver whose son and his family live in Beijing. So it was like having an almost native tour guide to help us.

We started our trip in Beijing with its magnificent temples and the Forbidden City. On the anniversary of Sally's death we were at the Temple of Heaven and had a toast to Sally.

We then took a train to Tibet passing over areas as high as nearly 17,000 ft before arriving in Lhasa at a lower (about 14,000 ft) altitude. A little headache early on but Diamox for a day helped keep it from getting bad. In Lhasa we saw the Potala which is the palace of the Dalai Lama. He has been in exile for the past 52 years in India. Tibet is quite different from China. The language is different and the people seem to live a simple life, unlike people in the cities in China. It doesn't appear that the Tibetan people could stage any kind of uprising and yet Lhasa is patrolled by armed chinese military, some in full riot gear. Possession of a picture of the Dalai Lama is a prison-able offense. Lots of wonderful sights and wonderful Chinese food. In Tibet, the food is influenced by India. The main meat in Tibet is Yak. I had a yak steak and a yakburger. Joel wanted to open a franchise for the "Big Yak" to compete with MacDonalds.

Everything is so old. Many structures date to 400AD. The great wall was initially consructed in about 250 BC. We saw parts of the great wall in disrepair and parts that had been reconstructed. Very impressive.

In the "cultural revolution" Mao tried to destroy many of the temples and monasteries. He even destroyed some the great wall. The Potala was spared. It is said the the loss of life under Mao was greater than Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin. But Cultural Revolution sounds so much nicer than Holocaust and people don't realize what really happened!!

Chinese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism are fairly different, I am told. Tibetan Buddhism is referred to as Lama-ism by the Chinese. Buddhism came from India and then spread through Tibet and China. I'd like to learn more about this fascinating religion and plan to do some more reading on it. I guess that is what defines a great trip--the desire to learn more after you have gotten back.

Meanwhile, the house repairs are partly done. We are now waiting for the arrival of the wood that should be here by the end of this month. We had a successful estate sale while I was in China.

House problems continue

I hate to bum anyone out, but the water damage at the house is worse than originally thought. It looks now like the entire wood floor (about 2000 sq. ft.) will need to be replaced. On the bright side, there will be an entirely new floor and new finish so that will make the house look better for a sale. Also, the drywall and ceiling repairs are all complete. So I hope we can now get started on the floor (takes at least two weeks to get the special wood that we used).

Everything at the condo is nearly done, hooray. This has take longer than I expected also, but it is worth it.

Off to China and Tibet in about a week and a half. Exciting.

Finally things coming together

It seems like everything is finally falling into place. The water damage in the house is about ready to be repaired after the insurance company approved the estimate. So I hope that by the end of this month, it will be repaired. The estate sale is now delayed until early May. Then it will be trying to get the house in shape to put on market.

The condo finally has TV, a phone

(281-491-7982), DSL and a security system. Pretty much everything is done. I'm hoping to have my life back (famous line from BP CEO) pretty soon. Walked along the lake in front of the condo and saw this yellow crowned night heron--he just came almost up to us. I had a bird app on the iPhone and played the

sound and I think the bird thought I might be a good mate.

I head to China for a couple of weeks beginning the last day of this month. I am going with Judy and Joel and it should be exciting.

Some slow progress

I finally have the bids and the insurance company assessment of the damages so I can now get started on the repairs. At least there is light at the end of the long tunnel. I hope they can get started right away so that we can move forward with the sale.

Also, I now finally have TV. I don't think I commented too much about this, but it has been another minor ordeal to get it. Comcast came out almost two months ago to install cable but they first needed to pull a cable from their distribution box to the house. In the process they broke the string they were using to pull the cable through the conduit and at that point they were stymied. At least four guys came out with supervisors and they said they couldn't do anything to supply service to the house. I mean this is Comcast that has enormous resources and they can't figure out what to do!! This is their business for God's sake. So I called the contractor who has been doing some work here and he came out and we pulled another string by using my shopvac and sucking it through the conduit--took 5 minutes. We then bought a lot of cable and pulled it through--no problem. All in all, maybe an hour including going to get the cable. If we had had the cable, like Comcast, it would have taken total maybe 20 minutes. And Comcast couldn't do it. I wish I could go with another provider, but ATT doesn't service this area with U-verse (some sort of deal with Comcast I am told). And DirecTV couldn't figure out how to connect the dish to the cable on the roof. So I'm stuck with Comcast, but at least I can now watch the news.

So things are gradually happening, and that gives me hope that someday I can get back to a normal life. By the way, my new address is:

1356 Lake Pointe Parkway

Sugar Land, TX 77478

Cell: 281-414 2426 (Unchanged)

Landline: 281-491-7982 (New)

Email: alannies@gmail.com (unchanged)

There is room here for guests so please visit.

Things could be better

As last reported, I was just back from Mexico and feeling pretty good about everything. It was a really great trip. However, Lorrie went by the house after we got back and I got this call that there had been a major problem. While we were gone, the water heater in the attic had leaked with water coming through the ceiling and eventually onto the hardwood floors in the hallway coming in from the garage. The wood was ruined. So what to do?? I contacted our original builder (he has been so great over the years) who said to call ServPro a company that deals in these kinds of mishaps. They came with a truck full of equipment--vacuumed out the water, tore out dry wall and ceilings, dug up the floor and left dozens of fans and dehumidifiers running. It looked terrible, but at least something was being done. Then called the insurance company who suggested a restoration contractor who came out took pictures and measurements and submitted it all to the insurance company. Our original builder (Randall Carr) also came out and did much of the same and will give me a bid. It took about a week for the house to dry with the guys coming every day and taking measurements. So now it looks like someplace in Dresden after the bombing. I am now awaiting word from the insurance company about what they will cover. The wood that needs to be replaced had been specially ordered from New England, originally--wide plank maple flooring. The main great room in the house didn't get wet, thank goodness. So it goes.

Finally getting a phone and internet at the condo.

Still no TV cable (long story). So there is some, albeit painfully slow, progress. Anyway, I am hopeful that all will eventually come together. Sometime

s I wish I were on the beach in Akumal--another picture here for your pleasure.

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's been a while, hasn't it. A lot has happened and I haven't had much internet access for the past month except by my iPhone. The move has happened and I am living in the new condo. It hasn't been entirely smooth, but good enough.

So while I was up with Craig and the boys at Winter Park, Lorrie and Kathie were working like crazy figuring out the move. The packing was done in a day and the move the next day. They also unloaded a lot of the kitchen stuff and my clothes. In addition they went a got some new stuff for the condo where it was needed. When I returned I came to the condo and spent my first night in the new bed in the new bedroom. There are still boxes full of stuff everywhere and I can't find a lot of things, but gradually it is happening.

Then on Saturday, March 5, Judy Bedford came and stayed here.

She came to help with the antiques that she had bought with Sally. Lorrie has moved a lot of the stuff to the new condo and has it displayed on a giant bookshelf that we had built in the family room. She thought that Lorrie and Kathie had done a fantastic job and it brought back a lot of memories for her. We had a good cry and then moved on. Judy is taking a few items that had special significance for her and Sally for her condo in Denver. Judy left on Tuesday, March 8.

Then on Saturday, March 12, I joined Lorrie, John and the boys for a trip to Akumal, Mexico. This great place is on the Yucatan peninsula south of

Cancun and south of Cozumel island. We stayed in a condo on the beach. We were on the fourth floor so we had a great view of Half Moon Bay. A picture from the balcony of my unit is in this message. It was a thoroughly wonderful vacation. We snorkeled, swam, and did nothing much. We ate out mostly and it was mostly good. We survived without any adverse effects by being careful about the water, etc.

Now I am back home, amidst the chaos. One problem that has occurred is that I do not yet have a phone, cable or internet access. The cable company was going to supply all three as they did at the house, but when they tried to pull a cable from the outdoor box, the string they were using broke. So now the cable is only partly pulled from the source. They don't seem to be able to figure out what to do. This is Comcast, not a tiny company, and they can't figure out how to run a cable to a new condo??? Ridiculous. Anyway, I will now call ATT and see what they can do. I am mooching off my neighbor's internet access for now (with his permission). He has cable.

Still some activity here. The elevator has been installed but needs finishing. There are still some little details to be finished in the office. But mostly everything is done and now it is up to me to finishing unpacking and organizing. That will take a while---maybe quite a while.

One more thing. On April 30, I will be joining Judy and Joel Bedford on a trip to China. We will be spending time initially in Beijing where Charles Bedford and his family are now living for a few years. And then we will take a train to Tibet and fly back. Charles is part of the Nature Conservancy and is helping to set that up in China. I'll be gone until mid May. Then in early June, I plan to move to California for the summer. I haven't had this much going on in my life ever, I don't think.

Being busy is good, but maybe this is too busy.

Exciting times

Work on the new condo is almost done. This may sound a little weird, but Lorrie and Kathie are going to coordinate everything while I am up skiing with Craig and the boys at Winter Park, CO.

So I will be meeting them next Sunday and stay up there until the following Sunday. Meanwhile, the packers are coming on Wednesday the 23rd and the movers on the 24th. We are not going to move everything, obviously, so I have been scurrying around marking stuff to move. So when I get back, I will be mostly living in the new place. I will need to get phone, cable etc when I get back, but mostly should be good to go.

I have mixed emotions leaving this house that Sally and I built. Yesterday, I was sitting outside (we finally had a warm day after freezing for a few) and tearing up. But I think it is the right thing to do to move on with my life. And this house and yard is too much for me.

One interesting thing, the swans were gone for a while again and

when they returned, there were three of them! They really are gorgeous.

Here is a picture. Maybe I can kidnap (swannap) one of them to the lake in front of the condo.

Closed on Condo

Just to let you know that I closed yesterday on the Sugar Land Condo. There are a few things that need to be fixed before I can move in. Probably move will occur at the end of this month. I have not yet put the current house up for sale but will soon. I own too many places! Quite busy with all this. Exciting.

It must be a sign

We haven't seen the swan for a couple of weeks but I look out at the lake every morning to see if she has returned. Well, today when I looked, there were two swans! Apparently she has found a mate. I don't know if it is a marriage or a civil union but who cares. They look identical, but one might be a little bigger than the other. Anyway, it was great to see them.

Probate

Well, this morning I was at the Fort Bend County Court for probate of Sally's will. Most of the things were in trust, but the house is jointly owned and was not in trust. In Texas, homes are not usually joint ownership with right of survival, but just joint ownership. So half of the house is now in Sally's estate. I hope to sell the house anyway, so I don't know what this all means, but at least the probate has been done.

I am still doing a little negotiating with the seller of the Condo in Sugar Land, but that should be finished soon. Currently closing is the end of February, but I may try and move that up. There are a few things that need to be done before I could move in and the sooner I can get started on that, the better.

Doing things with Val is really good for me. We're off to see a movie this afternoon (King's speech).

Happy New Year!

I hope that you all (or as is said here "all y'all") had a great holiday and are looking forward to the new year. I know that for me, this next year will be better than the last one. Lorrie had a description of the year of the Tiger (2010) that predicted that it would be a tough year, but the year of the rabbit is predicted to be much better and time to take a deep breath and renew.

Craig and family have been here for the past week. They go back today. We all had a great time and the cousins as always have had a good week playing and getting reacquainted. We had a wonderful rib roast at Lorrie's on Christmas day and a New Year's eve party last night over at Lorrie's. John loves to set off fireworks, which are easily purchased here, and so we had a fireworks celebration last night. Someone had given Craig a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne which we popped last night also.

On Wednesday we went to Austin for a day and came back on Thursday. It's

hard to believe but I had never been to Austin--a really wonderful city. Lots of weird stuff there. We stayed at the Driskill, an old historic hotel that is reputed to have ghosts wandering the halls. We listened and looked, but didn't see anything. The last haunted hotel Sally and I stayed in was the Stanley hotel in Estes Park ("the Shining"--here's Johnny!) where we didn't see anything either. I may not have the right attitude. Anyway, here is a picture of the Driskill taken Wednesday night.

A major piece of news is that I have decided to try and sell our house and move to a condo. We have been eyeing some townhouses in Sugar Land situated on a lake and near a shopping area with many upscale shops, a Whole Foods Market, and great restaurants. There is a trail around the lake for long walks. So I put an offer on one of the units and yesterday it was accepted. The units are new and the one that is now mine was a foreclosure when the developer went bankrupt. They had been taken over by the bank and were being sold by the bank. Now to sell my house in Richmond.