Removing negativity from the top!

My main purpose in writing this entry is so that the first entry that is seen is NOT about a scary storm! But I don't actually have that much to write about right now. My deep thoughts seem to have stayed in New York City, which actually might be a blessing. I was re-reading some of the blogs from 2006-2007 and thought to myself, "excatly which drugs were you taking back then?" I do have funny thoughts from time to time, and wish at those times that I had a pen and paper and could write them down. But they usually come at the most inconvenient times - such as when I am getting ready for work and am already fifteen minutes late, or I'm in the car and it would be considered a hazard to take two hands off the wheel in order to write down something clever or inspired. Alas, I wait until all the stars align. I must be sitting at my computer when the thought arises. This happened a lot more in New York than it does now, which is a shame. But perhaps inspiration comes from trials, and NYC certain had plenty of those! My life in Texas is pretty simple, and for that I am grateful.

I hope you are also grateful. If you are, please feel free to tell me why.

Kelly

Stormy weather

Tonight my county - Williamson County - was issued a tornado warning that is supposed to end in about 10 minutes. (Update: The tornado warning was extended from 8:30 to 9:00 now. And the hail must be really bad because it sounds like someone is walking in my attic). The sky is all lit up with lightening and thunder is shaking the house. Dobe has been pacing nervously and I brought in all the plants and other loose objects from the patio. The only thing I didn't bring in was the grill. Here's hoping.

Mike is at the movies for a work-sponsored event, and I am worried about him getting in his car to drive home without turning on his phone and checking my text messages and without knowing anything about what the weather is doing. I'm keeping a very watchful eye on the color of the sky - I think it turns green before a tornado hits and you hear something that sounds like a train whistle. Right now all I hear is thunder and rain/hail. If anything else happens, Dobe and I head for the closet. Storms are fun. Tornados are not. It would be much better if Mike was here, or if I could at least rely on him to turn his phone on. He is not usually good at remembering to do those things.

Yeah, the lights just flickered. I'm totally stressing. Dobe is laying by the bedroom door waiting for Mike to come in...I wish he would come sit by me!! =)

Everyone stay safe out there!

8:54pm Update: I believe the worst of the storm has passed me, but Mike is probably in the thick of it. I am thanking God that he decided to turn his phone on in the middle of the movie and saw my text messages. Whatever convinced him to do that?? He knows to stay put until after the storm passes.

Making a comeback...

So wow...it's been two years since I updated my blog. Much has transpired. A couple of weeks after my last post in April 2007, Mike proposed to me in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. In February of the following year (2008), we said goodbye to New York and all of our friends and moved to Texas. We were married in Houston in April. We rented in Austin for about a year. We had no plans to buy any time soon, but with the housing market as it was and interest rates so low, we decided to take the leap and are now proud homeowners. Our dog, Dobe, loves it very much. One of the first things we did for him was to install a doggie door to give him access to the backyard. MUCH better than being at the mercy of his sleepy owners at 3:00 in the morning like it was in the apartment. We also adopted a cat named Emmy. Emmy no longer resides with us though. It just didn't work out. That may be a story for another time.

We miss New York and our friends there very much. There is no place on earth like it, and I feel very fortunate to be able to say that I lived there for two years of my life. However, we really love being in Central Texas. We have access to so many local natural resources like lakes and parks, and the weather allows us to utilize them most of the year. But I guess the biggest difference is the space per square foot. Our home is about five times the size (not counting the yard) as our studio apartment in Brooklyn, and we are paying nearly the same per month to own it.

One disadvantage is the lack of public transportation. We both have cars, and though they are both economical, we spend a lot in gas, insurance and car payments. I never thought I would say that I missed the NYC subways, but there it is. And it's not just that I can get from point A to point B without the huge cost. Since leaving New York, I went from reading 1-2 books per month to 1-2 books every 4-5 months! In NYC, I did all my reading in transit, and now I am lucky to get in 5 pages before I drift off to sleep.

Of course, anyone who knows me well knows what I miss the most about living in NYC...Broadway! It kills me to think of all the shows that I will never see. Those short-run plays that are big hits but will never tour. Most of the musicals that I love will eventually make the rounds. In the meantime, I cannot wait until our next visit to NYC (hopefully in October). The first show I want to see is In The Heights. The rest I need to research. Le and Swamy just came back from a visit last month and saw a few really good shows that they may be able to recommend. (Alas! I will not be able to see them all!)

So that is my life the past two years in a nutshell. Of course I left out lots of details...the job, activities, family life, etc. That will come later! Thanks for reading, and hope you are all doing great!