Giving Thanks

I'm writing this on the verge of a tryptophan-induced coma on my aunt's couch in suburban Houston. My cousin and I drove in last night, in what will forever be remembered as the best Thanksgiving-weekend traffic ever. There were long periods of time when we were the only car on the road. Thank goodness for Texas and Farm Roads. My cousin coming from New Orleans was not so lucky, a normally 6-hour drive took almost 10.
I guess this is where I'm supposed to talk about how it's Thanksgiving and I'm so thankful for everything in my life. So here you go. I'm thankful that I have had the experience living in Austin for the past few months. I'm thankful that my roommate is awesome, that my car hasn't fallen apart yet, and that I haven't managed to bankrupt myself.
I'm thankful for my family, that I've been included in this Thanksgiving celebration here in Texas, and that I have so many different fantastic family members.
I'm really thankful that I am coming home soon.

Two weeks from now we will be halfway through our drive back to Seattle. If all goes as planned we will be at my grandpa's house in southern California, getting ready to make the drive up I-5. I'm excited for the trip and for the destination. Although I have enjoyed my time here, I miss Seattle (and all it entails) like crazy.

I think I'll keep up this blog even though my Texas adventure is ending for the time being. So, stay tuned for next week's episode!

Tornado watch? WTF Texas? Tornado warning in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Which I think is the more serious one.
Gross.
Also, it needs to get cold already. It doesn't feel like November, or even like October, (except at night) and I have to say I don't like it, not one bit.
I like to wear sweatshirts and sweaters and jeans. I like to drink hot coffee and curl up under a blanket.
I do not like it when it is 78 degrees and raining, thanks. Unless it's also Hawai'i. And Austin is not Hawai'i.
I'm sure I will get home and it will rain for three straight months and I will hate that, too. But for now, it sounds good.

Is it possible that it feels so cold here because it's not as humid as Seattle? That seems counter-intuitive, but the weather report says the humidity level here is 25% and in Seattle it's 67%.
I thought it was supposed to be more humid here?

Either way, I'm freaking freezing.

I really want one or both of these t-shirts:

(http://www.wickedcoolstuff.com/probfrbetoch.html)


(http://printliberation.com/store.php?id=96)

Both very cool.

In other news, I'm very excited for my grandma and birthmom to come visit next week, to take two days off of work, to start planning my return to Seattle, and, more currently, to get in the nice hot bath I am currently drawing. I'm not sure what it is about Austin, but I am really really ridiculously cold. It's 55 degrees. That is not cold. Maybe it's the fact that we're situated on the edge of a big desert?

Um. Texas.

There was a big police/SWAT standoff this morning in North Austin, and it's all over the news. The thing that really shocked me is this: Austin Police carry semi-automatic weapons.

Yeah.

Texas.

Or maybe I'm naive and all urban police carry semi-automatic weapons?

Ok so the "big" news is I've decided to move back to Seattle/Bellevue in December when my lease is up here.
I am loving a lot of things about Austin, but it's not enough to quell the unbelievable homesickness I am experiencing. It has gotten better (ie I don't cry every day), but it's not enough.
So, expect me home in December. (Or expect me gone, depending on your location)
I'll be driving, hopefully with some family member or another, so pray for good weather and no construction between here and there. I will probably be driving over to California and then up I-5. While it won't be the prettiest or even shortest way, it will probably be the fastest and least likely to be snowy and gross and terrifying.

297 electoral votes, baby!

I just cried. I might cry again. This is such an amazing moment.

Why the heck are there Christmas ads on the television right now? Seriously?

OBAMA!!!


Other things are happening, but it's all I can think about.

Iowa, Ohio, and New Mexico are all predicted to "switch sides" and go blue. This is big, people. This is history. This is amazing. I don't want to hope too much, but I can't help myself. I've wanted this for four+ years. OBAMA!!!