Five Years Gone...

In less than 24 hours the weather here in North Texas has gone from sunny and 87 to cloudy and 33. A winter storm watch is in effect all weekend. Since this will probably lead to a slow weekend at work, I decided to reminisce for a moment...

Five years ago tomorrow I will have set foot on Texas soil and have remained with exception to four days in Vegas for a wedding...The day after I left Seattle a huge snowstorm pounded the northwest with snow totals at 14 inches or higher. I missed that by two days.

Enjoyed two days in Lincoln City Oregon before saying goodbye heading east then south. Fans of the beach and coast will truly enjoy the area in Central Oregon. Great shops in Depoe Bay, Lincoln City, Newport, and Florence...The Oregon Coast was the soulmate I always seeked.

In four days I would travel 2400 miles through 9 states. Not one of them confusion...It was a real eye opener to see the beauty of Twin Falls Idaho, Cheyenne Wyoming at sunset, the mountain peaks of Provo Utah before doing the descent through Colorado south. The I-25 went forever, and the weather got warmer...

It was Clayton New Mexico that the jacket came off and stayed off. I thought I had read the map correctly and was headed for Oklahoma City. WRONG! Next I see a sign that said 'Welcome To Texas'. I learned 30 minutes later I was in the panhandle. Believe me when I tell you that this state is spread out! Dalhart and Dumas were quiet and uneventful. The next day (President's Day) was a ballbreaker.

There were a bunch of roads where the speed limit was only 35MPH before I caught on to the I35E south and headed to Carrollton. I realized that North Dallas was nothing like I expected. Then I learned as I was setting foot the day prior, Dale Earnhardt died...My first memory of Dallas Texas was seeing the number 3 flapping out of car vehicles for almost a month. I then noticed how warm and cold it could get on a moment's notice. Over time the natives gave me a warm welcome. Now five years later I feel as entrenched as one could be. This all became possible on the advice of a sister whom I hadn't seen in 10 years. Happy to say that Barbara and I do the Friday lunch thing each and every Friday for almost three years.

To quote Jim Sundberg,'I'm not from Texas' but I got here as fast as I could. To think I have now spent the same amount of time in the South as I have spent in the Northwest amazes me. To my mind it seems like (put your index and thumb about a quarter inch apart) a mere second. Barbara once asked me what it would take for me to move. After five years, I believe my answer is 'Nothing'.

Have a great President's Day Weekend! See you in Las Colinas!

Over and out in Big D

Mr Will