On a rainy Sunday morning, nothing can be more enjoyable than a large cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. While I was in Alameda, this was easily accomplished with a quick 2 block walk to my local Starbucks, nestled in the tiny community along the main drag. It had nothing to do with the brand of coffee, just the location and ease of access. Unfortunately, I am now stuck in the suburban sprawl of South Austin where you need to drive anywhere and everywhere, including the local coffee shop. So it’s no longer as easy as throwing on some clothes and walking down the street. I miss my local Starbucks.

It is very unfortunate that I don’t have a birthday coming up, for what better way to show you care than the gift of a Banana Guard.

Clicking through some news and links and landed on the Who Owns What web site. The Columbia Journalism Review has listed media companies and which networks they own. Growing up in Dallas, Belo was a major company with media outlets nationwide. Curious as to their current holdings, I noticed that they own dual TV stations in a couple of markets: Tuscon, Spokane, Phoenix. And the two that really caught my eye, the pair in Seattle.

KING and KONG

As I headed out the door at full stride, on the way to work, I had a crucial decision to make. Subway or Schlotzsky’s. What could I say, cold cuts or warm sandwich, long sub or round bun, build it yourself or accept the regular ingredients? After many, many seconds of consultation and a discussion with my brain trust, Subway was declared the winner.

Thrilled with my choice and waiting to pay, the cashier asked if I would like a cookie with my order. “No thanks, not today,” I responded. Click. A commercial I had seen, something about… And then she rebutted, “but it’s Free Cookie Day!” Of course it was, how could I forget free cookie day. So on the way to work, complements of Subway, I enjoyed a fantastic White Macadamia Nut cookie.

…no, no I mean Atlantic City. For those people who might have recieved the Trivial Pursuit question, “From what city did Monopoly get it’s property names?”, here’s your answer. Okay, probably a little more than most of you want to know, but play a little more Trivial Pursuit and this might just come in handy.

After years of some of the most moderate weather in the country, Texas is welcoming me back home. It feels like I’ve gone through more weather changes in the last three weeks than the last three years. Hot, cold, rain, wind, lightning, etc. It just keeps changing.

Don’t get me wrong, one of the things that I missed most about the weather was this exact phenomenon. On one of my first trips back from San Francisco, Ihad the opportunity to view a thunderstorm brew for several hours. You knew it was coming and you knew that you had better finish anything outdoors that you had to do, because it was about to poor. When the storm finally blew in, it was magnificent, if only due to the buildup.

This is just not a scene you are going to experience in the Bay Area. It might have rained 3 or 4 times while I live there. I mean real rain, actual drops, not the heavy mist that you might occasionaly get (more than occasionally out in the Avenues).

The microclimates treated me well, but I like the fact that I get to experience actual seasons now, even if I don’t necessarily like the weather they bring.

Now that the dust has settled (or rather been vacummed and swiffed away) my move to Austin is final. After almost 5 months of traveling and visiting with family and friends, I have a room that I can call my own. No more of my sister’s furniture or futon surfing. No more claiming my occupation of the moment as a nomad. I think I might even have more posessions in one room than will fit in my vehicle, a serious step in actually calling a new town my home.

I say new town, but in reality a part of me has maintained some residence in Austin for many years. It was the escape from San Marcos, a larger metropolis with unique focus on music and film and Texas. Everytime I flew in from San Francisco and they circled over downtown Austin for final approach, I felt the connection with the city. With the opportunity to return and experience the city as a resident instead of visitor, I am excited to not only have a bedroom but to have a city that resonates with my personality.

Twenty minutes ago there was sun. It wasn’t exactly a warm spring day in Texas, but the world was light. As I read a couple of articles online, the room grew darker. The whole house was depressed into a dull, grey reality. Then the rain began to fall sideways, blowing in fast and pelting the house and yard with large beads of water. The thunder is beginning to be heard and the storm will continue. At least for another twenty minutes.

Apparently I can only tell if a person is genuinely smiling at me 50% of the time. I honestly didn’t expect to do any better, but then I guess I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about whether individuals that I am around are faking their enjoyment. Great, guess I just added another neurosis to the list.

After graduating college and having a real job, I thought that my transition to adulthood was fairly complete. Granted, I haven’t bought my first house or had kids, the settling down part of maturity, but I have finally broached the post academic world and was just starting to enjoy it. And it was with this framing that I went to a party on Saturday night. Sounds exciting, right? Not really.

That’s because it was a birthday party… at a bowling alley. Correct, a bowling alley. As in what you would expect to see on an episode of Roseanne. Seriously, this girl was turning like 26 or 27. And yes, secretly there is nothing truly wrong with going bowling, but when, during your prime years, especially when single and dating, you choose to host an all-ages, cake-eating, giggling, silly celebration you are truly just wishing that you were 12 again. That’s why you have kids, then you don’t have to look like the responsible party.

So while everyone else is getting older, I am actually regressing to sixth grade. Next weekend I heard we might play spin the bottle at Billy’s house, but only if his parents stay downstairs.

Enjoy your adulthood