Memorable Moving Weekend

Well, we’re here. We are officially residents of Austin, Texas!

Friday

After a very early client meeting, we went to get the truck. We took our time during the day to load what we’d need and what we could fit into the new place. We had to leave L’s dad’s desk behind (it’s HUGE!), but were able to bring the table that his parents refinished.

Saturday

We packed a few last minute things, like Turtleor, and got on the road by 9am. Thanks to the VZ Navigator on our phones, we found a new, more direct route to our village. Just as we started to unload, Sandra & Roy arrived with Monica & Kelly in tow. The extra sets of hands made for fast work. We started after 12noon and were totally loaded in by 2:30!!!

We treated the Braggs to burgers at the neighborhood bar & grill. Roy commented that if he lived here, he’d never leave. In the same strip with the grill is an Asian restaurant, a dry cleaner, a liquor store, a small grocery, and a nail salon. The only thing missing, he pointed out, is a small hardware store.

After we saw the Braggs back to New Braunfels, we began to unpack. We stuck to traditional gender roles: L, kitchen; E, networking the tvs/stereos/computers. We also got Turtleor set up with a clean tank and fresh water. Our plan was to unpack for a while and then hit the hot tub (our village has one of the three on property!), but the rain kept us away from the pool. The weather also kept us from returning the rental truck since we had until Monday to get it back.

This Place!

L has promised a couple of you that we’d blog about the place we are living. It’s utterly amazing. In talking to people who live here and those who are moving out, everyone says the same thing, “You will love living here. It’s the best apartments in all of Austin.”

So, here goes:

  • 9 pools
  • 3 hot tubs
  • 109 barbecue grills with underground propane
  • 11,000 sq ft athletic club with weights, cardio, free classes, and locker rooms. Massages and tanning are also available at amazing rates.
  • tennis
  • basketball
  • sand volleyball with tournaments and intramurals
  • racquetball with tournaments and intramurals
  • car care centers with free water and vacuums
  • laundry centers even though we have hookups in the apartments
  • dog parks that are fenced in
  • 3 mile walk/jog/hike/bike trail
  • lake
  • fire pit
  • bocce court and wine bar (how French is THAT?)
  • business center with computers, copier, fax, work center, conference room, and WiFi
  • party room to rent
  • party pavillion to rent
  • …and the partrige in the pear tree?A full-time event coordinator on staff; two events weekly some of which have 400 attendees. Networking, galore!

Sunday

We cooked our first breakfast in the new place and stayed at the apartment (L unpacked all the china, crystal, and barware) until the cable installation was complete. E was terribly disappointed in the boxes from Time Warner Cable. They do not have a serial port in the back, so TiVo has to use infrared to change the channel on the box when it needs to record a program. In our experience, the infrared does not work very well (when it can’t change the channel, it just records whatever randomness is on some other channel), so we are going to have to research other potential options.

L spent the rest of the day with a migraine headache, so we were careful about how active we were. We ventured a little further for lunch at Bone Daddy’s BBQ. We didn’t know the…ahem…”atmosphere” we’d find. Wow! Hooter’s ain’t got nuthin’ on this place. So, if you Bryanites want Hooters to finally build and open, show the uuber conservatives how “bad” it could be: take them to Bone Daddy’s. Our food was amazing! The flavor was rich and the order was accurate. The portions were huge, so it’s easily two meals (which is good ’cause it’s a little on the pricey side for BBQ and burgers).

On the way back, E got us lost and we ended up on West Cow street. During this time, L was calling numbers for desks we found for sale. As soon as we got back, we met the first guy and bought his desk for $25. He’s also a Mac user and a film maker. He does wedding videography! How perfect! After that, we returned the rental truck and ran an errand. We still hadn’t stocked the freezer and refrigerator, so for supper, we found another nearby Asian place: Thai Cuisine. Our food was fabulous, there, too. We are thrilled to have so many options at our disposal.

We already figured out that one arrangement wasn’t going to work, so we moved that around and prepped all the things we needed to take back to Bryan.

Monday

Our big task on Monday was a purchase a sofa. Ikea was running a Memorial Day sale and had one for only $149. It was even easy to assemble!

We celebrated the day at Lucky Dog, a Chicago-style hot dog restaurant. We packed up the truck, took a cooling off break at the pool and then headed back to Bryan for E’s last two days of work and L’s May wedding.

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