Boston to Austin

Viola leaves the house for her first day of high school

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:13:45 -0400

Viola leaves the house for her first day of high school

Last Red Sox game I’ll be watching from Boston for a while

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:59:40 -0400

Last Red Sox game I’ll be watching from Boston for a while

Furniture for the new house

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:34:40 -0400

Yesterday was a shopping day, as we picked up two beds, a living room set, and a dining table at Rooms to Go. We also scouted washers, dryers, at flat-screen TVs.

Flying back to Boston

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:32:07 -0400

Maybe I should have named this blog “Boston to Austin to Boston to Austin.” I’ve just checked in at the Austin International Airport ahead of a quick weekend jaunt back to Boston.

I’ll attend my cousin’s wedding on Saturday afternoon and then return to Austin on Sunday morning.

Stella tells me there’s still a “little bit of cleaning” to be done at our old apartment. I’m a little nervous about her definition of “a little.”

Watching USA-Argentina men’s basketball semifinal game...

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:26:00 -0400

Watching USA-Argentina men’s basketball semifinal game from the Austin International Airport

Rental lease signed; Viola registered at school

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:20:50 -0400

Stella and I signed a lease last night for a 3,200-square foot home, and we’ll get the keys on Sunday!

Today’s task: Buying some furniture to go into that empty house.

We completed Viola’s registration yesterday, too. And much to her surprise, she has not one, but two books to read and answer questions for between now and her first day of school on Monday morning.

It’s great to see Amani again! He had a big smile and hug...

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:04:00 -0400

It’s great to see Amani again! He had a big smile and hug for me when he stepped off the elevator.

In this photo, Amani is hanging out on the grounds of one of the high schools we visited with Viola.

Narrowing down apartment options

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 01:00:33 -0400

We visited six apartments today and have identified two that we really like. Both are considerably bigger than our old apartment in Malden. One is about 2,700 square feet and the other is around 3,300 square feet. Both places have four bedrooms and an office (for my work for LiveWorld), not to mention nice backyards and a ton of closet space.

I’ll be checking with the local school district tomorrow to confirm that both places are on bus routes, and then we’ll hand in our application. We hope to get the keys by tomorrow night or early on Thursday. Then, we’ll have a huge house to fill!

In a blur, the Person Family arrives in Austin! Stella, Viola,...

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:55:00 -0400

In a blur, the Person Family arrives in Austin!

Stella, Viola, and Amani landed about 11:30am, and then we all had fun taking the luggage over to the parking lot and squeezing it all into our Chevy Malibu Maxx.

Now we have suitcases galore scattered all over our extended-stay hotel. It’ll be tight quarters for the next few days, but we’ll make do.

Checking out apartments

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:47:05 -0400

I’m off to meet our realtor, Amy, and to took a look at some potential rental apartments for us. Then, I pick up Stella and the kids at 11:00!

I’ll provide an update tonight.

Recapping yesterday's rainy final day

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:45:49 -0400

Though yesterday’s fourth and final leg of my Boston-to-Austin drive was by far the shortest at a mere 404.7 miles (the first three days were all 700-plus miles), it certainly felt a long haul to me.

The weather was absolutely abysmal, save for the final 30 minutes of the drive, when, in true storybook fashion, the rainy skies gave way to some sunshine. What a welcome to Austin!

But apart from that final, glorious stretch, I had to contend with several extended stretches of blinding torrential downpours throughout the day. Speeds were reduced to 40-50mph in spots.

There were accidents all over the place, too, with cars having driven into each other or into the median. I landed in a major jam just north of Fort Worth (30-plus minutes of bumper-to-bumper traffic), and eventually jumped off the main interstate (I-35W) in search of an alternate route. Of course, the surface roads were backed up as well.

Along the way, though, I took a much-needed break for a drink and some grub with Jay Ehret at the famous George’s in Waco, Texas (yes, that Waco). It was true Texas, with country music blaring and locals drinking The Big O and having a smoke (not a fan of that part, of course). I sampled a refreshing Shiner Bock. A big thanks to Jay for his hospitality!

Final statistics and notes on the drive

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:15:39 -0400

Starting time: 6:45am on Friday, August 15
Ending time: 7:15pm (approximately) on Monday, August 18
Google Maps’ estimated miles for my trip: 2,453
Actual total miles driven: 2,536.7
Day 1 miles: 717.5
Day 2 miles: 705.5
Day 3 miles: 708.7
Day 4 miles: 404.7
13 states I drove through and/or stopped in (new states for me in bold): Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
Top driving speed: My mother is reading this blog, so better not say
Number of speeding tickets: 0
Number of parking tickets: 1
Number of state trooper cars I saw while driving through New York State: 12 (estimate)
Number of cop cars I saw after leaving New York State: 4 (guess)
Number of corn fields I passed: 1,726
Coolest name of town I saw: Stella (Nebraska)
Number of dropped calls: 12 (estimate) — thanks, AT&T!
Social media pals I met up with: 9

I made it!

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:19:10 -0400

Sitting in the parking lot of the hotel. I’m in Austin! All up, the drive covered 2,536.7 miles over 4 long days. More details to come — but I need to check in first. It’s wonderful to be here.

@TheMatketingGuy, Jay Ehret, and I at George’s in Waco

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:33:41 -0400

@TheMatketingGuy, Jay Ehret, and I at George’s in Waco

Stuck in traffic, in the rain, in Fort Worth

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:09:18 -0400

Stuck in traffic, in the rain, in Fort Worth

I’m in Texas!

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:36:07 -0400

I’m in Texas!

Morning coffee in Oklahoma City withTiffany Monhollon

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:29:12 -0400

Morning coffee in Oklahoma City withTiffany Monhollon

Tiffany Monhollon (@TMonhollon on Twitter) Take II, at Starbucks...

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:14:38 -0400

Tiffany Monhollon (@TMonhollon on Twitter) Take II, at Starbucks in Oklahoma City

Tiffany Monhollon (@TMonhollon on Twitter) at Starbucks in...

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:14:02 -0400

Tiffany Monhollon (@TMonhollon on Twitter) at Starbucks in Oklahoma City

Day 4 gets going

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:39:45 -0400

Headed out for coffee with Tiffany Monhollon. I’ll be checking in here throughout the day.