The Pain of the Holding Pattern

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner. I love researching, weighing options, finding info, anything it takes to be informed. Usually, however, there is a marked end to my research--a finishing line. A point. Right now I have none of those things with this Houston move. BP makes the mistake (in my opinion) of sharing news that will uproot the lives of their employees, and then they make us wait. I am not in a hurry to leave Chicago. Hardly. I want to be here through one more summer! But, I do hate not knowing when we will have to move. I have taken a break from endless searching of real estate listings. At this point, it is making me more frustrated than prepared, and my type-A personality can't take it. I hope the upcoming holidays will distract me from the unknown, and, by the time I recover from Christmas, we'll be a step closer to some sort of answers.

The City Data Forum

Have you seen the City Data website? It is a great resource to learn about various cities in the U.S. There is also a forum where people post questions: "College grad looking for a safe place to live in Atlanta" or "Single mom looking for good schools for kids in Seattle." I've been browsing the Houston forum for insight into various neighborhoods and communities. It's a neat resource, but, of course, you have to take it all with a grain of salt. What is has done, however, is alert us to areas we hadn't previously heard of. That is how we found out about Bridgeland, my newest Houston obsession. We didn't get a chance to visit, but we certainly will! It is located in the Cypress area of Houston, Northwest to be precise. It has loads of trees and natural waterways, which is very appealing. Well, at least it looks appealing from the website. We could get there only to find a power plant in our backyard or something. Check it out at www.bridgeland.com

Insta-Communities

Master-planned communities (MPC) are big in Houston. "Big" as in both "really large" and "popular." Basically, these developers come in and plan out an entire community. I am not talking about a subdivision with a few cul-de-sacs. Oh no, I mean huge communities, some as big as 10,000 acres, that are essentially self-sufficient. They have neighborhoods within the community, at varying price ranges, as well as schools, churches (It's Texas so there are LOTS of churches....), hospitals, shopping centers, libraries, etc. In a lot of ways, it is a great set-up, especially with kids and especially if you are new to the area. But, when we visited Cinco Ranch (one of the "best" MPCs in the suburban Houston area), I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. There is something really creepy about a place that has no history. Or, at least, the history that is/was there, no longer is because it's been eradicated by these developments. In the case of the Katy area, it is/was a prairie, so it's flat and barren. To Houstonites, MPCs are a way of life, and, yes, there are definite bonuses to living in one. But, there's a part of me that can't quite cope with the inauthenticity of it all. Until, that is, I start looking at the model homes and the cost of living. Then then the materialist in me appears, shallow as can be. Screw authenticity; I am going to have a cool house!

First Impressions

Henry and I arrived in Houston on Thursday morning. Andy warned me that our drive to the hotel would be anything but scenic. "Think about the surroundings driving from Midway to downtown," he warned. When we arrived at our hotel, I was surprised by the lush trees and landscaping. It was beautiful! We stayed at the Houstonian, and it was a lovey setting. Once we were settled in and had some lunch, we took the 610 South to Sugar Land. Now, THAT was the view I was not prepared for. It was nothing but strip malls and chain restaurants. There is no other word for it other than "ugly." But, redemption awaited once we arrived in Sugar Land. We really liked parts of the community known as "First Colony." Overall, there were parts of Sugar Land that we liked, but it seemed like the commute would be bad for Andy. We had dinner at the hotel and went to bed early.

On Friday morning, we treated Henry to his first IHOP visit where he downed a two-egg omlette and a pancake. We headed up to Katy, a suburb West of Houston. Katy is a booming suburban community, home to many master-planned communities. We looked at Cinco Rancn and Seven Meadows. We drove by Grand Lakes, with no time to stop. We regretted that decision later when we found out that many of the lots in Grand Lakes sit on waterways. These communities are unreal. They are huge, with multiple pools and recreation centers. They have a lot of activities for kids and families, which would be nice. We looked at some new construction and met with a builder, but no decisions have been made. Overall, we decided we could handle the move for a few years, but, at this point, we don't see ourselves living in TX for the long term.

There will be future posts about some of the various quirks of our trip, but I wanted to update you with our first impressions.
Here are some sites for the various communities we saw
Cinco Ranch: www.cincoranch.com, Grand Lakes www.grandlakes.com, Seven Meadows www.sevenmeadows.com

The Maiden Voyage

On Thursday morning, Henry and I leave for Houston for our first visit. Andy is there for work, so we figured it was a good time for me to check it out. Or, as Andy said, "I just want you to visit before we are sure we are doing this in case you really hate it." We are planning on checking out Katy and Sugar Land, both of which we've heard are good places to be. I will update once we return. Oh, and I have to fly with my squirmy son, so that should be quite an adventure.

Kirby+Texas=Snake & Gator bait

"Bayou" is such a fun word, isn't it? I have never really had an occasion to use the word "bayou" until now. When I live in Texas, I think I'll be able to use it a lot. And while the idea of living near a bayou is cool, let me just say that, yes, it is cool until you decide to do one of two (or both) of the following: 1.) read stories about gators feasting on neighborhood dogs after the gators meander from their cozy bayou homes and break through backyard fences looking for grub in the form of Fido or 2.) decide to Google "Poisonous Snakes in Houston." Thanks to the lack of zoning and the expanse of master-planned communities butting up against many-a-bayou, it seems snakes (some nasty ones at that) and gators are a reality. Now, I have read forum postings from Houstonians (Houstonites?) who claim they have never encountered a snake or gator (I am more upset about the snake possibility....), while others recount tales of Copperheads curled up in their driveways or coral snakes weaving through their landscaping. I did find the site of one man who dispels snake rumors and claims he lets Texas Rat Snakes loose in his attic to kill the occasional vermin that make their way into the eaves. So, here they are: the poisonous snakes in the Houston area, copied from the Houston Audubon Society website, www.houstonaudobon.org

Venomous Snakes

Southern Copperhead	Most common venomous snake in our area. Deaths are extremely rare from its bite, though it could be fatal to a small child and could cause the loss of a limb or digit. The copper-colored dark bands which encircle the pale-skinned body appear to be compressed into an hour-glass shape over the spine. Principal food is mice, but it readily eats other small animals. Lover of woodpiles and leaf litter. Adults up to 30" long. Young have bright yellow tail tips. Live-bearing.
Western Cottonmouth	Stout dark viper mainly seen in water but may live in dry habitats. Normal adult size 36". Relatively few people bitten despite reputation. Mortality rate throughout the U.S. is less than 1 person a year. Many harmless and beneficial water snakes are mistaken for the cottonmouth and needlessly killed. Young have bright yellow tail tips. Live-bearing.
Texas Coral	Small (up to 26") snake with vivid markings: red bands surrounded by yellow bands on each side. (One helpful way to remember this is to think of a traffic light - when you have the yellow warning light and red stop light on together, you better stop!) Several harmless snakes resemble the coral snake but do not have adjoining red and yellow bands. The coral snake's venom is the most virulent in the U.S. It is non-aggressive and virtually all bites occur from someone trying to touch or handle it. Antivenin should be given at once. Found in plant litter or rocky crevices. Eats primarily other snakes. Egg-bearing.

Rattlesnakes

May be found in outlying areas around Houston but are uncommon. Many snakes, including copperheads, cottonmouths and nonpoisonous snakes, also vibrate their tails when threatened, and if the snake is in a brushy area, the sound can be quite similar to a rattler. If you are bitten by a rattler, seek medical attention at once! Fatalities are very rare now because of the excellent treatment which is available. All rattlers are live-bearing. The young often have yellow tail tips before the rattles begin to form.

Western Diamondback	The largest and most wide-spread of the rattlers in our area. It averages 3' to 4' and feeds on small mammals. Because it often forages during the day, it is the most likely rattler to be seen, especially around farm buildings.
Timber Rattlesnake	Not quite as large and not easily found. It prefers to hunt at night in thickets away from areas of human occupation.
Western Massasauga	Average length of about 2'. It prefers grasslands with prickly pear thickets and is very uncommon.
Western Pigmy	Also rare. It is a little over a food long and stockily built. It is very retiring but will bite readily if threatened.

Now, I am not totally anti-snakes; I do understand that snakes are important to the ecological balance of an area. But the poisonous ones freak me out. I may have to rethink any properties that list "view of bayou" in the description. Then again, last month I found a dead rat the size of a small cat a the foot of my back stairs. Maybe the Texas Rat Snake idea isn't so bad....
All I know is that Henry is not allowed to have this in his room:

It's true...people are really nice in Texas

Since I've been telling people about our impending move to Houston, I have been met with a variety of responses. Some are positive ("No more snow!" or "What an adventure!") and some are negative ("Houston is weird" and "Sure, the cost of living is cheap, but it's Texas.") But, the one thing I have heard from both sides is the same: people are really friendly. Last week, I got a sneak peek of the friendly Southern charm of Texans. I called the information center of one of the master-planned communities we are interested in looking at when we head to Houston next week, and the woman who answered was, quite possibly, the nicest person I've talked to in that situation. Not to say Chicagoans are un-friendly, they're not. It's just that the level of friendliness and helpfulness I experienced on the phone last week was a whole new level. The woman I spoke to talked to me about moving from the Midwest to Texas (which she did in 1991), told me I'd have no problem meeting people, and said the only thing she misses about Illinois are basements. Well, I think I'll miss more than our basement, but it sure was nice to hear that she likes Houston. After thinking about it, I realized why this woman was so helpful on the phone: she was more than happy to take the time to talk to me at length. I think this is where calling an info center in Chicago would be different. The person on the other end would be helpful, but he or she would want to move on to the next call or task at hand.

So, with that very limited interaction, at least I have a good first impression about Texans. I hope this trend continues. Once I get down there, I'll need some friends.

Andy dropped the Bomb

The day BP made the big annoucement was Thursday, October 18th
It was a typical morning. I was on my way home from Be By Baby for story time, with my sweet Henry in tow, when Andy called. Here is a transcript of our conversation:

Andy: "So, you know how the winters in Chicago are really cold?"
Me: "Yeah...."
Andy: "They're not cold in Houston!"

Yes, that's how he introduced the idea. Caught off guard, I drove home, and I don't think the news really started to sink in until I started Googling Houston, looking at real estate, etc. , and then the idea started sinking in really fast.

Me? Texas? Honestly, I never really thought about it. It just wasn't really a possibility in my mind. Thoughts of all the things I love about Chicago flooded my mind: walking everywhere, having a great network of friends, feeling like we really have roots here, living in a beautiful city,...I could go on and on. But then something funny started to happen. I started being secretly excited about this unexpected adventure. Maybe the idea was easier to get used to because we had already decided to move to the 'burbs, or maybe I was just intrigued that, unlike the impending move to Glen Ellyn, the decision was out of my hands. I never was totally comfortable with the completely conscious decision to move on to the next phase and place in our lives, knowing it's where our family would be "from." So, in essence, this move to Texas delays that process. Somehow, not being aware of our next move, where we'll end up, suits me more.

So maybe naming this post "Andy dropped the Bomb" isn't accurate--it's the negative connotation that gets me. October 18th, 2007 is just a day when our life started to get really interesting.