A Bit of News

I finally have a minuscule amount of news. Andy has learned that the form that needs to be send to HR is in the works. Now we're just waiting on his boss to check about some budget info. Once the form is submitted, then the process is in full swing. We'll be paired with a point person from Hewitt (the company BP outsources its HR duties to). This point person will coordinate everything we need, including hooking us up with a Realtor here and in Texas. It will be nice to finally feel like we are accomplishing something. The next decision we will probably have to make is when we want to go; although I am not sure that we have the final say in that. As it looks now, it will be this summer. If it's up to me, I'd like to go no earlier than August. We'll see how it all works out.

One Small Step...

After a long week of waiting until Andy's other boss was back in town, she returned to the office yesterday, which means his two bosses went to lunch and discussed Andy's situation. Unfortunately, Andy had to leave the office early to go to class, so he never got a chance to check in to see how the conversation went. We are assuming that the next step involves his boss putting in a formal request to HR, which will allow us to get this process officially started. What is frustrating about the relocation is that you really have to play by the company's rules in order to reap all the benefits. You can't talk to a Realtor or make trips to your new location until you've been assigned a point person from HR, who coordinates all the details. Ahh...gotta love the red tape. Andy has also learned that he has a meeting in Houston in April, so we are planning on making it a house-hunting trip. I can tag along and tour some of these areas. Plus, we are hoping by then that we are underway with the "official" process, so we'll be able to be working with a Realtor there.

Making Progress...

Yesterday Andy talked to one of his bosses about us "volunteering" to go to Houston. So the first step is done, and next week he'll talk to another boss (one who is actually more of a boss to him) when she returns from London. We hope that this means the ball is rolling.

Also, one of the guys who lives in Katy and works for BP in Houston was in the office yesterday. He brought Andy a bunch of folders with house plans from many builders in Cinco Ranch and Seven Meadows. This is good news for me because it means I have more fun stuff to read and research!

Dreading our Applebee's Future

Most weekends, we go out to dinner at our favorite family restaurant here in Chicago: The Port. We first discovered The Port (short for "Southport City Saloon") when we were first dating when I'd drive from Ann Arbor to Chicago for weekend visits. Being a block from Andy's first apartment on Southport, we went to their brunches and visited the beer garden on a few occasions. The Port is the coziest, least pretentious place I know in our neighborhood. It offers comfort food with a German flair (although the chef, Jose, is Mexican so they also have great guacamole and nachos), and the servers are so nice. They know us by name, and, Sal, the bus boy, LOVES Henry. The Port holds a special place in our hearts for a few reasons. We went there one week before I had Henry for a yummy Oktoberfest meal, we went there for our first family dinner when Henry was a few weeks old (and took turns swinging him around in his car seat so he'd fall asleep), and we continue to visit regularly because we never feel like they get annoyed with our 16-month-old. In short, we love it, and it's definitely one place we'll really miss when we move. We keep envisioning endless strip malls filled with Applebees, Chilis, etc. and it makes us cringe. The Port is what all those places strive to create, at which they fail miserably. The Port doesn't need "flair," memorabilia from local points of "Americana," or even a chic Chicago menu--It offers something beyond that, something that can't be reproduced, something we will miss dearly.

The New HAR.com

www.HAR.com is the ultimate resource for Houston house-hunters. Andy and I have been using it since we found out about the move, and we love searching with the maps, master-planned community finder, and more. For the past week or so, there has been a countdown on the HAR website, touting the new release of the "new & improved" site. Well, today was the day. I know this is so dorky, but I am so excited about it because they've added all kinds of new info. Just what I need: more stuff to research. Of course, the properties are all the same, but it's fun to have a little mix-up.

More Sub-Zero Temps...and it's 70 in Houston!

This weather is such a drag. I know that I may be cursing the heat and humidity in Houston eventually, but I'd take it over the snow, ice and negative wind chills we are having here in Chicago. It's so hard to get out of the house with Henry in weather like this. Yesterday afternoon I had finally had enough, so we bundled up and headed to open gym at Gymboree. Gymboree was definitely a great investment for this winter! I like the class, but it's the open gym that is really money. When we got back, however, I could barely park my car behind our house. Two large ice mounds had formed in the alley, and when I tried to turn to park, the car kept sliding. I finally managed to park, but on the way around the backside of the car to get Henry out of his carseat, I totally wiped out on the ice. Thank goodness I didn't have Henry in my arms! So, I guess that's a pro for Houston: warm weather -no ice involved!

No News is Bad News

I should have known better than to get all excited for a potential announcement. Both meetings on Thursday proved fruitless. We did learn that they are taking volunteers to go to Houston, which we may just do, if the move is inevitable. The next step is for Andy to discuss the volunteer option with his boss next week. We are thinking that volunteering would be better than being forced to go at a later date because we would (potentially) have more control over the situation. At this point, we just want some answers.