My Vendetta Against People Who Don't Shovel

What is it with people who live in the city who don't shovel their piece of sidewalk? It's their civic duty (or their landlord's or condo association's duty), and it's the proverbial thorn in my side (my dog-walking-stroller-pushing side, that is). I have been lugging Henry around in the Ergo (our souped up baby carrier), but today I decided to give the stroller a go. After all, the snowstorm was on Saturday night. You'd think people would have had time to shovel by now. Big mistake. I want to make fliers that I post on the fences/doors of the offenders that say "Please shovel." Then I thought I could be even more threatening by spray painting a red, menacing snowflake on the lawns of the offenders. Ah, to dream. This, of course, will never happen, but I do fantasize about it. Just for kicks, I checked out the weather in Houston on the Houston Chronicle website. You know what the current temperature was? 74 degrees. So, I can add another item to my "pro" list for Houston: there will be no risk of me defacing my neighbor's snow there!

Moving Mood Swings

I have been going back and forth about how I feel about the prospect of living in Houston. This is thanks to a recent real estate search I did where I found my new favorite home. (Yes, I am back on the house hunting wagon!) It's also due to Andy's building enthusiasm. It's funny how we feed off of each other. On Sunday, we were eating lunch at Winston's Market on Southport Ave. (For you non-Chicagoans, Southport is a mecca of cute boutiques, cafes, bars, etc.) Andy said, "We won't be eating at any places like this when we move. We'll be stuck at Chili's or Applebee's" I looked out the window, forlorn. Sitting and eating lunch with Andy and Henry, as the holiday shoppers passed with their bags, dressed in their chic winter wear, I felt pangs of sadness about leaving this city I love so much. Then, the next day, Andy received an email from a friend who used to live in Chicago, who now lives in Austin. He talked about returning to Chicago over the previous weekend, excited to visit, but he also described how it was nice to return to warm weather. (He and his wife grilled out and relaxed on their patio upon their return home.) It seems he's assimilated, and I know we will too. Andy, in turn, has caught TX fever again. It's funny--when Andy's excited about it, I am too, and vice versa. The mood swings of this move are indicative of a bigger point that we've been saying all along. There will be good and bad things about moving, and I've found that it's a lot less exhausting to focus on the good. Isn't that the way it is with most things in life?

Finally-- A House Hunters Match

Andy is really to strangle me because our DVR is clogged with House Hunters, the HGTV show starring the lovely Suzanne Whang. If you know the show, you know it's on a bazillion times a day, and I have our DVR set up to capture every episode. Well, after last night, I can remove House Hunters from the queue in peace. I finally saw an episode of a Chicago couple moving to Houston! It was fabulous. Now if Andy could find someway to get me to stop recording Project Runway....

Ice, sleet, and open-toed shoes

I have been telling people that I love having four seasons. I thought I did. But after yesterday's ice/snow/sleet mess, I think I've changed my tune. Bundling up the baby is a pain in the butt, walking the dog has lost its charm, visiting the park is not an option...in short, I don't like the snow! I didn't mind the snow growing up; I liked it. Snow meant good skiing/snowboarding conditions, the possibility of school being canceled (which, when you grow up in Erie is RARE), and hours of outdoor play building snow forts and snow men. It was not really an inconvenience, mostly because, in Erie, you only go places by car, your dog doesn't need walked three times a day when you have a big yard, and snow is a a way of life. Well, snow in Chicago is a way of life, too, but it is MUCH more inconvenient because life here is so pedestrian.

So, on our way to the BP holiday party last night, Andy and I were both reflecting on the fact that it certainly wasn't sleeting and snowing in Houston. After the party, which was at the Chicago Cultural Center, we walked a few blocks to the Hard Rock Hotel to have a nightcap with some of Andy's co-workers. I hadn't anticipated walking, and my jazzy open-toed shoes were not cut out for the trek. As my toes lost all feeling while I shielded my face from the whipping winds off of Lake Michigan, I changed my mind. I love the three seasons.

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!