Starboard

"The greatest wealth is health." -Virgil

I have a lot to catch up on, so I'll just jump right into it. Last week, I was talking with Abram and he told me about some sailing lessons he heard about from a co-worker and I decided to sign up and give it a shot. On Sunday, we headed out to Lake Travis and had our first lesson. It was awesome, especially considering I had only been on a sail boat once. We spent an hour in class learning some terminology and basics and then we got on a sail boat for about 2 hours and learned interactively how to sail. The wind was gusting and it made for such an enjoyable experience. I almost lost my hat at one point, but didn't feel that bad when our skipper lost his. Clearly, I still know very little, but I know a lot more than I knew before it. I hope to do it again.

On Thursday, my friend Rick hooked me up with some Guster tickets at Stubbs because he couldn't make it to Austin. I was pretty excited and it was a great concert. They put on a great show. The other great news is that he and his girlfriend are moving to Austin soon. I'm very happy about this because it is great to have more good friends in town. That last time I hung out with them was a lot of fun.

Here is my house update. My closing date and time have been set for May 31, 2011 at 11am. I have all my paperwork in for my loan and I'm waiting for underwriting to get my final approval. As excited as I am, I can't shake the fear things might fall through, so the day I get that final approval I'll give myself license to rest easy. I'm enjoying watching the home go up and can't wait until I'm moved in. I haven't given notice yet on the house I rent because I want to make sure I have it first. My first big purchase is going to be my fridge. I'm usually a big comparison shopper, but in this case I'll probably just go with any stainless steel one that holds my food.

My brother Abram moves out of the house we rent on April 22nd to live closer to his new job. It was a good run and I'll miss having him as a housemate. There have been so many changes going on recently. I can't wait to see his new place and am jealous that he has a jacuzzi tub. He will be taking his two dogs, so our farm will be a little bit smaller.

In more personal news, my grandmother has recently been sick and was in the hospital last week in Ft. Worth. From what I understand, she came down with bronchitis and/or pneumonia, but I know it is more complicated than that since I don't have all the medical background. I learned today that after getting out of the hospital late last week, she had to go back because she started to feel bad again. It is hard not to feel helpless when a person you love is ill, especially when there isn't a lot you can do about it. My main concern is that she is getting all the medical care she needs to make a strong recovery. Because she believes prayer has the capacity to make her feel better, in her case, knowing her family is praying for her I'll admit can have a positive effect. I love my grandmother, as I'm sure you love yours, and I'm glad that my aunts are there taking such great care of her. She is a remarkably strong women who has been through more in her life than I ever will understand, but the effects of age are something none of us can overcome. But you can delay it and I want every moment of wonderful health that is possible for her. My mother is flying up to visit her this weekend and stay for a week, which makes me very happy.

And back to the superficial. Friday, I'm going to see Wet Hot American Summer at the Drafthouse. I invited a lot of friends, but it sold out before most were able to come. This is one of my favorite movies that Rick introduced me to in college. If you haven't seen it, I recommend renting it, you will thank me.

As I'm preparing to move, I'm also doing some spring cleaning in the sense that I'm trying to sell old items that I no longer use. I'm using craigslist and ebay. It is funny how it hurts to part with an item that has been sitting in your closest for years because there "might" be a day when you "might" need it. I'm not clearing much money from it, but it feels good to declutter my life. I'm not a garage sale person, so this is the closest I get to it.

everyone you meet is the main character of their story