I'm back

[Vera]

I returned home late yesterday afternoon after being gone for 4 weeks traveling from Virginia to Texas as my son relocated. I was supposed to be gone three weeks but the day before I was to return, I took the Covid test and tested positive. My son had been tested earlier in the week and, he was positive. He didn't have much energy for two days but then things got better. Since I was supposed to fly back the next day, I stayed an extra week due to the virus but honestly if felt like I had a spring cold that lasted only two days. No temperature and I was congested for one day, but I would certainly not get on a plane until this passed so I delayed one week. I haven't been on a plane for 32 years and I was so nervous. The hardest part was not the plane ride but keeping my boarding pass on my phone. Thank goodness, my daughter in law loaded the boarding pass for me as I wouldn't have had a clue how to do it. It was in 'the wallet' on screen but kept disappearing and I needed help from some younger people to find it again. I dislike using the cell phone but nowadays everyone needs one. I use it for phone calls only - no texting or Internet searching for me. I like the big screen of my computer at home, so I have been offline for a month. It is good to be home as my son's first floor only is under construction - new floors, new kitchen, new light fixtures and boxes everywhere because everything is getting repainted too. No appliances until the end of August. One lonely refrigerator out in the garage but you have to step over all the wood planks that are being used for the reconstruction - as I said, I am glad to be home!!

[Chayote]

Vera! (((((HUG))))) I'm so pleased to see you back. So sorry you caught the dreaded plague but relieved that it wasn't terrible for you. I know you were dreading the flight back but you did it! You should feel proud that you conquered your fear.

We are driving from tomorrow morning for up to three weeks away... Adelaide to Melbourne and then to Canberra, coming back cross-country through the fringe of the Outback.

Enjoy being home, my friend...

[Sabine]

Welcome home Vera
sorry you got covid, sounds like you had a mild case
So what do you think about Texas ? Houston? Did you find your way around?

[Vera]

Thank you, Chayote - I am so happy to have this trip behind me. Four weeks away was too much. Doing a ton of laundry now and just catching up. You have probably already left on your trip but I hope you too have a safe trip being away for so long. I don't like living out of a suitcase.

Sabine - The one thing I noticed is all the highways and side roads are concrete - no black top like in Virginia. And there is a sea of brick homes in the area where my son bought a home. A lot of homes have electric gates which I liked a lot. Only a five-minute drive to H.E.B. Plus. I really liked this store. Reminded me of our Wegmans which seems to have everything. I got spoiled - it was only a five minutes' drive away where it takes me 20-30 minutes to go the grocery store in Virginia due to distance. I only drove to the grocery store and back. I didn't drive anywhere else by myself. It was hot but pretty much the same as Virginia in the summer. I did see road signs for San Antonio, so I thought of you.

I think due to all the construction going on in my son's house, I was just happy to get back home and get back into my routine. Living with wall-to-wall boxes is stressful due to no functioning kitchen yet, painters and worker bees coming each morning around 7:30 am and staying until 5:30 pm.

We found a Washateria (aka laundromat) about 12 miles away since no appliances have been delivered yet to the house. I guess most people are spoiled having everything in their house. I do have to say it was a nice facility, clean and bright. Haven't been to a laundromat since I was single. I think a washing machine back then cost about 25-50 cents a load - not anymore!! But they were nice, big machines and clean which is a big plus.

[Sabine]

I just knew that you would like HEB Plus I don't know if Houston has a Central market, upscale from HEB plus. We have one here in SA, and I love it, thankfully it is not close by or I would spend a lot of money there.
Brick homes are common here Texas and in the Hill Country area ( north of Austin ) a lot of homes are build with rock stones, tin roofs etc. Gated communities are very common here, especially in the more upscale neighborhoods. Too bad you didn't have a chance to do some sightseeing outside of Houston, there is a lot more to Texas outside of big cities like Houston, Dallas and SA. Did you eat Mexican food ? Did you like it?
When my brother and sister in law came to visit me from Germany , we took them to a Mexican restaurant and they did not like it at all.

[Vera]

Sabine - We didn't go out to eat at all - just picked up ready-made meals at H.E.B. I love Mexican food but there weren't too many restaurants close by, so it was just easier to microwave a meal. Microwave is sitting on the dining room floor!! New microwave will be in a drawer of some kind when kitchen is done. Guess this wasn't really a scenic trip as the house was full of people each day excerpt Sunday. Did buy some fresh tortillas at HEB though. Yes, I think there is a Central Market in Houston but never got to it and it is quite a ways away.

There are a lot of brick homes here in Virginia too but a mix of brick houses, siding houses, some stucco and the lots seem a little bigger but because the Texas houses are built on small lots, they are close together so no one house stands out. It was a sea of brick. My son's "new to him" house is a lot smaller than what he left so I don't know where they are going to put all their stuff. They sold a lot in Virginia so they will just have to figure it out or sell more stuff. Texas house is 3000 square feet smaller than what they left. But they do have a gorgeous pool with two palm trees, fountain and spill ways built into the pool. Virginia house did not have a pool. A lot of the Texas homes in my son's community have individual automatic gates on their driveways leading to a courtyard. His community is not a gated community where you pass through one main gate.

[Sabine]

I am sure they will enjoy their pool. We had a pool at our previous house , ( we moved 20 years ago to this house ) and I still miss the pool.
That must really be a very upscale neighborhood that your son moved into, electric gate to get into the driveway is not something that you see in your average neighborhood, certainly not in our neighborhood.

[Vera]

Hi Sabine - I would say Seven Meadows subdivision is a nice part of Katy, Texas but I wouldn't say it was really upscale. A lot of the houses had gates halfway up their driveways and it was the builder of the houses that put them in not the owners. It is a nice feature. One thing that I really disliked about the house is it doesn't have smooth walls and ceilings. it is slightly textured (not popcorn). That and there are two jack and jill bathrooms upstairs - I really dislike them. Maybe when they renovate the upstairs, a new plan can be hatched. I think they have already outpriced the neighborhood with the current renovations, so they have to be careful. Hopefully, this is their forever home.

[Sabine]

Yes, it is best not to have the most expensive house on the block, you may not get your money out of the house. That you put in for updates etc.
Vera, are you planning on going back / flying back to visit your son ?
I know the drive is so long.
We drove from McGuire Air Force Base to El Paso Tx in August 1965, I was 5 month pregnant, longest drive of my life

[Vera]

Son and family plan on coming back to the DC area for Thanksgiving and Christmas so I am not planning any trips to Texas in the near future. Kids get a week off for Thanksgiving and 2 1/2 weeks for Christmas. Virginia doesn't get near that many days off. Guess we will have company during those times.

[CharleneG]

Welcome back!

[rosie]

Welcome home Vera sounds like quite an adventure!

[MudderBear]

Welcome back Vera! Glad to know you did not suffer too badly from covid!

[mellon]

Happy to read your back home and most of all well Sounds like you had quiet the experience = ups and downs
Yep there is no place like home!

[Vera]

Thank you all for the welcome back greetings. I almost kissed the ground here in Virginia. I am just used to my surroundings and having my son's house filled with contractors, painters and then here comes the furniture which can't be placed yet due to other work - yep, it is good to be back home.