Well, here we are. Finally in NE Texas. We finished up our contract with the disaster in Illinois a few weeks ago. We spent a week in Kentucky doing some sight seeing. We got to finally go to the Creation Museum and we made our way down to Lexington to the Kentucky Horse Park. I met Funny Cide and Cigar. Both are multi-million dollar earning horses that have won the Kentucky Derby. It was a good break. It was nice to be out of Illinois. We left just in time to because the week we left the temperature dropped to below freezing. Then we hit the road for Texas.
We spent the next couple days enjoying the slow travel. We were all excited to finally be headed south. Then it happened. We drove through Texarkana crossing from Arkansas into Texas. Jeramie and I looked at each other and almost instantly said "well. we're here. Why are we here again?" "I am not really quite sure, why ARE we in Texas?"
We spent the first week in Texas irritated with each other because neither one of us would admit who picked Texas. We spent the first week in Texas irritated with each other because, in all actuality, we both picked Texas. We spent the first week in Texas irritated with each other because we didn't have a plan for when we got here. We left Oregon with sound reasoning to be in Texas but 5 months into it those reasons just don't seem to really be enough to support our presence in the Lone Star State. I was having a hard time locating the resources I like to have at my disposal. Jeramie was having a hard time finding something to do while on interim sebbatical. I was having a hard time helping Jeramie find something to do while on interim sabbatical. It is the main reason why it has taken me so long to update this journal, I have been keeping FOUR kids busy. So. What does a contractor do when he has nothing to do? Rehab a motorhome.
We knew there were some things we wanted to address during our down time but that was only going to take up about 48 hours of his time. Many of the upgrades are things that will make our equipment more efficient. He added something to the hot water heater that changed it from a gas powered to an electric powered heater. He replaced an awning. He tiled the bathroom. He remodeled my kitchen.
Wait. I guess I can't just tell you he updated my kitchen and leave it at that. I probably should tell you why updating my kitchen is so monumental for the Jennings family.
We have done our fair share of total home re-do's. Lowes loves us. They have gotten ALL of our money. Many people call Costco the $200 store. Well, Lowes is our $2000 store. Minimum. Costco is known to suck people in for longer lengths of time then they would like to admit. Lowes sucks us in for longer lengths of time then we realize. We have spent so much time in Lowes we have gotten to the point that people have actually asked if we drug our kids to get them to behave so well. In this particular guys defense, all three were about to crash out on the big flat lumber cart I was pushing around. It didn't click at first that my kids were "behaving" until I saw Lexi's head fall back and jerk forward again. So after his comment I looked at the time and realized that we had already been there for 4 1/2 hours. OK. It seems that we have what we need to complete our project so on we went to the check out line. We had made it through Lowe's without a single arguement! That my friends, has NEVER happened.
We took our busy work to the car, loaded up and high fived. Not because we scored some sort of smokin' deal but because we all made it out alive. And not one of us had any sort of emotional bruising from the experience. All in all it was a very good day.
The next day we tore it apart. He even let me help. Well, no, he didn't really "let" me help, in fact I vividly remember multiple statements of "can you just let me do it?" To which I responded "no. because you are not going to do it like I want". I mean, "my way" always supercedes actual contracting experience and knowledge. We made it out of Lowes intact but this just might start to get ugly. We spent the first 4 1/2 hours of the morning disagreeing on many things. I was fighting for a few positions. At one point I remember walking away after he asked me a question that I "didn't" hear. "Hello! Are you going to answer me?" "Answer what?" "How do you want this?" "I don't know, your the contractor." "I am ASKING you for your opinion because if this doesn't turn out the way you want it will be all my fault". I was quickly reminded of Adam and Eve and the fall. Thank you Eve. Wait a second, God didn't blame Eve, he blamed Adam, so YES Jeramie, YES! It will be your fault. Even if I do put in my two cents, even if you do what I want you to and it doesn't turn out. You are the contractor, I am not. I finally surrendered on some and he gave me my way on the others. He got his 45 degree angles and I got my 90 degree corner.
It turned out great, and I will admit that that too is also his "fault". I mean if it is going to be his fault when it turns out not to my liking than I guess it has to be his fault when it does turn out to my liking. My husband knows his stuff. What good is the vision if no one is able to bring it to fruition? I no longer have corn flower blue formica counter top held together with gorilla glue. I now have a more modern, old world style kitchen with tile and oil rubbed bronze. I had to stand firm for the faucet to. "What is wrong with the faucet we have?" "It is stainless steel and doesn't fit well with the elements we have added." "Dawn. It is just a motorhome." "Umm. No. It is not. It is MY home." In all of our previous rehab projects we both have our job descriptions and we stick to them. I design and he builds. I drop off materials and LEAVE. We survived our first project TOGETHER and no one died! Well, that is not quite true. We built a doghouse together once but we were only dating and not married yet so it doesn't count. We were both still on our best behavior back then.
We still do not know why we are in Texas. I definitely do not fit in. After having a hard time finding the yuppie, urban, organic products that I not only love but, to a certain extent need (for our health),I had a meltdown and was ready to head for my beloved Bend. But then we watched the weather channel and saw the nasty weather report and quickly realized there was no way could get this tank across the passes so we couldn't leave even if we really wanted to. And we really didn't want to, what we wanted was to just be able to pitch a good fit. So, here I was again, convicted by God to get it together and quit pouting. As soon as I threw my fit and got it out of my system everything came together. I have located all of the resources I cling to, have met some of the people of Texas and started to embrace their ways. I say "their ways" because it is "their ways". I have heard before that there is the United States and then there is Texas. I can now tell you from experience that there is the United States and then there is Texas.
I have started telling people up front when meeting them or dealing with them on whatever level that I am not from Texas. Once I do that, I can no longer be offensive for being a snob. Now I get the "bless her heart" smile and everytime I am now gently babied through whatever it is I am trying to do. I met a lady in the grocery store aisle with the same blank stare that I know I have sported many times before because we are unfamiliar with their products. I must obviously not look like I am from Texas because she gleaned onto me like a magnet. We shared a "I feel your pain" moment and we bid each other luck. On the way out the cashier asked Lexi if she was ready for Santa to come, had she been good or bad and all that stuff. My diplomatic 4 year old shared with her the truth and saved the cashier from the Santa Clause myth. "No, no. Santa isn't real. He is just all the kids moms and dads." She cocked her head and cracked a "pour thing, bless her heart" smile toward the cashier. Texas is already starting to rub off on my kids. I, on the other hand, am resistant to any changing and I can assure you the next time you see me I will not be speaking with a twangy drawl. I am a Pacific Northwestern, organic snob and I am quite okay with that.
I was actually surprised Lexi was able to understand her. A few days earlier we had an incident where she felt like she needed to correct an elderly ladies pronunciation skills. She was visiting with three older ladies about their little dogs. One of the ladies commented how her dog had the hiccups. "She has the he-cups, d'ya'll ever get the he-cups?" "the what?" "the he-cups" "no. what do you mean 'tea cup?'" "No Lex, the HICCUPS. yes, you get the hiccups." She looked the lady square in the eyes and said "oh! no,no. It's not 'tea cups' its 'hick cups'" using her hands to break up the word into two syllables. Fortunately for us Texans do everything big and that includes having big hearts because the women laughed hysterically and the one she was correcting scooped her up into a BIG hug.
We may never know why we are in Texas except that we are not suffering through the crazy cold spell in the PacNW. We may never know why we are in Texas except that it reminds us how much we love Oregon. We may never know why we are in Texas except that Texans are the perfect example of showing what it means to love on people. What we do know is that although we are now officially part time residents of Texas we will always be FROM Oregon.
