Thirteen Thursday: Hangin' My Hat

It's Thirteen Thursday brought to you by the good folks over at Crib Ceiling also known as Krisco. Today we're 'fessing up to all the places we've called home over the years. I'm so sorry to disappoint, but my residential history is BORING. Still maybe you'll find out something new about me and isn't that the whole point?

1) Austin, Texas (1970-1975) - I was born here and when my mom met my step-dad we relocated to his homeland in Oregon. My family could NOT believe my 24 year old mother would pick up lock, stock and barrel to move across the country to a place no one of us had ever been before. Knowing what I know now, I can't believe it either. That took a lot of courage or a lot of naivete, however you want to look at it.

2) Eugene, Oregon (1975-1976) - We first moved to Eugene so my then mom's Significant Other (eventually my step-father) could finish school or something. I don't really remember living there much except that I had my 5th birthday party at this bad-ass place called Ferrell's. It was like TGI Friday with better food and the most awesome ice cream sundae that fed like 10 people! I wish I knew what happened to this place, because I would plan a vacation around going back to Ferrell's.

3) Los Angeles, California (1976) - My mom decided she wanted to go to court reporting school. There was a great place in L.A. where she was able to get Financial Aid so off we went without her S.O. in search of a trade. When she got to L.A. she realized school may have been paid for, but living was not. Apparently affordable and housing were mutually exclusive in the L.A. area even back then. So we came back down to Texas to regroup.

4) Austin, Texas (1976) - Moved back with what was in my mom's car and made the rounds with relatives. That was enough for my mom apparently who called her S.O. in Oregon. He asked her to come back and we made the cross country trip again, arriving in NW Oregon just in time for me to start school.

5) Wilsonville, Oregon (1976-1978) - truly a one horse town back in those days. No lie, there was only one traffic light in the whole town. There was one school k-8 and many of the grades were combined. For example my second grade class was also home to a handful of third graders. The moms came in every day to make hot lunches for the kids and deliver them to the classrooms.

6) West Linn, Oregon (1978-1983) - By this time my mom and step-dad were married and they bought a house and that is where I attended 3rd through 7th grades. Sometime during these years two things happened that brought us back to Texas. One, my mom and step-dad got divorced. Two, my mom's dad, my grandfather, was in a fire and was badly injured. A few years later he died as a result of his injuries. We were so far away it was very difficult to have this traumatic event happening and be so far away. The final event that led us home was my mom hurt her back. We were alone because our family in Oregon was her now divorced husband's family and that wasn't working. So we packed up our VW Rabbit with the cat and some plants and headed back to the Lone Star State.

7 - 13) Austin, Texas - (1983 - present) - We came back (everyone does). Our whole family is here except for a few that have ventured off, but they usually come back too. I really love living here in Central Texas. No, we don't know JR Ewing. No, we don't own a horse. Yes, I do have a Texas twang. I only wish we had a oil well in our back yard.



The DHW