Owner: A Yankee in Texas URL:www.ayankeeintexas.com Join Date: Sat, 07 Apr 2007 10:20:34 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: One Yankees journey from living and working the north to living in Austin, TX. Site statistics:Click here
My flight to Austin… 2007-04-07 01:13:55 &hellip
;has been booked. I will be spending my first two weeks on the job there. I am looking forward to getting down there and getting started. I need to start making a check list.
– Jeremy Read more:Austin
T.G.I.F… 2007-04-06 23:37:33 It’s been a interesting week to say the least. It’s not every week that you get a new job, quit your current job and start planning to move halfway across the country.
A bit of liquid comfort. Strongbow Cider.
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
Giving notice… 2007-04-06 05:04:32 Today I gave notice
to my current employer that I would be leaving in 1 month. It went over about as well as I thought it would. Hopefully they will find someone to replace me in the next couple of weeks so I have a few weeks to train them. I am sure it won’t be the easiest transition, but I think giving 1 month notice is fair enough.
It’s never easy to leave your job. It’s even more difficult when you work for family, but it’s time to move on.
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
, Giving
Got a new job… 2007-04-05 05:33:51 So this is basically where this journey starts. Today, I was hired by Jaduka which sets things in motion for my wife, Nicole, and I to move back to Austin. I have to give a huge shout out to my buddy Ben, who works for Jaduka, for helping me get the job. My job title is Application Developer. I will be building web based applications so I guess the title fits.
Yes you heard me right we will be moving back to Austin. I know what you’re thinking: If I used to live in Texas how can I be A Yankee in Texas. No worries we are Yankees born and bread. I was born and raised in Michigan. Nicole was born in Columbia, but grew up in New York.
About 7 years ago Nicole and I moved to Austin because Ben got me a job with another company, Simplified, after about a year the bubble burst and I got laid off. We spent another year in Texas before moving to New York to help with Nicole’s families business and that is what we have been doing ever since. Lets face it you don’t get to be muc Read more:hellip
Moving is expensive… 2007-04-07 23:51:07 &hellip
;but I already had an idea it was going to be. We had a gentleman come from United Van Lines this morning to give us an estimate on how much it would cost to have them move our stuff from NY to TX. That’s is us packing things up and them doing the loading/unloading. The estimate was around $4500. I know it sounds insane, but consider the fact that a 24 foot Uhaul truck would cost $5200 + gas and we’d have to load it/unload it and drive it ourselves. That fact makes $4500 sounds a lot more reasonable.
It’s still an insane amount of money just to move. However having done the loading, driving from Michigan, and then unloading experience before I will willing spend the money to make everything easier on Nicole and I.
Time to get on a budget and start saving our pennies.
– Jeremy Read more:Moving
Ever wonder how… 2007-04-09 05:19:21 &hellip
; a geek looks for an apartment? By creating a custom map with the Google maps API of course. Here is the map that I whipped up. It’s not completely finished yet, but I do have a bunch of “points of interest” and about 6 apartment complexes I am interested in.
The different colored markers for the apartments are way of showing their “rating” which is something I am still working on. It’s not perfect and I am not sure it will ever be, but I am hoping it will help me come up with a list of 10-15 of potential places that I can check out while I am in Austin.
– Jeremy Read more:wonder
Making a list… 2007-04-11 02:03:06 Call neurotic, call it anal retentive I really don’t care, but I have already started making a list of things I need to take on my two week trip to Austin. Let’s face it being 1,80o miles from home and realizing you forgot the charger for your digital camera or your cell phone (*cough* Right, Ben?) is not a good feeling.
Laptop Messenger Bag:
Laptop w/ power cord
DS lite w/ games and power cord
iPod Nano w/Earbuds and USB Cable
Digital Camera w/ Charger
A book (?)
Magazines
1-2 DVD’s
Mechanical Pencils
Eraser
Pens
Suitcase:
Jeans
Polos
A pair of Khakis
T-Shirts
Shorts
Socks
Underwear
Shoes
Toiletries
A 2nd laptop Bag for my work laptop
That’s all I have for now. Did I miss anything?
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
An apartment a day… 2007-04-13 20:32:42 keeps the doctor away&hellip
; err… well something like that. I have been slacking on adding apartment
complexes to my map. I tend to feel overwhelmed sitting down and trying to find a bunch of apartments to put in. Since my trip to Austin is creeping ever closer I’ve decided that I a good goal would be to add one new apartment a day to the map. That isn’t too daunting.
– Jeremy
Getting on a budget… 2007-04-13 02:23:58 To say that I am bad with money would be unfair. Compared to those who are truly financially irresponsible I’m a regular Warren Buffet. I think I am like a lot of people my age. I pay my bills and I then I play. Saving for a rainy day isn’t something that comes natural. I tend to live up to and at times past my current means, but I am trying to change.
With that said we have a bit of money in the bank and our debt is manageable. With the move to Austin in the distant horizon it’s time to start planing. I just found out today what my relocation compensation will be and I am extremely happy to have gotten anything at all. I have a rough idea of what the move is going to cost, I know what I am getting reimbursed, and I now have a pretty good idea of what we need to save up for the move.
We have plans in place to pay off a holiday load and our bed that we financed. I just need to pay off my laptop and work on paying off my credit card. The hope is to hit Austin pretty muc Read more:hellip
, budget
Bankrobbery and babysitting… 2007-04-15 05:01:22 just a normal Saturday. Not exactly. Today I slept in because I stayed up a bit too late last night. I was suppose to get up early and take my car in for an oil change, but the siren song of sleep kept me in bed. I had an odd dream that I was hanging out with John Denver. That’s what I get for listening to John Denver before bed. Anyway so I woke up late and Nicole wanted to go get a pedicure so I was to do the banking. Not a problem.
After Nicole left I ate some breakfast than dilly dallied around the house a bit. Shortly after noon I decided I had better get to the bank before it closes. When I pulled in to the bank a man ran in front of my car. Not close enough for me to have hit him, but close enough to startle me. I thought it was just some dumb ass kid that one of the stores in the strip mall next to bank had sent to get change for the weekend. It wasn’t till after I got in the bank that I found out he had just robbed the bank. I ended up sticking around to give a d Read more:hellip
Filling in the blanks… 2007-04-14 16:26:12 I think one of the toughest parts of moving especially after being settled for a number of years is filling in the blanks
. What I mean by that is we have people and places. We have doctors, dentists, the people who cut our hair, a mechanic, and so on. All these various blanks need to be filled in once you move.
You have to find that go to restaurant that you order from when the last thing in the world you want to do is cook dinner and you don’t need a menu. You have to find a mechanic that won’t rip you off and a vet you can trust your pets health to. I think it helps to have friends and family that can offer suggestions, but we all need to find the people and places we feel the most comfortable with.
In the end it just takes a bit of research and some time to find them.
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
A new addition… 2007-04-14 04:51:54 I have added a little thing to the side bar that shows the number of days remaining till I take my first trip to Austin to start my new job and the number of days left (approx) till we move to Austin.
I also added the same code to saraandpat.com to count down the days to their due date.
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
My Google life… 2007-04-16 15:16:41 I was thinking about it while driving to work this morning and Google
has worked its way in to many aspects of my life:
I use Google pretty much exclusively to search, I use Picassa to edit and upload my digital pictures, I have started using Google Calendar, I use Google Maps to get directions t, I use the Google Maps API to create things like the Apartment Mapper and to plot my GPS data, I use Google Analytics to get track web stats for this and my other websites, I use gTalk for IM, and for the past several years I have been using Gmail exclusively for my email.
I, for one, welcome our new Google overlords.
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
Getting Graphic… 2007-04-18 06:13:52 I am thinking of making my next book a graphic novel. I have never been in to comics. Even as a kid I didn’t read them. Lately however a lot of graphic novels have been made in to movies. Many of which I have really enjoyed. This has peaked my interest in actually reading some graphic novels.
I have had a few books recommended to me:
Pride of Baghdad: (pictured on the left) From what I understand it’s a story about a pride of lions that get loose during the bombing of Baghdad during the first Gulf War.
Y: The Last Man: A virus wipes all men except one. It seems like an interesting enough concept.
I would also at some point like to read V for Vendetta and Sin City both of which I enjoyed in film form. I have a list of other books that might be interesting, but I figured I would start with these. Y: The Last Man has 8 volumes so if I get in to that it might take me a while to finish it.
If you have any suggestions for me please leave me a comment.
– Jeremy Read more:Graphic
, hellip
Everyone wants my job… 2007-04-18 00:55:07 &hellip
;well at least the job I am leaving. I recommended that they post the position on Craig’s List yesterday and today we had no less than 8 people call. Most of them emailed in resumes and have interviews for later this week. It’s looking good that I might be training someone starting next week.
I am glad that finding a replacement shouldn’t be an issue. I feel better about leaving knowing I am not dumping a bunch of work on people.
– Jeremy Read more:wants
Ignorance is bliss… 2007-04-17 05:13:00 Since I have already slacked a bit on my apartment a day quest. I decided I would get a head start on this weeks 7 tonight by looking up a 10-15 apartments and then every night I would just have to do a little sorting. So I did a bit of searching and I think I have found enough for this week, but my one hang up is the ratings on Apartmentratings.com. There seem to be very few places with good ratings. Of course, like Ben said, in general people who are pissed off tend to be the ones that bother to write reviews. So reviews must be read and then given weight.
Ever wish you hadn’t found something? That’s kinda how I feel about Apartmentratings.com. Ahh.. wouldn’t ignorance be bliss?
– Jeremy Read more:hellip
Making progress… 2007-04-21 18:15:02 Cars oil changed? Check!
Banking done? Check!
Dropped jeans off to be shortened? Check!
Waterproofing shoes? Check!
Now I am going to do a little apartment searching till Nicole gets home and then maybe we will head out to enjoy this beautiful day.
– Jeremy Read more:progress
, hellip
I’m a slacker… 2007-04-21 03:05:42 &hellip
;not only didn’t I post much this week, but I also didn’t follow through on my plan to put an apartment a day in the database. I plan on getting caught up on my apartment search tonight and tomorrow. This week I ended up watching a bunch of playoff hockey and going to bed much earlier than I normally do. Again, I am a slacker.
I am glad I made all those lists when I did because weeks like this week happen. I get lazy and I lose focus on what I need to be doing. With my trip to Austin just over two weeks away I feel like I am now behind. Basically I have this Saturday, this Sunday, next Saturday, and part of next Sunday to get everything ready for the trip to Austin and our trip to Maine for the wedding.
This weekends to do list:
Get my cars oil changed
Take jeans to the tailor (I have short legs what can I say)
Buy Polo shirts
Figure out what I am wearing to the wedding
Get toiletries (for trip to Austin)
Water proof shoes
Make kayak cover
Add apartments to the dat
The difference between need and want… 2007-04-23 14:16:49 Life is a crazy thing&hellip
; you can only guess at what it’s going to throw at you next. Of course as you get a bit older your guesses get more informed and you start to plan ahead a bit instead of just reacting to what comes along. A big factor in all this is how much money you can save up for these little bumps in the road. Saving is tough because it involves figuring out the difference
between what you need and what you want.
Some things are easy food, clothing, and shelter are definite needs, but what about cable tv, cell phones, etc. are those needs or wants. I say things like “I need x for kayaking because it’s my hobby”, but do I need it or do I want it. Is a hobby a need or a want. What about other forms of entertainment? Should I look at going to the movies as a waste of money?
Pat and I were chatting a bit about this last night. He and his wife, Sara, are expecting their first child. Pat and I have both basically been living up to our means. What I m
Life’s a Beach… 2007-04-22 04:16:43 Since we got a lot done this morning Nicole and I spent the afternoon at the beach&hellip
;
We saw several motorboats and one sailboat out on the bay.
It seems a lot of people had the same idea.
Hey look a fat guy sleeping… oh wait that’s me. Ok I have to admit this shot was staged, but I did spend sometime like this trying to fall asleep.
Stereotypical feet picture.
A serene parting shot…
I slipped off my sandals, stepped in to the surf, and I would say that the water was about 40-ish degrees, but it didn’t seem to deter any of the kids from going in. We saw parent after parent having to drag their kids out of the water. We, however, were much happier sitting in the warmth of the sun. I guess that makes us old.
I hope everyone had a relaxing day.
– Jeremy Read more:Beach
Our day on the range… 2008-02-17 18:22:27 Yesterday Nicole and I took the NRA First Steps Pistol class which was taught by John of Caps-CHL. There were suppose to be 5 of us taking the class, but 2 people didn’t show up. I am guessing it was because of the weather. It was 40 degrees, rainy, and windy. Not exactly the most [...]
It’s Official… 2008-02-06 10:48:08 I live in Texas…. It took an hour and a half, but today I got my Texas Drivers License. Too be 100% correct I got my old Texas DL Number back. All in all it was pretty painless just a lot of waiting to be called to go wait in another line kinda thing.
– Jeremy Read more:Official
I endorse Barack Obama… 2008-02-04 23:32:43 Ok I doubt that anyone really cares what I think, but since Super Tuesday is tomorrow I figured I would throw my endorse
ment in to the ring.
If you are voting in a primary tomorrow… vote for Obama
and his momma…!!!
– Jeremy Read more:Barack
Ordered some TX Tags… 2008-02-04 00:59:05 This blog started as a place for me to talk about moving to Texas, but I haven’t talked much about the subject. Today I ordered two TX Tags one for each of our cars. Here in Texas we have a few toll roads. There are a couple here in Austin, Dallas has a few and [...]
Giants win the SuperBowl!!! 2008-02-04 00:30:09 Oh man… I literally don’t have any finger nails left. That was the best Super Bowl I have ever seen. Of course it helps I am a huge Giants
fan!! I am going to have to find my Giants hat and wear it in to work.
– Jeremy
Where to start… 2008-01-30 13:32:29 Last night I was a bit restless so I got up and decided to start breaking the grubfi.com project down in to pieces. I came up with four major areas that will need to be developed:
1) User Management: Since the point of the site it to let users add new locations and submit comments/reviews it’s [...]
Can I build a website in 232 hours….? 2008-01-29 23:55:35 I have been really dragging my feet on dedicating myself to a project outside of work. Programming isn’t just my job it’s my hobby, but I am pretty good at coming up with ideas and never finishing them. There is always an excuse… life gets too busy or whatever, but no more excuses. I am [...] Read more:website
Up, Up, and away… 2008-01-27 23:59:06 So Ben and I have our eyes on a new project. It’s actually something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, would’ve been pretty much impossible to do on Long Island which is launch a weather balloon with a small payload. The payload would consist of a GPS, a radio, a couple of digital [...]
Welcome to Texas here is your gun… 2008-01-24 23:21:57 ….no matter what you think of Texas
it’s not that easy to get a gun… ok well I take that back… it’s pretty darn easy, but they aren’t handing them out when you enter the state like some people would like to believe. However, today I signed Nicole and I up for an NRA First-Steps [...] Read more:Welcome
Juno… 2008-01-20 00:21:01 Nicole and I went to see the movie “Juno” tonight. It is definitely a must see movie. It’s funny and at times a little emotional. The soundtrack is fabulous. I purchased it off at Amazon.com as soon as I got home. (DRM free MP3 downloads kick much ass) When Juno comes out on video it [...]
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