Friday, March 9th

We'd already made plans with erinlefey to hang out with her and Marca that evening, so we stuck close to home, having a "local" day.

A quick ride out through San Marcos' [MAP][INFO]Stringtown area, where all the nice houses are (including the actual house that Andrea's childhood home is based on), and slowly meandered our way into New Braunfels through Hunter [MAP][INFO], Gruene [MAP][INFO] and Comaltown [MAP]

From there, we went to the Railroad Museum in New Braunfels [MAP][INFO]...but...well...we got there early, 4:15 or so. It closed at 4. Ah, well, we ended up strolling the museum grounds taking pics and watching a REALLY REALLY REALLY long train go by, right next to the museum, which was the old MKT Depot.

After the train left, we went over to the Faust Street Bridge [MAP] over the Guadalupe River. The Faust Street Bridge used to be an auto bridge over the Guadalupe just south of the Camino Real crossing of the River. However, over the years it rusted, was abandonned and left to fall into the river whenever it would end up falling.

But it didn't. And in 1998, it was refurbished and repaired as a pedestrian bridge, along with a pathway down to the river (that I plan on using once the water level goes down a bit).

Seeing as it was 5, I gave Erin a call, and we decided to meet up with them in an hour or two, so we took off, but on the way up, we took the Camino Real route home, seeing the markers and crossings until we got back to San Marcos, from there, making straight for Erin's place.

The evening with Erin and tangetsferret was nice, although Marca was feeling under the weather and bowed out early in the evening. Erin had us all playing bowling with her Wii for a while (my right hand had a nasty left hook, but my left? Totally straight) and Tennis, too. That really gave us a workout!

After Wii, there was dinner at iHop, where we had the Worlds Coolest And Most Harried Waitress ("I have been, and always shall be, your waitress."), as well as cinnamon pancakes, which are totally totally not good for you, and therefore are incredibly tasty.

Back to Erin's where more Wii awaited us, and a nice long talk between good friends in the evening. I need to do that more often.

Erin also mentioned that the leeks on the circle were possible some kind of recent ritual for solstice, although it was a long ways from that, but it wasn't out of the question. Therefore The Circle is most likely an actual Magical Circle - sorry I tresspassed guys.

We went home, and began to plan our weekend.

Friday, March 9th

We'd already made plans with erinlefey to hang out with her and Marca that evening, so we stuck close to home, having a "local" day.

A quick ride out through San Marcos' [MAP][INFO]Stringtown area, where all the nice houses are (including the actual house that Andrea's childhood home is based on), and slowly meandered our way into New Braunfels through Hunter [MAP][INFO], Gruene [MAP][INFO] and Comaltown [MAP]

From there, we went to the Railroad Museum in New Braunfels [MAP][INFO]...but...well...we got there early, 4:15 or so. It closed at 4. Ah, well, we ended up strolling the museum grounds taking pics and watching a REALLY REALLY REALLY long train go by, right next to the museum, which was the old MKT Depot.

After the train left, we went over to the Faust Street Bridge [MAP] over the Guadalupe River. The Faust Street Bridge used to be an auto bridge over the Guadalupe just south of the Camino Real crossing of the River. However, over the years it rusted, was abandonned and left to fall into the river whenever it would end up falling.

But it didn't. And in 1998, it was refurbished and repaired as a pedestrian bridge, along with a pathway down to the river (that I plan on using once the water level goes down a bit).

Seeing as it was 5, I gave Erin a call, and we decided to meet up with them in an hour or two, so we took off, but on the way up, we took the Camino Real route home, seeing the markers and crossings until we got back to San Marcos, from there, making straight for Erin's place.

The evening with Erin and tangetsferret was nice, although Marca was feeling under the weather and bowed out early in the evening. Erin had us all playing bowling with her Wii for a while (my right hand had a nasty left hook, but my left? Totally straight) and Tennis, too. That really gave us a workout!

After Wii, there was dinner at iHop, where we had the Worlds Coolest And Most Harried Waitress ("I have been, and always shall be, your waitress."), as well as cinnamon pancakes, which are totally totally not good for you, and therefore are incredibly tasty.

Back to Erin's where more Wii awaited us, and a nice long talk between good friends in the evening. I need to do that more often.

Erin also mentioned that the leeks on the circle were possible some kind of recent ritual for solstice, although it was a long ways from that, but it wasn't out of the question. Therefore The Circle is most likely an actual Magical Circle - sorry I tresspassed guys.

We went home, and began to plan our weekend.

Welcome to this week's production of "It's a Joke, Yet it's Not Funny."

I lost my lease!!!!!

But not in a bad way.  More of a really incredibly moronic stupid way.  

And it happens in August.

Since January, we've been getting constant fliers at our apartment for "The Renewal Game."  If you renewed your lease anytime between January 1st and MArch 31st, you'd get a chacne to win a $200 gift card.  WOOO!  Considering that my lease isn't up till July 31st, I ignored it.  Everywhere else I've put in for an apartment, I've always renewed one month before my lease ends with no problem.

Today I got a letter saying "You have not renewed your lease through our Renewal Game and therefore your lease will be Terminated July 31st with no exceptions.  As your apartment has been assigned to another person on our waiting list, please be moved out by July 31st."  Major HUH?! WHA?! moment.  Sure that's a long way off, but I wasn't going to renew my lease four months in advance (six months when all the brouhaha started).  

So I called them up, wanted to make sure my eyes were reading what I thought they were reading.  I told them who I was, what apartment I was at, and that my lease ended on July 31st.  I told them I didn't play the Renewal Game as I felt that renewing my lease six months in advance was a bad thing to do, and could I renew on July 1st, closer to the date my lease was up.

"No, if you don't renew by March 31st, we'll be assigning your apartment to another person, it says right in your lease that you must let us know your intentions by March 31st."  (And on closer inspection, it does say that)

I told her specifically "That's an insane policy, but not a problem.  It gives me four months to find another apartment." 

I haven't been particularly upset by this complex, but it's also very very very geared to the College-Student-Just-Away-From-Home mentality with it's silly Dorm Mom rules.  Even this predicament doesn't upset me...just kinda left me...I dunno...speechless and shocked, but not upset.

So, I have a deadline for everything.  July 31st, I need to be out of my apartment, either in Seattle or Austin, I need to decide wether I'll still be here at this work by then, or finding something else, and I need to decide wether the next phase of my life after August will be the Washington->Canada Route, or the Stay in Texas Route.

What a stupid policy.  But what a great motivator.

Welcome to this week's production of "It's a Joke, Yet it's Not Funny."

I lost my lease!!!!!

But not in a bad way.  More of a really incredibly moronic stupid way.  

And it happens in August.

Since January, we've been getting constant fliers at our apartment for "The Renewal Game."  If you renewed your lease anytime between January 1st and MArch 31st, you'd get a chacne to win a $200 gift card.  WOOO!  Considering that my lease isn't up till July 31st, I ignored it.  Everywhere else I've put in for an apartment, I've always renewed one month before my lease ends with no problem.

Today I got a letter saying "You have not renewed your lease through our Renewal Game and therefore your lease will be Terminated July 31st with no exceptions.  As your apartment has been assigned to another person on our waiting list, please be moved out by July 31st."  Major HUH?! WHA?! moment.  Sure that's a long way off, but I wasn't going to renew my lease four months in advance (six months when all the brouhaha started).  

So I called them up, wanted to make sure my eyes were reading what I thought they were reading.  I told them who I was, what apartment I was at, and that my lease ended on July 31st.  I told them I didn't play the Renewal Game as I felt that renewing my lease six months in advance was a bad thing to do, and could I renew on July 1st, closer to the date my lease was up.

"No, if you don't renew by March 31st, we'll be assigning your apartment to another person, it says right in your lease that you must let us know your intentions by March 31st."  (And on closer inspection, it does say that)

I told her specifically "That's an insane policy, but not a problem.  It gives me four months to find another apartment." 

I haven't been particularly upset by this complex, but it's also very very very geared to the College-Student-Just-Away-From-Home mentality with it's silly Dorm Mom rules.  Even this predicament doesn't upset me...just kinda left me...I dunno...speechless and shocked, but not upset.

So, I have a deadline for everything.  July 31st, I need to be out of my apartment, either in Seattle or Austin, I need to decide wether I'll still be here at this work by then, or finding something else, and I need to decide wether the next phase of my life after August will be the Washington->Canada Route, or the Stay in Texas Route.

What a stupid policy.  But what a great motivator.