We've begun the countdown.

This afternoon we ordered the PODS for all of our belongings. They'll be dropped on January 2nd in the evening, and we'll have the weekend to get them packed, and they'll be picked up on either the 6th or 7th. We're planning on taking off early on the 7th, so that we can make it through the passes during the afternoon instead of the evening. Hopefully, we'll arrive in Sacrament that evening and we'll spend it with our friends, and then head on down the next day to Disneyland. If all goes well, we'll be in College Station by the 16th. That's only 60 days to freedom!! (If you've ever been to Texas, you know what I'm talking about.)

I think the hardest transition for us will be learning to speak slowly. Already, we've had several frustrating conversations with locals down there requesting that we speak more slowly. Sort of makes me feel like I'm from New York rather than from the Northwest. (If you've ever been to New York, you know what I'm talking about.) So, if you guys do give us a call, remember that we might be learning how to talk at snails pace.

Here's a funny story. We visited Galveston in June, and witnessed an unusual occurence: the heavens opened in a downpour. It rained for 3 HOURS! All pedestrians disappeared. The beaches were deserted. And cars ceased to exist. Tanner and I felt very odd as we drove our rental around the empty streets. We decided to stop at a dimly lit Starbucks which was the only sign of life in that town. We also figured it would be relatively safe. We thought maybe we were missing something...

We parked, ran through the downpour, and made it into the comforting, brown glow of Starbucks. I ordered the usual and so did Tanner. Everybody was talking about the rain. They were shocked that it was STILL raining. It had been raining for TWO HOURS! AND in the day time. We discovered that was the reason for the empty streets. "After all," one of the customers remarked, "it is dangerous to drive in the rain." We frowned. Cleared our throats, and said, "In Portland it can rain for a month solid." The whole room grew very quiet. Someone finally asked, "You mean it rains every single night?" We gently corrected him. "No, ALL day, ALL night, without ceasing." There was a gentle chuckle of disbelief. So we said again, "No, really, all day, all night, nonstop for about a month." Jaws dropped. Heads shook. I doubt any of them will be visiting us soon.