One Down, One to Go

One down and one to go. We signed the papers for the Padre Island house on Saturday. Everything conspired to make it difficult but we did it. First, we get the FedEx package late, at almost at 11:00. Then off to a bank to sign a bazillion papers and get them stamped by a Notary Public. [What a name, the stamp notes for a fee?] Get a certified check and throw it is a FedEx envelope … and try to find somewhere to drop it off.

There was a brief hiatus while we met the in-laws for Dim Sum lunch. That’s like Chinese weekend brunch, if you will, a favorite for us even if many think it is Chinese for “bait.” I sure will miss Dim Sum on the Island.

By now it is getting close to 3:00 and we discover that all the little mail stores like “We B Mailboxes” had already sent out their FedEx and UPA packages. We call the main office and they say “Oh, you’ve got to do downtown to the main FedEx distribution plant by 5:00.” So off we go, like a Herd or Turtles, or judging by our growing frustration, a Turd of Hurdles.

Plus, everyone in Austin had recovered from their hangovers and decided to fire up their SUV’s and drive around in circles. Austin’s traffic woes are legendary, a combination of aggressive Texas macho and sheer dumb-ass mentality. Fortunately I decided to listen to a good radio station that kept us informed. “Highway 183 closed due a pickup and trailer with a boat that rolled and caught fire.” So we opt for Plan B, taking the north route about 20 miles out of the way, passing three more rollover accidents. It seemed like every major intersection had at least a fender-bender, with heavy construction in between each one.

But we rolled up with 5 minutes to spare and the FedEx guy was funny and made us feel better. “Oh, South Padre Island, I see. Can I get you a bigger box so I can ship myself down there?”