In DC

So I've moved to DC. Getting here went well. My parents helped me pack up in Lubbock, then we drove to Dallas, where I had to swap out my truck battery. Of course the job turned out to be more than my Dad & I expected (it always does) so we finished completely covered in sweat about 9 PM Monday night.

Then my Mom drove with me to St. Louis, where we stayed with my Grandmother, and we saw cousins, as well as my brother Matt & his family, who are also on their way out to DC for a new job. The next day we hit the road, crossing through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and a chunk of Pennsylvania before calling it a night in a small town in PA.

We got to the place I had lined up here in DC, and well... the guy I sublet from for 1 month is a moron. The day turned out to be rough, but I got my stuff stored, I'm living in a cockroach infested building for a few more days, and then to top it off, the next day I woke up to find that my truck was gone. At first I thought it was stolen - nope. Just towed. The moron forgot to tell me I need a parking pass, so then I had to figure out how to get to my car without transportation (I eventually got a cab).

Since then, things are looking up. I have a place lined up through December, I've gotten most of the little things done I wanted, and I've received a paycheck from work. I'm really excited about where I'll be living for the next few months, and to start the full-time job hunt.

Adios Lubbock

It's been a good, tough, and frustrating 3 years. I'm thankful its done, and I'm thankful that my attitude towards Lubbock changed. Now off to DC.

Things I love about Lubbock #7: Attitude

Tonight's my last "Things I love about Lubbock" post. Attitude.

So this goes to Accent, Trucks, Showing up to Walmart in chaps (with jeans underneath), and who knows what else. There's an attitude in Lubbock, and West Texas in general, of people itchin' for a fight. I think its an attitude that used to prevail throughout the West, and has been decreasing slowly as civilization creeps in.

Of course, it could be easy to miss/dismiss this attitude. If you never go to sports in Lubbock, or rodeos, or auto shops, or just hang out at the university, or at Barnes & Noble, you could miss it. But when you get out to the dirt roads, or the places where people still sit on their porches instead of watching the latest 'American Idolatry', you can sense it.

It could also be dismissed as just hick, but I think its different. I think what distinguishes this attitude from hick is a knowledge of the odds or circumstances, and just utter disregard for it.

Anyway, I think the attitude is a very American one, and I've loved being around it and reminded of it.

Things I love about Lubbock #6: Traffic/Distance

So tonight, when I was running late getting to a goodbye/graduation dinner for my friends Megan and Stephanie, I pretty much made it all the way across Lubbock in less than 10 minutes. Yes, I was exceeding the speed limit, but not by more than 10 mph.

Hence the thing I love about Lubbock for tonight - that I can get anywhere in Lubbock in under 20 minutes. Even in "heavy" traffic times, there's rarely a backup, and if there is, you still get through the intersection on the next signal.

Here's a shot of 'downtown' Lubbock at 5PM Thursday.

Here's a picture of one of the busier intersections just a short time after.
Now, because its a college town, traffic will be increasing in the next few weeks, but really its nice to be able to get around fast and easily. Somehow I think DC's traffic might be a little more intense than Lubbock's been.

Things I love about Lubbock #5: Doin' stuff with Chief

So while I've been here in Lubbock, one of the things I've enjoyed most is getting to know Chief, aka Carl Mortenson. He was in the branch presidency when I moved here, and was released when we became a ward.

Whenever I'm around Chief, I go into sponge mode. Whether it's business, religion, ranching - I just absorb it. I asked him the first month or so I was here if I could just go work on his ranch when I had some time, just to learn - and I'm grateful I did. Rather than go into all the reasons I like and admire Chief, I decided that I would put a few of the nuggets of wisdom I've recorded & learned from Chief.

"You don't own land, land owns you."

"Make it look easy."
"We are rewarded in this life according to the service we render."

Don't subdivide property until you're sure it's going to sell, because the taxes will eliminate profits, and maybe bring a loss.
Always have a backup plan - and don't tell people, and especially the bank, about the backup plan.
Share what you have with others.
In business, beware hiring/working with other mormons. They may feel entitled to something.
Keep a nice car separate from your working truck.
If you're in charge of something, take care of the problems without making management question whether you're up to the task.

Things I love about Lubbock #4: The Rec Center

Today's item of note is the Texas Tech Recreation Center, which is a amazing and getting better all the time.

At BYU, the athletic facilities are amazing. But unless you are a collegiate athlete, you don't get to use those. Instead, you are directed to some basketball courts, a pool, an indoor track that sometimes is fully open and smells like it hasn't been deep cleaned in 50 years, and 2 teeny tiny weight lifting rooms. They also have about 20 racquetball courts.

At Texas Tech, the student rec facilities put BYU to shame. There's a 3 story rock wall, bouldering, probably about 50 treadmill/eliptical things, an indoor track, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool w/ a lazy river, 3 big weight rooms, boxing equipment, a mat room, an indoor soccer court, and about 8 full basketball courts.

Oh, and they have actual lockers that you can rent out, instead of whatever BYU calls those pathetic little cubes we paid money for.

Plus, its right next to the law school, which was a perfect break for me.

Things I love about Lubbock #3: The Stars

This is a simple one. I love being able to see the stars when I'm walking into my apartment at night. During law school I've had some late nights, and since I normally studied up at the school it would often be late when I'd get home. It was really nice to look up and see a dark sky filled with stars. Orion, the dippers, Polaris, and other constellations I can vaguely make out - right there, surrounded by stars.

Everywhere else I've lived - Dallas, Utah, Argentina, Iraq - were all so lit up that while you might see some stars, you couldn't really see the stars. Too much light pollution.

Not in Lubbock. They stand out, and its relaxing, and I'll miss it.

Things I love about Lubbock #2: Music

Prior to leaving Utah 3 years ago, I was getting tired of country music. Tim & Faith don't write their own music, and only sing a song with passion once every 5 years. Toby Keith - does he still just try and put some funny one liners together with a beat? And Kenny Chesney + Rascal Flats = a bunch of gay cowboys singing crappy music.

I get tired of music, and musicians, when they just rehash the same junk over and over again. I understand that after 10-20 years, you get in a rhythm and it's tough to find the same fire and intensity you used to have (U2). So anyway, I was getting tired of country music in particular. I had started listening to a little more Johnny Cash, and then I moved to Lubbock.

Shortly thereafter, a radio station converted to country, and my buddy Jess from church started playing a bunch of Texas country. And I love it. It's so good. Thankfully, I can stream the station over the interwebs, because when I was in DC last week I was already getting frustrated by the lack of decent music options.

Here's the radio station link: 105.3 The Red Dirt Rebel
Here's some artists I would have never heard of had I not moved to Lubbock:
Josh Abbott Band
Turnpike Troubadors
Bleu Edmonson
Brazos Stone

Things I love about Lubbock #1: Bar-B-Q

So when I was in Roanoke VA last week, I looked up restaurants to go to dinner after my first night of the test. I found a bar-b-q joint, and the review online made it sound really good. I went, got seated, and ordered up some soft brisket that had been smoked all day long.

Now, I've had lots of brisket. I like brisket. A friend a couple years ago smoked a brisket at home all day and brought it to a dinner - softest, juiciest brisket I've ever had. Delicious. This? Not so much. It wasn't bad, but I really had to work to cut it with a knife. Juicy - yes. Tender - no. Was I disappointed - absolutely.

I suppose I should have expected as much, and maybe I did. The restaurant's specialty was something I would've complained about here, though they did rescue it with a nice smattering of sauces. But the meat...

This gets to the thing I love about Lubbock - there's some great barbq here. Whether it's Tom & Bingo's Hickory Pit, 4BarK, or even just Dickies fast food barbq. I've been spoiled by delicious meat, made and served by people who actually have smoked their meat all day, or even 2 days, and know how to serve it right.

Tom & Bingo's Hickory Pit, 34th Street in Lubbock

The Bar is Done

The bar is done. I hope, I pray, I pass. I felt pretty good about the test - I felt really good about my prep. I don't know what more I could have done in preparation. I can still tell I'm exhausted from the prep, the test, and everything involved.

So when I arrived in Lubbock Saturday evening, it hit me a little harder than normal that my time here is really getting short. I've talked down on Lubbock during my three years here, but the fact is that I kinda like the town. If there were hills, forest, or rivers of worth mentioning anywhere nearby (less than 2 hours), I'd consider staying. This is true despite the fact that there isn't enough work for me here.

I like the weather, minus 40 mph constant wind & dust. I like the people. I like the attitude.
My dislikes... well, they exist, but I'm not dwelling on those anymore, certainly not this last week before I leave for DC.

So what I have decided to do is start making a list, or a compilation, of favorite things/memories about Lubbock. Since I'm doing these day by day, they probably won't be in order...