Spending the Night

My house has been rented out since Friday, October 23rd and will be rented out until Monday, November 8th. 

Ukrainian software developers or something. 

This means I have to find new places to sleep.

So far I've slept in a bed at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. My youngest brother agreed to put me up on my way to Dallas. His roommate was out of town so I got a bed at least. Doubtful the sheets have been washed this semester.

One night I was hosted by a relatively new Austin friend. His house backs up to a creek and some train tracks. Fortunately the house isn't near an intersection so when the night train passes all you hear is the smooth rush of freight grinding along through the trees under the moonlight.  

I spent an evening with some friends from work. Their daughter calls me Uncle Reagan. The next morning she was worried about icing my ankle. We then had pancakes outside and the sun threaded its way through her hair. She looked like an angel. 

I also stayed with a buddy on the east side. He has those circular ice cubes and we dropped them into mugs and poured cheap scotch over them. We sat on his porch and talked about where we thought we should be in life by now.

When we choose to punctuate our lives with new moments time slows down. It's so easy to get caught in a routine and, the next thing you know, October is gone and you couldn't look back on the whole month and pick out one day in particular you remember.

There's certainly something to be said for feeling at home, but for now I'm enjoying the generosity of my friends and quiet mornings in new places. I wonder where I'll sleep tonight.