tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242685052026-04-06T03:06:18.107-07:00Moving to a new city? Want more info before you move? Plan your relocation, and share relocation information and resources at rootlet.blogspot.com.Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-9673506264212289242007-12-21T18:14:00.001-08:002007-12-21T19:27:34.193-08:00

I hope that people relocating to a new city continue to find my resources helpful. I've unearthed books on relocation, career resources, and information on housing affordability, and Austin business networking. I compared city climates, cost of living and transportation, political climates, city economies, singles in cities, sought-after technologies, and tech jobs by city. Relocation Complete

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-10795481811160468982007-07-01T09:20:00.000-07:002007-07-01T10:23:10.215-07:00

A dozen wasps were rebuilding this morning, in the balcony light socket. I had read that mint oil repelled wasps, so I put several drops of peppermint oil on the window washer pad, and daubed it on the area of ceiling around the light. The wasps vacated. More were hovering under the eaves, where I had seen some before. I discovered a fourth nest there, and scraped it down. I daubed more

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-60203444369224508122007-06-30T16:43:00.000-07:002007-06-30T21:34:27.146-07:00

One evening last week, I stepped out onto the balcony, with a chair an a novel, ready to relax for awhile. I had scarcely cracked the book when I noticed a number of wasps swooping and buzzing around above me. I went back inside. The rest of the evening consisted of a ground-to-air assault. I distracted them with a bright light from a window. I would dart out, spray them with some Simple Green

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-80270683273456982802007-06-14T21:13:00.000-07:002007-06-13T21:40:19.923-07:00

As close-in Austin neighborhoods fill in, the only construction sites left are ones sold as tear-downs. At the end of May, I was encouraged to see signs that this one near me might depart.May 30, 2007 Nothing happened for a week or two, then I saw yellow tape and muddy tire tracks. June 12, 2007 I'm so glad to see this one ease on down the road. I hope something nice goes in. June 13, 2007

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-89536901286060881842007-06-10T10:55:00.000-07:002007-06-13T21:12:27.666-07:00

Some pigeons took advantage of poor workmanship and penetrated the plastic screens under my carport eaves. I grabbed a ladder and cleaned out the nest under construction. Fastened the edges with a staple gun. Within twenty minutes, the pair of pigeons pictured here were back, having found another gap. They had stopped building and seemed trapped. I loosened the screen with a broom stick, and they

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-91768024925210052682007-06-01T20:53:00.001-07:002007-06-01T21:26:54.119-07:00

Trulia uses house construction records and Flash to animated the growth patterns of cities. Compare the growth of Austin, TX with that of San Francisco, Bay Area. This appeals to many of my interests: real estate, city growth, data visualization, and user interfaces.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-37083691441173882202007-05-26T10:36:00.000-07:002007-05-26T12:35:56.975-07:00

Google for the earliest mentions of "Triple Play phone tv internet", and you'll find a timeline of press releases going back to 1995. So, now, a dozen years later, there must be several bundle deals, and an intuitive search engine to help you choose, right? Heh, heh. Getting Connected in your new location, with an ISP, home phone service, and TV is still not a simple task*. Are you ready for

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-6901016694245010752007-05-20T12:42:00.000-07:002007-05-20T12:54:10.447-07:00

Reunited and it feels so good... You really can't expect a better move-in. I had help from one new friend and one new coworker. Unpacked the storage cubes before noon Saturday. Today (Sunday), I packed up the hotel room and checked out for good. Goodbye, Studio 6. I unpacked Claientita, then started up a load of laundry. Then came the highlight. I popped into the new jacuzzi tub for my first soak

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-8114570964268615502007-05-16T20:05:00.000-07:002007-05-16T20:08:59.493-07:00

Can you feel the change in the air? It's electric.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-32302461881816440782007-05-06T14:36:00.000-07:002007-05-10T09:39:25.945-07:00

I'm at Halcyon, sitting on a funky couch this Sunday afternoon. Across from me are two girls who could be sisters. Both are reading gilt-edged books (Bibles?), both are very alternaretrochic, and both are marking their copies of the good book as they study. Halcyon serves both alcohol and caffeine, so perhaps this venue offers dual opportunities to save souls. Both girls have ankle tatts. One is

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-55413581031286053352007-04-20T04:34:00.000-07:002007-04-20T07:32:18.936-07:00

After looking at a dozen or more houses in a short time, the memory of what I've seen often blurs together. Google's "My Maps" feature helped me to keep the locations and vitals of houses in perspective. I've heard complaints from many consumers that the various MLS Web sites are antiquated, and buggy. In my experience, they are black holes that suck Time and provide little organizational value

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-60685835459413260282007-04-14T05:17:00.001-07:002007-04-14T05:23:38.552-07:00

I sat down to lunch with "Sam", who moved from New York City to Austin a few years ago, and is happy with his relocation. Sam is an easygoing guy who greets people with a smile and a tap on the shoulder. He keeps an electronic picture frame on his desk, with revolving pictures of his family. Monte: What were some of the milestones that you passed in getting established in your new town of Austin

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-12779153201056395382007-04-08T16:49:00.000-07:002007-04-08T17:04:41.346-07:00

Just click the photo if you want to, um, see it larger.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-52916221038708353322007-04-04T21:33:00.000-07:002007-04-04T19:36:31.035-07:00

Perhaps out of rage, spite, or just plain hunger, this knob-headed gander aggressively pursued my friend's tender toes. Scaring away the fowl took several tries. He then chased small children.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-41825151595832505492007-04-04T16:45:00.000-07:002007-04-06T06:42:14.184-07:00

A local tree is pressed into service as a makeshift lost and found.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-44869923921603771642007-04-03T10:39:00.000-07:002007-04-09T19:17:45.654-07:00

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-73443011663606209792007-04-03T05:38:00.000-07:002007-04-03T15:38:22.818-07:00

I snapped an opportune shot of Microsoft's Zune Bus sitting behind chainlink fences in a budget hotel lot on the north end. No doubt it was in Austin for the purpose of cashing in on the SXSW cache. See? Cool people like Zune. If you give them free stuff. Now, I'm no fan of iPod. In fact, you could call me antipod. iPod helps ordinary people, who are in actuality grinding their way through

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-28831220024132980532007-04-02T16:29:00.000-07:002007-04-02T16:31:16.738-07:00

[You can] Keep Your Wong LongNothing says "fashion" like Northeast Austin's Wong Long Fashion Design, LLC. That, and candy-cane beribboned pillars on a 1950s rambler in April. Go to St John's Ave and Rufus Street and see for yourself. But go at night — the sign lights up!

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-26664681385129035192007-03-31T09:18:00.001-07:002007-03-31T09:42:50.496-07:00

Members of the professional networking group LinkedIn.com shared the names of their favorite Austin networking groups. Chris Garigues, President/CEO of Trinsic Solutions, asked the question, "What networking groups are worth attending in the Austin area?" The list of responses includes: Texchange Austin Technology Council International Hospitality Council of Austin Steve Harper's "Ripple Effect

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-1371130844841097322007-03-29T20:18:00.001-07:002007-03-29T20:32:59.054-07:00

In my walks around Austin, I've noticed mounds of soil appear overnight. I figured that Austin's famous fire ants had bailed out of their burrows to avoid drowning. It turns out that temperate, wet weather in the Spring and Fall are conducive to their brooding.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-36725233050669870282007-03-22T19:51:00.000-07:002007-03-22T20:26:17.935-07:00

I should have been suspicious when I heard the heavy diesel truck back up last night. This morning, I opened the door to find this pair of love birds parked right outside. Their heads were twelve feet high, and they looked like supermodels. I blinked, held my breakfast down, and walked around the giant mobile billboard on my way to work.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-79748099882644170612007-03-21T20:09:00.000-07:002007-03-21T20:48:15.136-07:00

I'm shopping for a car in my new town. I'm noticing the models on the road that match ones on my short list. It sure seems like there are a lot of Porsche Boxsters on the road. Am I simply noticing them more? Time to look at some stats. Porsche only made up about 1/3 of 1% of the cars sold in February. Figures are thanks to AutoData and AIADA.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-32020755922715478452007-03-11T14:39:00.000-07:002007-03-11T17:59:48.004-07:00

I've been away from blogging for awhile, trying to heal up from a neck injury. That's because a hit-and-run driver rear-ended me and a friend. She was behind the wheel of our rental car, and had yielded in a right turn lane on the northwest corner of 290 E and IH-35 frontage roads in Austin. A large black pickup truck with tinted windows slammed into our silver Chevy Cobalt. We pulled over to

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-27479957149108522742007-02-21T10:28:00.000-08:002007-02-21T10:33:54.768-08:00

Eighty site location consultants polled by b2b publication Expansion Management ranked Austin in the 50 Hottest Cities for Business, reported The Daily Texan.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24268505.post-68359958289301140582007-02-14T19:51:00.000-08:002007-02-14T20:07:58.322-08:00

San Santonio garage punk band Sons of Hercules belt out a cover version of the tune "Easy Action". Veteran vocalist Frank Pugliese is in rare form at Austin's legendary Continental Club. Watch it on YouTube. The original video is about 105MB. Compressed, it's a 20MB avi. YouTube would not accept the 105MB version.

Monte Haywardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13438203160015175113noreply@blogger.com2