This is it. The Little Townhouse on the Prairie.

I just moved here to Lincoln, Nebraska from Huntington Beach, California.

What! you say? Why in the hell?

Yes, I moved here in January 2015 to be with the man I love. His name is Ryon. Some doors have closed for me but the door of love, L-U-V, swung open and I marched right in. I'm so glad I did.

Despite the bitter cold, it's warm here. Sookie is happy. I'm happy. My man is happy. We're in love and trust me, that's all you need to keep warm in a Nebraska winter.

Ryon has a wonderful family too. They are spread around a little here but not too far away. My own family, who I left behind in Oklahoma 25 years ago, are not so far away now. Half day's drive. That feels good to me. There are nieces and nephews I'd like to see more, sisters and brothers, mom and dad. Closer seems better. The similarities between Nebraska and Oklahoma and Tulsa and Lincoln are certainly there.

The first ten days or so here have been about adjusting to the cold. (-3!) Today it's up to 48, so a lot of the "permafrost" is melting. After life at the beach, Siberian and Arctic terms seem appropriate. Gloves. check. Hat that covers the ears. Check. Sweater, jacket and scarf. Check. Going outside takes an effort.

It got up to about 45 last weekend so we took a walk out by this very cool urban path that's half a block away and adjacent to NU. That's where Ryon walks every night and where we got to know each other over the phone for months, talking every day. When it warms up, this is going to get a lot of use. Sookie will love it. I hear there are sandhill cranes along this creek too.

Looking around on the employment front. There are a lot more truck and truck mechanic and farm related jobs here than in Orange County! Call centers abound. But it is a University town and the State Capitol. (They have the only unicameral legislature here.) So I think there will be jobs a plenty. Spent some time updating my resume, and I think it's where it should be now. Sent out a few.

Today, I started looking around for LGBT orgs and people on Facebook, I need to get busy, involved with something. Staying in just because it's cold is just going to make me fat and whiny. I need to activate. Stay positive. Do something good for others. Turns out that the Human Rights Campaign has a Nebraska project, so I contacted the organizer and offered my services. Lots of work to do here.

Found my State Senator, seems progressive enough, he's 29! Lol. I guess that's what happens when the district you represent has 20,000+ students in it. He won his race against an openly gay 26-year-old. Ha, I just might like it here!

So turns out this little townhouse (which really isn't little at all) is in what Ryon calls an "up-and-coming" neighborhood and has several gay couples including a famous gay not-couple-anymore. So there's family and then there's family.

It's right downtown and close to the capitol and the university. Our homes are new in a quite splendid neighborhood that is dominated by older, working class homes. Yes, I've already called in to code enforcement about the auto shop across the street. I don't waste time. ;)

I've also cooked a bit because I'm idle but also because I like to and I've been wanting to make warm things like soup. Last night I made corn potato chowder. The night before a turkey pasta, before that chicken and hominy stew. On my second day here, I made chili and cornbread.

Cooking makes a home. This morning I made Ryon a egg/sausage cheese burrito to eat on his way to work, because I think he should eat breakfast, not just a granola bar.

Yeah. I think I'm home.