Saturday, May 22, 2021

Gal Pal Susan and I went up to Wisconsin on May 5, and returned to Columbia, MO on May 10. After the long drive up there, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo at Compadres Mexican Restaurant. We returned to the hotel room and binged on HGTV programs because neither of us has access to that channel here in Columbia (by choice). Never turned on the news even once. Just binged on home improvement shows. Fun!

We had a very productive first couple of days as we scouted out Middleton, my target area for relocation. There were four appointment tours scheduled, but once we saw the area where my favorite two choices were located, that was it. I canceled the other two tours.

Lady In Waiting

The housing market is hot everywhere these days, including the rental market. I decided to apply to be on the waiting list for an apartment at LeSilve apartments. The apartments there are a bit older, more traditional, some are large, and the mature landscaping was so lovely when compared to newer urban styled complexes. I’m on the waiting list for a 2BR 2bath unit, my application has been approved, and now I’m back in Columbia purging and packing.

Took some photos with my phone outside LeSilve apartments:

I will vacate my duplex on/by June 30 and situate myself in an extended stay hotel in the Middleton area until an apartment comes available. It could be later in the summer; thus, I decided to go up, stay in a temporary place so I could enjoy the summer up there, become familiar with roads, and learn typical routes I will take to various places.

Tourist Time

Because the decision about an apartment was made so easily and quickly, Susan and I then had time to be tourists. We had dinner with my cousin, Bob, on Friday at Porta Bella in Madison. Before we left, we had some Chinese food with him in Middleton on Sunday at Taigu. Because of COVID, they only prepared for take-out, but we were able to sit inside and have our meal.

Up Close and Personal with Frank Lloyd Wright

On Saturday, Susan and I spent some time doing drive-by stops at homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Because these are private properties, we could not see much of the designs except for the Unitarian Meeting House. Susan has a degree in design, so she was busy taking all kinds of photos. I just walked around, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this front porch, located across the street from one of the FLW designed homes.

For both of us, the highlight of the whole visit to was the tour of Taliesinhttps://www.taliesinpreservation.org/, Frank Lloyd Wright’s primary residence for 48 years. This large estate has a fascinating family history and ongoing support these days to preserve all that can be preserved. Susan was very familiar with his work; I only knew the name and the fact that a few of his students designed some homes here in Columbia.

We came away from the tour pretty mesmerized by the genius and originality of Mr. Wright, plus the acknowledgement that he had a huge ego, was a bit of a narcissist (according to our guide), and spent a ton of money on original Asian art. His was a life fully lived, touched by love, ambition, and tragedy, and motivated by continual experimentation. Fascinating.