MY TURN

Upon landing in Texas, we hit the ground running!  First we spent nine days together in my hubby's hometown, Odessa, where we shopped 'til we dropped, visited with his family and friends, and bought a used pea green Mercury Comet from one of them, for me to drive.  The highlights of the stay were eating the infamous steak fingers and fried pickle chips at Big Bee (a little dive we loved out on Andrews Highway) and taking his parents to see Star Wars!

Then we were off to Dallas, where we visited with my friends and family, shopped some more, and bought a spiffy little red MG convertible (also used) for John to drive.  I was pretty jealous, until it broke down that same evening and had to be towed.  I had decided that I would go ahead and look for work in the fashion industry, even though my ultimate goal was to teach textiles at a university.  Odds were I'd be required to teach merchandising and/or design classes as well, at least at first, and a couple of years experience in the field couldn't hurt.  I was so thrilled to finally have a shot at doing something exciting and creative!  We both signed up with an employment agency there and went on a couple of interviews.  The highlight of that stay was John erupting in a severe case of Shingles, all around his torso. A mere six days of being jobless and staying with his in-laws, combined with more vehicle woes, had just about done him in.

He headed down to Houston to do some interviewing, but I stayed in Dallas for a few more days, to take part in all of my very favorite fall activities there.  First I hosted a hen party for all my old school buddies, then I went to a slumber party with my two sisters.  We got up early the next morning and caught the bus out to the State Fair of Texas, and while there, went to see Debbie Reynolds in Annie Get Your Gun!  Next we had a family celebration for my 24th birthday, and last but not least, Mom and I went downtown for the annual "Fortnight" celebration at Neiman Marcus, which happened to be French that year, and had lunch at the Zodiac Room.  Is it any wonder I've always loved October in Dallas?

A funny thing happened to my hubby there in Houston.  He was fairly certain he'd be able to stay with B&R, but wanted to meet with a headhunter, just to see what else was out there, and what they were offering.  This headhunter sent him on an interview with Mobil Oil -- the company which John had interned with all through college, and which had even awarded him a scholarship.  Wouldn't you know, one of his interviewers ended up being the very guy John had worked for in college, and of course, he recognized my hubby.  "You know, John", he said.  "We were kind of hurt when you didn't come to work for us after college."  John just stared at him for a moment, totally confused.  Finally he replied, "Not nearly as hurt as I was, when I didn't even get a job offer from Mobil!"  Apparently, someone screwed up big time.  Later in the conversation, he asked John "Do you mind telling me what B&R pays guys with your experience?"  When John told him, he laughed and said "We pay more than that to kids straight out of school!"  John accepted their offer.

I hopped on a plane to Houston, and spent the whole trip thinking about where all I would apply for jobs, and what neighborhoods would be most convenient to the Sanfords, Nellie and Dave, and S&BD.

I expected to see John grinning from ear to ear when I got off the plane.  Instead, he looked, well, nervous.  "Deeeaaar, is there something you haven't told me yet?"  "Well, yeah, kind of.  You see, we will be working in Houston, um, eventually."  My heart plummeted.  "But first, just for a couple of years, they, uh, want me to train in some, uh, gas plants.  In south Texas."  I must have looked like I was about to pass out, for he quickly added "But don't worry, they don't expect us to live out by the plants!  There's a nice little town not too far away, called Kingsville.  It even has a college!"

While it did indeed have a college, and a naval air station, one thing Kingsville did not have was department stores.  Not even one.  Nor anything remotely related to fashion design.  It is the small town (about 10,000 people at that time) that grew up alongside the famous King Ranch -- one of the largest ranches in the country.  It is four or five hours further down the Gulf Coast from Houston, and would be an eight or ten hour drive from our families.  The college was Texas A&I, and though the "A" stood for Agriculture, they did at least have a Home Economics department.  After we got settled in, I wandered over there to see about getting started on that graduate degree in Textiles.  "Well, I'm afraid we don't actually offer a graduate program in that just yet, though we hope to soon", the head of the department told me.  "In the meantime, however, I sure could use an assistant!  Can you type?"