Gary V. Powell, Author

We're in Austin, Texas this week, visiting family and enjoying the food and music scene. As settled as we've become in North Carolina, having found our niche in a place that's not all that hospitable to us, Austin feels a lot like what home should feel like.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law live in Tarrytown within walking distance of Lake Austin and Mozart's Coffee shop. I wrote a pretty fair short story from there last year, plus finished a book on health insurance for a client, plus started what looks like it will be a novella length piece. This year I've been walking over early and working on the synopsis to my third novel. The folks there remembered me from last year. They bring me my latte in a "for here" cup after I plug in my laptop.

Central Market and Whole Foods are a chef and foodies' dream. The variety and quantity of fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, fish, and other seafood are nothing short of inspiring. I served rib-eye steak and asiago mashed potatoes our first night here and bone-in rib pork chops with black beans and orzo the second night. We're looking at lamb chops tomorrow night and duck breast Friday night. I've got to scrounge for this variety in Charlotte--here in Austin it's just down the road and the store manager knows what I'm asking for when I ask about micro-greens. The Central Market offered three alternatives.

Yesterday evening, Mary and I drove ten minutes to Waterloo Records, where one of our favorite young performers, Hayes Carll, performed for free to introduce his new CD. Not only was the live music terrific Waterloo offered free beer (a Texas favorite, Shiner Bock, of course) to attendees. Can't beat that. Hayes has a soft spot in my heart. He plays a cameo in my second novel, Beyond Redemption. In the novel, Mitch Fawley's errant son, Connor, leaves home to be a roadie in Hayes' band. We met Hayes in Charlotte at the Neighborhood Theatre a few years ago, just after he'd introduced is first CD. Only about 20 people came to hear the show. The next week he was nominated as Best New Performer of the year.

Today, we took our son Reilly and his cousin Brendan to San Antonio to see the River Walk and the Alamo. We enjoyed that old story of bravery and desperation as much this year as last. I don't know how the Mexicans tell the story, but the spin the Texans put on it makes it one of sacrifice, courage, and standing up for what's right. Who can't relate to that?

I don't know. There aren't too many places I could live. I hate the cold and snow, so moving back north is out of the question. We've found a niche in Charlotte with friends and to some extent work, but we can work wherever we live and the fact is I don't really fit in well in Charlotte--not like here. I'm right at home here with the other bearded, long-haired, Hawaiian-shirt wearing old guys at Mozart's in the morning. I'm right at home with my Texas outlaw country music, my earring, and my "I think, therefore I'm a liberal" bumpersticker. I've learned the butcher's name at Central Market.

I'm right at home here. It feels good for once, to fit in.