So it took me two months to pack, drive across the country and unpack so I could update my blog. Okay, that might not be the full truth…
The truck was packed on August 17th and 12 hours later we were in New York. By some sort of miracle we were able to fit everything into the apartment that we brought with us -IKEA gets some props for that. Our place feels homey, but it doesn’t feel like home just yet. Our friends (new friends) who have been here for a few years have all said it takes about 6 months before it feels like home. I’m pretty sure it will easily take that long…it’s a big change. Big. Change.
There have been a few fulfilled city adventures already, but many more on the horizon. Suffice to say, there should be plenty to blog about. :)
For now, I’ll leave you with this little gem I took of two people playing instruments on a subway platform. One was dressed as a skunk, the other a chicken. I love how random the city is!
The things we collect over the years that end up collecting dust say a lot about us. I’ve moved a few times -just apartment skipping if you will- in the past 10 years and I always laugh at the things I boxed up at one apartment…but I never unboxed at the new apartment. Maybe there is unopened mail just waiting to be shredded. Or the magazine article I wanted to read. Maybe, just maybe, the business card of someone who will have long forgotten me by now.
For this move, things are a little different. Instead of moving boxes to NY that I may not ever open, I’m opening every box I have and deciding: keep it, store it, toss it, sell it or donate it? I can’t take everything and I can’t store everything. I have to make a choice. I have lots of work clothes that I have no interest in wearing again…I’d rather get new clothes for a new start, but only if I need them. :)
It’s such a refreshing feeling getting rid of old things or passing them on. It’s like spring cleaning for the soul in far too many ways. I suggest you try it some time.
So I sat down the other day and I realized that I must be crazy. Up until December I was taking night classes, working 40+ hours a week (I’m a computer nerd by trade), working with two student clubs on campus, volunteering as a director of a library & museum, making wedding plans, reviewing grad schools, reviewing new cities to live in, working on my photos (rarely), trying to keep in touch with my friends and of course: sleeping, eating, cleaning and showering.
Now much has changed in the past 6 months, other than I’m not taking night classes now. Wow. I’m kind of an idiot.
My job right now is so stressful that I freak out when I talk about it, so I’m not going to talk about it. Well, I’ll say that I’m in an extremely awkward situation at my office that makes every day a shitty day.
This isn’t a very informative post. Deal with it.
So for those of you who also have cray lives…I have a list of things that I do to help me get through it all. In no particular order:
- Play violent video games
- Play video games where I can swear at other people on the Internet (so I feel like a bigger person)
- Both of the above.
- Read two pages in a book and (this is the important part) throw it across the room as if you are disgusted the author’s parents allowed them to read & write. Do this even if you like the book.
- Point at yourself in the mirror and laugh. Note: DO NOT punch the mirror.
- Sit in a room at stare at a wall for as long as it takes. Don’t ask me how long it takes, just do it until you’re done. You’ll understand once you try it.
- Sit outside and stare at the ground. Don’t make eye contact with anyone for 2 hours.
Do these things actually work? Hell yes. All the time? Hell no. When in doubt, take a few deep breaths, close your eyes and count to 10. You’ll be surprised how clam you feel after 10 seconds with your eyes closed. That is, unless you are driving…then you might actually be in a sheer terrified panic mode when you open your eyes. So that’s not really productive either.
Aw to hell with it. Just punch a mirror.
So if you didn’t know, I love snacks. More importantly I love pastries and many other non-healthy things. Jamie Oliver is an awesome chef trying to change the world through food. While I don’t really want to give him nightmares, my choice of snacks would put him over the edge…so without further adieu, a new series about my snack choices.
We have a snack box at my office, it’s like a vending machine without the machine part. Typically the snacks offered are full of sugar, calories and fat…all of the things that are not good for you. Today I was feeling adventurous and I thought I might try out a mint flavored Moon Pie. Here’s the thing, I don’t like the idea of Moon Pies. I watched an episode of How It’s Made and they showed a Moon Pie factory…the whole process. Needless to say, it didn’t make me crave a Moon Pie; in fact the idea creeped me out.
Regardless, I thought I would try it out. I assumed I would toss my cookies (pun 100% intended) so I prepared for the worst.
The worst never came. It was amazing. Jamie Oliver would be so pissed off right now…I went and told other people at work they needed to try one too. Now I’m -in theory- telling the world. Go eat a *new* mint flavored Moon Pie. Dot it. It’s like a thin mint and an Oreo got together and made babies.
*Disclaimer: if you don’t like it, don’t tell me. I don’t care. :)
In three months I’ll flick the switch and start fresh in a new location. No, I’m mot moving my blog already, I’m physically moving to New York…and I can hardly believe it. Since my first visit to the city in 2002 I said I wanted to live there one day -maybe just for a year or two. Now I’ll have my chance.
I’m quitting my job after nine years, packing up what can fit into a shoebox of an apartment, selling my car and moving to a new city. It’s not because I have given up on Michigan either; I’m moving to go to grad school. I’ll talk more about school in posts to come, but I’ll at least tell you where I am going: The New School.
I wont be moving alone either, my fiancée is coming with me. Wait wait I know, I know. Yes, I know, how could I not blog about all of these things before? I’m sorry! I’ll make it up to you I swear it. I just needed to get you up to speed and we can work on all of the details later mmmmk? Great!
Now, does anyone want to buy a car?
I removed some old posts, deleted a few drafts, made a few tweaks to the layout and finished up on some static pages. I’ll probably pull down some old posts that aren’t too special or that had embedded photos…just because they are unneeded and “blah”. I think I’m happy, for now at least. Now I need to give you a little content, eh?
At least I need something to tell you before it looks like I’ve up and disappeared again :)
.: the babbling dweeb :. 