June 2009
June 29, 2009 at 11:03 am
I have done more stairs this week than Rocky.
It has been nice living on the second floor. I don’t hear people scuttle around above me. I’m not distracted by people walking past my windows. But dear Jesus, all those benefits come at the horrible cost of having to move all my crap in small, box-sized portions, down a flight of stairs in the sun and 90-degree heat and then jog back up for another round of misery.
The moving dragged on forever and ever and ever. After moving all the large objects in a rental truck last Monday, I was left with all the remainder items to transport in car loads. Each time I’d look around the apartment and think, “Ok, this will fit in two car loads.” Then I’d pack everything up and think, “Ok, I guess I actually have two more car loads after this.” And then I’d drive and unload and come back and pack up some more and think, “Ok, this is the final two car loads for sure,” but it was [...]
June 26, 2009 at 9:28 am
After the plane ride and the metro ride and the bus ride, I drove my car home the final leg from traveling abroad. I waited at a stoplight next to the Fresh Market, a local grocery store. I gazed at the green glow of the sign spelling out the store’s name and thought, If I were from France, that supermarket would be totally exotic. If I were a tourist in America, I would want to walk inside and take pictures of the labels on the chocolates. I’d want to gawk at the strange American foods that they don’t make in other countries, just like I was fascinated by prawn sandwiches in London.
When I was walking around my city in the following weeks, I looked at every single statue or fountain or old building and thought, If I were from Britain, I would have to snap a digital photo of that. As a rule, when I was overseas I took a picture of every piece of statuary or art or plain old engraved boulder, just because [...]
June 25, 2009 at 8:40 am
It’s odd how quickly a word can dominate our shared vocabulary. In 2000 it was “hanging chad.” In 2002 it was “post 9-11.” This year it’s “economy” and “recession” and “toxic assets.” They might just be words, but they reflect the changes that are happening in my life and your life and your neighbors next door, who aren’t going to live next door anymore, because they defaulted on their mortgage.
As much as people’s lives are changing, mine hasn’t changed that much. Sure, my job is as secure as a lockbox sealed with chewing gum, and I moved to a cheaper apartment to cut my living costs, but otherwise I’m living the same life I’ve always led. Financially speaking this means I save money, sock cash in my retirement accounts, and spend less than I earn. Evidently I was a radical ahead of my time for doing all these things.
I feel genuinely sorry for the suffering this recession has caused, for people who are stuck in houses that have lost value, for people who can’t make [...]
June 24, 2009 at 10:41 am
I would not recommend moving out of your 2nd floor apartment with a western exposure on a clear, sunny afternoon of 90 degrees. My brother and his friend earned every penny we paid them to load a truck full of dressers and SteelCase desks. I loaded and unloaded 5 carloads worth of boxes and assorted stuff, and was surprised by how much you can cram into a 2002 Saturn SL1. And still, I have not yet moved everything out of my apartment. There are wall hangings to take down, kitchen items to box, more clothes to toss into bags. I don’t even have that much stuff, but it is amazing how exhausting it can be to move what little stuff I have. I have a true appreciation for what my mother went through every time we moved to a different state. I can’t imagine having to pack everything at once instead of gradually transporting all my stuff across town like I’m doing now.
My body is sore, and I’m glad I have a week of wiggle [...]
June 22, 2009 at 7:55 am
As you are reading this I am most likely moving heavy objects, or even more likely, I am directing my brother and his friend who are moving heavy objects. I’ve decided to move to a new apartment, which sadly means I will no longer be running up and down the happy, fun, fitness trail on a regular basis. I love the trail, but I do not love it at the rate of $300 a month, which is how much I will be saving by moving. They kept raising my rent every year and I finally decided the pain of moving all my earthly possessions (my very heavy earthly possessions) was worth the money I’ll be keeping in my checking account.
As I noted a few years ago, moving is great exercise! Who needs a Stairmaster when you live on the 2nd floor? I decided not to infringe too greatly on my brother’s goodwill, so I lugged all my weights to the backseat of my car myself last night. I carried a grand total of 112 pounds [...]
My latest tweets
"What distinguishes us one from another is our dreams and what we do to make them come about." - Joseph Epstein
