List Fission

The minutia of our last 48 hours in this country is nothing short of paralyzing.  The lists beget lists and misplacement of one can easily send me into a Liza Minnelli-scale freak out.

"That piece of paper had the types of sunscreen I wanted to bring.  DAMMIT!"

One of the items on today's agenda is actual research into the place we're going on Monday.  It seems this will be fairly easy to accomplish as the internet doesn't have all that much to say about Ulaanbaator, Mongolia.  Seriously, a quick Google search reveals some hotel listings, a few blogs and the weather.  I did see one result that used the phrase "barbaric splendor."  So there's that.

Perhaps we will get there and finally chill out?  I would enjoy a day of boredom, to be honest.

Appy-hay Irthday-bay to Olly-may

Happy happy, bestie.  I hope you and Bands are drinking bucket-cocktails on a riverboat in Cambodia.  I maybe don't even have to hope that, its probably exactly what you're doing.

For some reason when I woke up this morning, I thought about the lyrics from that song "I Gotcha" by Joe Tex and how we used to listen to the Pulp Fiction soundtrack in high school and speculate about who he was after and why and how that song could be so terrifying.

In the past several hours that song has somehow morphed into a creepy anthem for me coming to meet you in Asia.  Just try it out, it really sheds some ironic rainbow colored light on the scariness.

"You made me a promise and your gonna stick to it..."

Um, that went to an unexpected place.  Happy Birthday, though, for reals.  Can't wait to get the band back together:

Oft listened

In the packing/unpacking/repacking relay, I've found some time to bond with my iPod.  In addition to the 12+ hours of fantastic mixes provided by Sue on my way out of town, these and a few others are in the heavy rotation.

Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire
Say Please - Monsters of Folk
Fitz and Dizzyspells - Andrew Bird
When We Swam - Thao with the Get Down Stay Down

Happy Father's Day

To Ed's Dad!  He is cool, funny, breezay, and just exactly the kind of guy you'd want to have for a Dad.  If I could have hand-crafted a father-in-law I could not have done better.  

Rock on, Steve. 

Definitely ranks in the Top 5 worst places to discuss your relationship....

Yesterday Ed and I climbed Mt. Lenox.  Its really a big hill but still, embarrassingly, provided a significant cardio-vascular challenge particularly on the "very steep" sections.  About a third of the way to the top we came across a woman sitting forlornly/poetically on a large rock mid-trail.  We smiled and I made a jokes about the weather and being winded.  She smiled wanly and we carried on.  Maybe a mile later we came across a man looking out across a valley vista and contemplatively eating salty peanuts.  He didn't seem inclined to banter so we whispered our standard commentary so as not to disturb his vision quest.

Only at the summit did we realize these two were a pair.  And a fighting pair at that...  At the top of the hill/mountain they were crying and softy arguing and then maybe reconciling.  Or not.  Because by the time we climbed down that bitch, ate a Clif bar, and started discussing lunch/cocktail options they had made it to the parking lot.  Seemingly their goodwill evaporated during the descent and once their Subaru was in sight, they couldn't muster one good memory. 

Ed and I discussed this on the drive to lunch and came to this conclusion:  all couples have problems and all couples occasionally consider the dissolution of their union.  But its best not to hash through these issues on a rocky mountain trail where escape is futile and no one knows how to find you.  Seriously, wait until you're in the car and driving the gravel path to civilization to be all "You were flirting with that bartender!" 

Also, recycle. 

Not beloved in the Berkshires...

World Cup!

At the beginning of the games we lived in the East Village where every third bar had recently developed a deep and loving relationship with soccer.  The behavior of the proprietors may have been a bit whorish, but I understand from expat friends that its important to have a place to gather and watch the games en masse.  Plus, if fans were to watch at home they might miss the opportunity to get shit-canned and beat each other up at 9 am, like they could on my old block.  So, you know, to each his wasted own.

Since we've been here, nary a mention of the games.  Lots of bumper stickers supporting the NRA, but no TVs tuned in to the cuppage.  So, if you plan to move up here, you should probably love guns more than you love non-American football. 

Lasts

On Sunday, I woke up at my Mom's house in CT for the last time ever.  We agree that the sheer coincidence of her moving to NC within 48 hours of our moving to MA must be a cosmic joke.  After parting with the house I grew up in, my Mom until she visits next year, and the cutest dog on earth, I headed back into the city to continue the madness of our own departure.  The Evans girls have left the tri-state.

Photo reference of Cutest:

Sunday evening was the last time I'll hang at Sue's, an EV touchstone for the last few years.  She and her man head to the land of homeownership in the coming months.  I said goodbye to she and Jenny.  Pretty much the worst, but I hope to see their lovely faces in Asia come fall.

Yesterday we left Manhattan, presumably for the last time in a long time and are now officially residents of the Berkshires.  Moishe's movers are the EFFING BEST and the pool house looks fantastic.  We're taking a break at the moment, and then its back to unpacking.  I have never interacted with our stuff more than I have in the last few weeks.  I have to say, our new mantra may be "Minimalism in '12."

In the next 48 hours, I'm hoping to wrap a lot of the matter-cycling up and start thinking about our trip.  We leave for Mongolia in less than 2 weeks and while I'm fully geared up, I'm woefully under-prepared.  Holy Mongoly.

List of Thank Yous

1.  To the partiers and party crashers on Saturday night.  I've not had such a nasty hangover in years, nor such a brilliant evening to show for it.  So hot but so best.*

2.  To Capital One, for testing the very limits of my already frayed nerves in a week where just one "No Hassle" interaction would be so very much appreciated.  Truly, you are all hassle, all the time.**

3.  To our landlords for saying that unless the walls of our apartment cave in over the weekend we will receive our full security deposit.  You are the exception to Manhattan property owners. 

4.  To Roberta's where I will eat one of my last and favorite meals in NYC tonight with 2 of the awesomest people I know.  Also, micheladas.  I'm not sure who to thank for your advent, but I'll put it to the universe.

5.  To the internets, for keeping me connected with the people that I already miss, though I haven't yet left.  Sigh. 

*special shout out to Sue for music, Jenny for interior consult, and Katie for everything else. 

*that 2nd one might have been a touch sarcastic.  sors. 

Ramble On

So, last week I made a quick trip to homeville for some qt with the Thacks, light furniture shuffling, and trip supply shopping with Mom.  I am aware that Walmart is evil (I listen to NPR) but jaysus its fun in there.  I could not have been happier on my slightly buzzed maiden voyage through the double-wide aisles.  They have everything under the, um, florescent tube lighting.  I had no idea!

All this is to say that I enjoyed no aspect of my visit more than the accompanying soundtrack provided, reliably, by 95.9 "The Fox."  Matt Zako is still playing precisely the same track list he did when I was in high school.  I appreciate that my foxy brothers don't mess with the classic rock recipe - it is a period frozen in time and, unlike the rest of us, doesn't age.  

101.1 and 96.7 used to call themselves oldies and classic rock, respectively, but now include the odd B-52 or Midnight Oil hit.  Not the Fox.  King Harvest, Three Dog Night, Zep, AC/DC, Doobies - we do not question the formula.  Bonus points awarded for the consistent, non-ironic air time given to "Jessica," making all the world seem a Birk wearing, Rolling Rock drinking, open-windowed night in CT.  Turn it up. 

Countdown to Breakdown

Okay, people.  Little known fact about tie-cutting and home-leaving: it is a ton of fucking work.  Like, my job tweren't nothing compared to the hustling I'm doing now.  Priorities for the remainder of this week:

- finish gathering moving quotes and select mover
- dentist
- eye exam
- vaccinations (tetanus, ow)
- visa applications for China & Vietnam
- final party plans for Saturday
- drive to CT to continue the possession parade making a circuit between here, darien & the berkshires.

This in the midst of an inappropriate amount of socializing.  A very lovely and blurry long holiday weekend thanks to my girls and assorted couple friends makes the running through weather-soup extra challenging.  I'm not sure yesterday's informal beer garden tour of the 5 boroughs necessarily helped either.  Overserved.