The new view

double rainbow from the balcony
Originally uploaded by surly monkey.

So it's been a couple of weeks now since I moved down here. I've been neglecting to put anything here. I guess in a way I'm still sorting things out here. As far as work, I've pretty much got a routine down with a quick commute that avoids the interstate. Actually it's a rather scenic commute and one of these days I'm going to get out of my car and take some pictures of it.

My biggest dilemma now is trying to find my own thing to do. Since this whole cohabitation thing is pretty new to me, I'm not used to having give space to someone else. Living with friends and roommates is definitely not the same. A plus is, I did discover a skatepark not too far from work so I can go hit that sometimes after work. And there is always the library.

Trying to find my own thing in a town I just moved to is a bit challenging. I still don't know that many people and those that I do are through Phrank. Most of my interests have been solitary in nature that I can usually do with little more than my computer or a book. Although I did realize earlier tonight that I've done very little in the way of recon for taking photos. Perhaps it's time to start doing some more night photography again.

This is a whole new world to me.

And then I realized I was living in a city

It's been quite a few years since I've had any real commute to work. Probably since the I lived back in Indy almost twelve years ago (I still find it hard to believe that I've been here this long). Today marked the first day of my daily commute and really twenty minutes or so isn't that bad. My guess is that as I get more familiar with the area I may be able to find other ways.

This morning I followed Phrank's advice and avoided the interstate. I was going to take it but then I realized that most of the time she is right and this is probably one of those times. Plus, I actually get to listen to Morning Edition for awhile.

The strange thing is I'm not missing Steamboat as much as I thought I would. Perhaps it's because I only took one day off between jobs. I expected more of a homesick feeling and it didn't show up. I tend to forget that I'm actually adaptable and once I'm finally in a new situation handle it decently. The worst part is always the part leading up to a change. This is not to say that I don't miss the people there, I'm talking more about the town itself.

Being the fourth city in Colorado I've lived in, I can safely say the views in each city are unique. Here the mountains just push up from the ground (I guess Boulder is sort of that way) and start. Our balcony has a pretty decent sunset view and there were some neat colors tonight while I was outside smoking. There is this feel here that I can't quite put into words. It's a city, maybe that's part of it.

A new home

Well, it's official. Other than unpacking my last load out of my car and organizing my things I am here for good. I'm glad. To finally be here is a big relief. Among other things I no longer need to make that drive every weekend, which is good because it was really starting to get to me.

Phrank let me sleep until eight this morning and then she couldn't take it anymore. So I got up and we spent most of the day going to various plant sales for her new business. And then I watched her plant said plants. After that we went to a seventies themed graduation party, in outfits and all. It was fun and she looks pretty hot as a seventies girl, if I may say so.

Leaving work on Friday was harder than I thought it would be. For as much as I bitch and moan about that place it actually was the best place I've worked so far. A large part of that was the fact that the team working there was just so great. My boss baked me two going away cakes last week. Quite possibly the best cake I've ever had. And the girls made an awesome going away gift pack. They even tricked me into taking some of the photos for part of it. That part was a little book with pictures and some inside jokes. There was also Surly Monkey tshirts and a mouse pad. They kick ass. I will miss working there.

It was sad to say goodbye to those that I said goodbye to. I got a bit misty eyed as I headed over Rabbit Ears pass for what will be the last time for a while. I will miss people there but I am excited and happy to start this new chapter of my life with Phrank.

Last Hurrah

Tonight was my last hurrah in Steamboat. Which consisted of two slices of Mazolla's pizza and two PBRs and a small handful of close friends. Three, not counting the bartender (who quite possible is the greatest bartender ever), to be exact. For me that was the perfect way to go out this time. I really didn't want any kind of big send off, I forfeited that when I moved away six years ago.

Earlier tonight I tried to verbalize to Phrank how weird it was to be saying goodbye. I didn't really have the words for it and I'm still not sure if I do. I don't regret my decision to leave and I'm actually looking quite forward to this new chapter in my life. But there is a fair amount of sadness in saying goodbye. A handful of the people here have been a surrogate family for me for the last decade. They've been here for me during my dark moments as well as my joyous moments. I've learned some things from some of them and subjected all of them to my horrible sense of humor. As much as I'm ready to leave here, there are those that I will miss greatly.

On the other hand there are quite a few things here that I am more than willing to say goodbye to and be done with it. Real Estate agents and developers for instance. I can't stand those people. Not to mention the aging hippie types that thing the last great rock-n-roll album came out in 1975. And that's not even counting the neo-hippies of my own generation who are stuck in an era that they were in diapers when it happened. Stop holding a candle for Gerry and Trey. There is a contingent of people that live here that I'm quite fine with never having to deal with ever again. And I haven't even touched on the substance abusing crowd.

Wow, that took a different direction.

I guess when it comes down to it, I don't really want to say goodbye. I'd much rather give thanks to the people that were here for me in this place. My hope is that they all know that I'm grateful for being there when I needed them and that they will be in my thoughts as I go through life.

Thanks guys.

Finding stuff

Apparently I'm stopping my hiatus here. Tonight I started packing up the last of the big load. I'm hoping that all I'll have left here are my bike, the clothes I need next week and my computer. Of course I'll be finding all kinds of stuff that I forgot but it should all fit.

This slow moving process is a bit annoying, I think I'd rather pack it all up in a van and do it at once but that seems a bit overkill in this instance. Unlike previous moves I haven't really sat around and gone through every little bit of memorabilia I have. Mostly because it was still in the boxes from the last move. There is no flood of memories like there have been in the past. I still have almost every personal letter that has ever been sent to me (including post cards), stuffed into boxes and Priority Mail envelopes. There are a couple boxes of photos that I hope I still have the negatives of said photos. Random toys that people have given me over the years. Hell, I have rocks that I've picked up in various places and I can still remember where most of those rocks came from. There are four Red Hook twelve pack boxes stuffed with several years of National Geographic magazines that I just don't know what to do with.

I never thought I was tied to stuff but I see I am. I've never claimed to be materialistic but I'm always surprised by just how much crap I have everytime I move. The couple of times I did a pretty good job of getting rid of things but this time I haven't even tried. It just accumulates. One of these days I'll have to break out those boxes and go through it.

But even with all of this stuff, I have this suspicion that compared to other thirty-four year-olds out there, I really don't have that much. Two closets worth. Maybe that's not that much.

The package

Well it seems I am now the proud father of a rather large, baking soda eating cat. One thing about Phrank is she is a package deal. A package that consists of five cats, two rats, one guinea pig and two fish. Now if you're entertaining images of the crazy cat throwing lady from the Simpson's, stop. It's nothing like that, I haven't been pelted by a cat yet.

Anyway, Gunter and I have seemed to picked each other out. Which I'm not really sure what that says about me as he is the dumbest one of the herd of cats. At first I just felt sorry for him because everyone said he was dumb. Which he is. But he is dumb in an endearing way. And he falls down a lot which I have a bad habit of doing as well. Not only that but he lays and sleeps in Playboy Bunnyesque poses.

Truth be told I like the package that comes with Phrank and I think that I've reached an understanding with most of the pets. Considering that I had a near phobia of rats coming into this relationship I think I've done pretty well (but I still hate wild rats). At least there aren't any horses involved (I think one tried to shoot me in a dream).

In the mouth of madness

Until this weekend, I don't think I had ever really understood the word catharsis. But now I think I understand what it means and how it works.

Without going into too much detail, Phrank and I had a really big fight over the weekend. We managed to get through it but it is not something I want to go through again. There was a lot of raw emotion and anger on both our parts. It hurt. I haven't felt an emotional pain like that in a long time if ever.

The thing is, now that it is over and we are still standing together, I feel in a way we are almost stronger for having going through it. And I know now that I need her. I still don't have the words to explain exactly why or how I need her but I know I do.

If I were into all of that mystical bullshit, I'd say something like our souls have mingled together. But that's not really what it is. And even if it is, it just sounds way to much like someone carrying a torch for Jerry Garcia.

Coming through all of this, I feel changed. I want to work at this thing Phrank and I have and keep it.