Brief Encounters

New York is such a large city that one is always surprised how quickly it can seem so small. Coming home from work on the subway yesterday I was reflecting on how quiet it was - the final days of August, those who can be on vacation are. The city and mass transportation reflect this absence - less delays, available seats when typically there would be none.
It will all change next week, after Labor Day - summer shares will end, everyone will return to work and school, a buzz will return to the city that has been mostly absent since around the Fourth of July.

Still, as my train pulled into the Wall Street station, slowing, slowing, slowing, stopping -- I find myself face-to-face with a former colleague that I hadn't seen in years, he preparing to board the train as I exit.
We exchange a few words of recognition and he reminds me that the old office had recently relocated down near my home - so time to anticipate additional run-ins with former colleagues from this office.
As he boarded the train I turned toward the exit, only to come upon a friend whom I hadn't seen in many months but whom I had just posted a Happy Birthday message to that very same day on his FB Wall. He had clearly begun celebrating his big day, indicating that the partying would be continuing soon further north in the more gay-associated neighborhood of Chelsea.
And just like that, the city seemed small and alive again.

Never Say Goodbye

In a city as transient as New York, you become accustomed to saying goodbye to friends and loved ones, but the last year and a half has seen some major transitions in my life and I, for the first time in awhile, find myself on unstable ground. When I look at pictures from my 40th birthday a little over a year ago, when ten of my close friends from the city traveled with me to go rafting and exploring in Jim Thorpe, PA, it floors me to see how much this circle has change.

Some have moved across the country, some have moved across the river, some are just traveling, and some are going through significant life changes that have created some distance. 

In the past it had always been I who was saying goodbye and moving on - but now, having lived here in NYC for ten years, it is I who has been left behind. 

The great thing about living here in NYC is that people are always passing through and coming for visits, but as well all know, it's not the same and for the first time in many years I feel... lonely.

I know this will pass, that my friendships will continue to evolve and grow, just any relationship does. But for now, as August of 2015 comes to an end, I truly do feel that summertime sadness.

New Year, New Starts....

And so it came to pass that the lovely M came to live at the Beaverhausen. My new roomie is on the second phase of her life, as she describes, preparing to move down to Philadelphia to be with the love of her high school life, reunited after some 30 odd years of marriage which is now coming to an end.  It's a cute story - my role in it is to provide a furnished room in which she can live for the next 6 months.  And interesting proposition that I have tentatively accepted - mostly just because it requires my doing another search 6 months from now and perhaps many more in the future.  Do I really propose to rent out a furnished room on a short term basis to a number of different people over short periods of time?  Presumably that is the case.
Subsequently I needed to again visit my favorite furniture store, essentially reconstructing my room in a fashion quite similar to how I had it over a year ago.  Mattress, bed frame from West Elm, dresser from Furnish Green.
M moved in this week after finally closing on her apartment and moving everything out - she was a bit stressed but appears to be happy to begin on this new phase of her life.

Work has been crazy this month, as expected.  Pushing out a batch of new features as well as preparing for the systems migration which will occur next week.  I'm assured that my role there (as a contractor) will be stable for the next 6 months (until June), but it's scary realizing that I only have so much stability here.  I actually really enjoy working at Penguin Random House and would hate to go. I'm hoping we can come to a mutually beneficial situation, perhaps even as a full-time employee.

A month of sobriety - all work and no play makes Daryl a sad boy - especially when you can't drink on top of it.  Hopefully I don't go full on Shining on anyone, although there is no hedge maze in the hood...  A number of us have given up on booze and crap food for a month (starting January 5th).  It's actually not that hard considering how busy I have been, but still, man I would love to have  a drink!

The holiday's were great - I went to Seattle for a few days, then Idaho to see Kyle, Amber, the boys, mum and Vince.  It was a fairly chill break, complete with a day of skiing, a much needed respite from the city.  The highlight was hearing Bear refer to himself in the third-person - "Don't chase Bear!" and discovering that both he and Case love to rock out to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck".  I played that song over and over for them - was a crack-up.

When I got back to the city I went on a trip with Mike & GR to Philadelphia and DC for four nights - we had a blast, ate too much, drank too much, checked out at least one museum.  Was nice getting away on that excursion as well.

Anyhow, so far 2015 is off to a good start. Still a bit sad but looking forward to planning some trips so that I can have some fun this year.