Whoa! Lots of things have happened in the last few months…
Carly packed up the house in Mount Vernon and we deeded it back to the original owners in December. It was a pretty hectic process, cramming everything we own into a storage unit in the middle of winter, but it’s done.
We signed on an apartment in Newark, NJ at the end of the year, and I’ll be moving into it this weekend. Carly is tentatively scheduled to move out in the beginning of March. It’s going to be a heck of a month, as I plan to return to Ohio several times to pick up necessary items and whatever else will fit in my car and move it out to the new place.
Newark reminds me of Cleveland, especially the depressed, dark parts of Cleveland. It’s got it’s share of post-industrial wasteland, crime, and corruption, but it’s a city on the way up. Slowly. The new mayor has been working hard to reduce the negative parts of the city and promote the good. It convinced us to move to one of the redeveloped districts, which is hollowly called the “Newark Arts District,” even though the galleries and music halls are pretty rare. The block we’re going to live on is well-lit and accessible, but on the next street over, there are buildings that look like they have been bombed. If I walk through the neighborhood, and not on the main drag, people look suprised to see me… I’m usually the only white person around. For several blocks. I’m an anomaly, what can I say?
The place is not far from the train, and there are some interesting local restaurants and stores that I want to check out, so it should be an adventure. I kind of like living in a place that’s a little run-down, because it has potential to grow. I’m thinking of getting involved with the local city government to see if I can test out my social-gardening skills. We’ll see how that goes. My brother-in-law has a direct contact to the Deputy Mayor.
Carly is looking for jobs all over the greater NYC area. There have been a few positive responses, and she has a few interviews lined up, so things are starting to look up. I kind of dread her job search, the market is arguably worse than when I was looking… but at least we’re in a market that has not been as affected by the recent job losses as central Ohio. At least, I hope it hasn’t been as affected…
I want Carly to find a good job because, well, I love my job here. It’s great. The people are great, the work is great, everything’s great. I just got a re-assignment to another unit, one that is kind of a step up. They chose me because I have a law degree, and because I’ve been showing quite a bit of initiative in the office. The supervisors seem suitably impressed with me, and at least two of them regularly fight over whether I should be re-assigned. It’s all healthy competition and gives me quite an ego, but I’m trying not to be smug about it.
The last few months, I’ve been living with my sister and brother-in-law and their daughter, and it’s been a good time. My sister has taken great care of me, and it’s been rewarding to spend some quality time with all of them. My niece is adorable and hilarious. We’re planning on regular dinners with them once Carly is local, maybe every Sunday or something. Should be fun.
And the last thing, which is kind of sad, but has to be said… we got rid of nearly all of our pets. The new apartment isn’t the greatest place for two big dogs and two crazy cats, so we figured we should find better homes for everyone, except Sophie. Action Catt is living with Carly’s aunt and her boyfriend, and Petunia (Fatty Fatty Fatso Tubbalard) found a home with and elementary school teacher. Mina is living out on a farm or something with one of Carly’s Mom’s co-workers, and apparently destroying the place already. Everyone is pretty well situated, happy, and healthy. Sophie, we decided, is coming with us. She’s just the best dog in the world, and I wouldn’t trust her with anyone else. Or rather, she wouldn’t trust anyone but us, I think. She’ll adapt easily enough to city life. She’s smart and quick.