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snoozefestaudio |
I was up by 8AM this morning, with everything in place to get Prowly to the vet quickly, but he was a no show downstairs.
No sign of him in the house.
I went outside and sat in the back yard for a bit, then spent time going in and out to the car, with doors opening and closing, and the car beeping.
But nothing flushed him out, and by 9:20, it was too late.
So I got in the car and came over here... where I'm writing tonight.
I spent about four hours getting all the last of the decor on the walls... last of the boxes thrown away... and finally this flat was together and settled.
I even installed one of my undercab lights under the cabinets of the kitchenette.
But I was still missing my nightstand phone and watch chargers.
So Colleen and I met up around noon, and I rode with here as we went out, first to Melody manor, where I gathered the last of my things, including laundry detergent, into a garbage bag... and then left food on the table for Prowly... who was still not around.
From there we went to the storage unit, where Colleen returned the lock box... now more orgnaized, and weeded of extraneous documents.
After that, it was off to WalMart, where I bought myself a ZZ plant, a new lampshade for he old sconce lamp, and a scented candle... because the flat smelled like a cigarette.
We went to eat at Red Robin, and after that we went to Mount Olivet Cemetery to see Mom & Dad's grave, along with the graves of a few other ancestors buried there, including G Grand John Henry, who's saurkraut crock I discovered in the crawl space, and took with me here to the tower.
It was the first time we saw Dad's birth and death years engraved on the stone.
But we also noticed that the grass above where his urn was buried was dead!.. which was spooky.
After the cemetery, we came back here to the flat, where Colleen did her laundry, down in the laundry room, and I hooked up those chargers on my night stand.
I also lit the scented candle, found a place for the ZZ plant, and hooked up those chargers on my night stand.
9:00 rolled around and we went outside to watch the fireworks from the plaza next to the tower here, and had a nice view.
But the show was only 20 minutes long!
After that we couldn't drive anywhere, because traffic was bumper to bumper, but the bars near the building had all closed for the night, so we walked to Aurora Tap House down on Lake Street, but were kicked out, because we were wearing back packs.
We ended up going to Denny's, which was packed.
And afterward, Colleen got her laundry and went back to the hotel.
So tonight is the first time since early March of 2023 (16 months) that I am sitting in my normal computer chair at my normal computer desk, using my normal all-in-one PC.
It's hard to know how to feel.
On the one hand, it's nice to finally have all my familiar stuff surrounding me, in one place... all organized and arranged he way I like it.
From that perspective, I've gotten something back, after a couple years of everything being scattered around the house in several different rooms.
But this came at the cost of losing that house, and the dog, and both cats, and all of the companionship and sense of purpose all of that gave to me.
What keeps me from getting too dark about it all is that the animals are all alive... and the house will continue on.
Nobody went to the animal shelter.
The house didn't get the bulldozer.
Yvette's happy.
Snoop's happy.
The house is getting renovated.
And Prowly... well, he's happier out there stalking his territory, wild and free, than he'd ever have been cooped up in here with me.
I think he knew what was up, and he stayed away the past two mornings on purpose.
I think he considered going with me.
But in the end the wild side of him won out, and he chose the feral life.
My challenge tonight is just to live here... now that all the packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking are done.
So here I am doing my old routine... unwinding with beer and cigs... writing... and getting up now and again to pee, or get another beer.
And part of my brain is saying, what are you doing? This isn't the back room, or the upstairs! You need to go home!
But another part is saying, Oh, we're finally back to the routine?.. Hmmm... everything around us looks familiar... I recognize that nite light in the bathroom... I remember this desk.
And then there are strange new things like... whenever I sit down, all I see out the window beside me is the dark sky... but whenever I stand up... I see downtown city lights and trains going past.
That's novel!
That's kinda cool!
And then there is, lastly, the chill vibe of the unit itself... that I felt before any of my stuff was in here.
The zen vibe that just comes with the place.
And as I calm down with my beer and my routine, I'm starting to feel that again tonight.
It's a very calm, quiet space... in the sense that the walls are just 100% soundproof.
If I'm out in the hall, I can hear what's going on in the neighbor's apartments through their doors, as clearly as if the doors were open.
But once I'm inside... I hear nothing but the passing trains.
The island is a quiet place!
No lawn mowers, or barking dogs. Nobody's speeding down the streets, because the cops are always around.
Outdoor music is still a thing... but something about the rush of the river, and the constant breeze that the river creates... muffles even that!.. until you're right by it.
With the blinds open... as they can be all night, because I'm so high up... and with the bathroom door wide open as it can be, when I'm in for the night... and with the lights low... just one lamp and the monitor here... the place doesn't feel so small.
I'm mainly focused on the screen anyway, with my back to the rest of the flat right now, and the big window in my peripheral vision.
So I may as well be anywhere.
But making those routine trips to the fridge or the bathroom also seem about like they were when I was upstairs at Melody Manor... except that the bathroom is bigger and nicer.
For that matter, the kitchenette is bigger and nicer too.
But my weekdays are just... computer, work all day, then back to computer.
So this is fine.
And my weekends will probably be about recording.
And if I feel cooped up on the weekend, I can just go take a walk around town.
The parking garage situation, however, is interesting.
Can't just pop out to the car anymore, to grab something... or hop into it for a quick trip to Fiesta Food Mart.
Now I have to walk a block, and take an elevator... both to get to it, and get back from it.
And I'm finding that the backpack really wins over the luggage dolly, in most situations.
Luckily, the backpack can hang on a hook in the closet when it's not in use.
Okay, those are my thoughts on this first night in the new flat.
I'm gonna do my best to get a good sleep here soon.
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