(not) On The Road Again

Settling in... am trying and trying to settle in. I owe an un-repay-able debt to Jenny & Garry for loaning me space in their home. Without that, and them, I wouldn't be able to pull off this move to Denver. I'm writing now from my new basement home. We did some rearranging and unpacking today and it's starting to shape up. And, honestly, though I joke about the ridiculousness of being 36, essentially unemployed and living in someone else's basement... this is gonna work out just fine. Just fine I tell you.

Which makes me think back on all the places I've camped out in this past year or so since leaving my job in NYC. I've got a long list of people to thank, so should prolly get started. Here, more or less in order since April 2008...

* Jim's Monastery - Holy Cross - holy gorgeous and peaceful and perfectly suited for kicking this adventure off.
* Nancy Jane's lovely little house in Houston - me, NJO, Monkey & Bunkey
* Avon (AWBC) walk staff hotel Houston
* Amsterdam Swap - gorgeous rooftop, huge CD collection and espresso maker
* Sara's place - AKA, my country house
* AWBC staff hotel DC
* Auntie BAH's new (old) condo near the beach in San Diego - both before & after renovations
* Denise's SD digs - mostly visiting her fabulously large preggars belly
* AWBC staff hotel Boston
* Lisa's - of course, over and over, I always come Home to Lisa's
* Josh's house with his soon to be new-bride in Tucson
* AWBC staff hotel Chicago
* Occasionally back to my own place in Hell's Kitchen
* Stowing away for the Overnight in Seattle
* Boulder & Denver w/ Joanna & Jenny -- scouting for the big move a year later?
* AWBC staff hotel Rocky Mountains
* San Diego again - this time to inspect the newest addition - Parker Krawitz
* AWBC staff hotel San Francisco
* Jenny F's for a short but very sweet stop
* Michelle B's to extend the SF stop, visit with Libby, and crash the cabin by the river in G'ville
* Amy's couch in NYC -- this comes with her delicioso cooking -- yum
* A shabby lil' side trip to the Ritz in St. Thomas - ahhhhhhhhhhh - BBCs & sunburns
* Quick pit stop in the Jerz to watch & dance & celebrate as Chris & Brian tied the knot
* Six week luuuuuuuuvliness Costa Rica bouncing back & forth from my sea side shack in Cabuya to my sea side haven in Mal Pais. Spent most of this in one hammock or another
* Culture shocked stint in LA enjoying the hospitality of Erica & Sawnia & Mac
* AWBC staff hotel LA
* More Denise, more Josh, more BAH, more Lisa, more Amy.
* AWBC staff hotel NYC
* Back to AZ for the little brother's nuptials - whoop!
* A blissful few weeks in NYC to play with the marathon kids and to catch up with all my abandoned East Coasters.
* AWBC staff hotel Charlotte
* Six months in LA which consisted of a supa-succesful run of house swaps:
-- Brentwood garden goodness
-- Santa Monica beach shack
-- Redondo Beach luxury concrete castle
-- Miracle Mile spanish bungalo
* Toss in some more Josh, Lisa, BAH stops for the holidays and what not
* Pop back up to Denver - Joanna & Jenny - long overdue visit with Ben
* Drive over to Parker (yes, Parker) for some girl time, swimming skunks and roach crushing
* Key West bunglao w/ Amy for a fantastic bike-riding, snorkeling, beach-going, helluvanamazing wedding for Libby & Carolyn
* Pismo Beach - birthday beaching it in the fog
* Some last minute Denise & BAH fun before leaving SoCal behind for good (riddance)
* Quick pass through Wickenburg -- it had been tooooooo long
* More Lisa, Josh & this time Tammie for good Tucson measure
* Quick check on my lonely little apartment in NYC
* Drop into Denver just for one last look - yep, gonna make the move
* Stowaway in Chicago for the Overnight
* Back to AZ - make the rounds in July (of course, *everyone* knows to visit AZ in July), including two trips to the mountains for some fresh pine air, cabin time and camping
* Albuquerque for a lil' job training and then...
* Finally landing here in Denver. In Jenny & Garry's basement for now, but I'm thinking in Denver for good.

Holy hell, that's a long list for 16 short months. As you can imagine, I'm pooped. And maybe a touch jet lagged. And I just want to unpack. Hopefully this explains to many exactly why I've been so scattered and so just not good at returning phone calls and the like.

I celebrated this week by buying full sized shampoo & conditioner. I realize that was risky-business given my recent track record, but it felt good to have even just that tiny bit of evidence of a long stay. Am looking forward to a good run. First I think I'll hide my suitcases though, just in case...