AKA Abraham Bacoln

For those of you who are curious how things are going down here in the Small Difficult (ha ha ha see that’s a play on ‘Big Easy’ which is what they used to call New Orleans back before Katr- yeah you get it okay on with the show) which should be, at last count, three or possibly five people (depending on whether or not my parents’ cats have learned to read, wait, they’re cats, they don’t give a crap about me or anything else) I figured I owed you an update of sorts.

The short answer is that things are great.

The long answer is also that things are great, it just involves more words.

I don’t want to be that guy who is like, “HEY LOOK AT ME MY LIFE IS GREAT WOOO WHOOOOOO” because I do enough of that already in my photography and all of my other online incarnations and I don’t feel that there’s much reason to keep hammering that point home. I’m not doing it to prove a point of “look how happy I am!” and I know when you’re having a rotten day sometimes the guy down the hall shooting sunbeams from every orifice can be a bit annoying, so I’m trying to keep it low-key.

But still!

My job is good so far. Today was the first big meeting about my first big project and so that’s exciting, yes? My official job title is Cat Herder in case you weren’t aware. It’s nice being back at the same company as before the storm, working with the same people, almost 99% of whom I love dearly and the other 1% I tolerate well. The best part for me is not having that new job anxiety while I get to learn all the people and personalities and office politics and so forth. I arrived with all that knowledge in place already, and nothing much has changed in the three years I’ve been gone.

Outside of work I’m just really relaxed. While there are a hundred things I’m looking forward to doing down here most of them are things I’ve done before, and so I’m not in a huge rush. It’s kind of nice savoring the knowledge of that one restaurant or one hole-in-the-wall bar or museum or park or venue or trip or walk or anything else and knowing that it’s there, and I’ll get to it both in time and when it’s time. I feel like to some extent I’m leaving the exploration up to Casey – when she wants to have a relaxing day at home then that’s what we do, and when she wants to go out then I have ideas about what we could do, or sometimes we go do something new to the both of us.

But this is New Orleans, so we’re doing it in a totally lazy fashion. Already I can feel every aspect of my life slowing down except for my driving, which of course has switched from defense to offense.

Since returning I’ve had the conversation five or six times about how this place gets in your blood. While I lived here last time I cursed it for what it was lacking, and in the three years I was away I came to realize that regardless of what might be missing down here, the things it does offer you just can’t get anywhere else. I do not understand how this works – I left here, tired of this place, and swore after the storm I’d never come back. Yet the instant I crossed the interstate high rise and could see the city I felt like I was home home home. I guess that’s the very definition of a love-hate relationship, right?

Let’s see – past that discussion I’m more energetic about my photography again, though I’m kind of having to wait out the winter here. I really like doing my shots in natural light, and when I get off of work I only have a few minutes to take some shots – but every day it’s a few minutes more, you know?

I’m also very excited about wine, because once again it’s everywhere and affordable (I mean of course it is, I get an employee discount) and I’m also excited about the fact that I have someone with me to help me finish every bottle, even make suggestions about which bottle to drink in the first place. Knowing that the wine won’t sit until tomorrow waiting to be finished while simultaneously slowly dying gives me encouragement to open bottles more frequently. For a while I’m going to try keeping my tasting notes at cork’d though I feel their interface may be more cumbersome than necessary and perhaps the old pen and paper is the better option.

In case you wanted something negative to balance out all this positivity: the other day I was sitting on the porch with my drink just enjoying the day and waiting for Casey to get home from work and I noticed that the house across the street had an open window. No one lives there right now – the owners are either trying to sell, or maybe rent, or maybe just let the bank take it back, I don’t know which – and there have been squatters in there before. And why not? It’s a nice house! I’d want to squat there too! Still, it’s not their place, so out they must go. I found my neighbor J—- and told him about the window because he knows the owners. The cops came, made sure the house was clear (it was), and when all that was over J—- and I went and checked it out to make sure nothing was burned or destroyed or whatever. It looked intact except for the back window which was broken (for entry). The next day the owners came out and put some plywood over a few of the more vulnerable windows.

So there’s that. The empty house across the street from us got broken into for a lark. That’s about the most negative thing I have to say about the crime situation and our neighborhood right now. Give it time, I’m sure.

Okay, give me a second here. Discussed … job – check. Food and wine – check. Life in New Orleans – check. Photography – check. Overall happiness level being through the roof – big red check with a gold star at the end.

[+]

Comment by Atox January 15, 2009 @ 10:21 am

Reply

I for one think it is refreshing to hear someone use the internet for something other than emo bitching. I don’t see why you shouldn’t write when things are going well, particularly since you tell it well.

Cheers,

S.

(do you work for a distributor?)

Comment by seattleforge (Scott) January 15, 2009 @ 2:15 pm

Reply

so i think you should buy up a ton of real estate in happyland. there are enough people talking about the negative and dwelling on it to last us all the rest of our lives. i don’t think there is any need to try and find negative shit to bring down how well things are going for you. enjoy it! right? i like hearing that things are going well and am honestly happy that you and casey are having fun.

Comment by mary January 15, 2009 @ 10:53 pm

Reply