In Between . . .

An Early Good Sunday Morn Folks,

It has been an exciting couple of weeks since my return from Wyoming. All of the activities associated with buying a new abode have made me anxious, tired, and busy, not to mention, pretty happy. Who would have thought that the, not so simple, act of purchasing a home would again revitalize what was becoming a pretty mundane existence.

As I have said many times, I did not want to own anything because it begins to own you. The thought of limiting my mobility was also part of this overly simplistic philosophy. I have come to realize, firstly, that I like Flagstaff. It has clean air; is the right size for me and is a relatively progressive town/city. In addition, if I want/need something from the "big city," I can go down the hill 135 miles to Phoenix. I had, at times since retiring, toyed with the idea of moving to Montana: Bozeman, Missoula, or Kalispel. And, although liking all of those places, I found Flagstaff won out for me every time.

For various reasons my friend Ed, daughter Natasha, and a couple of others are not so thrilled with this place. In the case of Natasha and her husband it does not offer what they need professionally. In Ed's case, the old curmudgeon does not like the political climate (too liberal for him) and the lack of social life, even though he seems always to be communicating with friends and acquaintances in town. He harkens back to the corner neighborhood bar in Philadelphia.

At any rate, for me the arduous task of moving has begun. The new condo closed a couple of days ago and all of the anxiety over whether everything would be approved is over. Now the back-braking labor has begun. So far I have moved four loads in the Subaru. In addition, I have been sealing the grout on all that nice ceramic tile in the place. Have done both bathrooms and the kitchen. Today I hope to finish up in the dining room ( in addition to moving another load). When purchasing a new place I did not know that I would have to do this task. But, again it is, somewhat, a labor of love, a new place, another new beginning.

On the movie front: Don't see Funny People with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogan. From the previews I had thought it would have some merit, WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Natasha felt the same way. It is an overly long and meandering film. It has much too much in the way of "penis humor," which gets pretty tiresome in a 136 minute film. On the other hand, a very good and gripping movie is The Hurt Locker." A warning though, this film is not for everyone and is not a "happy summer" film. The movie follows a bomb disposal team in Iraq. It delves into the lives of the men involved. It is not a documentary and is not political. The acting is great and the film has "gritty" substance.

And so it goes . . .