11-9

This morning, I had a heart attack. Probably not great for my health, but... sure was tasty.

Mmm, pumpernickel...

Of course, the 'heart attack' in question was Taylor ham, bacon, sausage, egg, and cheese on a pumpernickel bagel. Not the sort of thing I should consume with any regularity, but since I've lost five pounds (weight, not currency) since last month, I decided I could afford it. Seems the move has taken a lot out of me, figuratively and literally.

Movin' Right Along

What move? Keep up, peruser. Some days before my birthday, I (and my former fellow tenants) got less than a month and a half's notice that our new landlord was not going to renew any of our yearly leases, all of which ended as of October 31st. For those keeping score at home: I moved in to that apartment in November 2003 and started working at Microwize Technology in January 2004; I lost the job in May 2025 and lost the apartment in October 2025. "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans..." Anyway, after a few quick bouts of panic and depression, I managed to find another place.

While my new abode is not very distant from my old abode, numerous trips down and up the stairs of the old apartment (my Apple Watch registered a whopping 56 flights climbed on October 29th!) carrying more than I should have alone no doubt contributed to the bit of weight loss. I did get assistance from my friend Joe with bringing some of the heavier and/or bulkier items down, and my friends Barbara and Tom helped with the last-day sprint on Halloween moving the last dregs over; none of us were dressed for the holiday, but I was wearing a Planet Express T-shirt. Gina came over on Saturday and we did some organizing and rearranging before having my/our first meal (sushi, natch) and first glass of wine in the new apartment. I appreciate all the aiding and abetting.

Nothing Is So Painful to the Human Mind as a Great and Sudden Change

I'm still working on setting things up (three IKEA runs later), but the place is already quite comfortable and liveable. And hey, I've got a back yard and squirrels I can see through the living room window now. While the novelty of being unemployed has long since worn off (no, I haven't found a job yet, and wouldn't mind help if you know of anything), it was certainly convenient that I had more daylight hours than usual to plan and pack and move things than I normally would have. Losing the job and then the dwelling has shaken things up for me, and I have to admit it's for the best, even if it was briefly painful to even my mind.

Speaking of Mary Shelley, I watched Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" last night. I'd have preferred it if Netflix had released it two weeks earlier so I could have watched it pre-Halloween during spooky Sazón, but I suppose I can understand the financial reasoning behind doing the theatrical release first. Regardless, I enjoyed it a lot. The mood, the performances, and the creature's loneliness made for an impressive if somber film.

I don't know why it took me so long to check it out, but I finally started watching "Orphan Black" on Netflix recently, and I'm hooked. HBO's "It: Welcome to Derry" is quite good so far, too, looking forward to the third episode. I still don't want to sit in front of the tube screen for too long each night, but two episodes seems to be working out for now.

Yesterday would've been my friend and former colleague Sally's birthday. Can't believe she's been gone over ten years now, and the last time I saw her was a few years before that, but yeah, I miss her still.

"'But I'm feeling quite weak,' she said...
     'Will you comfort and forgive me?' she said..."