I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity.
Edgar Allen Poe

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.
- H. L. Mencken

Many people would sooner die than think; In fact, they do so
-Bertrand Russell

What I have been telling you, from alpha to omega, what is the one great thing the sigil taught me — that everything in life is miraculous. For the sigil taught me that it rests within the power of each of us to awaken at will from a dragging nightmare of life made up of unimportant tasks and tedious useless little habits, to see life as it really is, and to rejoice in its exquisite wonderfulness. If the sigil were proved to be the top of a tomato-can, it would not alter that big fact, nor my fixed faith. No Harrowby, the common names we call things by do not matter — except to show how very dull we are ...
-James Branch Cabell

October 16, 2012 - 10:31 a.m.

Where's the Sorting Hat?

I have a lot to write about and finally have a chance to write. My life is going to have less turmoil and my blogging more regular. I am now officially out of the cupboard under the stairs and ensconced in Hogwarts with mini-Hagrid. But that's getting ahead of myself. Let's roll back the clock to those halcyon days of this last weekend, Sunday morning.

On my last day in Crown Heights I found on my phone places I can sit down and eat not that far away. Most importantly there was a bagel place about 0.4 miles away in the more Hassidic neighborhood. It was a beautiful day and I walked over there. I was the only man in the store not in the typical black garb. That's actually a good thing at a bagel store. It's like being the only one that isn't Chinese at a Chinese restaurant. You know you are getting the real thing. Of course it also meant that I couldn't get sausage egg and cheese on a bagel. I simply had egg on a bagel with coffee. I even did without the cheese that I could have had. It was quite good even the coffee. I got to sit in comfort and eat. I then used my phone to find a good kosher bakery. I was going to a house concert and wanted to bring something and I couldn't make my usual Choco-Lavinator aka chocolate chip French Toast Bread Pudding. On the way there I stopped at the kosher gelato place. That was OK not great. The bakery was great. They were out of babka but I got something quite similar. I'm not sure what it was called. The woman selling it had a thick accent and the place was noisy. I ended up getting some good food and took a nice walk. I wish I had discovered this area earlier in my stay.

The weather was so nice that I decided to talk to the concert at Chris and Seth's house 3.6 miles away. The way the subways are laid out it would have taken me 46 minutes on three trains to get there. I could walk it in an hour and a quarter.

I always get to house concerts always there so I can make my Choco-Lavinator. I didn't have to worry about that but got there an hour early anyone because of my fear that people will be having fun without me. The musicians were Abbie Gardner and Craig Akin and the opening act Jon Paul so I expected there to be fun before the music started.

When I arrived in addition to the people that live there and the musicians Gene and Isabel were there. I knew they would be as they bring the chairs. I'd have had a perfectly fun afternoon if nobody else had shown up and no music was played. I enjoyed the company and the food.

The music and other guests made it even better of course. It's been too long since I've seen Abbie or Craig. If I haven't seen either of them for two months I get antsy. Abbie was the musician I saw the most often last year. I'm making up for it by seeing Abbie two more times in the next month. Craig will be there at least one of them.

There are few places I'm more at home than a Church Korner house concert, the name of Chris's series. It's at the home of some of my best friends with some of my favorite musicians and other friends or future friends in the audience. Chris has good taste in friends. Well except for me. I always take the same seat down front. Most of the time I know the performer well enough to heckle. Yes I like to heckle. If I didn't Abbie would think I didn't love her anymore. She got me back. She had me sing the last verse to Long Island Cowboy.

After the show I had to make a quick exit because I had to pack my stuff up since I was moving the next day. Of course that didn't happen. I was one of the last people to leave. I can't tear myself away from friends. I lucked out though. The other person that stayed till then was Kevin. I figured I'd walk with him to the subway but found out that he had his car there and he drove me home! More time with a friend and a ride. I must be doing something right.

When I got back I got right down to packing, You don't believe that do you? You really should know me better than that. When I got back I went online. Then I took a shower. Have I told you about the bathroom Nazi?. She is just another tenant at the rent by the day or week place I was staying. Her room is next to the bathroom and she decided she was in charge of the bathroom. I took my showers at odd hours so I wouldn't interfere with anybody else. She decided to make a rule you can't spend more than 15 minutes in the shower. Every time I was in it, weather it was in the afternoon when nobody else but her was in the house or late at night when everyone else was sleeping she'd knock on the door to rush me. I could not be sure it was her and rush out in case somebody was waiting to use the toilet. Yes there is another bathroom but maybe one of the other tenants didn't know that. I'd dry myself off grab my stuff and run out. Then she didn't use the bathroom. She just came in to inspect it. Since I ran out so somebody could use the toilet I didn't clean up. So Sunday night she yelled at me for leaving hairs in the shower. I told her that I was leaving the next morning and to just let it go. She wouldn't she felt that she had to lambast me. I told her that she was a miserable person and went to my room.

So then I packed right? No I went back online and saw that LORi was online and told her that it was a good thing that I was leaving or I'd kill someone. She said "the bathroom Nazi?"

I finally got packed in the wee hours of the morning.

On Monday I took half my stuff to school with me and left my big suitcase behind. After school I boarded the Hogwarts Express aka the C train and made my way to new home in Chelsea. I forgot to ask mini-Hagrid if I can use her name here so I'll just keep calling her mini-Hagrid. I'm subletting a room in her apartment. When I came to the door and she let me in I sang the theme music to the Odd Couple, she laughed. She's a lot better person to share a space with than the bathroom Nazi. It is really nice having friends.

I could just make a pit stop as I had to see my shrink. I got to walk there! I'll be doing a lot of walking now that I'm in Chelsea. I can walk home from school. I could theoretically walk to school too but that would mean getting up too early. When my unlimited metrocard runs out I might not get a new one. I won't be using public transit as much. I can walk to most of my haunts from here. I used to work right near here and would usually walk to the lower east side or the east village and even the South Street Seaport. I'd like to get back to doing that. I need the exercise.

It was an interesting session with my therapist. A lot had happened in the last week and I just talked about mainly positive things the entire time. When I was at LORi's and Steve's the weekend before last Steve found a website that showed that NY State owed me money. I filled out a form for them to send it to me. Yesterday I checked my PO Box and found the check in it! That's not the big news though. The big news is that I deposited it on the way to the shrink. Having anxiety about depositing checks is one of the reasons I need therapy. That was an accomplishment.

After therapy I had dinner at another restaurant I found on my phone. That's my new toy. It's called Stand. It was very expensive for a burger, fries, and a shake but the food was great. It might have been the best shake I ever had, peanut butter and chocolate. The waitress was great too. One of those people that became my immediate best friend.

Then I headed to Brooklyn to get my suitcase. Of course it started raining as soon as I got off the subway. When I got to the place I had been raining it was pouring. I decided to sit there and wait out the rain. I watched some TV and drank coffee I got at McDonald's. When the rain let up I left. I did one petty thing before I left. The bathroom Nazi had left a note with her bathroom rules on the bathroom door. I tore it down. Yes I'm a rebel,

I then headed back on the 4 train and switched to the Hogwart's Express. I got off a station before the closest one because it has an elevator. my suitcase is heavy. It felt so good to sit down and relax in the apartment. I spent the evening talking to mini-Hagrid. I'm calling her mini-Hagrid because I'm not sure if it is OK with her to use her name here. I should have remembered to ask. I should remember to do lots of things that I don't.

There was some problems connecting to the wifi but I figured it out even though it involved figuring something out on her Mac. I was proud of myself. I have trouble just using the one button mouse.

Today's agenda will be laundry, food shopping, and the endless search for a permanent apartment. Tonight I'll cook dinner. I can get breakfast at Murray's bagels down the block. Since I used to work around here I know the neighborhood.

I really should get moving but it's so nice to be in a place where I can relax and not have to get moving. Hunger will be my motivation.


I signed the Pro-Truth Pledge:
please hold me accountable.





Memories: Not that Horrid Song - May 29, 2018
Wise Madness is Now In Session - May 28, 2018
The NFL and the First Amendment - May 27, 2018
On The Road Again - May 26, 2018
Oliver the Three-Eyed Crow - May 25, 2018



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Horvendile October 16, 2012
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