Inner City Pressure

Inner city life.
Inner city pressure.
The concrete world is starting to get ya.
The city is alive, the city is expanding.
Living in the city can be demanding.
You pawned everything, everything you owned.
Your tooth brush jar and a camera phone.
You don't know where you're going.
You cross the street, you don't know why you did.
You walk back across the street.

You don't measure up to the expectation.
When you're unemployed, there's no vacation.
No one cares, no one sympathizes.
You just stay home and play synthesizers.

Flight of the Conchords, "Inner City Pressure"



Well, almost two weeks in now. There's been a lot going on. Dave is here (hooray!) and Meaghan decided to move out in July, which means that the mid-to-long term apartment search now begins in earnest. I'm settling in at McKibbin too, though, and if things don't work out otherwise I would be quite happy to stay there through July. Still no luck on the job front, but I've got a job application in as a sign designer at Whole Foods that I feel good about. I need to find something soon, though. Sending out so many applications with no response amplifies my own tendency to self-criticize. This is by and large a good thing; it drives and motivates me. All the same, it can be draining as well, and it would really help my state of mind to get some good news soon.

I took the weekend off in Connecticut with Susanna. I enjoyed being cooked for again and a temporary escape from the urban claustrophobia that can set in here. I love the stimulation of the constant visual assault of Manhattan and the chaos of McKibbin and Bushwick, but it was nice to see a lot of trees together in one place again. Susanna's mother is a wonderful person as well, and it was good to remember what family is like after total immersion in separation thereof.

It was a stressful weekend in some ways too, though; being a guest demands a certain amount of performance. One of the better feelings I've felt in New York so far was coming back to McKibbin and feeling a sense of relief at being home. Eric did a nice job cleaning the place up and reorganizing while I was gone and I was glad to return, especially since I came back to a nicer place than the one I left.

One of the things I like about myself is how instantly I adapt to new environments. This has only been my life for twelve days, which feels impossible. It was strange to have Dave, Meaghan, and Carolyn here for the weekend because it reminded me that this is still all brand new.