Here We Go Again

The packing has commenced. We are moving again at the end of this month and this time I know we are settling in for a while. How do I know this, you ask? I know because we are moving into the apartment I moved out of 2 1/2 years ago. I lived there for 6 1/2 years; I know the apartment, the neighborhood, and the landlady. And I'm very happy to be moving back! Well, then why did you leave in the first place, you ask? I only left this apartment because my roommate (Mike) and I had decided to go our seperate ways, he found a new place very quickly and moved out. I would have stayed but thought the place was too large for one person and didn't want to pay the rent by myself. Didn't know anyone looking for a roommate and didn't want to live with a stranger. Decided to look for something smaller and cheaper. In the process of doing so, I met my boyfriend. Had I known we would end up staying together I would have stayed right where I was. But, you know what they say about hindsight. There are definitely things I will miss about living in The Quarter, a 5 minute bike ride to work being the main one. The decaying beauty and gorgeous colors being another. But I'll just go back to taking the bus and will have the beauty of live oaks sheltering my street to look at. The Quarter is where most tourist activity takes place but there's plenty to do in my MidCity neighborhood too. It is home to Jazz Fest every year. Also the Bayou Boogaloo and VooDoo Fest. The NO Museum of Art, City Park, and Bayou St. John. Lots of neighborhood bars and restaurants: Crescent City Steaks (old school steakhouse), Lola's (paella!), Santa Fe (incredibly strong margaritas), Cafe Degas (fabulous, quirky atmosphere), Liuzza's By The Track (neighborhood characters), Pal's Lounge (corner bar, kinda hipster-ish), Parkway Tavern (the BEST roast beef po' boy!). There two grocery stores, Terranova's (housemade Italian sausage) and Canseco's; two coffee shops, CC's and Fair Grinds; a wine shop, a small spa called Lux, a pharmacy, and our dogs' vet. All of this is in walking/biking distance of our place, so I'm not going to feel as if I'm missing out on anything. And without the constant tourist vibe, these places offer a more authentic New Orleans neighborhood experience. I've had some good experiences and met some really great people in both of the places that we've lived in the last 2 1/2 years. Took some chances, learned some lessons, but now I feel as if we're going home. I can't wait to have a cocktail on the balcony by our oak tree.

Happiness and excitement aside, I am not fond of moving. The packing.......oy, what a pain in the ass. Finding boxes, taping them together, wrapping all of your breakables in newspaper, newsprint on hands, face arms. Tedious. And the financial aspect: renting a truck, taking off from work, coming up with the fucking security deposit when work is dead and no money is being made.....let's just say that my stress levels have been through the roof. I'm not a last minute kind of gal. I plan ahead and prepare and am ready for everything ahead of time. When I can't do so, I feel helpless. I know that things usually work out in the end and I'm trying my best to look ahead to when the move will be over, but I'm just not wired that way. I worry (thanks, mom) when things are unsure. And furthermore, the stress of the past two months has translated into weight gain for me. Something I definitely didn't need. I guess I am an emotional eater. Whether celebrating or lamenting, food makes things better. Not a good way to be. I've never looked at food as a required fuel for my body, but always as pleasure. (Well, maybe there was a time in high school when eating wasn't very important.) Anyway, when I went to put on a fresh pair of jeans the other day, they were uncomfortably tight. And I know the dryer didn't shrink them. I could feel myself expanding slightly, certain shirts were snug in places that they weren't before, but it's amazing how easy it is to ignore such things. The jeans woke me up though. There is nothing more uncomfortable than stuffing yourself into a pair of too-tight jeans (10 lbs of shit into a 5 lb bag). Have to get control over my eating/weight. I'm actually toying with the idea of joining Weight Watchers again but I'm less than enthused about the leader at the location that is convenient for me. Ok, I was a member before and quit because I couldn't stand her. But I might have to give it another shot.

So, here we go again. Packing and moving again. Jumping back in the weight loss saddle again. Grateful for the opportunities for a fresh start. Hoping for progress and smooth transitions. Looking forward to getting settled and getting out to have some fun.