Last Wednesday, I moved to Phoenix. I did a rough estimate of all the different residences I have had, and came up with 43 since I was 18 years old. Pretty wild. At 62, that's approximately one new residence every year for my entire adult life. Of course, the count includes multiple residences within single years. I don't know which year was marked by the most moves. Perhaps the year after I got sober, when I moved five times. No idea. I haven't put together a spreadsheet.
I still don't have any employment for the fall, other than the freelance editing I'm doing. It's enough for the time being, but I'm interested in making more money. I have a few different project ideas related to plant conservation ecology and so on. Maybe something will materialize. I usually fall back on the old reliable gig of teaching, but I am intentionally leaving some space this time, while I have a tiny bit of leeway to do so.
I'm headed out for the summer next Tuesday. First destination: Grand Rapids MI for the annual meeting of the Botanical Society of America. Then some east coast time, then back west, hopefully meeting up with M in the upper midwest, etc. Looking forward to it but also feel just slightly worn down, and wishing the BSA meeting were in July when it usually is, just to give me more time to get settled into the new life.
A dead saguaro in the new neighborhood, neatly stacked for bulk trash, and a look at the cross section of an old segment of stem. Thick woody ribs that are at the same time flexible enough to handle wind, etc. The saguaros may well be in for another rough summer here in Phoenix, as the forecast is for hotter and dryer than the 100 year averages.
Of course I had to pay the old car tax this week to get the Subaru ready for travels: $2000 for a variety of repairs. I am itching to get a new car or at least a later model, but, at the same time, the luxury of no car payments has me trying to get another couple of years out of this one. Also, I want a 2024 Crosstrek Wildnerness edition and I'm thinking maybe I can get one in 2026. Who knows. I should probably arrange a second job before making any big investments.
The new life involves cohabiting with M and M, and trying to get adjusted to the scene. I am spoiled by seven years of living alone, and it's a big adjustment. It's going great so far, except that my sleep patterns are even more disordered than usual. One of the big adjustments for sure. Also, young M has TV, phone, or music on almost always, and I'm not used to the background noise. They are way into VTubers these days, and the entire aesthetic there is an assault on the senses for sure.
Been listening to these old Soukous compilations lately.
Hodenkobolden!
Hodenkobolden!