So, the first few days were spent unpacking boxes, getting at least the kitchen together first, dealing with the animals and their reaction to the new home. Put some plants in the ground in the garden so that they’d survive their transport. Esther was back home, finishing things up at the house and running a zillion errands.

The apartment is fantastic. Garden and parlor floors. Short walk to Fort Greene Park.

Esther arrived Wednesday and we jumped into more unpacking. We have made a ritual of waking up early enough to get Molly (formerly known as The Road Dog) to the park for a reasonable run during the off-leash time before 9 am. I leave from the park to grab the Q to Manhattan for my day at work. A short walk, two stops on the express and I’m near my office.

Take out from the Black Iris (lots of great stuff just a few blocks from the apartment) with Ira the second night I was in the place.My brother Miguel came to visit one night, a few visits from Patrick,

We had wanted to be in New York for the Halloween festivities. We figured we’d hit the big parade in Manhattan, but all our neighbors (who by the way are great), told us that the neighborhood had its own very good activities. We decided to hang in the hood. Two short blocks away from our apartment, Clinton Ave. was cut off so that a group of residents, theater-types it seems, could put on their annual performance. Outside a mansion-like building, large stage, sounds system, music, performers, lights, crazy, big production. Block party.

A half block in another direction, another block cut off so that another group of folks could put on their crazy event. A slightly lower key production, but with lights, music, and much more over the top props. A great time had by all.

So a couple of weeks pass. November 6, I’d had planned for a while to go see Laura Cantrell, singer songwriter, at the First Saturdays program at the Brooklyn Museum (0.9 miles from our apartment). With Esther and friend in from Nashville visiting, we hit it. Great show. Laura was great, her music was great, and her musicians were great.

We keep thinking that everything in the world must be happening just blocks from our apartment. The most obvious evidence of this was the next day, when after taking Molly to the park, as we were walking back to the apartment, we noticed all the streets south of DeKalb were cut off by the police. A quick inquiry and we learned that the route of the New York Marathon was along Lafayette, just a block away. We walked one block from our house and arrived in time to see the a few wheel chair entrants followed by the front-running, world-class women runners. Not long after that came the front pack of the men. We couldn’t help ourselves and we wound up staying for a very long time, to watch what is really the most inspiring group of runners, the everyday folks who decide to run the marathon and do it. I know from experience the magnitude of the effort, the unflinching mental concentration it requires to combat the physical and emotional up and down of the months-long preparation and final ordeal. And that is being played over and over, tens of thousands of times, once with each person who passes by.

Work has been busy, but when I have a chance, I leave my office on Fifth and 22nd and explore a bit.

Esther is looking for a studio to rent for her art work. I’ve made a few contacts but need to pursue further musical outlets for a pedal steel guitarist in New York City.

Everything is great. Everything is right here, close by. It seems to all be a block from our apartment. I exaggerate: It’s all within two blocks of our apartment.

Oh, and of course, though we are in November, the sun is still quite visible.

So, after months of preparation and and multiple freakouts (would we ever find a place to live that was good enough, or find tenants in Ann Arbor that were good enough), after pretty much the most stressful 5 months of my life, it’s done and it’s great. I keep thinking there at least one downside to this move will come up.

It ain’t happening.

Just purchased, from Steel Guitar Nashville where I found a great price, a new Peavey Nashville 112 to replace my Nashville 400 for my steel playing. I had been a bit wary because most reviews (essentially all positive) are from E9 players and I wondered how the 12-inch speaker would hold up with the lower strings on my Universal. It all seems good at this early stage.

The smaller and lighter amp will make my back much happier. And with the cute headphone out and external in, I don’t need my mixer any more to play along with recorded music, aloud or through phones.

It’ll be fun to give it whirl during the next gig.

Great concert last night by They Might Be Giants at the Michigan Theater. Best of all being guests of drummer Marty Beller’s. John (or was it John?) got the crowd to come to its feet  and move towards the stage before the first tune where it stayed throughout. Playing a theater, with those darn seats interfering with movement and energy, is different from playing a club. For an Ann Arbor crowd, it was pretty animated though, according to John (or was it John?) not nearly as wild as the crowd at the gig the night before. In Grand Rapids of all places.

Ann Arbor sure ain’t what it used to be, if Grand Rapids can out wild it. But I digress. Thanks to TMBG. Thanks to Marty.