Settling in

by Jon Sullivan - 2022-10-24 - Status

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Crabbing gear procured. Winter weather clothing next on the list. Some local stuff under my belt. The future looks wet.

The new Honda Passport is a better car than I deserve. I've had it out on a few long trips by now. It's extremely easy to drive for a car as big as it is. All the modern amenities make me feel spoiled. Adaptive cruise control is a new discovery that I find magical. Android auto actually working, and having wireless charging is a gift I've wanted to give myself for years. The back is big enough to fit a real twin mattress which will make car camping very comfy, once I figure out a use for car camping. Still weighing whether I need studded snow tires. Three zone climate control will be nice if I ever entertain guests. Since everyone drives so slow here the MPG is actually not bad. It is 100% wonderful and happy making. My car brings me joy. And as someone who has driven somewhat sporty low-slung hatchbacks my whole life, having an SUV that brings me joy is weird.

I went to a concert in Portland Friday. I sat among a whole crowd of complete strangers, had a wonderful time, did not panic or flee. It was all new. Like a whole day of new. A whole day outside my usual comfort zone. So that is promising. While in Portland it was raining a bit and I was able to wander around taking photos in the cold and wet and mud. I'm going to need a lot more gear to prevent the camera from getting wet and ruining it. My sling bag I've used for years absorbs rain like a sponge. My new raincoat and hat kept me dry. So that is nice to know. But I'm going to need a way to dehumidify the gear when it goes back in the car.

Crabbing gear is ready. So maybe next weekend? So nervous about that. I have so many plans and expectations for being able to go catch crabs. Fingers crossed.

Winter is coming. Rain is already here. In San Diego rain was so rare that it was no problem to just skip walkies if there was a drop of rain. That won't work here. I'm not going to avoid morning walkies. So I'll need to work out how to just charge out into the rain and snow and ice and mud at 4am. Icy sidewalks and roads have me especially worried. But staying warm in a 40 degree rain for a few miles will be challenging as well. Yeah, sure, layers, but any layers need to be carried if I take them off, so that's awkward. What the fuck to do about wet feet for miles? Walkies in hiking boots? The gym here has treadmills, so that's an option. Doesn't matter. I'm charging. I'll learn.

Still weighing the option to hire a maid service. At $250 a month it sort of feels like wasting good money. But...... without a doubt I am lazy at housekeeping. And also without a doubt I don't want to live in dust like I did in North Park. So I guess I'll be seeing how much I can legitimately keep up with the next couple weeks. But...... I'm not confident. Someone is going to have to come over and clean up after me. Pretty sure.

We're going to need a bigger boat issue - The camera I have is not weather sealed. Oops. And Sony is releasing a new A7R V this week with a likely price point of $3500. So that needs to be purchased. Sometimes I feel like an idea for buying a camera only pros would ever buy is wasteful and stupid. But it's unavoidable. Damn it this move has been expensive.

So..... In short..... I live here now. This is home. I'm finding joy here. It's not just that I feel the move was a good idea, but rather it feels like the move was the best thing I've done in a long time. Getting out of the hobbit hole. Embracing humanity. Living luxuriously rather than minimally. Virtue in practice. This is good.

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