Kefir and Muesli

I will later perhaps try and make sense of my abrupt return here.

Later, too, I will outline in greater detail the actual details of my trip, which spanned Dresden, Prague, and Berlin. 

But right now I am trying to grasp the things that I gained from my vacation: long walks, kefir in the morning, good meals out, art museums, my traveling companion (my brother, a month shy of 25, who requested we spend most of the time speaking Russian, which we did until we got to Berlin), writing, photography, seeing friends I hadn't seen in a decade or so, meeting strangers, coffee, beer, taking in the streets...hoping to hold onto these things and bring them home. 

Kefir was easy to arrange, the muesli slightly less easy but I was able to create an approximation of my own. The American cereal aisle is dessert for breakfast: from unabashedly candy-flavored, to sugar-coated raisins feigning a balanced start to the day. I was able to find something with flakes and granola to mix in with oats, flax, and hemp. Blackberries were more affordable this grocery trip than they usually are, and the nectarines were on sale. I don't think about the cost of fruit when traveling. Red and Black currant was in season and readily available in Europe. It is such a rarity in the US, especially since black current was illegal for almost a century and continues to be highly regulated as a crop. And so, I can recreate the breakfast Yosef and I had every day in Europe. We had carried a bag of muesli we got in Dresden to Prague and then back up to Berlin, eating exactly one bag between the two of us during the whole trip, and drinking through a box of English Breakfast tea. It is hotter in Chicago than it was in Europe, so here I have been brewing a large amount of chai and sticking it in the fridge for iced chai in the morning.

I realize, dear reader, this is a very literal way to try and capture a vacation to extend it into “regular” life. I do believe though, that some of our life is informed by the ways in which we follow day-to-day actions. And there may be something to be learned from observing what one does when plucked from those rhythms which we neglect to otherwise examine. Some of the ways in which we are in life will not be shaken when we travel, no matter what we hope, sure, but I found more affirmations than disappointments.

Many of the things I did differently were less ... self-indulgent? hedonistic? in nature, than one might expect. These terms have baggage – Protestant ethic morality versus Pagan debauchery comes to mind. But here in 2023: when tired at the end of a long week, I am more likely to fall into watching a show or YouTube endlessly, and sometimes believe that if given the opportunity to exist without responsibilities, this is the sad place I would find myself. And perhaps, sometimes, that is true. But not always. What I am thinking of is Pleasure Paradox/Hedonistic Treadmill. (My father texted me on the trip asking if these terms were mainstream – I said I don’t know, and that I am not a good measure of what is mainstream knowledge in psychology.) I was surprised how much I wanted to do things, even the things that are not the most direct path the pleasure. 

Yes of course some combination of vacation-magic and necessity meant eating out for most of our meals, and this is not something I want to or can do otherwise, though about half of these meals were very enjoyable. At the same time, it seems I found more energy to do the work of finding slower burning contentment, which has been evading me lately. I remember last time I was in Berlin I felt inspired to stop eating meat again - I had started eating it again at the end of my first year of college, feeling unable to push back on the chaotic selection at the college dining hall. But I felt inspired again in Berlin - found the energy to pursue this small bit of idealism after a year break. I continue this way still, eating meat about once a year, the rest of the time automatically defaulting to the way I have eaten since I was 14. Two of the most recent carnivorous instances in the past two years were on this vacation, in Prague, when I found myself sprung out of rhythms. I see a lot online about motivation versus discipline, but personally, life would be easier if I had a better practiced thoughtlessness. Good habits have always felt like the slipperiest of eels thrashing out of my grip.

My tomato plants which had started to carry green berries when I flew out are now holding ripe tomatoes. I made my first harvest on Friday, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and mixed in with burrata cheese which I shared with a studio friend before we went to a small gallery near me. Two small rooms, a stream of people going in and out, it was free. Art museums are harder to arrange at home. They are certainly one of the planned indulgences of travel. We bought three-day art tickets in Berlin, and saw art in every city. But at home, as large as the Art Institute in Chicago is - and it is, it is massive - I have many of the rooms memorized by now. Perhaps next time I will return with a sketchbook. Do a better job of tracking down smaller galleries – and so on.  

I read half of Erwin Mortiers Shutterspeed on my flight back, and finished it my first day home, with a slow realization that I must have already read it, possibly all the way through, when I purchased it - I think in 2015 on a trip to NYC. The graphics on the cover are perhaps, then, more memorable than the text itself. Regardless of my enjoyment of the novel, the act of reading was less laborious than it has been of late. 

I have walked at least four miles every day since returning to Chicago but want to learn to run - time saving relative to walking for a couple hours, some flexibility to do it in the morning before it gets too hot after the effects of my jetlag run out. Yesterday it was raining but I still went, after an apartment viewing fell through, to watch the waves of Lake Michigan crash into the rocks and cement steps that make up the lakeshore. I thought: if I take in Chicago as if it is a new city to me, or a city I love, perhaps living here will be easier. I am good at appreciating the alleyways, the graffiti, the light, but sometimes Chicago feels gray and desolate, its industrial roots mean occasional vacant stretches within the city itself, breaking up life. My experience here, too, is broken up by the plague, the often fleeting or superficial social connections of grad school, and my own personal upheavals. I am trying - started to before I left - to have a true Chicago summer. Everybody here says summer is the best time but I dread the sticky heat. It melts my brain and makes me sick. But I still endeavor to steal some of its spirit for myself; swimming in the lake, attending some of the dozens of farmers markets and festivals that spring up, and eating ice cream. Perhaps these are avenues to fall into conversations with strangers and see the city with new eyes. Bring a camera with me, write about it here. 

 Wish me luck.

Friend-Sourcing Information: Croatia

Matt and I are planning a trip to Croatia. I have two friends who have been:
Bianca, a college friend who is doing her PhD at the University of Cape Town, who's parents are German so she has an EU citizenship, and who doesn't drink at all. She's been to Croatia a couple of times, the trip I am drawing from was with her brother and sister. The other is my old flatmate Paras, who is living the post-NYU MBA life in NYC, and who has very different attitudes towards substances. He went with a friend. I only highlight their habits because the responses from these two has been a case study on how my friends can be different from one another, as well as alike. They actually overlapped a lot, which is helpful! Croatia is also fairly small, from Zagreb to Dubrovnik is a six hour drive. I'm putting both of their responses side by side, in some places they agree, in others seriously diverge. We are landing in the northern city of Zagreb on July 18th in the early evening and leaving August 1st from Dubrovnik, in the south. We'll be renting a car. Here also is the initial map I had drawn before speaking to them, for a sense of geography:

so the best part about Croatia is Slovenia, the neighboring country. Haha just kidding, but visit if you can. Lake Bled in Slovenia is this fairy tale lake surrounded by forest, where you can go swimming, and a boat will take you the center where there is this little castle on an little island. The only things it's missing are lake mermaids.

Thought: North and South Croatia are quite different. The north has more of a Hapsburg Empire feel and the south is more roman. Since you will fly out of Dubrovnik, you should head south rather than linger around the north at Opatija and Pula.

Zagreb
I don’t remember much except this is a much bigger, more typical European city. There are some nice pedestrian streets that I would recommend sticking to. I only spent an afternoon here, and it was enough.

Onwards: 4 hour drive from Zagreb – you could go via Plitvicka Lakes, which are nice to walk around – you’d want to spend a full day here. The roads getting here aren’t great, so it’s a bit slow going. The park is quite full during the summer seasons so be prepared to queue and fight your way through tourist groups. Otherwise, I think you can skip this if your time is limited and visit Krka Falls near Split instead.
Plitvice Lake is a must, they are gorgeous and a nice walk for a couple hours, and it's a national heritage site but you can sneak away from the crowds and swim if you put your mind to it.

Rovinj is a beautiful, pretty posh town on the west coast. we spent a night there and I would recommend it but don't go out of your way. 
The southern half of Croatia, until recently wasn't heavily visited by Americans. Historically the north has been a vacationing spot for Europeans (e.g. Germans). My reason for not going to Pula is because it is out of the way and is a lot like italy, but less to show for it. The south is more interesting history wise. History in terms of Roman to the Tito years. Plus you can do day trips to Mostar, Bosnia and Kotor, Montenegro if you go south. The south is less... developed... than the northern parts. And clearly has had less money, but is really really interesting. And beautiful.

Zadar: I wouldn’t recommend more than a day here, if at all. It’s pretty underwhelming, though they do have a nice sea organ. The old town is pedestrians only. However, I would highly recommend a day hike in National Park Paklenica, via the big canyon (Velika Paklenica) to Manita Pec (a cave approx. 1.5 hours max one way – you can visit the cave and can buy tickets at the cave, just double check when it closes since it is only open limited hours). You could keep following the trail along the river and get to Paklenica Hut and then take a trail from there back to the parking lot via the mountians. It’s nice, not too crowded and has great views. The river has a few swimming spots as well. If you’ve seen or heard of Winnetou (a German movie about the Wild West) you’ll doubly love the park since a lot of scenes were filmed here.

Onwards: 2 hour drive from Zadar: Recommend you take a half-day stop at Krka National Park – these are some terrific waterfalls you walk around and through via a wooden walk way before getting to the bottom of the falls. At the bottom of the falls you can go swimming. The city Sibenik is nearby and worth a visit as well since the medieval city is still intact. You can get lost exploring the old city and going through narrow passageways and stairwells. The small city of Trogir is up next – it’s a lot like Zadar and Sibenik except it still has a bit of visible ancient Roman buildings.

Split: I would recommend at 2-3 days here since it’s a good place to visit other places from. You could easily see historic Split in a morning, go to the beach in the afternoon, and do an excursion the second day. The city itself is really beautiful. I recommend staying near the historic centre, but make sure you double check your accommodation has parking – the streets are very narrow and tight and often can’t fit cars. Park Suma Marjan is a hill worth walking up to Vrh Marjana – Telegrin. If you want to go for a swim, head out to Beach Bene. It’s a rocky beach surrounded by pines, but much quieter than the other beaches near the harbour. Plus the walk there is really beautiful. I would recommend staying in Varos, or immediately to the west or east of the historic center. That way you can access everything by foot and the areas are nice to walk through. There’s a fresh food market at Zelena tržnica, near the waterfront at the east side of the old city – great if you like fruits, veggies and figs. If you want ice cream (or cake), I highly recommend Luka Ice Cream & Cakes. Walk through the city streets as much as you can –there are new places you’ll keep discovering –medieval, Roman, and modern. You should go up the Saint Domnius Bell Tower, if you aren’t afraid of heights. Be warned – it’s got a hollowed out middle and you ascend wooden steps that circle around a steep drop. 

From Split you can easily visit the islands – if you do want to go, I would spend a night on one of the islands because the ferry schedules are infrequent. I’ve heard good things about Vis and Hvar, but never been personally. Otherwise, if you really want to go to an island a very nice once seems to be Mljet, which you get to via ferry from Ston (on your way to Dubrovnik). Overall though, my reason for not visiting the islands was time and the fact that the islands were quite similar to mainland.
Hvar is another must, super sunny and active beach/party town, actually a large island off the coast. I remember great seafood restaurants, and also it's an over the top party town place, which you may not value but it's at least worth the spectacle. For one it draws absurdly rich travellers, like yachts everywhere, it was just a competition in over-compensation, like one yacht rolled up with a another yacht inside of it, and everyone was like woah, and then another yacht showed up ten times bigger which had like a yacht inside it and then also a helicopter parked on top. I remember my friend in a borat voice was like - small penis, but BIG boat!! nice! ok and then the coolest thing was club Carpe Diem. So at night there are two parts, they also have a little island called 'carpe diem beach' which they ferry you out too all night on a little speed boat, and it's like this magical music video, seems like there is very little staff and just like a DJ and dance floor but also adjoined to the ocean with I think a diving area, and good looking people are just getting naked and going swimming. I know you hate clubs, but if i were you I would just go anyway.

Onwards: 3 hour drive from Split if using the Toll road, otherwise 4 hours along the Route 8, coastal road (the old highway). There are several neat abandoned sites from Soviet days here, some hotels and a children’s hospital. I managed to get into Krvavica, a 1963 children's health resort. If you want to go, drive to Krvavica, park near the boat area and walk South along the beach a little bit. You won’t miss it. Dubrovnik + Trsteno: I recommend at least 3-4 days here – one day to tour the city and a couple of days to enjoy the surrounds. I highly recommend staying in Trsteno. It’s a short drive from Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik which you can easily visit in a day – just head there early to find free or cheap parking on the city outskirts (around Lapad there is some) and walk into the city. (Parking in the city even if you find an airbnb there is annoying – almost everything is zoned for residents…). It’s gimmicky, but I really to recommend doing the city walls walk (approx 1 hr) – it gives you an amazing view of the city. The city itself you can easily explore by foot within a few hours. It’s also worth viewing the city from Fort Lovrijenac, nearby. (You don’t need to go in).
Dubrovnik. It's rampant now I hear because they filmed game of thrones there, but for good reason. Ancient sea side castle town, now an incredibly charming town with clubs and shopping etc. My friend and I were in different moods and split up that night, I went to some dance club, got smashed alone and danced all night, then walked around around sunrise and ran into some kids smoking a joint, and they invited me to join and hang out at some empty seaside restaurant. Very cool place, people there and especially in Slovenia were super nice and easy to hang out with.

Now onto the real gem – Trsteno. This is an oasis of calm and absolute beauty. I cannot recommend any place more highly. It’s simply amazing. Near the water there’s a really cool abandoned villa you can explore – if you decide to go upstairs, be careful not to walk in the middle of the rooms where the floors are caving in. Otherwise it is quite safe to go all the way up into the tower. There was a creepy rabid black cat the last time I was there, so if you see him walk away – he’s vicious. There’s an Arboretum in Trsteno you can get into for free if you stay in the town (since to access the village you would walk through it). This is really nice and you can walk through and find all the cool nooks and crannies. (Hot tip: Was a Game of Thrones film location, no one knows about).

oh hi

OH HI!
no  one will see this now that Google+ is dead.

Here's my update:
I AM MOVING TO CHICAGO
I will be attending The Chicago School of Professional Psychology for a PsyD
I went to Chicago three times and Philly twice since I started these interviews at the end of January. Last one was on April Fools day. I put down my deposit on the fifteenth of that same month.

my job is going through the end of JUNE - I am helping in looking for someone to fill my spot - I wounder if that means I can add hiring manager to my resume

I am taking online classes because I didn't have a prereq done for my grad program.
I have been having migraines and think cutting my hair will help.

I am going to Israel in July and then somewhere else. After some back and forth I should be getting my Israeli passport in the mail soon. The second leg of the trip will be with Matt but we haven't planned it yet.

I am coordinating with three girls regarding flatmate living in Chicago. They will all be attending a different psych graduate school which I decided was a worse fit for me, but I met one of the girls through the interview.

My youngest brother is a teenager. My grandmother here for her annual visit.

I will flesh out most of this later.

this is all for now

one microspike

I said I would come back to the ridge between 2018 and 2019, so here is the end of 2018:

the last Friday of 2018 I left work and went to South Station with my weighty backpack and a tube with a painting in it. Did you know that Portland, ME is only two hours away? I didn't, until Sorrel and Hannah started telling me I should meet them there. There's a bus that goes once an hour, which surprised me; 40$ for a round trip ticket, which is valid for a year. Of course I got there five minutes after the bus had left so I had to wait for the next one, but in due time, after watching a very strange animation about a speed-crazy snail, I found myself in Maine - which I insist is supposed to be no fewer than six hours away but somehow I got there in two.

Sorrel and Hannah met me there, bringing with them a much welcome dinner and hugs. We drove about an hour before getting to Sorrel's parents house: they have an interesting home, with a compost toilet and solar power and a wood-stove which heats the house. They were off the grid for years but recently hooked up to it and give their electricity into the system.

In the morning, we went to Portland and met Hannah's brother and poked around the little shops. Hannah left too soon with her brother to Belfast ME. Sorrel and I headed to a used bookshop (which is were I got the previously mentioned White Tiger).

We got home and made dinner and the next morning we got up and went for a walk up a little hill. Maine has snow, which I haven't seen much of this year. There was a dusting in Massachusetts this morning, but even when Papa and I climbed Mt. Monadnock the weekend before there wasn't much snow. Sorrel and I only had one set of microspikes between the two of us, so we each bore weight on one leg as we made our way up the icy slope. At the top, there was a view of some frozen lakes and mountains further out.

At the end of the day the four of us (Sorrel and I, and her parents) watched Dinner with Andre, which makes it the last movie I saw in 2018. The next morning Sorrels father showed me the starts of permaculture plots they had planned out around their land. Being there reminded me that I wanted a goat to get milk from. I imagine being a therapist with a goat and a vegetable patch. I guess I don't have a very good imagination, because mostly I imagine the goat and the vegetable plot in my parent's backyard. Mama had a boy goat named Pashka when she was little, and he's in some of the family photos.

Eventually it was time to go back home and Sorrel drove me back to the Portland station. On the bus I read I Talk Pretty One Day (which I finished later without feeling any accomplishment, and feeling confused as to why Sidaris is so well known). At some point on the bus I got a text form Veta with my Secret Santa; Eloosha, and I started to think of what to give him that I could assemble in the few hours I'd be home, which now leads us to the part of 2018 which is practically 2019 - for next time.

half eaten books

I met the new year surrounded by old friends, having ended 2018 surrounded by slightly less old college friends. But perhaps more on that later: the new year is often a time to reflect. In my case, I am reflecting on the books I have started in my life but not finished. From the bottom:

First: I don't think I will finish this book. Prisoner's of Love has been treacherous, I just can't get into it. I give up. I do.
2nd: The Geographer Drank His Globe Away does not have the same ring to it in English as it does in Russian. My mother gave me this book; I am #blessed with a mother who's book recommendations tend to fall in line with my literary tastes, I guess this is no accident (side note: that is my least favorite hashtag that I see all the time). So I know I should give it another try, in spite of my borderline illiteracy in Russian (I'm exaggerating but still)
3rd: Has anyone ever actually finished this book? Not only is Infinite Jest difficult to carry around, it is also the most depressing thing I have ever read. In some ways like the Bell Jar but longer, without the southern romanticism of The Sound and The Fury to take the edge off, or the Irish romanticism and nationalism of Joyce's Ulysses (see, those books I somehow managed to read!) Because reading it is so mundane, and is lasts forever. Absurd as well, sure, but mostly it feels like waiting in line for your groceries behind someone talking about tennis. We'll see. Not a priority.
4th: The White Tiger is a book I picked up while in Maine at a second hand book shop with Sorrel. It is the first book I ever didn't finish, senior year of high school, because it was a school book and I didn't finish it in time before graduating. Not only do I want to finish it because it has stuck in my head all of these years, and I hold a true curiosity of how it ends, but also perhaps finishing it will allow me to stop this pattern of not finishing books. Except for that bottom one. Nope.
5th: Notes from the Underground. It's really good, the bit of it I have read I've truly enjoyed - though being a classic I guess this is a given. Plus Matt was asking me about it a month or so ago, so I'll have someone to discuss it with once I'm done in addition to my parents. Bonus.

I also have A Young Doctor's Notebook and Twelve Chairs on my list for Russian ones, and Howards End (EM Forster) in English.

any other good reads I should get to this year?

life as film

Yesterday I got a text from Max, who travels a lot for his new job.
it said:
I am officially a regular at JFK Laguardia airport, gate official recognized me and said, "Hello again Mr Mendelssohn" before he even saw my ticket.

and I thought: this is so great! It's like a scene from a movie. Those small-town feel in a large city scenes the establish a character at the start of a film. It also reminded me of a long conversation Leonid and I had (via letters) about being a 'regular' somewhere; how so many shows are set up around this idea that people meet up at a bar or a coffee shop or comic book store a lot and there's this community there. How little either of us know of establishments that have that. I was edging on that at some point at the 1369 cafe in Central Sq: the people who work there seem cool and there's a lot less turnover than at most places (I even named the blond girl with the dreads in my head, don't know when that happened) . And they recognized me and one even came over to chat one time. I would come three days a week in the morning before work and get the same thing almost every time. And then I moved. But that experience felt like I was filming in a movie, in a really artsy movie that I would maybe like to watch. What other good moments are there like that, where life imitates fiction?

---

The long weekend was taken at it's fullest: on Saturday Matt and I went to Walden pond. He read Walden at Walden Pond. I finished Be Here Now by Ram Dass. We walked around and took a dip in the lake. We talked a bit about Skinner's Walden Two and the like. The kind of day I like. He's spent the whole summer pretending shorts are swim-trunks. I've spent the whole summer without any shorts. Somehow we got by; it is now September.

On Monday Sima and I finished a project we had started the weekend before; that is, we finished bleaching his hair. He just got braces and glasses (Harry Potter style, his choice) and wanted to complete a trio of changes by doing his hair as well. Mama tried at first with a pharmacy kit, but those never work well so I took over after purchasing some more heavy-duty materials at a beauty supply store. He was so excited throughout the process, even biked over to the train station to meet me.

It was also Yosef's birthday, the day before he left to go back to his second year at university. I made him coconut cupcakes; he made everyone Uzbek plov.  I told him "We are both in our 20's!" and he said "you are closer to being 80 that I am!" -- how dastardly! I miss him already.

ny winter

Another one that got lost in the anneals of the draft box, regarding the end of 2017

I am starting to think that lyricism is a frame of mind, a lens to look through at the world. It is something I have been struggling with lately. To lose the ability to look at the world cinematically is also the loss of ability to take photographs and write; and it is daunting to try and find that lens, misplaced somewhere in the attic of the mind.

After lengthy and long overdue conversation on the phone with Esther, during which she mentioned that she was going to NYC and said that I should come, I made some arrangements to take the trip. Canada, where she lives, is far away; NYC less so. The practice where I work had no patients that week anyway, so on Wednesday morning I took the subway over to south station and started my long bus ride over. I got off by FIT and entered the first place that served food. I scarfed down what amounted to two lunches; a large soup with bread, and a large piece of greasy spinach cake which was more delicious when I started it than when I took the last bite. Having completed this meal, I headed towards Wall Street. 

Leonid had warned me, somewhat embarrassed, "it's very posh". I entered the building from the wrong side, and a hotel-visitor pointed me towards the check-in desk for the apartments. Everything is gilded gold, with sweeping stone floors and an enormous Christmas tree lit up in the hall. The concierge rung up to the apartment, got Leonid's ok to let me in and buzzed the turnstiles. To my right, a couple rooms were sectioned off with slow arches, separating the postal boxes from everything else to hogwartsian effect. Finally, I made my way up in the pho-Greek style elevators to the sleek apartment with impressively large windows reaching all the way up to the tall ceilings. I claimed one of the couches to sleep on and met a flat mate that had not yet left for winter holidays. Leonid made us some drinks - a skill he's been honing recently. Eloosha swung by and it was funny to think; how different and how the same we all are, that we have known each other for more than half our lives. Once Eloosha had left Leonid and I went to get dinner; poke bowls close by, a fad that is not quite caught on in Boston. Then drinks. Then sleep.

When I got up in the morning I had the place to myself. I made myself some coffee and fell asleep again. There was something very nice about this; I often wake up tired but I am never able to do anything about it - waking up a second time well rested was lovely. I lounged around the apartment for the entire morning, reading Jean Gadget's Prisoners of Love and arranging my thoughts. For lunch, I met Leonid and Kostya by Union Sq., Dorado's and I can only remember that we ended the conversation discussing spelling. Writing now, I remember that my New Year's resolution a few years ago was to improve my spelling, the results of this resolution, like of many New Year’s resolutions, are very limited. On top of that, difficult for me to evaluate: even if my spelling has improved, my ability to catch misspellings has not so I can't do a comparison and see how far along I am.

Leonid and I then headed towards the winter market and went hunting for a supplementary Christmas gift for his girlfriend. We both bought some tights from an energetic group of Israeli women doing convincing demonstrations. More coffee and then to a party somewhere in midtown, with his law-student friends. I was immediately served an old-fashioned - his friend also honing his cocktail-making skills. A log burning in a fireplace filled the room up with smoke. Chips and another drink and talking; stories about a terrible house guest, discussions about identity. It got late and then later and then we departed. 

Leonid left early the next morning and I waved him a sleepy goodbye from the couch. Another lounging morning and then headed towards Union Sq. to drop off my backpack with Kostya who had kindly agreed to hold onto it. Then I walked 25 blocks to meet Esther and Niko. A tight warm hug! Lots of bread for lunch. A face sorely missed. And then, after a few hours, I walked back to Kostya and to my backpack, talking to Matt on the phone - it was already snowing in Boston.

Kostya continued to work and I went back to the winter market to pick out a couple of gifts and track down the artist name for a ring that was beautiful but much too expensive to buy. Twinkling lights and postcards and sweaters, mulled cider and felted ornaments. For my mother: Brooklyn truffle oil, for Matt: NY made ghost pepper hot sauce. Once Kostya was done we got pizza and headed towards the main event - Eloosha's birthday party at Olivia's place in Brooklyn. Immaculately decorated and hosted, rooms filled with people and mulled wine. Here too: it got late and then it got later, and Kostya Rebecca and I got a ride back to Kostya's place where I now again claimed a couch as my bed.

I had slept in later than usual: the living in which I slept had no windows, so no light woke me. Soon we had gathered ourselves for brunch; hipstery eggs Benedict. Then we went to get Eloosha and Olivia and some bags and back to wintry Massachusetts (though I had bought a bus ticket, but a car ride with friends won out).

Now I’m home.