All About N.

The Bean and I think N. was a little hurt that he wasn't included in the last "what's going on" post. I mean we even mentioned the wonderful post office! Again! So this post is dedicated to N. We're also curious as to when he discovers this dedication as he's sometimes neglectful of his favorite Brooklyn blog.

N. has been working really hard. The days when he used to sit on the couch and stare lovingly at his iPhone are long gone. His new school is very awesome so he has to be awesome while there, which means going to work on Saturdays and Mondays when doesn't even have to. N. wakes up very early in the morning while the Bean and I snooze till about 8:00 or 9:00. (I should say this is the only snoozing we do all day and I'm like way more tired than N. so don't feel too bad for him). After N. has driven into the sun to teach his awesome students at his awesome school he has to deal with making the program better which involves a lot of meetings and various other things that apparently quite involved. Then he has to go to this really huge (for us, apparently for locals it's the small one) Hannafords to pick up the various things I've texted him to buy which always seems to include: diapers, turkey, and batteries. Then he has to drive home into the sun and come home to a very messy house, a very tired wife, and a very cute, overtired baby who needs a bath and be put to bed.

Once he came home to a wok that was on fire but that's probably best for a post that's more removed from the actual incident.

After N. has bathed the cute baby and put her to bed, he eats a dinner that consists of frozen things that are partially reheated because his wife likes to cut corners when it comes to meals these days.

After the wife has collapsed in her semi-frozen soup, N. must deal with the dishes from the entire day and put together whatever terrible plastic baby sleep-aid/toy his wife has gotten that day even though the directions are often only in Chinese.

Weekends require N. to spend loads of time putting big wooden things together or hanging cumbersome clocks and 80 pound mirrors. For fun, wife and baby have N. take 8,000 pounds of garbage and recycling to the dump before going to mobbed box stores to buy more things they would like him to put together.

So while you might feel a bit sorry for N. and his two full-time jobs, don't feel too bad. He, unlike, some people can still have a stiff drink at the end of the day and not be concerned as to what it might do to the cute baby's development when ingested by the cute baby from her mother's milk.

Jersey Boy: Strangely A Post That's Not About Me

Congrats to N. for finishing a whopping 6 years commuting to and from New Jersey! I thought about figuring out the number of miles and hours you put in slogging from Brooklyn to central NJ but I don't want to depress you or my 4.5 readers.

For those of you who don't know, N. had a really rough commute for a less than stellar teaching environment for a less than stellar salary. And you know what? He didn't complain about it. I know, it's crazy since I've been known to complain about the hair on my left pinky toe or the texture of a piece of cheese, but N. would get up at 5:30 AM to get to Jersey by 8:00, teach a 5 hour class, have office hours, maybe have 20 minutes to scarf down a mediocre Quik Check sandwich at his desk, and then teach another 5 hour class. After that, he'd finally drive the hour-if-you're-lucky home only to spend 20 minutes looking for a parking spot. He didn't have any of the heaps of time off that other academics get either since the terms began anew every eleven weeks. Despite all this, he never complained. I know, I'm a lucky woman.

He will have to drive to work in NH but it will be a simple 30 minutes down the comparatively empty highway to a beautiful school with a real art department, traditional students, and an actual cafeteria where he might get to eat some kind of human lunch. Plus, no night classes! And no more looking for parking since our new place comes with a driveway!

Here's to a job well done, N. And here's to better schedules, less traffic, and more satisfying classes in your NH future!

More on Taking The Job

So we went up to NH last weekend. The college itself is beautiful--brick buildings, a nice little quad, healthy and athletic looking students. It's very collegiate looking, which will be a nice change for N. since his last school felt more like a...warehouse? factory? It's a real step up.

We don't want to live in the town where the college is because it seems too small and is also expensive since it's popular for retirees and wealthy city folk who like to summer in the lake district. Most likely we'll move about 30 minutes north. The big thing is that I need to change my attitude about driving and distance. Unlike Brooklyn where I can easily walk to yoga to the bookstore to the coffee shop to the bar (not that the baby is drinking yet) up there you can't find everything you want in one town--the locals seem to think more in terms of a general area--like 3 or more towns. So you obviously have to drive quite a bit.

I haven't had a car since I lived in Seattle 7 years ago.

But back to bars. I kept wondering where are the bars were in the town where the school is because um, isn't that why college was invented? But there wasn't one bar in the town. Someone back here said NH has weird laws about having standing alone bars--they have to have food so many are just in restaurants. This would explain a lot but I wonder how those underage college kids snuggle the Coors into their dorms since the ID laws are crazy strict up there. N. got carded at every single place he boozed. And the dude is old! He looks even older too!

Do the college kids have fake id's? Perhaps I can really dedicate some time this year in figuring out this conundrum.