Out Like Buster Douglas.

Spoke to me Mam today about plans for selling G-ma's house and getting on with our respective lives. So there are no nasty surprises for any of my peeps, real or imagined, I will be among the faithful Boston departed as of May 1st. I've been living in the North End for a little over 7 years, and I will always have a soft spot for this neighborhood and this city. But baby, I gots to go.

It's very bittersweet - not so much the fact that I am leaving Boston and moving to Toronto, but the reasons behind why I feel I have to. That having been said, I am tremendously excited to buy a car, buy my own place, spend time with my family - immediate and extended, and the fact remains that I have a tremendous group of friends up there from my very early high school (pre-1988) and University of Guelph days. It's not like I'm shipping out to the Falklands.

While we're sorta on the subject, the timing of Facebook's very recent explosion into the Canadian market could not be better timed. Everyday I get friend requests from people I haven't talked to in 10 years. We have a group for the house I lived in at Uni, one for my old dorm Mills Hall and the network keeps growing and growing. It's all very, very serendipitous.

Before I lose consciousness from masturbating with maple syrup in anticipation, I should point out that my current employer, while allowing me to work remotely in the wilds of the North as much as I need too during this tricky time, also wants me back in Boston a few times a quarter - so I'll still be seeing everyone in Beantown on the regular. No biggie, for the best.

Toronto Move Update.

Everyday it seems someone asks me when I am finally moving North. Late last year, when I first let the cat out of the bag, there were pressing issues that needed my attention. Now that my grandmother has been put into a home - that pressure is off, so my move has been rescheduled. I am still looking forward to it, and I am still excited beyond belief, but we're now looking at spring - which, come to think of it, is practically here. So I'd better get the ball rolling.

What I plan to do is rent a truck and head up to my Grandmother's empty house via Buffalo. I'll then unpack my stuff so it's nice and close for my eventual move to Toronto. Then I am going to live at my parent's place in Portland for the summer. I should probably tell them that at some point. We don't have too many good years left, so I want to spend some time with the old man while I'm able. Sad but true.

So there you have it. Packin' up and heading out by Mid-May I expect. A couple more paychecks in the bank, time for my folks to settle in from Florida and hopefully I will get my American passport by then too. I have currently just completed the fingerprint stage, and next up is my naturalization interview, where I expect I will have to think kinda fast. Most people don't get a passport and then leave the country. But I shall return.

Friday's Quizzlet: Am I Mad, In A Coma, Or Back In Time?

The Quizzlet was another repeat today. I wish she wouldn't do that so often. Perhaps I should start my own quiz meme site. I'll get in a little practice and write my own questions today. Please feel free to play along in the comments.

What will you miss most about Boston if you ever actually leave?
Not counting friends, narry a whole heck of a lot. If that were a different story, I probably wouldn't be leaving in the first place. I won't be sitting in my apartment in Toronto weeping and working on an oil painting of the Charlestown skyline - let's put it that way.

What is your favorite television show? Pay TV doesn't count.
The second season of the brilliant Life on Mars started last week, and I've downloaded the first 2 episodes, as I recommend you do here. If you don't fall in love with Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler after an hour, "I'll come around your houses and stamp on all your toys. Got it? Good kids". The Trailer Park Boys Movie is now out on DVD, too.

What profession do you wish you'd taken up instead of your current one?
Take it easy, James Lipton. I should have become a homicide detective. All I do in my spare time is watch reality cop shows, and I would love to clock in every day tasked with catching lazy, murderous scumbags. Coincidentally, that's also the new name of my garage band.

Are there any hardcore Democrats in the audience who feel like their party is completely screwing the pooch in terms of selecting a candidate for 2008?
I'd love to see a woman in the presidency some day. I'd love to see a black person in the presidency some day. Hell - let's just blow everyone's mind and elect Tyra Banks. But let's also be realistic and keep the endgame in mind - this isn't the decade. The country isn't ready for it yet. Short of running a unicorn or one of those hairdo trolls that you put on the end of a pencil, the Dems are going to have to come back down to Earth if they want to stand a ghost of a chance next year. Am I wrong?