Okay, okay, so it's been a while... hence, a vacation

Ah, the holidays. The break I've been waiting for all these months. Or something like that.

I first finished up tying up a few loose ends into neat little bows in New York. I popped in for one last recording session with Craig, finished my presentations and finals, did one last choir gig, then got the hell out of dodge. I got to Texas and its unnaturally warm climate (even for Texas) about a week before Christmas, happy as who knows what to be with John again. At last.. quality time together, yes? Now, now... not so fast.

Remember, I arrived to find myself held tight in the grip of the Christmas season. There was family to see (my folks, as well as two sets of family on John's side), a slew of friends (in waves), and let's not forget the ever-important gift shopping drama that's so inextricably linked to this marvelous season of comercialistic debauchery. Yes, of course I'm happy to see everyone again. Of course I love being back in warmth and sunshine and all of that jazz. Still, a little... um... taking of marital stock, you could say... might be nice. I expected this lack of private time, this deluge of prescheduled engagements and appearances. Take it in stride, then, and bide your time, right? Sure, until the end of the day, when you're finally to yourselves, and you're too exhausted to keep your eyes open, let alone... um... chat.

Then, there are the new living arrangements. They were aggreed upon before I left, but it's still a big change. John now has two roommates, which is helping him maintain his sanity in my absence. Still, it certainly changes things a bit. I don't suggest that I'm unhappy with our housemates. On the contrary... I'm grateful that they're here. Jaucelynn and Nate have been godsends, as far as I'm concerned. Still, it does change things, and it's taken some adjustment. On top of which, we all seem to keep bizzare hours, between fluctuating work schedules, vacationing, and even something as mundane as meals. I can't say I've gotten much sleep since I've been here, but that's not something I'm unaccustomed to anyway, so I'll live.

Sleep isn't the only thing that's been strange for me here. I'm not accustomed to driving everywhere, or, more specifically, not walking all the time. I can already feel myself swelling as a result of my reaffirmed sloth. Still, I find comfort in the thought that it's only a temporary relapse into this way of life, that I'll be back to my old pedestrian self in no time... a week, to be exact. I miss New York. There. I said it. I mean, come on... was there really ever any doubt? And I miss my friends, particularly my roommate, and Aunt Jenny's sure to be wanting her chauffer. Yes, I'm sure I'm bound to miss everyone here when I leave. John, of course, is on the top of that list. He's finished up and sent off his application to Fordham, though, so it won't be long before he's up there with me. And there's also one of John's new roommates, Jaucelynn, who goes by Jay (or J... I don' know which is correct, in terms of spelling, but you get the idea); we've grown pretty close these last couple of weeks, and have forged a pretty solid friendship. There is, however, a possibility that she might be moving to New York when John comes up, likely to work on her own college studies. Aside from them, I have several dear friends here in Dallas, but we keep in touch well enough, and they haven't exactly fallen apart since I've been gone. So yeah, I think I'm ready to head back to New York now.

I leave here on the 14th, next Saturday morning. Classes begin again the following Tuesday, so I don't have much time to kick back before things get rolling again. I think it's a good way for things to be, though. And, in spite of the oddities of my stay, it has indeed been restfull. I mean, I've spent entire days in my bathrobe, for crying out loud! I tell you, that's no small thing for me. Enough of the easy, laid-back-ness of Dallas, though. One more week, and it's back to the grind. It's been a good little breath I've taken, and I think it was just what I needed before round two of my Fordham experience. Besides, I'm dying to get back into the studio, back to performing, back to writing (I've been slacking off in that department lately, with no guilty conscience to speak of)... I'm starting to feel more and more as though New York is... well... home.