Getting acquainted

Moved nearly a week ago. Our new homestead is working out quite well. Tuesday was the day of the switch. We were booted from our apartment at roughly 10 am, and weren't scheduled to get the keys to the new place until 2:30 pm. We lead our own mini exodus to the botanical garden with all of our luggage and other miscellaneous belongings, and camped out until about a half hour before our meeting. It was a very nice day, spent mostly on a bench with a book and all of the cats.

I had been reading Moby Dick, but shelved it temporarily after a friend leant me Scar Tissue, Anthony Keidis' (of Red Hot Chili Peppers acclaim) autobiography which I've been meaning to read for a while now. Just finished it 2 days ago. It was good, written in a very lucid style as if he were dictating the entirety of his life in between songs at one of his concerts. Sometimes it was a giant ramble, at others very introspective. More than anything, it was a broken record of drug abuse, sex, and struggle for sanity. I've always been intrigued by tortured souls. In many senses I can relate completely with elements of their existence, others I can't begin to comprehend. Especially when it comes to the degree to which their troubles take them. I can definitely identify with the beginnings of a downward spiral, but I always come to this point where its "OK, whatever is dragging me down I can overcome", and so far I've been able to. I want to take this moment to thank the powers at hand for not biologically condemning me to a life of drug abuse or any variation of compulsive obsession. Could be my upbringing, but I know I don't have it in me to completely detach myself from the people I love and waste away on drugs, alcohol, or whatever else. Just the right balance of selflessness and selfishness to allow me to have my own experience while always having that anchor keeping me safely aware. I guess that anchor is the love I have for others, and without which I wouldn't have for myself. A good read nonetheless, but I'm looking forward to getting back into Moby Dick.

Once we moved in, we did a little exploring. Turns out there is no need for us to venture any further than one square block of our apartment to fulfill any basic need. Laundry spot, gym, market, pizzeria, cafe, kiosk, and even Burger King are all steps away. Very convenient. Our favorite 2 bars (the ones that play American football) are just 10 minute walks away. The pizzeria is already a staple in my routine. I think I've eaten there 3 times in the past 5 days. They have a pineapple, ham, and cheese empanada that I cannot get enough of, and the pizza isn't too shabby either. The gym was less than $20 US for the month. Its not quite as intimate as our little gym room in the last building, but its nice to see fresh faces and the management couldn't be happier to let us sweat all over their equipment for a month. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold in this place, but I'm also excited to move on away from Buenos Aires in December.