Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Stress Musings

Bizarro is brought to you today by Auto Obesity.

My life is a big gooey slithering wombat of stress right now. I'm working on a couple of big projects outside of Bizarro (details later, maybe), CHNW and I are preparing to sell our place in Brooklyn and move away from NYC (a feat of idiotic proportions considering the clutter of our house is rivaled only by the seething demonic chaos of all the crap we have stored in the basement), and my finances and psyche are in disarray. Those last two things are more or less a constant, but it certainly doesn't help at times like this.

Why am I telling you this? Because I can't afford a therapist and since I live in NYC, I can't afford a bartender, either. A single beer in NY costs as much as a six pack of fine foreign ale, a cocktail is as much as a bottle. Just one of the many reasons we're ready to leave the Big App.

But then there are my friends, whom I love even though I am not terrifically social and only see them a few times a year. I will miss them. And we'll miss the cool concerts up at Woodstock Sanctuary. So is this the right thing to do? The climate here puts me in such a dark funk so many months out of the year that I see my decision to move to warmer environs as a matter of self defense, so on that level it seems very right. Maybe even necessary.

I haven't completely decided what to do yet, but thanks for listening. Meanwhile, it's back to my life: a joke-a-day or starve in the streets.

17 comments:

Allan Koay said...

we are always here for you, Mr Piraro. u relieve our stress with good cartoons, it's the least we can do for you.

coadygirl said...

I can help you both with the first start, where do you want me to send the bottle of hooch? The close proximity to Canada helps defray the cost of booze greatly. You just need to spend the night there to eliminate any said duty (wink wink).I totally commiserate with the climate factor, Michigan isn't any warmer than NY. You need a GIGANTIC BIZARRO yard sale. I forsee lots o moola.

Molly G said...

hmmm... There is no chance you'd be interested in selling your house to a fellow NYC vegan, is there? (and I have no idea what your house looks like or where it is (or how much it is), but I gotta get out of my terrible rental in west Harlem!) Just wondering!

ojeano said...

Having just moved recently, I send you my good thoughts and best wishes. Are you coming to LA? Going up to Berkeley? Both are expensive... maybe Oregon?

Here's the vid I made of my move out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uWCyJ4FV0w Kinda long, but the better for procrastination from packing! Best wishes!

Eben said...

Okay, I am quite impressed that you managed to make every photo link a picture of an automobile. Well done.

Anonymous said...

Moving always seems to be hard - from the pain in the ass prospect of moving all your stuff, to the delight/torture of finding a new place, and the angst of leaving great friends. But if it's a right decision, there always seems to be positive aspects to balance out the frustration. Good luck...

monsterzero said...

re: moving… i betchya can pick up some property in the gulf REAL CHEAP right now. hey, no snow!

Christina said...

I started taking D2 in 3,000 mg doses because here in No. CA it was pathetic (rainy, like Portland). It's now TONS better. Moving from FL, not such a good idea for my mood, but the D really improved my outlook. I REALLY feel for you and your wife. Moving across country was a huge thing and I still have knots in my tummy. But since I read your story where the dog was giving you therapy after the ex did what she did, you WILL get through this too. It's not as bad as it was and where you're moving to is better than where you were in TX, right? Where *are* you moving to?

LaLaOrange said...

Hey Dan, where are you moving to? Come to California, we haven't had our big earthquake yet! Join the fun.
Seriously, I hope you and your wife are happy in your new home.

Boatniks said...

Sorry for all the stress. Soon it will be over and you can look back and laugh at all the crazy things you did. I know you've been thinking about escaping the City for a while. Where did you finally decide to move? Hopefully someplace where you can drink the tap water.

patrick said...

Good luck with the stress! Where'd you decide to move to?

Unknown said...

Oklahoma would welcome you back with open arms, cowboy shirts and all. However, I would say Austin is the place for you, eclectic as it comes and close to family.

Jeff Pollet said...

I moved from San Francisco, where I had lived with clouds, fog and cold for over a decade, to sunshine-filled Oakland, and it was one of the best things I have ever done for my psyche. I knew the weather had been affecting me, but I didn't realize just how much it had been affecting me until I moved. It's likely that you're doing the right thing...which doesn't make the move itself any easier, I'm sure.

Pamela said...

Dan,

As stressful as all this stuff is, you're making a good decision for yourself, so try to accept that, and then put it behind you.

You and CHNW will get things packed up or thrown out...and the purging will feel good. It's a new beginning...and how can that be bad?

Have fun with the move and remember...it's a brand new day!

Anonymous said...

But, why can't you afford a therapist Dan?
There are sliding scale therapists, even those who do it for free or almost free, and of course with insurance it doesn't cost much.

I love love love your work, your quirkiness is what I need!

I hear you as far as moving as self defense against the lack of sun, and cold. I live in portland, oregon and feel like I need to move to save my own life!

Kelli Conlow said...

At least you have a motorcycle you can hop on and ride out in the less congested roads to clear out your head. The suggestion about Austin, TX sounds good--it's the city least like Texas. Summers are killers with the heat but the rest of the year is nice. Phoenix--ditto; a preview of Hell in summer. If anyone says, "but it's a dry heat", you are legally absolved if you punch them in the head. Actually, I think a big move is an adventure and a new start, as long as it's not a forced move (job relocation, failing health of family elders, irate husband chasing you with shotguns, etc.).

Mike said...

screw it, dan, if you live in some place like north carolina, you'd be rich and away from people! or go somewhere exotic like Puerto Rico or France. you've got one life to live