Adventures in AndreaLand

Sunday morning, 7am and I am up with the chickens. Literally. No, not the moans of the mangy flying rats suburban park-goers call "pigeons," who inhabit the roof of my NYC prewar studio and wake me up with the pathetic hum of their need to breed. This morning I awake to the sweet chirping and cool breeze of pacific northwest woods waking green lush wet alive. It feels good to be home.

I am forever grateful to my wonderful friends who made this past week very special and memorable, with healthy doses of rich confection, awkward speeches, vodka breaks and warm embraces. There were several wonderful surprises (so great to see you Val!) and a few as-to-be-expected. I break from New York feeling much love and look forward to my return in the fall. But in the mean time, I will enjoy my time here in the quaint fishing village with all the nice white people in their khaki pants and jean tuxedos. Fully emersing myself in the suburban way of living, I need to jump in an suv and go run some errands so I leave you with a poem created in my honor by legendary poet and published author, Deborah Schwartz:

  O Andrea! Our Andrea! Hot summer’s almost done;
       The Heritage dinner’s in the past, I heard Golf & Tennis was fun;
       Autumn’s coming, early closing, 3:30 Happy Hour,
       Picnics by my favorite statue - Cat: dignified: Ape: dour.
       But O Visa! Passport! Ticket!
       Your papers are all in order,
       Soon you will leave the isle of Manhattan,
       And fly across the water
       O Andrea! Our Andrea! stay and answer the Membership Line;
       So many grandmas still waiting for their senior memberships to arrive;
       And who will lead us in that next great Mailing House/Museum fight?
       Who will remain at the bar until the bar closes for the night?
       Here Andrea! dear Co-worker!
       We drank a little more than we ought to,
       Then cut a rug at the summer staff party,
       Now you’re flying across the water.
       Our Andrea will surely write us about her Florence goings-on;
       My Co-worker! now my best source of gossip will be gone;
       Who will do impressions of Nonna; who will have your super smile;
       Who will shake that sassy shimmy; Who will have that West Coast style.
       Though not Jewish, O Blankenstein!
       Few could have served this Museum better.
       Now you’ll set all of Italy on fire
       After you’ve flown across the water.

According to DGM, I have two days and a wakeup left. Today it finally hit me as I took a taxi along the west side in to work that my days at the Museum are limited- and its feeling bittersweet. Denial has been much, much easier. I sure will miss all the nice Jewish people with their funny little food habits and affinity for neurosis. But I will not miss this sick sweltering heat that makes hot and dirty a bad thing.

Subject: Risparmi la data
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> Large friends of Andrea,
>
> We ask that you conserve Thursday date, the 28 July in order to come with us to the (email for details) in Battery Park City for one celebration of goodbye for our beloved friend, Andrea. Here a lot drink will occur perhaps and merriment and there will occur as well possibly a level of dance.
>
> Andrea soon leaves the comfort of the Museum. And that what is more, leaves the state and country, moving to the warmth embrace of Florence, Italy. Here, she studies and catalogs the beautiful Italian art. She drinks much wine while in Italy, but its wine will be sweet with the taste of memories of time passed to the Museum. Aide us to fill up her glass with much memories, therefore to make her drunk with nostalgia — enough to last her an entire stay to Florence.
>
> After when Andrea is sufficient in nostalgia and perhaps is to dance, we will move the positions towards another place of the convivial merriment.  This place of the convivial merriment is still however to be determined, but a lot probably will be situated from the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
>
> We pray you remain for further information. We hope that you join us in saying the goodbye, or, as they say in Italiano, Arrivederci!
>
> -FOAs (friends of Andrea)
***guest post by Deborah Schwartz of Debcentral.com fame

Well I’m no Debcentral, but thought this would be a great way to keep in touch with everyone and give updates on all my upcoming adventures.
Stay posted- cheers!!