Hello I Must Be Going

Today was the last Monday that I will pick Hollaback up in front of her apartment in Inwood to drive to Connecticut. She's taken a new job in Manhattan and her last day working in Connecticut with me is Friday. Having commuted together to work for almost a year, it feels, well, kind of weird.

On the upside, Hollaback moved to New York City in 2007 to work, live and have the newly transported's love affair with this great big smelly divine City. She has clearly disdained having to work in Connecticut. She's a single young woman and when she arrived, she wanted to eat Manhattan up with a spoon. Who doesn't? When I first moved here (both times), I couldn't wait to soak up every incredible aspect of this wild and woolly place. I can only imagine she'd want to do the same. Instead, she's leaving the City every morning at 7:30 am to head Northbound. Because she's riding with me, she's getting home between 7:45 pm every night. It doesn't give a girl much of a chance to experience the wild hedonism of Manhattan. And let's be honest, the attributes of where we work in Connecticut doesn't exactly offer a young single woman many particular enticements.

I understand her personal need to move on, although from a business standpoint I'll need to move quickly to replace her position. The job she was in is a pivotal one and we have a fair chunk of business resting on a capable person (as she was) in this role. On a personal note, well, I'll miss her. I fear that taking our work dynamic out of the equation will reduce our interactions. We're good e-mail buddies and I do count on that to continue, if not prosper. And let's be honest--I won't have to navigate the double parking hell that is Inwood to get to Hollaback's apartment for our daily commute. I do love her, but damn, I do hate that.

I'm looking forward to the official last-day-fare-thee-well. On Friday night, we're meeting the magnificent Jewels for margaritas. And the next day, Hollaback's Royal Oak Boys (who I am DYING to meet) are coming to Manhattan for barbecue and theater. That's an appropriate way to send my friend on her way.