Gone Fishin'

...Well, not really fishing. But TOP will be taking a few days off, until Thursday or Friday, as I begin the task of getting ready for The Big Move II.

If all goes well, tomorrow I'll dig out all the darkroom items I won't be taking with me, and I'll get those listed, for those of you who are waiting for that.

Fortunately, most of the hardest work was done during the last move about a year ago. This time, I hope to double down on my ruthlessness, and give away, throw away, or sell as much as I can, and arrive in New York State traveling relatively light. The new house is small and has relatively little storage space, so happiness is going to depend on efficiency.

I don't own it yet, mind you, but here I am in front of the house I have contracted to purchase:

Photo by S.

Futbol
To address one question about my move that appears to be important to some readers, we next turn to the map:

To determine who I will root for after my move, we need to scrutinize the map carefully. As you'll note, if proximity were the ruling issue here, I would root for the Bills. But of course many people in Buffalo don't even root for the Bills, so I think I'm off the hook on that account. Further study reveals that I am no closer to New York City than I am to Pittsburgh; so as you see the pertinent question does not naturally or inevitably have to be "Giants or Jets?".

After much study and the use of a quadrant, sextant, and calipers with the map spread on a table, not to mention properly calculating the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow, I have determined that after my move I shall be rooting for...

1. Packers
2. Bears

...It stands to logic, right? Makes perfect sense to me at any rate. You know the old expression: You can take the boy out of the NFC North, but you can't take the NFC North out of the boy.

See you in a couple of days,

Mike

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Peter: "Mike, I echo the other commenters—you're moving again?? My wife and I spent two weeks relaxing on Keuka in May, so it's with no small amount of envy that I see you're headed out there for good. What a great place!"

Mike replies: Yes, moving again—I wrote about it, but not everyone caught it (and I don't blame you—there's no need to read every word on a blog, even a blog you like). Moving for love this time—I can relocate my work easily, whereas my girlfriend would have a very difficult, long road to relocate hers, so the choice is inevitable. My beautiful new-to-me TOP Secret Underground World Headquarters has been sold to a nice young family, and I have an accepted offer on the house above, so I'm off to Lake Keuka, with Zander's blessings. She and I just couldn't face another Winter of a long distance relationship, which are both painful and also expensive. Constant travel is also pretty disruptive. We're both looking forward to living near one another.

Kathy: "Nice house. Where is the truck with the snow plow? You will be rooting for the Bills because this is Bills country. All of it. Everybody. Just so you know."

Mike replies: To be honest, my current sport of choice is snooker! A minority choice for an American, given that we don't play it here, never mind that most Americans have never heard of it. Fascinating game.

Darlene Almeda: "I am very happy for you Mike (and S.). The new house has a somewhat Minor White feel to my eyes. I'll bet there is a lot of art about to happen there. Good luck with all the paperwork and moves; you have got to be ready to settle down after this whirlwind year!"

Mike replies: Whew, I'll say. Moves are extremely disruptive. My cousin Chris is also moving—moving out of three homes (a condo, a summer cottage, and a rental winter home) and into a new house—and I wrote this to her last night: "think how good you will feel to get it all sorted. You’ll have shed all your old places and spaces, and be set to start over and get everything just as you want them to be—and then you can streamline your life, conserve your finances, and make your life easy, peaceful, and calm."

I can't wait to get there myself.

jpb: "Maybe it's just me, but I looked at your map and only saw 'Leafs, Sabres, Bruins, Rangers, Islanders, Penguins, Flyers and Capitals."

Hélcio J. Tagliolatto: "It looks like a hunting lodge! I like it! You're right: a long distance relationship is painful (and expensive). I've survived one extreme, from Manaus to Tokyo, but I was young, and this kind of relationship is a 'no country for old men' (I'm not saying you're old)."

Mike replies: Yes you are.  :-)

Comments

[Lesley]

Hey, you're close enough to Canada that you could root for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats if you wanted to follow football of a different sort.

[Trecento]

That's a lovely house. I really like the glassed-in front porch. Oh! You don't have to go outside to get in the garage! Very nice.

[Actually you do...the old garage is now the family room, and the new garage is a separate building. I'll show interior pictures after I own the place; if I did it now it might be a privacy violation for the current owners. --Mike]

[James Sinks]

So, is it just me or has your procession of houses mirrored your procession of cameras? Small and quirky to enormous and unused to less small and quirky...

[And I did the same thing with pool tables: bought and sold an Olhausen, then bought and sold a Diamond.... [g] --Mike]

[Joe]

Mike
You are leaving, and Brett Favre is coming back. I think that is a net loss for Wisconsin. Best of luck in your move, and if Bert's case is at all indicative of your future, perhaps you'll change your mind after all in 3-4 months.

[David Zivic]

WOW..."some reader' really opened a can of worms. Boston team is obviously the Patriots. interesting that past and present choices and possible choices new choices are all "cold weather teams". Go Chargers.

[David Morlock]

Most Packers fans I know put it more like

1. Packers
2. Whoever is playing the Bears

[I never begrudge Bears success. Even if they beat the Packers, I figure well, if the Packers had to lose, at least it was the Bears who beat them. --Mike]

[Peter Wright]

May you enjoy many happy days in your new home.

And looking at the map, you are now within striking distance of about seven major population centres in the US and Canada. Once you get things set up you may be getting a lot more visits.

[Bryce Lee]

"Hey, you're close enough to Canada that you could root for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats if you wanted to follow football of a different sort. "
As a resident of nearby Burlington, the TiCats are "the" local team.
And Canadian football is a whole lot different in many ways. Mind
Mike would have to update his passport to get across the border (a Nexus card is much easier), and he'd best fill up his vehicle before venturing north to Canada; the price of petrol here scares people from the U.S. as to the cost. Just think it as a universal health care payment along with the 13 percent sales tax on just about everything!

And he is not trading Wisconsin for New York State weather; winter and summer are pretty much the same. Methinks he should pave the drive before winter, plowing snow on gravel can be most interesting.

[Michael]

Having been born in Oak Park, Illinois (adjacent to Chicago), and moving ALL OVER the USA for the past 50 years, post college, I am and will remain a solid supporter or Da' Bears...and the Cubbies!

I am currrently in Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Titans, formerly Oilers. Just can not get into their fan base.

Never a doubt for this Windy City native.

However, in keeping with your 1+2 choices of the Packers and Bears, mine are reversed as I went to college in Wisconsin as well as lived in Manitowoc and Cedarburg as an adult for some years.

Therefore, the Packers are my "go-to" if Da' Bears are not in the playoffs. Central Division/NFC...REAL FOOTBALL!

[walt]

You're moving again?????!!!!!!

[Malcolm Leader]

I lived for 20 years with power/cable/telephone lines like those right outside my front windows. I hated them and when I began looking to move, my wife and I independently wrote down a list of our top 10 things we wanted most. Buried (or not readily visible) power lines was near the top of both lists but after "no or low" traffic noise. Power lines are a visual pollution and traffic is an aural pollution. It took years, but we finally found the place we both agree is really home. Of course, everyone has different tastes - a very good thing for diversity.

[Mark Hobson]

Hey Minnesota guy, shouldn't you be deciding on whether to root for the Sabres, Penguins, Capitals, Flyers, Devils, Rangers, Islanders, or whatever that other team is called?

[Mark Bridgers]

Close to Syracuse and Cornell...time to start following lacrosse!

[MarkR]

As a native to the area, I can tell you that you are required by law to root for the Bills-- but you also have to be deeply ashamed and embarrassed by it. You are allowed to cover up for that embarrassment by purchasing copious amounts of Vikings paraphernalia.

Welcome to the neighborhood.

[psu]

If you want a tour of Pittsburgh let me know. The town is pretty cool these days.

[Stephen McCullough]

Given that photographs are allegedly worth about 1,000 words, I gotta say that you and the house look like you are made for each other. Perfect.

In other news, the map tells me that we are pretty much neighbours - I'm in a suburb of Toronto. So get the coffee on; I've been planning a road trip into upstate NY and you've provided the excuse.

Best wishes for the move.

[Yvonne]

Wow, you're practically going to be a neighbor. We're near Hamilton, Ontario. Good luck with your move and your downsizing of stuff. Three years after our big move, we're wondering about some of the stuff we did take along!

[Bahi]

I can't parse anything between 'Futbal' and 'out of the boy' but you do sound and look very happy, so that's something.

[Kevin]

If you would like to remain loyal to the NFC North, how about the Detroit Lions? Looking at that map they are now the the closest team to your new home. Although, I have lived here in the Detroit area my entire life and have never rooted for the Lions either.

[Jim Meeks]

Speaking of cleaning out the closets, when you sold off your last batch of camera gear, did you get rid of all the M4/3 gear? I think you had a GX7, but I never saw a post for the sale of it. Just curious.

Jim

[Rick Wilcox]

Great house. And you look trim enough to be all set for shoveling snow. Not that you haven't done so where you are now and were before. I sense you are okay with real changes of seasons. But we all know why you're doing this, you fool, you fool. Well, that's just sour grapes. I'm sure you are scoring points with someone special because of this. Bon voyage.

[Sam Murphy]

"The new house is small..."

I guess everything is relative....

[Ed Grossman]

The team in MA goes by "Reigning Super Bowl Champions". Long, but has a nice ring to it.

[James Liu]

I don't think proximity has mattered for NFL fandom for a long time. Ever since Monday Night Football, 5-6 out of 15-16 games get shown on network each week, and if you root for a big market team, there's a good chance you get your team on TV each week. No need to find a local team to cheer for if you want football each week. Plus, football culture is part college football culture (something I still don't quite understand), and that means culturally it's not only accepted but appropriate to be an expatriate fan of your team.

I had a friend who moved into Chicago who was a Packers fan, and bellyached about being in Bears land. I rolled my eyes and told her that there were plenty of Packers flags and bumper stickers everywhere. She'd barely be more overwhelmed than a White Sox fan.

[Steve]

As a Vikings fan who has roots in Wisconsin and many relatives who are Packers fans, I recommend that you remain a Packers fan and complain about how you can't get the games on TV. :)

In all seriousness, it's a little sad to see you move from the Midwest (my Mom's hometown is just a few miles from your current house, I live in the Minneapolis area). Good luck on your move!

[MarkB]

In other news, Canadian TOP readers restart the Toronto-Rochester CAT, just to shave time off trips to the gallery.

[Lawrence Plummer]

Hey Mike! The Seahawks are a sure bet.

[Mark Sampson]

1) the Rochester Red Wings.
2) the Rochester Americans (Amerks).
3) go to Watkins Glen anytime there's racing, even the Nascar is fun to watch there.
4) Syracuse for football and basketball.

[Marty]

I did not know you were moving again but I'm not surprised.
Welcome to the Empire State.
I'm proud to call it my home way from home away from home...as I am from Amsterdam (NY) and now live in New Hampshire. I'm sure you will discover a great deal to train your lenses upon.

[Steve Jacob]

Hi Mike, I am really envious of your new home and its location. Half way between Toronto and NYC, two of my favourite cities on the planet (based on the fact you can walk around them so easily).

[Ian Hunter]

Don't give up on darkroom! I went in to print a 6x4.5 neg for a friend last week; first time in ten years. It was fun!I reckon I'm better at real printing than using software, it all came flooding back after a shaky half hour. I'm going to play with film cameras more, there's hardly a shortage of them here from 35mm to 5x4.
Good luck with your move.

[Benjamin Marks]

Mike: looks like the thing you downsized was . . . you! Where's the rest of you? ;) Congratulations. You and the house look great.

[Tom]

You are far enough from Buffalo that rooting for the Bills is optional; however,"But of course many people in Buffalo don't even root for the Bills" isn't the case and the few who don't are unlikely to admit it publicly.

[Earl Dunbar]

Mike, the Toronto Argonauts are nearly as close as Pittsburgh or NYC and the CFL only needs three downs, unlike the sissy NFL who also have a tiny, pansy-arse field.

[Tom Bell]

Good luck with the snooker! When i was a medical student at Guys Hospital in London an eon ago there was a huge shortage of snooker tables. If you remember prior to then the game of choice here was Billiards with two whit balls and a red. The whole game being potting and canons ... Hitting both the other balls.
With the onset of colour television this was in the process of being overtaken on television by snooker as you could now distinguish between the yellow,greeb,brown,blue ,pink and black balls.
In the hiatus between these games billiard halls closed all over London so that we were privileged at Guy's to have Ray Reardon play in our student halls as we had two of the best tables in London at the time.

When snooker with its coloured balls took off in a program called 'Pot Black' many people still only had B&W sets.

This explains the commentator memorably helping people by saying ....." For those of you watching this match in Black and White ... The green ball is the one behind the pink."

Sad to say despite lessons from the great man my snooker is no better than my golf!

Best wishes

Tom

[Sal Santamaura]

I considered but decided against asking you for a map location when you announced the move. Now that you've posted where your new red dot is, please accept condolences. You're on the leeward side. Prepare for lake effect snow. Sorry.

[Michel]

so happy for you Mike. Congratulations. I am selfishly pleased with TOP's new location. We've been wanting to go visit Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen ever since they took in Agnes, the Cornish Hen we rescued from the streets of NYC. From there it will just be a short ride to TOP.

[Bruce Mc]

During one of your “Why in the world did I do this?” posts after your last move, I suggested that your were tired of making do, and with the move you wouldn’t have to start making do again for one year. With this move I think you’ve thrown “making do” out the window! :-) Congratulations and good luck.

[Eddie]

Close to Watkins Glenn!
Nice.

[JG]

Among other benefits, this move might a good way to cure a case of G.A.S., because now B&H will have to collect sales tax on all of your purchases. 8^/