While packing up the last of my things, after living for almost exactly twelve months in the Czech Republic with very little else in the way of material possessions to speak of (though of course the house in which we lived was furnished) I note for posterity the sum total of my possessions:

I should admit that there are several boxes of my possessions—including but not limited to hundreds of CDs, cassettes, and LPs; two sets of speakers; various digital and analog entertainment devices (though no TV); boxes of dishes, including Pfalzgraff service for eight which is rendered for all intents and purposes unuseable by C.’s violent reaction to the sound of silverware on it; a Juiceman Junior electric juicer; a Braun coffee pot that brews coffee directly into a thermos, which effortlessly keeps it hot for over eight hours; hundreds more books; back issues of various magazines; gardening implements; furniture; a Trek bicycle; a car stereo, amplifier, and speakers; more clothes; and various other things I can’t even remember anymore—awaiting me in an undisclosed location in New Mexico. It is clear to see that I am hardly an ascetic. Nonetheless, may I humbly recommend purging your life of possessions periodically, whether it be accidentally or deliberately, as a satisfying way to remind yourself of how disposable most things really are?

On that note, I hereby sign off for a while. C. and I will be traveling with my brother through Vienna, České Budejovice, Český Krumlov, Prague, Kutna Hora, and various of our ancestral Czech villages for the next 10 days, after which I will be meeting in Prague a very old and dear friend of mine who I haven’t seen in 10 years, and then C. and I will be flying to the Mediterranean coast in Croatia with her sister for 12 days. (I’m not the kind of guy who very often jets down to the coast for some R&R, so this part is actually fairly exotic and exciting for me.) Subsequently, I will fly to the Chicago area to visit my family for three days, then fly to Santa Fe for a week to visit some friends, grab the previously mentioned boxes of crap, throw them into a rental van, and drive them across the country to my new home to start my new job in an undisclosed location on the east coast. Hold all my calls. I will try to post some interesting travel stories in this forum, or I might just unplug and relax in a completely non-digital fashion. There’s no telling, really. I’m like the wind.

yes, paul, but are you like the wind through my tree? is what i want to know. why you gotta leave me with horrible songs in my head... when you ride the night, next to me?

i want to tell you that i haven't visited your thang in a few days since i knew you wouldn't probably post, but your numbers went up up, so it wasn't ME, it was your "FRIENDS" who DON'T COMMENT. who ARE THESE PEOPLE?

i've been thinking about your packing marvelousness, and wanted to say that a) yes you are Very Talented Person, or at least more talented than somebody we know, and also b) check this link:
http://www.oratory.com/onebag/list.html

we're not worthy.

man, i ALREADY miss you guys. i'm gonna have to call your landlady or something and see how she's holding up.