Poking the Cocoon from Within

I'm going back to New York on Saturday which is about 9 days later than I originally intended. When you're a single guy living in a different town from the rest of your family (even if it's your hometown), you forget what it's like to be deeply, inherently connected to other people.

Or at least, I do. (I hate it when people say "you" when they mean "I". Or "one". . . . As I just did.)

There's still no residence of my own waiting for me in the worm-laden but compelling Apple, nor on the horizon. Can't afford it. Although I did make a tiny amount of money while down here as a writer/consultant for a another comedian. And The Onion used one of my headlines. And the check for November's Joe's Pub show was sent to me here.

Not enough to build a life on, though. Maybe I'll sling hamburgers for my friend Anthony at his burger joint for extra cash 'til I can get back to my beloved UK where a friend's comfy couch may have had sufficient time to forget my intrusive omnipresence. Or until I can meet a girl who'll take care of me -- that happens, right?

I don't hafta find too much shelter in the big town as I'm going to visit my father in Arizona for about a week in January. (And maybe the prospect of my hasty departure will make friends moire domicularly welcoming while I'm in New York.) I just gotta make it through the holidays, then a week and a half wherein I'm gonna do some shows (right after the holidays when no one goes out), then I'm on a plane west.

That's doable, I think.

Before then, I have the first night of Chanukah with my nieces, Rebecca and Alexandra, down here in Virginia. 6-year old Alexandra asked last night why Jews couldn't celebrate Christmas and I started to answer but her father heard and announced he would be the one who answered his daughters' religious questions.

Which is fair and makes perfect sense until you realize that this is the kind of guy who believes religion is very important in his childrens' lives but requires neither a great deal of knowledge nor any noticeable religiosity from him.

Oh, well -- there'll be potato latkes Friday night and that ain't somethin' to sniff at. (Or actually, maybe it is. Potato pancakes smell very good.)

And the lighting of the menorah.

And then, on Saturday, a trip on the often dirty and smelly (but cheap) Chinatown bus from DC to NY and my destiny. (Or The Onion's Christmas party, at any rate.)

Happy Chanukah out there -- you, in your comfortable lives.

It's cold where I am. (Actually, it's gonna be about 60 degrees today -- in mid-December -- but you have Al Gore and his global warming to thank for that. Anyway, it may not be cold meteorologically, but it's cold in other ways. Take my word for it.)

I believe I will be weighing in later today with another installment of "Feet". (In the absence of anyone to actually fill that space in my life,) I love all of you, dear readers.

It's 10:51 AM. Time to start the day!

Your blogger,
Andrew

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Originally posted December 14, 2006, 15:53 GMT @ http://blogs.chortle.co.uk/andrewjlederer