Absent Hola all. Just a note to explain my sudden dropping off the edge of the earth behaviour, and set the expectation that I will be off for a while yet.

I neglected to do any of the 'goodbye toronto', 'goodbye mckinsey', etc... posts that I had wanted to (and still will - expect very anachronistic posts over the next months) do. Instead, I:

- Finished these couple years at McKinsey on a great note, said goodbyes and see-yous to some wonderful, brilliant people
- Watched the entire first season of the Sopranos over a few days
- Bought a harmonica in the key of C (on the recommendation of my brother Colin), and started pretending to learn to play it
- Packed up and moved (thanks to Mike Torrance, without whose help I would still be carrying boxes to the elevator)
- Realized that, due to a month of needing a car in a remote town, I needed to buy a car
- Bought a car (a 98 Subaru legacy station wagon - oh yeah), in order to not fully drop off the carbon footprint map now that my life of two flights a week is coming to an end
- Said goodbye to the city for which I have developed an unhealthy infatuation, promised to return as soon as possible, started missing it before I'd even left
- Returned to aforementioned city after being turned back at the border due to strict prohibitions on carrying in futon mattresses and books, said goodbye once again, and successfully passed customs
- Went to an absolutely incredible conference hosted by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, regained my hope in our future, became proud to be human again
- Found an absolutely awesome apartment in Cleveland in a classy 100-year old building, overlooking the city (it is on Overlook Drive after all). Thanks to Araz Najarian, whose ability to remember the unique features of each apartment we saw was in direct contrast to my inability to even remember how many apartments we saw
- Drove to Atikokan, Ontario (think middle of nowhere - sorry Dad), spent a few days at the cabin with Saeid and Karim (friends from McK) where I spent my childhood summers. We had a rocking time, and by rocking I mean cooking over a wood stove, and chatting about religion until a dangerously late 11pm before having a nice long sleep
- Spent the past week with my Grandfather (amazing man about whom epic poems should be written) and Grandmother Boland

Now, after a final couple days at my Grandfather's, I'll be heading out for a week at the cabin with Arthur where I will have to be prepared to understand evaluations of the existentialist implications of the cogito, and such. Then to the wedding of Roi and Andrea, and a reunion with a bunch of wonderful friends from all over. Then, out home to visit the family, and to Vancouver Island to hang out with my brother on the sailbout he's been refurbishing (as my parents go hike the Chilkoot Trail). We'll spend some time as a family together, before I start the move to Cleveland.

All to say, I may not be blogging for a while. Staying in a town where the only public computers are in the employment office (I suppose I do look pretty unemployed right now), at a cabin without electricity, and on a sailboat are all not very conducive to blogging. But, I'll take some notes and will look forward to rejoining the online world periodically between now and August.

Hope everyone's enjoying their summer/winter/seasonless time, and catch you soon...  ¶ 12:36 PM