and so it goes. . . .

It's always hard to say goodbye, whether it be to a person or a place, especially when it's been so much a part of your life, whether it be

Last night I officially turned the lock for the last time at 1661 Bush St. after a six year stay. I realized that in the 28 scant years I have been roaming the earth, I have never lived in one place so long.

I've had seven roommates in those six years, boy Loren, girl Lauren, Jacob, Maria, Alan, JB, and Brendan. Each different, crazy, funny, psycho, caring, sensitive, outlandish, prissy, loving, tattooed, freaky, anal, disturbed, clueless, brilliant, and loyal in their own ways. I'm still friends with six (Alan and I were just not meant to be. . .) and they have had their own impact on me, opened my eyes to worlds I didn't know existed, and have seen me at my highest and my lowest . . . and were still there the next day.

I've fallen in love too many times to remember in that apartment, whether it be for a moment, a night, a week, or year. I've had my heart broken there more times than I wish to recount as well. With great happiness can come great pain, and I have experienced both while living at 1661 Bush St.

I've had my share of drunken nights, sober nights, and. . . . other kinds of nights. My stay started during the Starbucks days, where every night after close, 1661 Bush St. was the place to smoke pot and watch the Simpson's. . . two great and simple pleasures of life. As the years wore on I went from Starbucks lackey to Direct Mail guy, then had my Dot com fun, was laid off, got engaged, got unengaged, got laid of again, took a 'time out' for a year or so with sabbaticals in Kentucky and Florida, started a kids camp of sorts, did some free-lancing, rejoined the work force, and fell in love . . . which brings us up to now.

There's a lot of history in that apartment. A lot of people have come and gone from my life, many that I miss, and a few that I don't. It is time for a change though. It is time to start the next chapter of my life, and even though the chapter has not been finished, the title is "Brendan Goes to Cow Hollow." As much as I hate to admit it, I have outgrown 1661 Bush St., something that became more and more evident after I met Ewa and started meeting other people my age who had moved out of the 'starter' apartment phase - the post college, entering the work force, rag tag furniture, hard drinking, I'm never gonna slow down phase. I am ready to move on, move out, move forward.

I am starting a new phase of my life, one that involves the love of my life, and I couldn't be happier. We have a great place and we will make a great home there, and living next door are a couple of 24ish guys who are still living the life, so I can always head over there if I need a fix. I am happy to be where I am, and it is time for me to be there, and to be there with Ewa, but saying good-bye is hard. I will remember those times, those people, those experiences, those lessons in life, and I bring them with me into the new chapter, ready to learn some new lessons, to see what this change of scenery has to offer. I look back on my years at 1661 Bush St. as the crazy party fun time, the anything goes time. . . with that as my jumping off point, who knows what will happen next. . . All I can say is, watch out Cow Hollow, Brendan is coming to town. . . .