15 shirts
For the past 10 days we’ve been living with my parents, as our things (hopefully) make their way across the country.
In preparation for this 10 day stay, Ali filled suitcase(s) with 15 button down shirts, 7 pairs of khaki pants, 2 pairs of jeans, 3 pairs of shoes, slippers, 4 belts, a Wii Balance Board, and a variety of weather appropriate items like a down-filled jacket and ear muffs.
And just to clarify, he did not pack the Wii, just the Balance Board.
Family picture before we left.
Me: “Are you kidding me?”
Ali: “This is what happens when you let me pack my things.”
Five hours after Ali and his luggage left – the reasons he was on a different flight is a whole other post – Maya and I leisurely made our way through LAX with one carry-on each.
And once I’d settled her on the plane with the iPad, a book, and the requisite barf bag, I realized that without Ali to supervise there was nothing left to do.
Maya making cookies with my mom and an early morning walk by the ocean with my dad.
Which immediately led me to start over-thinking our move:
- I wonder how long will it take me to find a job?
- Will the extreme NYC temperatures prove too much for Ali to handle?
- I will miss my parents. And my brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and my best friend Nadia.
- I hope CPK isn’t too far from our place.
- Our new place is small. What if we go the way of “The Shining” in the middle of January?
And finally: were we crazy to leave behind a perfectly good life to move across the country?
Maya and I at Lincoln Center.
But then at midnight, after we’d landed at Newark and I’d bundled myself, Maya, and her barf bag into a car, and we drove towards Manhattan?
I realized I was finally home.
i’ve learned nothing
By Friday – day number 4 of Ramadan – all I could think about was eating a Spicy Shrimp Avocado Roll from Whole Foods. By Monday, however, the roll still remained elusive. This was because:
- Friday: we had leftovers in the fridge. Lots of leftovers. And we all know my phobia of wasting food.
- Saturday: we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner.
- Sunday: I was halfway to Whole Foods when I received an urgent call that my dad needed my car. To buy a TV. At 6:55 pm. On a Sunday night. (I’m confused too).
Against all odds, sushi finally seemed possible on Monday. Ali even said he’d facilitate! And he did. Except that he picked up a Spicy Shrimp California Roll instead of what I’d requested.
What I wanted versus what I received….and by the way, how disgusting is this ingredient list?
Before I get emails accusing me of being demanding, shallow, and ungrateful (I am all of these things – no need to send me email reminders), allow me to explain why the aforementioned rolls are NOT the same thing:
- The California Roll has no less than 55 ingredients (I am too lazy to get an exact count but a close up is available above for your perusal). This is a problem since I won’t eat things with more than 5 ingredients.
- The California Roll also contains things I cannot pronounce and/or recognize, and therefore will not eat. Including (but not limited to): Aspergillus Oryzae and Powdered Defatted Soy Beans.
You’re probably thinking: Seriously Ameena? Do you realize that people have far bigger problems? Do you know how absurd this post is?
Well I agree with you. This post is ridiculous. And yet I will say this: since I did not eat this sushi, it went into the trash. So maybe the takeaway here is that I’m conquering my phobia of wasting food?
what i know
Here’s what I know:
- The movers are coming to pick up our things tomorrow. I’ve realized – again – that I live with two hoarders who keep taking things out of the “Goodwill” pile when I turn my back.
A trip to Manhattan Beach…before we trade one Manhattan for another.
- Thus far Ali has filled 2 giant wardrobe boxes, 3 large boxes, a variety of suitcases, and several garment bags with clothes. His closet is STILL 1/3 full. This could be because he fills his boxes with useful things like pairs (the plural is not a mistake) of free Virgin America earphones and restaurant mints of indeterminable age.
- Maya is no better with her stash of Trader Joe’s stickers, rocks, and assorted smashed and melted candy.
Procrastination tactics: homemade blueberry muffins, a tea break at the Montage, a Greek salad at Petros, and oatmeal at Le Pain Quotidien.
- Halfway through packing I realized that in many instances it makes sense to buy new stuff instead of packing old stuff. So I gave away 90% of our dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, books, toys, and half of my clothes.
- Then I got even more lazy, rationalized even more new purchases, and gave away all of our DVD’s, our mattress and sheets, about half of our furniture, and a wide variety of other items.
Moving boxes…everywhere. And a cute going away gift from my sister-in-law.
I’ll probably regret this once we get to New York and have nothing to eat off of, nothing to sleep on, and nothing to read, wear, or watch.
But it’s 90 degrees today and it’s day #2 of Ramadan and I haven’t yelled at anyone or broken anything. So I’m thinking I’m doing pretty well.
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 