One minute I’m living in the epicenter for the heroin trade in NYC, the next I’m commuting from the dark recesses of New Jersey. It all happened so quickly. What hit me?
I’ve got two daughters but absolutely no clue whatsoever what constitutes proper parenting. I’m doing the best I can, for Christ’s sake. My Bride has asked to be left out of this space and I have to respect that. As for The Daughters, they don’t get a say in the matter.
Every apartment building in New York City has one craggy old bastard who is renting the biggest apartment for the least amount of money. Everyone is anxiously waiting for him/her to drop dead so they can pounce on the real estate. My aspiration was to become one of those craggy old bastards. Somewhere along the way I took a detour and I’m now ensconced in New Jersey.
It’s all a matter of perspective.
Exile on Pain Street 
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Why thank you! I like to contribute where I can. Nothin’ to it, really.
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“Eyeballs of Martyr”
Laughing out loud!
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Now I have to follow you so that I can poke you some more…. š
Woo hoo! NOT boring.
WordPress asked me if I was sure I wanted to approve this comment. I stuttered.
I am from Cleveland and saw your comments on food and Thanksgiving. I am not sure my comment got next to yours. But I wished to tell you that I also love kielbasa, potato pierogies and my brothers make delicious feasts. For breakfast, I sometimes have scrambled eggs, kielbasa with onions and hash browns… Our stuffing is made with 90% lean hamburger grilled in little broken pieces in a big pan, with onions, sage and celery which then is added to a stick of butter, which melts and my brother who makes cornbread in his bread maker breaks up the bread and stirs it in this highly seasoned and moist mixture.
I wish I could say we include sausage in our stuffing but we didn’t get that memo! Smiles, Robin
I am a friend of Mark’s and have a good friend, who I met in fourth grade, who went to college out East in the state of New Hampshire, who is now ‘exiled in New Jersey,’ for Life!!
Scrambled eggs, kielbasa with onions and hash browns = DEATH BREATH but so worth it.
I should connect with your friend. We can form a support group. Ex-buckeyes anon or something like that.
What does it feel like to be ensconced in NJ? I’m cocooned in Northern Freakin Cold Alberta..
Hi Mark – Just started following you thanks to Amy Reese! I’m still living the life in the sprawls of Cleveland – have you visited the CLE lately? It’s quite the place to be these days…esp since we got The King back and all, and we have a guy named Johnny Football now, too – just in case you didn’t know. But Dennis Kucinich still lives here (I think)
Hi Kelly! Thanks for stopping by. My family is still in Clevo. I’m the prodigal son. I visit a couple times a year. I love that place! LeBron, Johnny F, the GOP convention and, don’t forget, a casino thst was once a department store!
Well I’m glad to hear you are up to speed on things then. That’s a relief – just had to set things straight. Hope I didn’t offend with my snarkiness about Mr. Kucinich…maybe not since you did mention the GOP convention š
My GOP convention comment was 100% snark. I’ve opened my house in NJ to my family so they can escape them.
I think they will mostly stay downtown and not sprawl out onto the west side where I am, so I think I will be good
My family is on the west side! Middlburgh Hts.
Well if they can’t make it out in time, they can stay with me (but I’m not sayin’ where)
Hi Mark,
I’m not American so my only impressions about New Jersey come from movies and I think it was Miss Congeniality. I think I get the gist. I used to live in inner Sydney about a ten minute walk to work in the CBD in a loft apartment in a converted warehouse. It was $5.00 to get a taxi home from my favourite drinks spot on Friday night. I knew it wouldn’t be forever then but never foresaw the whole suburban thing and kids, dogs and just the struggle to juggle so many balls at once especially when you’re a bit unco and really struggle with two balls let alone any more.
Thanks for visiting my blog and I look forward to reading more xx Rowena
Hi Roweee. Oh…wait…I owe you one more. e. There you go. Why four?
There are a lot of NJ stereotypes that are based in reality, sadly. Some of the preconceived notions you have might be a bit blown out of proportion, but I don’t doubt you’d find some familiarity. Your pre-suburbs lifestyle sounds a lot like the kind of thing I once aspired to. But you get caught in a snowball rolling down the hill and you don’t have a lot of control over where it ends up. We should form a support group.
Tomorrow is Australia Day! Have a happy one.
The story behind Roweeee goes back to my early twenties trying to get an email address which wasn’t taken. I just kept adding e’s until I could get an address. I liked it for quite awhile as I could picture myself screaming out “Roweeee” as I swung across the room swinging by a chandelier very much in the manner of Tarzan swinging through the jungle. Besides, a rowdy party is a different kind of jungle.
Don’t know what we’d call our support group…Life after kids?
Best wishes, Rowena
From one Mark to another, because I consider you a top writer on WordPress, I have nominated you for the Pierdo Dardos Award. I thought I was done with these things, but this one is for artistic creativity. I couldn’t resist accepting one more. Tag. You’re nominated, and deserving. Up to you.
Hey there! I’ve been enjoying your writings for some time now, and so I’ve nominated you for the Liebster Award. Hope you accept! š
Hey there – I love your blog, so have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Take it as seriously, or not, as you like – I really just wanted to give you a shout-out… š If you’re interested in seeing what I told my tiny corner of the world about you, see my latest post – https://americansoustannie.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/voluptuous-vivacious-and-versatile-thats-me/
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Hey my Bro born in Ohio: I think you could have fun with this one, so I tagged you in the Love-Hate challenge. It’s perfect for your reflections. (AKA Polish-Catholic obsessive guilt like me?) — Bialczak
I gave up one of those rent control apartments in NY when I moved to LA. It’s fifteen years later and it still hurts.
What were we thinking? We should form a support group. Thanks for visiting.
I’m all for all sorts of support groups.
Me, too. Especially the ones for people who commit cataclysmic mistakes.
55th and 9th. Sunken living room. Now it goes for 4k a month.
I’m typing this from the 50th fl. of the Times building. 41st/8th. Want me to walk over and say hi? I can light a novena candle on the stoop if you’d like.
True,lots of Blessings
“Somewhere along the way I took a detour and Iām now ensconced in New Jersey.”
Well…. not everyone’s perfect š
Use to live in NYC decades ago for a bit and don’t remember much except it was winter and cold.
It’s not always winter but it’s usually cold.
Great to see you featured on Discover, Mark. You always produce great content, and it’s a pleasure to read your stuff and see your photos. On that note, sorry have missed your latest posts, been absent from blogland in general for a bit. Hope you’re well – and congratulations again!
Oh, I know you’re absent. We’ve all noticed. Thank you for your congrats and kind words. Much obliged. Hope your absence isn’t born from something unsettling.
Nope, nothing unsettling at all. Think of the thing that’s the exact opposite of bad, and that’s what I got going. Feel free to e-mail for more details.
In the meantime, enjoy the attention, I hope a lot of new people come around and read you.
I remember the pre-gentrified New York–I grew up there. This is like a quick trip back in time. Thanks.
You wouldn’t recognize it now. That’s the oldest story in the book, though.
I tried to answeer your welcome comment but my new computer thwarts me endlessly. Just to say how happy I was to hear from you – you are alway so kind about my wrtiting and I’m determined to finish before I pop my clogs. All good wishes to you and the family.
Pat