Nessen to Nashville
There’s been some news brewing here at 1128 that hasn’t been official until now, and though some of you readers already know about it through word of mouth, it’s important that it be chronicled here for all to see:
Later this month Mike will be moving to Nashville to take a position with Meinl, makers of fine percussive instruments and cymbals!
Mike has been pursuing Meinl since before he took over one of the second floor bedrooms here at the house (over a year ago), so - and I don’t think this is any exaggeration - it’s something of a dream come true (for Mike, I mean). How often does that happen? Even though I’ve known for a long time that the future would likely have Mike moving to get the job he wanted, the reality and proximity of it happening is surreal and, in a sense, jarring.
Mike moved in a couple weeks after I bought the house in 2003. I was moving from an palatial single bedroom bachelor pad apartment down near Lindbergh & Piedmont, and although it had some of the comforts of the old place (Popeye’s within a 5 minute drive), I suppose it was a pretty interesting adjustment to be living in the same “place” with somebody again. I can’t remember the old days very well. Only the big things stand out in my mind: the housewarming party, laughing our asses off while shopping for Christmas decorations…
As I write this Mike is playing ESPN NFL 2K5 on the Xbox. I’m sitting at the living room coffee table, the tap-taps on the keyboard quiet under crowd noise and crunching of colliding polygons.
“What’re you doing now?” Mike asks. “Bloggin’.” “What about?” “You.” “Oh.”
I pick up the Xbox game case to confirm the title. The announcer informs me, “That’s a gain of 7 on the play.”
It’s hard to live with someone for, say, more than a month. Hopefully it’s easier to live with someone you’re in love with. In the beginning it’s great - you go out to dinner together a lot - and then as time passes the differences in character are accentuated. If you’re lucky you still mesh pretty well. The trick, I think, is to strike the right balance of solitude and social time. Perhaps this is the apogee of being roommates: sitting in the same room doing completely different things, hardly talking at all, and being happy doing so. (Who knows what Mike’s thinking as he plays…)
There are a couple things I can’t deny about rooming with Mike over the past year. Since we tend to hang out with the same set of people (one nameless actual couple in particular), bits of our behavior tend to parallel that of a couple - “the odd couple” was once used to describe us. I’m not sure who gets to be Jack and who’s Walter in that scenario. It’s awkward at times, but it’s funny too. It comes with the territory.
The other undeniable thing is something I probably wouldn’t say to Mike directly (thanks, blog!), but I think the past few weeks we’ve gotten along better than we have in months. Is it just the cycle of things, the spirit of Christmas, or does it have something to do with his job offer coming through? I think you start to value someone more when you know they’ll be leaving.
My hat’s off to Mike. He’s done it: he’s taking a big step into a career in the industry he wants to be - and belongs - in. Although he still has another couple of weeks under this roof, I’ll go ahead and wish him the best in this endeavor. He really deserves this, and it’s great to see it happen for him.
p.s. - I’ve been trying to get him to start a blog for a few weeks now. Word is he might start one to coincide with his move. Stay tuned to this space for further developments on this breaking story.
December 1st, 2004 at 4:51 pm
Once again, I am compelled to say “AWWWWWW”, but really Adam- that was a very sweet tribute. And all the best of luck to Mike on his new endeavors! He will be sorely missed, but Nashville isn’t too far away- I still expect him to come back to visit, because after all, he still owes me some limes for my Coronas:)