The December Playlist (or, Thank you, Schenectady. Thank you, Albany. Thank you, thank you, silence...)

In writing this blog, I've tried a lot to separate my personal life from the things that I write about. However, I believe it's the place of the writer to write from the heart once in awhile - and make it personal - to get their message across. This is one of those times.

So, in case you're reading this and haven't been keyed into what's been going on with me for the past month and change; I'm in the middle of what will be the beginning of my big move - back to New York City after 4 and 1/2 years in the Albany area. I begin a new job on Monday, and if all goes well, in a few months, I'll have my own place in New York City. It's a whirlwind move in what's been a year of whirlwind moves for myself and my closest friends, and while I'm very stoked to head downstate and get cracking on this new, lucrative opportunity, it's a bit sad for me to leave behind this area.

So, here's a quick list of the things about the area that I will miss:
- the Albany Pump Station, Olde Saratoga, and Brown's Brewing Company
- Thacher State Park
- the view from the hills of Altamont
- a walk along the perimeter of Washington Park and Lark Street
- Revolution Hall
- WEXT and WEQX
- the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers
- Bombers, Mahar's, and Lionheart
- the Spectrum
- Albany basketball
- Downtown Schenectady and the Stockade - BL's, Uncle Ben's, the Grog Shoppe, Pinhead's, Slick's, Shamrock's, the Thai Bistro, and even the Saw Mill, Blythewood, and Blockhouse
- Driving out into Vermont and Massachussets and back through the Berkshire
- the way the sun sets out here

There's more, but I'm not going to go on and on. You see, for every great place up here, there's people behind it that made it so very worthwhile for me. So, before I go, I want to dedicate a very special December playlist for the people up here who made all of these things (and more) so very worth it. So, for Javen and Justine, Jim and Karyn, Paul and Becky, Nora and Kevin and Elizabeth and Marty, Matt and Rick and Nick, the West Wing folks, Bill, the Shorts, my grad school classmates, my colleagues in school and work, and, hell, even for all the girls I dated - these go out to you. It's a mix of happy and sad stuff, of course, kind of like my time here. If it wasn't for you guys, I don't know what I would have done. Thanks. I love you. Er, most of you. Somewhat.

So now then, here are 10 songs.
1. "Stars," Hum
2. "The Way We Get By," Spoon
3. "Picture In A Frame," Anne Sophie von Otter
4. "Sick Of Goodbyes," Cracker
5. "This Year," Mountain Goats
6. "Ambulance Blues," Neil Young
7. "Where Did I Go Wrong With You?," Martin Sexton
8. "Simple Twist Of Fate," Bob Dylan
9. "Knocks Me Off My Feet," Stevie Wonder
10. "Glad Tidings," Van Morrison

And now, onward and upward, as they say. Excelsior.