Months like June of 2020 are tough because more than anything right now I could use perspective. I’ll do my best to recap a very busy, very stressful, and at the end of it a very rewarding month. One that had us pack up our beautiful New York apartment and move back across the country to Newport Beach for a brief stay. It was a month that’s for sure.

RECAP OF THE MONTH

When we left you last we were just finishing up packing up our apartment. We finished on the last day of May and by around 9 AM eastern on June 1st our movers (the same company we used last time) were there and packing up our stuff. We left a lot of our stuff in our storage unit and only took the essentials with us, so the movers only took a couple of hours to clear the place and load the truck. It was a very uneventful couple of hours (the way you want it to be) and Frasier did great in all of the commotions. By lunchtime, they were done and we were left in 700 sq ft of wood floors and a blow-up mattress. We decided while we waited for our stuff to make its way across the country from New York to Newport Beach we’d stay in New York for a couple more days, finish out the work week and then fly to Newport Beach.

What we didn’t know or anticipate was the social unrest that would arise from the killing of George Floyd. Protests broke out every night, a curfew was implemented and kept in force the entire last week we were in New York. That meant we had to rush Frasier out to the restroom a little before the 8 PM curfew and back out early in the morning when it lifted. A small price to pay to push what has long been a massive stain on this country. As I write this a few days into July the protests continue, the movement is moving forward, and we’re hopeful we will see real change in this country that’s been needed for so long. Hopefully by electing Joe Biden President in a couple of months’ time.

Our last week in New York was rough. We had nowhere really to work but on our barstools, some nights were loud with protests and sirens but we made the best of it doing some of our last walks to our favorite spots in the Upper West Side. I’ll never forget a few days before we left walking Frasier up to Lincoln Center and starting to cry seeing everything boarded up and the city I fell in love with two years ago a shell of its former self.

We survived the week and on Friday, June 5th we had an Uber pick us up to drive us to Newark where we had a direct United flight to LAX. One thing I haven’t mentioned was the stress of bringing Frasier with us. Because of his size, he’s not technically supposed to be in the cabin, but both Jenn and I were not a big fan putting him in cargo. Jenn spent hours researching and working on ways to get him in the main cabin and eventually we got him to be an emotional support animal. We were also fortunate to score a great deal on business class flights so we flew to California in style. After waiting in a special line to check-in for almost two hours and Jenn having a full security check we made it through the abandoned Newark Airport onto one of the only planes flying that day. We wore our masks and latex gloves the entire flight, did a full cleaning of all surfaces and did our best to relax. Frasier did perfect on the flight. He and I shared a beautiful business class seat and about 30 minutes after takeoff we were both asleep. It had been a long, long week.

When we arrived at LAX we got our bags and met Jake at the terminal. He was nice enough to pick us up and drive us to Irvine where we stayed at the AC Hotel while we waited for our stuff to come. I had stayed at this hotel once before and although not the most luxurious place in the world it was a nice respite from sleeping on a blow-up mattress. Given COVID though they didn’t clean the rooms daily and we had to constantly call down to ask for more towels and supplies. Frasier once again wasn’t phased at all by the new location and seemed to love the walks around the Park Place shopping center. After arriving and unpacking a bit at the hotel and getting our rental car from John Wayne Airport (a red Dodge Charger) we rested, had Wahoo’s, and called it a night.

Our first full day back in California had one goal, find a car. We had some interest in a Mercedes in Long Beach but got notice that it sold right as we landed so it was back to the drawing board. We found a car in Covina that we really liked and before going to sleep Friday night had a confirmed price and pick up date. Unfortunately, when we got there it had a couple of dings on it and looked a lot more worn then the pictures showed. We took Frasier to the dog park, started to re-think our options, and then randomly checked the Foothill Ranch Mercedes website and found a Mercedes GLC that ticked off all the boxes we were looking at. We negotiated a bit via e-mail/text and then Jenn called and sealed the deal. We drove down and an hour later we were the proud owners of a 2017 Mercedes GLC 300. It’s a stunning car and is perfect for what we’re looking for at this point in our life.

If buying a car wasn’t enough for one weekend on Sunday we drove from our hotel to our old apartment complex and got the keys to our new two-bedroom apartment. It’s a bit funny, maybe more ironic, but this is the biggest place we’ve ever lived in (by a lot). We received keys and walked into this stunning, beautifully sunlit apartment that overlooks much of Newport Beach. I’ll never forget how excited Frasier was. He literally ran from room to room, rolling around, playing in the carpet, with a giant grin on his face that we could get off. We met a painter how came an hour after we got keys to paint the entire apartment white. Yes, that’s right even though we will only be here around 6-7 months, Jenn had to paint the entire apartment white, and you know what after it was done, I have to say it was worth every penny.

We took the Monday off of work and just relaxed. We had some furniture delivered from West Elm and set up a folding table and chairs my parents let us borrow in the apartment. We found one of Frasier’s new favorite places in the world, the Newport Beach dog park. The next day we started working again, but now east coast hours from the west coast. I’ll never forget on Tuesday, June 9th leaving the hotel at 430 in the morning and driving to our apartment and working off the folding desk. It was both brutal to be up that early but it was magnificent watching the sunrise through the windows of our apartment. The folding desk was sadly the best thing I had worked on since March. We spent the rest of the week working in our apartment, getting some items delivered, and eagerly anticipating the arrival of our furniture.

Our stuff finally arrived on Saturday, June 13th a week after we arrived in California but well before the anticipated arrival that the movers gave us at the onset. Just like the pick-up in New York, the drop-off was uneventful. They were in and out in a few hours and by 11 PM that evening Jenn and I had literally (not figuratively) unboxed everything and disposed of all the boxes and moving materials. We were ready to be home. I’ve said this every time I’ve written about us moving but the act of boxing and unboxing is something both Jenn and I fine immensely cathartic.

It’s probably because we’ve lived here before but I don’t think we’ve ever felt home quicker than in this apartment. By the time the next week started, we were in our new routine. I wake up at around 4:30 AM every morning, start working in our office (that Jenn beautifully decorated), Jenn wakes up about an hour later and takes out Frasier for his morning routine. We meet up for lunch at around 11 AM every day and switch rooms so Jenn can finish her day in the office. After work, we take Frasier to the dog park at around 3 PM, come back make dinner, walk the Fashion Island circle, watch an episode of TV and go to bed. Its become a beautiful routine that’s not all that dissimilar to our routine in New York just with more space and earlier start time.

One thing Jenn and I were adamant about was quarantining for 14-days upon arriving in California. So after Jake dropped us off we refused to see anyone until we had made sure we were both feeling fine and not displaying any signs of COVID-19. When that was up though we invited down my siblings (Ally wasn’t able to make it) for a wine and charcuterie board day. Jenn finally was able to meet our niece Gracelyn (known as Gracie) and Amy and Ryan were able to meet Frasier. It was a really special day, but in a weird way, it was like we had never left. We spent hours outside in our apartment complex, talking, catching up, and eating one of the best boards I’ve made yet. The next day was Father’s Day so I went down to celebrate it with my Dad in Riverside and Jenn’s Dad came to visit her here at our apartment. Once again in some ways the longer we’re here in Newport Beach the less it feels like we ever lived in New York.

Over the last weekend in June, Jenn and I recreated one of our favorite memories in living in Newport Beach and that’s walking from our apartment down to Balboa and taking the ferry over. We took Frasier with us and it was a surreal experience. We had spent so many of our past walks to Balboa talking about how great it would be to have a dog and walking him/her here and now we’re doing it and it was better then we could have imagined. Something I’ll never forget in fact.

And like that, a month that felt like a year came to a close. We moved across the country (again), bought a car, unpacked, re-decorated, and kept working during a global pandemic. It’s not the June we thought we were going to have when 2020 started but it was the best decision we could have made given the circumstances. I still don’t know what the rest of 2020 will hold, it has been a rough year, but at least we will be a lot more comfortable in this beautiful apartment that Jenn decorated for us.

TV WE WATCHED

Being in California and starting our days earlier has given us a lot of our evenings back. We finished up Normal People on Hulu and we really enjoyed it, it was a bit much at times but a very enjoyable watch. We were incredibly excited for the second season of Ramy also on Hulu but we didn’t love the second season nearly as much as the first. The show that really caught us surprise was Billions on Showtime which is a ton of fun.

BOOKS I READ (OR LISTENED TO)

I am shocked with how much I was able to read in June. I mentioned Normal People in the TV section because after watching the show I decided to read the book. It was a very close adaptation. I read Cosmos for GamersRead which was fine, more like a science text book than a novel. I enjoyed The Outsider by Stephen King and can’t wait to watch the HBO adaptation. My favorite book of the month was the time traveling Recursion by Blake Crouch which although it doesn’t nail the landing was a very enjoyable read.

MOVIES WE WATCHED

With all the TV we watched in June we didn’t watch a lot of movies. And the only “movie” we watched was actually a stand-up special on Netflix by Hannah Gadsby which although not as good as Nannete was still a brilliant show.

THEATER WE SAW

I’m heartbroken to say that this section continues to not have any news. I’m hoping with our decision to move to California that maybe we’ll have an opportunity to catch a few performances here before the year is out but as of now that looks very unlikely.

GAMES I'VE BEEN PLAYING

Although it was only on the last couple days of June I was able to play an early copy of Ghost of Tsushima for PS4 and oh boy do I love that game. I hope to finish it in July but I will say with the little I played in June it was phenomenal. I also still played quite a bit of Madden with the two leagues I am in.

2020 GOAL TRACKING

Goal #1: Read 40 Books: I've read 20 books and am currently on ahead of schedule to hit my goal.

Goal #2: Keep Weight Under 140: I've yet to go over 140lbs

Goal #3: 12 Monthly Recaps: 6 for 6.

A Look Back - June 2020