11.10.04 - 10:37 p.m.

I'd been feeling guilty about telling people - coworkers, etc. - about the move, mainly because I've seen where most of my friends live and their apartments are considerably smaller and shittier than the place we've just moved into. But as I buzzed myself into our amazing, clean, new(ish) complex, walking by the pool, I decided to stop feeling guilty and start feeling happy and proud that we're able to live here. Fuck it. Who doesn't want to be successful and to live in a nice place? Now it's not so far out of our financial reach to do so, so we're going for it. I should not be apologetic for being able to swing this.

Things have been happening so fast. Having five million nervous breakdowns over the number of boxes in our possession with which to pack all our possessions makes it difficult for me to stop and update. It feels like years since the R.E.M. show, not just a week. The set list:

It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
Begin the Begin
So Fast, So Numb
Animal
Boy in the Well
Welcome to the Occupation
The Outsiders
Get Up
High Speed Train
Cuyahoga
Sweetness Follows
The One I Love
I Wanted To Be Wrong
Imitation of Life
Final Straw
Losing My Religion
Walk Unafraid
Life and How To Live It

What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
Drive
Leaving New York
Electrolite
Permanent Vacation
I'm Gonna DJ
Man on the Moon

As R.E.M. fanatics will see, it's a weird set list, filled with a few choice rarities. Michael mentioned at one point, it being a few days after the election, that he was at a loss for what to say and so that he was trying to say as little as possible. I'd say he was letting the songs speak to his anger - and if there's one good thing that came out of the election results, it's that R.E.M.'s anger leads to a very interesting show. They should play angry more often. "Sweetness Follows"? "Life and How To Live It"? Amazing!

I was truly expecting Q-Tip to come out and do his bit during "The Outsiders," but no dice. Michael did it on his own, which was somewhat disappointing. It was all forgiven last night, however, when I saw Mr. Tip himself leaving our neighborhood Whole Foods. I'd completely forgotten that he lives in the area and that a few of Dan's coworkers had seen him there before. I'm there at least once a week, so I'm surprised we hadn't run into each other at the salad bar many times. I glanced over, thought, "that's an attractive man," then realized, "that's an attractive Q-Tip." Hee.