Moving on up

Welcome to this week's Reno News & Review.

We're moving the office over to Marsh Street. I barely remember the last time we moved. I do remember somebody waited until we were packed up and ready to go before they stole our computers. I can't recall the whole story—maybe they just got our design computer or something. I suspected I knew who it was, but I didn't have proof enough to do anything about it. I also kind of assumed karma would get him in the end. Karma, of course, is its own reward. He wouldn't have been weasely enough to steal computers if he hadn't been a greasy, untrustable little phlegmdoodle all his life anyway.

Funny the things you think about when you're moving. We've been in this building 18 years or so. I'm throwing out some stuff that I didn't even throw away when I left to become a freelancer in 2000. I guess I'm rehearsing for the next time I leave. I'm donating books that I haven't opened in 15 years to the Washoe County Library, and I took some up to the grad student library at the journalism school. Maybe someone in this new generation that doesn't use books will find something useful about them—pictures of smoky newsrooms with typewriters and hot waxers to use for clip art.

The new place will be cool for consumption. The Brewer's Cabinet and 1864 are within crawling distance for Friday nights. Even lunchtime will be better, with Newman's and the Rubicon deli inside a stone's throw. And you know the best thing? I won't have to drive around those road closures for Hot August Nights or Street Vibrations or the Scamps, Tramps and CeilingLamps weekly special events downtown.

I'm not exactly sure why we're moving. I think the general feeling is that the neighborhood has deteriorated since we got here. I think the deterioration started when the landlord installed the astroturf on our front lawn. I've done my job from mountain trails and deserts and gay bars in foreign countries; I guess I'll do it from my stand-up desk with its task lighting on Marsh Street.