"This boardwalk life for me is through ..."

Wow.

A little past 4 am in Sydney. Just spoke with my lawyer in the U.S. -- the erstwhile James Nappi -- to check on the status of my property closing. Surprise, surprise ... 5J has been sold, just under a year since I left for Australia and 19 months since it was first listed.

For the first time since the spring of 2001, I am no longer a tax-paying citizen of Asbury Park, NJ.

Thanks to Jeff 'Bull' Stefanick, who as I write this is moving the bulk of my personal belongings into a storage unit on First Ave. and who gave the new owners a scare when he offered them my furniture (they thought he was burgling the place) during a morning walk-through.

So many emotions tied into that town, sights and smells and tastes and sounds, memories both bright and brutal. There is no other place like it on Earth. My spirit will always be tied to its fortunes, and I'll forever consider myself an Asbury Park tramp ...

Sandy ... the aurora is risin' behind us.
The pier lights, our carnival life ... forever.
Love me tonight, for I may never see you again.
Hey Sandy girl ...