Living in boxes

Once again I sit in a room that has nothing left except for a few boxes that will be hauled away first thing in the morning. This is my last move for a year (hopefully two). I am looking forward to the new place. This place has been ok, but it is too small for two people, it is old and rather run down. And, because it is all wood, it is too dark for me. Yes, there are some amazing windows here, but even with them it feels dark. The new place is much brighter.

I was sitting at the computer this morning checking my mail when I felt something on my ankle. I used my right foot to dislodge what ever it was, and then looked down. There was a large beetle scuttling away. I would have made some noises of disgust, but was too polite to wake everyone in the neighborhood. The house is clean, but because it is set down in a low spot, surrounded by thick stands of old bamboo and dead grass/weeds, the bugs tend to come visiting far to frequently for my comfort. Even as a farm boy, I find these visitors unwelcome.

The cat is finding the emptiness of the house a bit unsettling. She is not liking the empty rooms, or all the cleaning that is going on. The stink of clean and the loss of her carefully applied fur in all the corners is more than she is willing to accept.

I was walking with Carol this morning (we wandered through the Coker ) and feeling a bit sad. This is a very beautiful town, and I am growing attached to it already. I am hoping to feel the same way about Raleigh in a few months.

This is my last post until Saturday night, or Sunday some time. I will go off line tonight and not get hooked up to the intertubes until Saturday sometime (1-5). I will have some photos of the new home perhaps.

Current mood:

Monday Morning

I remember waking and wondering, is today today? I have been here in Chapel Hill long enough for some of the strangeness to fade. Instead of walking about and thinking things are strange here, I have begun to walk around and say things are not strange here. I am still very much aware that I am not where I was.

A wonderful shower danced through town last night. There was lightning, there was thunder, and there was wind and rain. I know all this because I tore down the water bed I was sleeping on yesterday. While doing that I took down the curtains in the room. With only another four sleeps in that room I figured I could turn the light off and get ready for bed in the dark. Besides, with all the bamboo behind me it would be difficult for anyone to see into my bedroom. I should take a photo out of that window before I leave, remind me to do that ok?

In other news, we are now living out of boxes. Only the bare essentials remain unpacked. It grows harder and harder to live a normal life, every time I say I will do this, I can't cause this is in a box neatly (or not) stowed into the POD.

I am looking forward to my new home. I can see myself sitting in my office working hard, and watching the cars go by on Gorman street. I do not have a great view, but it should be interesting, and I am up high enough to feel like I have the power to change the stories of those walking beneath me. I am also looking forward to having my own bathroom again. The little things are what I miss the most (not counting family of course).

When we were in Raleigh last week, going from one end of the city to the other, I kept thinking, man this place is green. Yes, it has the city thing going in places, all pavement and cement and huge parking lots and other scenes of urban blight, but so much of the city is green trees and pretty little parks with old southern houses set back between the trunks of southern magnolia.

Speaking of trees, I can now identify a few trees that are common in the area: Live Oak (I know the leaves), Magnolia (the one that was blooming when I first arrived here two months ago is still blooming, wonderful tree the magnolia), and the Crepe Myrtle. The last one is a common ornamental tree that has a trunk that is naked (the bark looks like it is bare trunk, and some of the older trees look like bones), and they have pink, white, purple, etc. blossoms. One of the pink ones is on the side of the street as I walk south towards franklin street (I now know I live south of UNC Chapel Hill). Last week it was dropping petals and the entire sidewalk underneath its boughs was colored pink.

One weird thing that has happened lately, I have become self-conscious of my lack of a southern accent. Chapel Hill is full of people from elsewhere, yet I still here my own voice sounding different from those around me, and at times, it makes me uncomfortable. I suppose that will change with time, at least I hope it does.

I have been doing more writing lately. I have a poem that is back in the drawer after the initial draft. It needs something more, or less, but it feels good to have created a poem once again. I can hardly wait until I am in my new place with my office and I can lock myself in for three hours a day and just write.

Four sleeps and one wake and the move will be underway!

Addendum:
There are multiple images of the view from the bedroom I will be leaving Friday morning along with a shot of Chapel Hill's sky line.

While I walked down to the Harris Teeter and back this morning (2.6 miles), I realized that I am growing fond of this town.

I am off to haul a portable washer out to the POD, anyone want to give me a hand?

Rainy Wednesday

A light rain falls, washing the dust off the POD and cleaning the air. Yesterday was an orange day, hot, stagnant air, sitting overhead and creating breathing problems for those who are susceptible. The high was 97 (36 C), with some moderate humidity.

I did not go anywhere as I was busy with other things. I made some nice biscuits with dill and some nutritional flakes. They are tasty. For supper we had some breaded seitan with a mushroom gravy. This dish tastes better with tofu.

I am a little anxious about the move to Raleigh in 9 days. I think this step makes the whole grad school, move to America real. Up to this point it has felt more like a vacation. Now, however, it has become a reality. In two months and two days I will be doing the grad orientation, and that is worth a moment of panic.

The rain smells great this morning. Daph is sitting at the door watching the water fall from the roof, and thinking to herself how lucky she is to be in a dry and comfortable home. Ok, actually she is thinking how tasty that squirrel in the tree looks, but I am sure when she stops staring and salivating she will think about how lucky she is. Her food bowl is in her moving cage. Hopefully this will help to ease her anxiety when the actual move occurs in a few days. Once she gets acclimated to her new home she will be happy, I think. It is going to be stressful for her though. One of Carol's friends is sending her some cat valium to help Daph with the transition.

The way I have been feeling, I think a few tablets would be useful for me as well. The worst of this move is the idea that I will likely have to go through something similar in two years. Though what and where I will be doing/going is completely unknown. Of course I have a great deal to do over the next two years, and by the time I exit with my MFA I will perhaps have changed a little??

Homed

We received good news yesterday afternoon, the application we filled out for this place was accepted. So that means we have a place to move to in Raleigh. It is a three bedroom place, and in the lower range of our financial requirements. It is roughly 1400 sq feet. The front yard is barren, but it looks out at a nice patch of trees. July 2nd we will be in our new home.

It has been cold and miserable here the last few days. Rain, cloud, cold. I have some hope that it will warm up by Sunday, but it is still cold this morning.

My writing has been quite pathetic lately. I am not sure if it is due to all the changes/anxieties filling me at the moment, or if it is simply summer doldrums. Hopefully, when I arrive at the new home, I can begin to work my way out of this dry spell.

Pre-Graduation Day

Tomorrow is the day I would cross the stage and get my degree handed to me if I were still in Edmonton. Strange day for a graduation ceremony. Instead, I will likely spend the day boxing stuff and packing it out to the POD. Or else I will be in Raleigh looking for a house. I need to go to the Chapel Hill Library sometime this week and return some books before I owe my future in fines.

Yesterday Carol and I went down to the Ackland Art Museum (http://www.ackland.org/index.php) and wandered around. The collection is small but considering the size of the town and the funding the museum receives it is impressive.

My award arrived in the mail Saturday along with a check for 600 dollars. I was surprised by the size of the prize, I thought it was only 300. Now I should have enough money to buy my books this fall.

A Short Week

This week has been going by very fast. I awoke this morning thinking that it can't really be Thursday already. And then I had a moment of panic thinking how soon school will be starting and I am not ready. Then I had another moment of panic, where will I be living.

I made some progress on the house hunt yesterday. I found a decent place with a decent rent in a decent neighbor hood not to far from school. The application has been sent, and I hope the result is positive. I am continuing the search, however. Today I have an appointment at 11:30 to see another place, though my expectations are not too great for this place. It is too close to the beltline, and the traffic noise was quite loud when I slipped by to check out the location yesterday.

I think I have figured out why things appear so lush here. It is because there are so many different varieties of plants in one place. Back home the woods are dominated by one species, but here that is not true. One plant my occur more frequently than others here, but they do not dominate.

Twice this week I have been wandering about town and thinking to myself that I am reasonably happy (knocking on wood, fortunately there is lots in this house). I am still in the process of learning about the area, and perhaps in another month my views will change, but I like what I have learned so far.

I need to download a countdown timer for the desktop and begin my count towards the first day of classes. I think I have 2.5 months until I begin my first day of classes.