Last full day in NC

In 56 hours I should be in Dallas. How strange is that?

Boxes boxes everywhere
nothing can be found
I drink out of a paper cup
eat off plastic-ware
and wonder what has broken
will break during the move

This is my last blog post here in Raleigh. Tonight the innertubes get deflated and will not be puffed up until Monday. I don't know how I will survive for 3.5 days without my connection to the world.

All mail is being redirected to Denton as of today.
Very little food remains in the fridge.
Kitty's eat out of plastic too.

Our ups boxes should be almost there now
how strange to think of my self in TX

Movers arrive at 8 tomorrow.
We fly out at 3:30, arrive at 5:30 (central so a three hour fly)
45 minutes by taxi to denton
then a visit round the house

Saturday I will tour the town a little, get some groceries and think about what to grow.

Sunday our boxes find us (we are not trying to hide to hard from them). I will then set up two computers so the innerwebs can find us Monday.

Monday, Innerwebs.

For the rest of the summer I will be trying to empty boxes and get myself settled in.

UNT has accepted me, so I have to begin planning my fall (really my rise as I become).

I am going to miss Raleigh. The last two years have been some of the happiest years of my life. I only hope Denton will be as pleasant.

See you all in Texas (are hon's and sweeties legally required in Texas?).

One Week

I have been coming down stairs and admiring my diploma the last two mornings. I set it up, temporarily, on the mantle so I can see it frequently. I will pack it up today, but I have been enjoying the sense of success that comes every time I look at it.

Yesterday's PhD defense by our friend was a success. She did a great job and is now a Doctor of Library stuff. Carol was delighted, not only in her success, but also in being able to witness the defense before we go to Denton. I enjoyed the presentation (lots of interesting information), as well as the process. Once more I am glad I am not going to get a doctorate in anything.

It was also nice to spend time back in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. We did not see much of the towns, but it was still enjoyable to go and wave farewell to some of the things that I marveled at when I first arrived. I have become acclimated though. So many of the things that had me awestruck two years ago have become commonplace now.

I am sitting outside, enjoying one of the remaining mornings on our beautiful, if noisy, back deck. Today I have to fill our ship to Denton box (UPS ahead so we have stuff when we arrive), finish packing art, get cats checked for travel, and all the usual little stuffs. Supper for next Friday is planned (black beans, rice, salsa, and corn chips) and I will need to get a few things to send down. Saturday I can slip down to the local food store and get some groceries so all we really need is enough to survive the first night.

I can feel myself letting go of NC. Saying goodbye and getting ready for Texas.

The prize

and me



Neither photo is all that good, however, I am proud of achieving the degree. When I get down to Denton, I will straighten the degree and take another photo of it out of the glass (that way there won't be an shadow of the camera present).

I am feeling proud this morning.

Rainy day

I was looking at the forecast for Denton on the 29th, wondering what I can expect when I arrive there (92 and sunny). Even though I know that the long range forecast is seldom accurate, though the weather company uses that word in their name I think they have a different definition than I do. Below the forecast, the website has a graph of the temperatures (real and real feel) for the next 15 days. In Raleigh the scale goes up to 100, in Cold Lake it goes to 80, in Denton it goes to 120.

This morning it is warm (70) and very humid (87%). Later we should get some rain.

Packing proceeds smoothly. Today I will begin to pack up knicknacks. I hate packing them more than everything else because I am afraid they will all break no matter how careful I pack them. Most are not worth a great deal, but they have memories attached.

I am getting closer to having selected the items to go into my garden when I arrive. A lot of the things I want to plant are fall garden stuff, so I will have time to dig a plot. I will stuff tomatoes and peppers and herbs into containers when I arrive.

A hawk is sitting on a branch on the other side of the creek. It is not moving, just staring trying to assess whether I am a threat or food. I would take a photo but it is too far away.

If I don't count the 29th (moving/arrival day), I have 12 days left here. Two weekends from now I will be in Denton feeling weird and out of place. Texas still feels alien, not a place I could be going.

The hawk's mate is now sitting on another branch to my left. The squirrels are silent, few birds are sneaking up on the feeders. Its kind of like what happens when the police are cruising around.

Wednesday's come to soon

Too nippy this morning to sit outside sipping coffee so I am inside staring at the bookcase I have to pack today. The sun has hit the edge of the coffee table covering it in a pattern of light and waving tree branch shadows.

Yesterday's journey to Chapel Hill was interesting. We will be going back in a few days (21st) to see a friend defend their dissertation. I had a good lunch with one of my fellow MFAers, but I did not manage to get to any of the used bookstores. Bit depressing.

Carol's meeting went well, but now she has to get to work.

I might have some photos up at my picassa site from Chapel Hill later this morning, it depends on how energetic I get, and whether any of them turn out. By the time we got home (six), had supper (Channa Masala take home), and watched a movie it was too late for me to do anything with them.

Packing today, packing tomorrow, packing Friday.... Maybe I will take a morning off and go somewhere one of those days. Only 15 days to the magic moment of gollee its time to go day. Denton.

A cool infographic exists here that shows where people live in America. I will be near the big Dallas spike in a few weeks.

More packing today as well as a little cleaning. Tomorrow I am tagging along with Carol (who goes to see her committee) and visiting the Coker. Hopefully the weather will be nice and allow me to take some decent photos.