The things I see walking to and from the office ...

My friends are fantastic. The move was accomplished with a minimum of fuss, all things considered. My worldly goods are now located in CT. Sadly, the distribution around the apartment of the aforementioned worldly goods was hampered by my being in bed with a fever for two days last week (and the nasty persistant cough that's been dogging me forever).

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you everyone.

If you were on the moving crew, please send me your snail mail address so St. Nicolas can drop something nice in your shoes next month.

The last of the punk'n ... to set me up for the last of the packing.

Approximate measurements

3 Billy bookcases - 32" x 11" x 80"
Sideboard - 36" x 18" 36"
Sofa - 62" x 39" x 30"
Desk - 36' x 13" x 45"
Dresser - 38" x 20" x 50"
TV - 23" x 30" x 20"
Desk chair - 43" x 22" x 25
Table - 22 x 36x 12
2 chairs - 36" x 17" x 17"
Futon Frame - full sized, collapsed


Sundry boxes and Duane Reade bags of stuff, though, not too many at this point.
A suitcase or two

Damn you Glee, you made me cry.

Bytchearse and I did two, count them TWO, runs to NYC to schlepp boxes (and duane reade bags) from my apartment.   There are actually shelves that are now empty.  And cupboards too.  On my nights in the city this week I need to do some sorting out (throwing out) of desk stuff and the shelf of copied music.   Soon we'll be to the fun part. 

and I'm not even cranky about it. 

Cartier has started putting up their Christmas decorations.

I haz Poang. 

We managed to do a blitz of IKEA in the 15 minutes between me getting off the train and the store closing.  Then I happily put it together while munching leftover pizza.  Bytchearse checked all the bolts to make sure my little girly hands had tightened them sufficiently.  That chair is so insanely comfortable, Bytchearse is considering getting one for himself!

So.  This being a commuter thing.  I think it might work. 

Clearly the iPod is key, as is planning my reading/projects for the train.  But this funny thing is happening.  In NYC, I would wake up at 6, laze about, check email, maybe doze for another hour, watch some TV and generally not get much of anything done, then get ready for work and rush out the door. 

In the course of my new commute I'm getting up at the same time, but I have time to read, knit, actually listen to music, and get exercise (it's a mile from GCS to my office).  I'm sure there will be days when I'm less thrilled about the whole thing, but right now I'm optimistic.

Boxes everywhere!

I will be very VERY glad when this part is done.

In yesterday's NY Times there was an article and related "Well Blog" entry on separating from toxic parents. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20mind.html?em

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/divorcing-your-parents/

The comments on the blog are now at 500+ entries.  It's amazing how many people eat their young.  I've found reading the blog comments to be very ... comforting?  liberating?  I think the thing that's blowing everyone's mind is to see this discussed out in the open.  Sure we've talked about it with our friends and to our therapists and possibly other family members ... but in so many cases the Keeping Up Appearances is so entwined with the abuse/neglect that the child questions their judgment about whether what's going on is actually wrong. I call it being down the rabbit hole.  If everyone says your parents are great, why is your experience so different?  If wrong is your normal, how are you supposed to know what's what?  I haven't chimed in on the Times comments (yet), but it's great to see so many people standing up for themselves and their healthier futures.

His Punkin


My Punkin

I FINALLY finished the self patterning socks I've been noodling with for most of the year.  Evidently my knitting got much tighter between the first and second sock and they're a bit uneven.  Oh well.  Still fun and funky. 



Next, I'm figuring out toe-up socks, and indulged in some lovely varigated yarn. 

And I only know because I dialed back when he didn't leave a message this evening ... and he's been in since Friday.  The system is broken, and I'm not sure how to fix it.

I caught the premier of "Stargage Universe" and have this to say:

1) There's a grayed color spectrum: must be trying to be an edgier show.
2)  Stargate: Voyager?  I mean really?  This is the best plot set-up you could come up with? 
3)  If Syfy wants to throw money at a show, how about supporting the underrated and cancelled "Defying Gravity", I'm sure ABC would appreciate it if you took the unaired episodes off their hands.

One for the move!  This week bytchearse took towels, sheets, and Christmas ornaments up to CT.  And I've done two passes through the closet and a first pass through the bookshelves to determine items that should go to Goodwill and not to our apartment (feels a bit strange to say that *grin*).  The top of my closet looks a little emptier. 

Meanwhile, Dad has announced that the house is on the market and he intends to move into his new apartment (one town over from the house) in January.  It's going to be a busy few moths.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/arts/design/23spiders.html?em

No really, a piece of fabric made from the silk of spiders.  And that's the natural color.