Month: July 2002

Well, the move is finally — finally! — over and, frankly, I’m exhausted. I’ve been exhausted since about noon yesterday, despite a full eight hours of sleep last night, and I may not be about to shake the feeling until everything is finally unpacked. My parents and I spent the better part of two days moving boxes and furniture from one side of town to the other — “just far enough,” joked our waitress at dinner Saturday night, “to be really annoying.” The heat and humidity, of course, didn’t help any; it was probably the single worst weekend to attempt any heavy lifting, meteorologically speaking. Stumbling from the car to the door or back, we’d wipe the sweat from our eyes and squint uncomfortably in the sun. I thought I would never stop being thirsty. Even the U-Haul truck I had rented started to overheat, make strange sounds, and we returned it four or five hours earlier than we had to rather than risk having it break down on us somewhere in between.

But it’s all over now. I have only to defrost my refrigerator and return my keys, and I can say goodbye to the old apartment forever. It’s weird. I was only there for two years, but I suppose even that can be an eternity sometimes, especially when what you wander into next is an unknown. I know eventually I’ll get used to this new place, and already there are things (like wall-to-wall carpeting, better cable, and that wonder of wonders the dishwasher) that I love. This is a good thing. But it still seems like someplace that someone else would live. I need to get my things out of boxes before this can start to feel more like my home.

Once again, the Friday Five.

5. Do you read people who have both a journal and a weblog? Or do you prefer to read people who have all of their writing in one central place? I have no idea how to answer that. I like good writing, regardless of its location. My friend Sharon, for instance, keeps both a weblog and a dream journal. I enjoy reading both. I tend to read weblogs more than I read online journals for some reason, perhaps because journals require more dedication and are harder for new readers to just jump into. I used to Karawynn Long’s nine lives, but she’s put that on hiatus. There’s Darn Tootin’, Lazarus (which doesn’t get updated much anymore but which I still check up on), and Nyssa has been known to write some longer, more diary-like posts. But otherwise, it’s primarily weblogs. Even more primarily, it’s good writing.

The internet is quite steadfastly refusing to amuse me today. I think it knows that I should really be at home, continuing to pack for my move on Saturday. I’m more or less finished, except for the kitchen, some clothes and some loose odds and ends here and there. Last night, I threw away the table where I used to keep my computer and put more things in boxes. Tomorrow afternoon, I get the key to my new apartment.

I’m really enjoying the process of writing for 600 seconds. Today, because for some reason that was the topic I picked, I wrote a little something about elephants. What I’d originally planned to write, though, started to take considerably longer than the ten-minute time limit. I’ll leave it to you to decide if it was worth continuing with here. I will say this much: it is extremely hard to find words that rhyme with elephant.

They say an elephant, if it’s relevant, just for the hell of it, will never forget. Because an elephant is intelligent, it’s a benefit to have one as a pet. Some elephants know all the elements and they can tell if it’s the one you want at a glance Some elephants are enveloped with a certain elegance and might ask you to dance. There are elephants who speak with eloquence on the developments within the herd. And there’s no need to yell-aphants if you can’t hear the elephants. It’s just as well-aphants. Most don’t say a word.

I think, without quite realizing it, this is what I had in the back of my mind as I was writing it.

I am indescribably bored. I would describe it for you, but…well, you know. When I’m at work, I feel like I should be at my apartment, packing for my move. When I’m there, all I want to do is sit on my couch, surrounded by cardboard boxes, and watch television. At least I managed to buy a new desk today and confirm with my rental office when I can pick up my key. But otherwise…man am I bored!