Thursday, July 26, 2007

From the emergent nest

I arrived in Scary City on Tuesday late in the afternoon. Picked up the keys to my new place (which I do still like immensely) and went out to buy some household items, including a vacuum cleaner for the carpet (It is called a Roadster, which amuses me.) ...The semi-carpeted status of this place is the one thing about it that doesn't thrill me.

The movers arrived at 8 yesterday morning...this move has been so efficient on both ends, I can't quite get over it. They were jovial and bizarrely helpful - one took it upon himself to destroy the mini wasp nest that I had noticed was developing on my balcony. (The wasps have come back to look for their home and, I suspect, to build another...it is time for the killer aerosols, I'm afraid.) The best part was that I was able to get the movers to put together my enormous new bed frame and huge bookcase, and to assemble the futon frame I bought from Grumpy ABD Adjunct (which I hadn't a clue how to put together, since I so daft in such matters...) I paid them some cash, it took them an hour or so, and now it is done! I am so pleased about this, as I thought I was going to have to wait until Saturday to have it done...I had a tradesperson booked to come over then. This puts me significantly ahead.

The rest of the day was a bit frustrating. I was tired and overwhelmed by chaos. I got the kitchen unpacked, and went grocery shopping, but mostly felt like I was treading water. As well, it turned out that my phone service wasn't working - so neither, therefore, was the Internet. A call to the phone/Internet company last night, though, resulted in a service appointment today...and the technicians arrived at 8am, though they were scheduled to come anytime until 5pm. Not only did these - once again - insanely happy and helpful characters fix the phone service problem, but they also volunteered to set up my Internet and wireless for me. I can't tell you what a relief this is...I have to say that I was feeling really isolated, what with the shock of being in a new place and no way to communicate with people...Which was compounded by the fact that my doorbell isn't working, either! I think I was just over-tired, because that is a rather dramatic reaction - it's not like I'm out in the middle of nowhere. At any rate, it's all great now, and here I am, posting this on my very own wireless connection...I've never had wireless at home, so this makes me very happy.

My reactions to being here swing dramatically. Of course, at bottom, it's too early to tell anything - and I'm too ensconced here in my home and unpacking tasks to really get a sense of anything right now. But on the drive in, I was feeling very positive...it's so beautiful around here. I felt full of hope and promise. Yet when I walked downtown (which is very close to where I'm living) late in the afternoon yesterday, I felt dejected. And then I went into a second-hand bookstore that had Internet terminals, since I couldn't get online at home, and when I was leaving I asked the store's owner -a middle-aged guy - if there was anywhere nearby I could buy a phone. He thought for a moment, semi-suggested a couple of possibilities, and then said, very vehemently, "This is downtown Scary City - it sucks!" Well. Quite the vote of confidence in my new home there!

So we'll see how it plays out. Off I go to continue unpacking...if nothing else, at least I have this lovely place to nest in. My colleague - my one friend here, who hired me, and whom I stayed with when I came apartment-hunting - is coming over for a visit this afternoon. She lives very nearby. She'll come by with her dog - it will be nice to see them both, for I am really missing Mr. K still. Tonight, I will have a drink - god, I look forward to that gin and tonic. There has not been enough of that lately, I must say.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

As moves go, it sounds like yours is going swimmingly. Of course, it takes ages to really settle in, but at least you've got furniture put together! and internet! I think that moving is just so deeply exhausting, so I'm glad this piece of it has gone better than it might well have. (When D. and I moved across country for my job, the moving company got delayed in all sorts of ways, and our furniture finally got delivered on the first day of classes. Nightmare. Fortunately a nightmare that D. mostly dealt with, since I was now hard at work in the new job.)

Pantagruelle said...

Congrats on arriving, getting the furniture assembled, and getting wireless internet! It sounds like things are going exceptionally well. And, yes, after all that, a large G&T is definitely in order!

Tiruncula said...

I'm glad your new place and the servicepeople are cheerful/helpful. Every place I've ever moved has had one little thing go wrong on the day of arrival that completely threw me, so I totally understand about the doorbell.

medieval woman said...

I'm glad you got there safe and sound - you desrve a nice little nest without any wasps's nests!

The guy sounded like a grump - I know you'll be happy there, even if it's not forever!

((hugs))

Earnest English said...

Yay to cheerful and helpful people. You know -- it doesn't take a very imaginative person to say that any particular town sucks. But I feel certain that you, Hilaire, are made of finer stuff than that. I'm sure that even if the town is often dull or aggravating, you have the eyes with which to see Scary City's small treasures.

Before I lived in Grad City, I worked in Totally Overrated Sprawly Area. Right before I moved, I went to a beautiful wedding in Charming Town, which was part of Sprawly Area. When I told people I was moving to Grad City, they said "I'm sorry." This is the most provincial attitude in the world, which actually a professor who used to live in that Area said a lot of people had. Yes, there are wonderful areas to live. But the idea that anything other than those couple places totally suck is just a small-minded attitude. I have to say, especially after driving into Grad State, that it's charming, if not the place I would want to live the rest of my life.

All this to say, don't buy into it, Hilaire! I'm sure Scary City has bad aspects to it -- but you'll also find the good parts -- treasures and gems that maybe only you can see. And you'll share them with US!

Good luck settling in. I hope you're having good settling-in dreams.

Hilaire said...

Thanks for your well wishes, all!

Earnest, thanks so much for your anecdote -- you are so right on. And already yesterday I found a lovely cafe that will make me happy, and went to look at several *beaches* and swimming areas. Many beaches in my new place. And many good beautiful things to look at surrounding the city, no matter where you are standing. So I am going to focus on these things, and the other great things I find. It will be just fine - more than fine, probably.

PG said...

Sounds like things are moving along nicely for you. The moving company sounds pretty great. Nice to hear in the midst of so many moving horror stories.

I really think most cities are what you make of it. Sounds like you are open to it and I hope things continue to progress well.

gwoertendyke said...

oh hilaire, time will feel so static for the rest of summer, then will speed up to lightening-like rate, and then you will wake up and wonder how you feel about your new home next june. it took a year for me.

i feel for you and the strangeness of it. be good to yourself.

Hilaire said...

AW - you're quite right, I think. In fact, I have already begun worrying (worry is my middle name) about being so swamped with work that I won't be able to really check out the city, once classes start in September!