I love this apartment. The rooms are all great sizes, the wood floors make me happy, there's a garbage disposal I didn't even know about until I moved in, it's quiet...I'm just so content here. I think in a large way that's what's been missing from my life in Madison, and a reason I've had trouble settling down and being content to stay here another four years. I hated my first place, and while my apt last year was a huge step up and great in many ways, it was too small and dark to really feel like home, like somewhere worth putting roots down. But this place is different - and consequently I'm pretty good at fixing it up and keeping it that way. My friend Ravi offered to make up curtains for the front room, so we went out and bought some great fabric for them, plus some for throw pillows for the couch. I'm invested in this place...I could see myself here for three years with no trouble.
School is going pretty well. I'm shocking myself by actually doing most of my reading, which hasn't happened since...well, a long time ago. Now that I've proven I am off to a determined start, however, I'll probably prune back a little bit on the readings that seem uninteresting/irrelevant for me, and spend that time on my prelims list and on longer-term assignments. I like my classes pretty well, overall. I've really got to get going with Romola though...I'm about 50 pages in and beginning to be very passively interested, but before this I was so bored I considered skipping it. I mean, come on - I'm not Early Modern for a reason, I don't want to read about 15th century Italy. (And yes, I know it's "really" about Victorian Britain, but still.)
Teaching my first day of lit went tolerably well. As is usual, it seems, one of my sections seems like it will be easier than the other. But neither seems terrible. The first class gave me a sense of what to prepare better next time, and...yeah. Hopefully it'll work out. The idea of filling 50 minutes with discussion does fill me with some fear, since that was always the hardest thing about 100, but I'm confident I'll get better at it quickly.
If only T wasn't totally screwing me by making my next 2 weeks all about Modernist poetry...
Glossing over anything outside my own sphere, social life goes well. I've been seeing a lot of Ravi and Todd lately, which is great. Ravi's birthday, Dr. Horrible and curtain shopping are a few of the things we've been up to - and this weekend we're getting together for a Patrick Swazye tribute with Wong Fu and cocktails. I've seen Sarah and Lindsey an good amount too - though I've yet to see Lindsey's new place! And Barry comes over from time to time to chat and see the cats. Adding to that the numerous "it's still September!" department events, it's been a nice balance. It's nice to realize that I'm not lonely anymore.
The cats continue to be great. Polo's taken to surreptitiously following me around the house, which is pretty cute - though less so when he meows incessantly after I go to bed. I'm still pleased at how surprisingly low-maintenance they've proven to be, though I am a little sick of their inability to keep their litter and food in their proper recepticles and not all over my floor. But oh well...that's what my sweet new dustbuster is for, I guess.
Now if only Andy would recover from his allergies/cold, I'd be all set. :-)
3 comments:
do you have a covered litterbox? when we got one it cut down considerably on the level of litter that makes its way outside of the box. and it helps keep any smells down.
Yay Dr Horrible! Edward and I approve!
Neither Ravi nor his boyfriend had seen it, so I had to show them. I still need to watch "Commentary: The Musical!" on my DVD...maybe this weekend while Andy is out of town.
And Renee, I've thought about a covered box but Polo's kind of picky and I'm not sure he'd go for it. I'm planning to get one with a plastic guard thingy around the edge...we'll see.
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