The move to the new place is slowly drawing to a close. All but a handfull of my stuff is out of the old place, and we’ve started the cleaning process. Bedroom and bath got done last night, and tonight the main living area will be cleared out and vacuumed. Depending on how long that takes, I may go ahead and start on the kitchen.

I’m loving the new place. The paint in the living/dining room turned out great, and last weekend I found a couch & loveseat set on Craigslist for $200 that needs needs slipcovers (I’m not so into the blue and cream gingham look :p), but is otherwise really nice and uber comfy. I think my favorite room so far is the bathroom. It’s the farthest along in decor and really is turning into the relaxing near-spa I’d been hoping for. After Dragon*Con I plan on finally getting the wall-to-wall shelves up in the dining area so I can unpack my books and start really converting it to a reading area.

I got a couch and loveseat last weekend. Found the set on Craigslist for $200 and they’re in great shape and very comfy. They’ll be getting slipcovered eventually, as I’m not really into the blue and beige gingham look, but one thing at a time :) Also picked up an armchair dropped off at the dumpster at the old place last night. It’s dark blue and has apparently been well-used, but there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it (no funny smells or missing pieces or anything). It’s over at Promethe’s place at the moment, as I don’t have a truck. Hopefully I’ll be able to steal it back from him, as it’s insanely cushy, and would make a great reading chair.

So things are coming together. Money’s gonna be a little tight over the next two or three weeks, what with rent being due the Monday after Con :p I’ll be dipping into my savings just a little bit so I can still do some fun stuff, and maybe pick up a couple things in the dealer’s room. I should also have a decent-sized check coming my way from Publix. Apparently employees are given a certain amount of stock each pay period, and over the 5-6 months I worked there, I accrued 45 shares which I recently sold back to the company. I’m not sure what taxes will be like, but I should still receive a sizable chunk of cash, which will supplement my savings, or maybe pay down my one credit card. Or half and half; I suppose it depends on how much it ends up being.

But yeah, so things are starting to settle again. It’s kinda weird getting used to living alone, but it’s a nice change too. I’m growin’ up — buyin’ furniture and livin’ on my own and all that. It’s kind of exciting :D Hopefully the change will encourage other types of growing up too. I’m already becoming a little bit of a neat freak, and I’ve set up the first actual altar I’ve had in…um…ever, actually. I’ve always just used my “travel altar” before, but now I’ve got a small [drafting] table in my bedroom dedicated to the symbols of my spirituality. And plants! I have plants! And they’re not dead yet! Aloe (<3!), bamboo (a housewarming gift from Lankylad), and a small succulent red-flowering plant that I have yet to identify. The weather lately hasn’t been treating them very well, so the aloe and flowers are a little heat-scorched. But it’s nothing a little bit of tlc won’t take care of.

This weekend seemed unusually long. Spent a good portion of it with Lankylad. Saw the new Harry Potter flick for the second time (his first) on Friday. I’d have to say that, like the books, they’re getting better with each one. I think one of my favorite single parts of this particular movie was Gary Oldman. I have yet to see a movie with him that I don’t like. His performances are always riveting, and he does make such a pretty Sirius Black.

Had a minor freakout Saturday night when I had trouble getting ahold of the roomate to put together final rent/utilities. Turned out I was stressing for no reason as, apparently, the leasing office is “open” (by appointment) til 4pm on Sundays, rather than til 12 or 1 as I’d thought. So our last rent payment has been made. The knowledge that I’m moving out of the place I’ve lived for almost 2 years still feels strange. I would’ve liked to stay there, but they’ve apparently decided to jack their prices up since I had my old one bedroom, and weren’t as willing to keep me there as I was to stay.

The great packing adventure has finally begun. Saturday night found Lankylad at me at my place packing up books. I’m sad to say it took much less time than I expected, but I suppose that happens when you actually have help. Cleared most of the junk off my desk and deskside-bookshelf too, and boxed up the stuff I wanted to keep, and yesterday Prometheus and I did laundry for the first time in ages. I started going through everything to sort out what’s going to goodwill, what’s getting packed away for winter, and what’s just getting tossed. I have more clothes than I’d thought, though a sizable portion are years old and way too small now, or stuff I just don’t wear on a regular basis. And even after sorting everything out, I’ll probably end up with two big bins of stuff. Ah well, it’s still less junk than before, and that’s kinda what I’m going for. All the book boxes are in my car waiting for my to drop them at the new place after work, so I suppose I can say the moving part of the move is actually beginning (finally).

Been a little while. Things are still going well. The new place is coming along nicely. Lankylad and I painted the living room/dining area last weekend, and it looks great. I haven’t actually started moving in yet. Been trying to clear out a bit of a bug problem that apparently came with the territory. They supposedly sprayed a couple weeks ago, and I’ve put out bait, but (lovely little bug carcasses notwithstanding) they seem reluctant to let up. I need to pick up some caulk and a little plastic sheeting to seal up a couple holes under the kitchen sink to reduce their points of access.

Packing hasn’t exactly begun in earnest, but it’s getting started. I’ve managed to purge a bunch of junk and consolidate three plastic storage bins into one. I’ll probably be packing books and going through clothes tonight to sort out winter stuff and things I don’t want, or that don’t fit anymore. That should hopefully clear up a ton of space by itself.

Lankylad gave me a fantastic idea for something to do with the dining area. See, the thing is, I’ve never really eaten in a dining room since I left home. It’s more efficient to eat at my desk, or sitting on the couch, or wherever I happen to be working. I don’t even own a dining table or chairs. So I don’t particularly have use for the dining area in the new place.

But.

It’s been suggested that I could turn it into a book nook or “study,” and I’ve kinda taken the idea and run with it. Sometime next month probably, I’ll be buying some lumber and some nice looking brackets to build wall-to-wall (or nearly) shelves for my books. It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to fill them with what I have, but then it’s just potential book-space :D When I can afford it, I’m gonna see if I can find a comfy old loveseat for sale somewhere to put in the corner, and maybe a papasan or two, or some other manner of comfortable seating. And I’ll find a low table at some point, or just use the coffee table I have now (that’s currently serving as bedside table/altar) for the times when I actually DO want to eat there. Dining surrounded by books? How decadent!

And speaking of books, I picked up/read the final installment of the Harry Potter epic. I’m pretty sure it’s my favorite in the series. It ties up a LOT of loose ends and mysteries, and that always has a nice feel to it, though I didn’t particularly like the type of ending Ms. Rowling decided to use. Seemed kind of tacked-on to me. No spoilers from me, really, but lemme just say, Hermione ftw, like all through the book. Hell, the series! Harry and Ron would’ve been dogmeat long ago (in some cases, literally) if it weren’t for her. But yeah, that’s my two cents on that subject. Started reading The Golden Compass. I wanted to read it before I saw the movie. And I’m building a queue of books to read. The stack just keeps growing, and I may never escape! I really need to get the hang of this reading-multiple-books-at-a-time thing. Then again, I <3 good stories, so no big :)

Work has been a little hectic this week. Monday through Wednesday, I was the only one in my “department” (in quotes because we have a grand total of nine people that work here, but we each have specialized positions). The other girl I work with has been out taking care of her daughter, who’s got some sort of stomach thing. Yick! And yesterday, our owner, our production manager, and our graphic design guy left for a convention in Las Vegas, and won’t be back til Monday. So I get to fill in with graphic design stuff, as well as working my department, alone.

Yeah. Fun.

At least it’s been relatively quiet yesterday and today. Tuesday I wanted to strangle people. Hopefully the other girl will be back tomorrow, and save me at least a little bit of headache :p But anyway, after work I’m off to Lankylad’s place for a fun-filled evening of avoiding my own packing by helping him with his unpacking (having just moved, himself) :)