Lease signed tonight and moved our first two carloads of boxes as well. Despite the overwhelming expense, you have to love overlapping rents so you can move out all leisurely like. Dear Universe: Holy shit, I have too many books. I opened a suitcase of my favourite fabrics and vintage dresses - some of which I have been carrying around since I was 19 years old. Why? I tried on a few, the smell of gently rotting silk, tugging it on hoping not to tear out the armpits completely. I held up a few skirts with the worlds tiniest waist, that I used to wear regularly. I don't ever remember feeling tiny, but there was the evidence. I miss those days of thrifting 40's and 50's dresses, fantastic silks with full skirts. Now you're lucky to get a 70's polyester number that isn't priced "vintage". Austin was surprisingly good for thrifting, even the St Vincent de Paul in the cool part of town was cheap cheap. That is one thing I will never forgive NC for - pretty bad thrifting and a worse Free Craigslist section. In Austin I did find the store "Uncommon Objects" which was like a dream come true - I could have seriously spent a million billion dollars there. In the end I only bought the report cards of a Roger Miller (1956-1959), a print of a School Librarian and 3 photos of a family from Christmas 1958 admiring their brand new TV. Given some finances, it would have been far worse. I also got to see a movie at the Al@m0 Draftshouse with beer delivered to your seat and prefaced with PSA's such as "How Can I Tell if I'm Really In Love?" starring Jason and Justine Bateman circa 1985 or so. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4e8DKxNTbw) The conference was - hmmm. I felt okay about my poster and talking about it. I liked my ideas. But as usual I was struck by the kinda dreary dullness of archival and library scholarship and those who practice it. A few people really seemed to get what I was throwing down and that felt better. My life is clearly Lone Wolf plus the Few Who Dig Her, not Crowd Pleasing Loved by All dog. Mostly fine with that, but sometimes it would be nice to be universally loved and respected. I imagine. Attending Professors from my Department DID NOT stop by and say Hi once, despite the fact that I was the only Grad Student representing our school at all and it was printed in the program and helloooo, it's called Departmental Support or School Pride or something. Maybe just Being Nice. I took it personally as I had to stand there for 4 hours as those around me were greeted by their Professors and mine continued to be AWOL. It's funny how vulnerable and insecure I am about 1 inch under the topsoil and how little things set it off, making me shed a few tears in bathroom stalls. Nonetheless, good almost-single lady times were had, including full night sleeps in quiet motel rooms. Pain free flights were I sat quietly and read for 4 hours at a stretch while children around me cried and screamed and all I could think was - "Not my kid, don't care. Poor suckers."
More boxes - and the final episode of Mad Men Season II, so I can pretend I'm one of those cable-having people who get to see Season 3.