Boxes and Goblins

As the previous post probably made clear, I have reached the point with this move where I can relax and have fun a little. We still have a bit of random relatively little stuff at the apartment that needs to be moved to the new place, but half of that is cleaning stuff, which we need to clean the apartment so we can get back as much of our deposit as we can. All the big stuff, the important stuff, and the fun stuff is moved over, and about 85% put away, organized, decorated, etc. The dining room is full of boxes, so we're still eating meals sitting on the couch for now, and the kitchen is still rather half-assed, but it's getting there rapidly.

This week is our last offcial week at the old place, so we'll be scrubbing and vacuuming and sweeping like mad after work, but we have had and still have the assistance of a good pair of friends of ours who are also in the process of moving - only they're moving out of state, which is a bummer because they're really good people and we like hanging out with them. The plus side to their moving too is that we're getting their washer and dryer, and they took our old entertainment center and computer desk.

I have mostly successfully created a sort of oriental feel to the new place, with oriental and tibetan and buddhist stuff, and several nice orchid prints from AllPosters.com. Being as I love anything oriental and have been wanting to decorate accordingly for a long time now, I'm thrilled. I have had to keep myself in check, however, for kitty stuff. We won't get the kittens for another month yet, so we don't need to get all the stuff for them just yet, but of course I want to. I keep looking at cat trees and toys and collars and treats and stuff, and wishing we had the kitties already.

Soon. Sooner than it feels like, probably, which brings me to school stuff.

This term (which I'm out of) is almost over, so I have a choice. I can contact the school about re-entry now, and take the chance that the paperwork might take too long for me to be able to get back in in time for next term. Or, I can simply wait, taking this next term off as well to finally actually relax, and start the re-entry process a week or two into it to make sure its all taken care of in time for the following term.

Altough I want to graduate as soon as possible, I've already decided to go back to the traditional decellerated schedule, which will already have me graduating later, so really what's another month? And with some new career path plans (I'm finally going for a tattoo apprenticeship) the wait won't be as bad because I won't be graduating in order to get a better job then - rather, I'll be graduating just to have the knowledge and apply it properly to an environment with lots of artistic as well as business promise. Tattooing is what I've wanted to do for many years, and fits right in with some other artsy ideas which would require proper business - especially management and marketing - knowledge.

So it's possible that within the next few months (if not sooner) I'll be "out of this hellish place" and learning, finally, to tattoo. Which, with such an artistic environment to work in everyday, will give me the metaphoric kick in the butt I've needed for so long to actually do art for fun, on my own time. (Sticky note for March coming soon, if I don't hold off entirely and post the next one for April instead. Hey - I've been busy ok? ...)

This weekend was the first in a very long time that I actually got to relax a bit, hence the whiskey on Friday night, and the Irish Car Bombs and darts with a coworker last night. And, no Mom - I didn't end up with a mohawk this time. Just beer rings on the kitchen counter and the new-found knowledge that I can chug a Guinness apparently with the best of 'em. Unlike with pool, however, alcohol does not improve my darts-playing ability, but that's ok. We didn't even finish the game, in the end.

Have I mentioned I've settled on Goblin as the name for my new kitty, the orange tabby? I got the name from an Anne Rice book - Blackwood Farm. In that book, Goblin is actually a not-so-very-friendly-after-all ghost that haunts the main character, Quinn. Quinn recently became a "Blood Hunter" against his will, and now has his own spiritual vampire in Goblin to deal with before Goblin gets out of control and becomes something else entirely.

Why do I want to name a cute, probably sweet little kitty after a not-so-nice ghost, even though I haven't even met said kitty? Because until Quinn became the blood-drinking undead, Goblin was good, for the most part - his constant companion since infancy; his one true friend who was alwasy there. The bittersweet romance of that just does it for me, and so new orange kitty wil be named Goblin - my little Goblin, my fuzzy companion.

It's a fantastic book, if you happen to want to read one helluva ghost story. For Anne Rice fans, you'll be enchanted by the fact that it seamlessly weaves the vampire chronicles, the Mayfaire witches, the Talamasca, and this new and intriguing spirit, Goblin, all into one wonderful tale with a superbly naive and charming main character (Quinn). Pick it up; you'll love it.

I'm reading it again, now that I have some time to read for fun rather than academics.

I can't wait to meet my little Goblin.