LJ: Observations

-Moving is rough; I have 17+ separate bruises to prove it
-No matter how sound proof the walls, you can usually hear your neighbor's shower/toilet/sink/etc.
-Morning radio is annoying but addictive
-Soy milk--while generally tasty--does not substitute well in a latte, as it does not foam
-It is really lame to have a box of nails but no hammer
-Portland is cool :)

Our first night in the new apartment was Saturday, the 29th of July. It's been nearly a week since then, and we are settling in nicely. The cats are happy--OMG are they happy--and decorations are slowly but surely finding a place. We still have a *mass* of boxes, most of which are mine and filled with useless junk. Oh how easy it is to forget how much crap you have when it is across town in a storage space! But now, I have been made to feel guilty by needing to load it all into a moving truck and quite literally filling the 16' cargo space. I plan on getting rid of a lot of stuff over the coming weeks, as I sort through things. But first, a hammer, to empty all these boxes of hanging display items... ^_^ (At least cup hooks can easily screw into the ceiling to hang lamps, etc.)

Yesterday I set my computer up on Makal's desk--much nicer by far than mine, as mine is a cheapo "student" desk and his is an actual computer desk--and am now awed by how huge my 19" monitor looks when it's raised six inches over the actual desk (there's a shelf). It allows me to just lean back and work, thanks also to the comfy computer chair that I am "borrowing" while Makal's at work. ;) My computer's been pretty much useless for the past several months, since we didn't quite have the space to have it fully up and attached to all my gizmos (<3 USB). We don't have internet yet, which is probably good as it forces me to focus on unpacking (at least, that's the theory). That is fine, because it just means that we occasionally have to bus up to Portland proper and go to a coffee shop with Makal's laptop.

Also, Tuesday the 1st, which was Makal's first day at his new job, was also our one-year anniversary! <3 <3 <3 We didn't do much since we're low on cash, but it was a good day. Wanting to go to a Steamers (Asian food) we'd seen in town a few days ago, he and I hopped on the bus and wandered around downtown looking for the place. Unfortunately, we're not yet familiar enough with Portland to easily remember how to get places. So we kind of just wandered around slightly manic for about 40 minutes until we actually found the place. Yet at that point, it was too late to eat because they were closed (d'oh!) and we didn't have long before the last bus back to our area.* Instead, we went to the area downtown with the two huge fountains and the Trimet office (is it a park? a square?) and sat on the steps drinking Starbucks and watching all the Portland kids be hip. Saw a fairly cute girl in fishnets and vinyl with a leash attached to her thick collar, and when we nonchalantly wandered by to get a better look, saw that at the other end of her leash was a white ferret. :) It was cute. I can't wait till we've got initial expenses paid off and have money saved, so we can go thrifting and then wander around in our alternative fashion. :)

*The last bus to our area left downtown at 9:35p. I am highly dissapointed by that; I mean, this is Portland! The big city! In Eugene buses to most areas ran until at least 11p. How does it make sense to have less frequent transportation up here? I guess there's no real point to hanging out downtown after 9p, which is when most shops and restaurants seem to close, but still. /pout

This evening Aryn and her girlfriend are coming over and bringing some veggies Aryn grew in their garden. It will be nice to see them, though it's probably been only about a month. They live not far away (10 minutes by car, I think?) even though they are technically in Beaverton. Which will be fun; hopefully she and I can hang out more and she can show me around downtown after things in the apartment are squared away. We have a variety of other friends in Portland, including another couple from Eugene (but they're across town in Gresham) and an apprentice embalmer Makal used to work with. Plus it sounds like his only underling in tech support is a fairly interesting guy as well (he went to the U of O in Eugene), though I have no doubt that we'll unfurl our social butterfly wings before too long. I know a guy, whom I worked with at Hot Topic, who DJs in the area (but lives in Eugene still) and said he'd get us in to a fetish ball he'll be working this month. That'll be an excellent opportunity to make new friends. ;)

Boo, I should probably go back to working. I have yet to unpack our clothes, so the bedroom closet is stuffed with ripped and stretched garbage bags full of shirts and socks. I've been putting it off because while I don't mind cleaning or organizing or what-have-you, I hate folding clothes. I find this ironic, as I am really quite good at folding them neatly (thanks to a season working at the Gap--they will make you *so* anal retentive about folding clothes). With that, I will direct you to How to Fold a Shirt, and say my goodbye. :)