Moving, moved
Jul. 19th, 2010 05:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ximen I actually moved on Friday, but I've sort of been in denial about it until today. I gave myself until yesterday to just be sad, to not worry about unpacking or cleaning or anything. But yesterday afternoon my time was up, so I hung up some clothes, put some stuff in the bathroom, and attempted to assemble the free bed I got on Tiger Trade (Princeton's student Craigslist). This bed was purchased at Ikea, and was on its third or fourth move. So most of the screws were missing, the center support for the bottom slats doesn't fit underneath, and there was a broken-off peg stuck into one hole. Also, it turns out that my floor is gently curved. Even if everything had been working right, assembling a bed by oneself is a terrible idea, because it's hard to get the middle pieces to stay up as you try and stick them into the headboard. I ended up using cardboard boxes and clothing piles to keep them up while I tried to stick everything together. I finally had to abandon the center support, and the bed creaks ominously whenever I get on or off it, and I'm pretty sure that it will collapse under me one of these days and I still don't have a mattress so there's just my aunt's inflatable one resting on the creaky wooden slats, BUT! I have a bed! I also bought a fan and an AC unit via the same website, so while most of my house is completely empty, my room is slowly looking civilized. I'm still waiting on most of my boxes, though.
So, Princeton. It is hot here. Mid-90s and humid every day, and I have lost my former heat tolerance. I am living in Butler Commons, which is a bunch of duplexes and triplexes built in the '40s. They all seem to be basically the same-- public school tiled floors, white walls, two bedrooms, small living room and a tiny kitchen. It's not my dream house, and it's kind of far from campus, but it allows cats and is the cheapest housing option. So I will be able to have Aurora move in soon! The neighborhood is very suburban, with winding streets and lots of huge houses. I got lost last time I took a late-night walk, because there weren't any streetlights and the roads all curved around. None of the stores take food stamps and many places only take cash, which is weird. And the grocery stores are all really expensive! There is a Trader Joe's, but it's over three miles away, and the campus bus only runs there on alternate Saturdays. So eating is going to be a little touchy until I get my stipend in September. On the plus side, all the restaurants are so expensive that I couldn't really afford to eat there anyway, so eating at home will be easier. Once I get my pots, anyway.
The campus is pretty, but laid out by a crazy person. I get lost there every time. To make things worse, lots of buildings have the same or similar names: There's Butler Commons and Butler Hall, both called Butler and both student housing (Commons is for grad students). There's both Pyne and East Pyne, the former a dorm and the latter a classroom on the other end of campus. Guess who was nearly late to class this morning! Also, none of the buildings are labeled, so even when I found the right building, I had to compare its shape to the map to make sure it was the right one. Presumably I'll figure it out at some point.
I still wish I were back in Seattle, but hopefully I'll adjust after a week or so. And next week is Eizabeth's wedding, which will be fun. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the Western MA people again!
Money is scarily tight right now, so I won't be able to go visit NY people until I get my stipend, or really do much of anything. I think I'll have enough money to both fly back to Seattle for Aurora and also eat food in the interim, but I'm not positive yet. Wish me luck with that.
So, Princeton. It is hot here. Mid-90s and humid every day, and I have lost my former heat tolerance. I am living in Butler Commons, which is a bunch of duplexes and triplexes built in the '40s. They all seem to be basically the same-- public school tiled floors, white walls, two bedrooms, small living room and a tiny kitchen. It's not my dream house, and it's kind of far from campus, but it allows cats and is the cheapest housing option. So I will be able to have Aurora move in soon! The neighborhood is very suburban, with winding streets and lots of huge houses. I got lost last time I took a late-night walk, because there weren't any streetlights and the roads all curved around. None of the stores take food stamps and many places only take cash, which is weird. And the grocery stores are all really expensive! There is a Trader Joe's, but it's over three miles away, and the campus bus only runs there on alternate Saturdays. So eating is going to be a little touchy until I get my stipend in September. On the plus side, all the restaurants are so expensive that I couldn't really afford to eat there anyway, so eating at home will be easier. Once I get my pots, anyway.
The campus is pretty, but laid out by a crazy person. I get lost there every time. To make things worse, lots of buildings have the same or similar names: There's Butler Commons and Butler Hall, both called Butler and both student housing (Commons is for grad students). There's both Pyne and East Pyne, the former a dorm and the latter a classroom on the other end of campus. Guess who was nearly late to class this morning! Also, none of the buildings are labeled, so even when I found the right building, I had to compare its shape to the map to make sure it was the right one. Presumably I'll figure it out at some point.
I still wish I were back in Seattle, but hopefully I'll adjust after a week or so. And next week is Eizabeth's wedding, which will be fun. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the Western MA people again!
Money is scarily tight right now, so I won't be able to go visit NY people until I get my stipend, or really do much of anything. I think I'll have enough money to both fly back to Seattle for Aurora and also eat food in the interim, but I'm not positive yet. Wish me luck with that.