Last Post From The Island

Well finally my apartment looks like its occupant is moving out! My bedroom has been gradually crowding up with packed and taped boxes all month, but my livingroom still looked lived in. All the stuff I wasn't able to pack until the last minute has been put away now. I had a marathon packing day today. All my plants are in topless boxes (hopefully they won't die during the week they're sitting in the dark moving van, waiting to be returned to me). All my records have been pulled from the rack and boxed up. All my dishes and pots and pans are stuffed into any available nook or cranny. My balcony has been taken care of - all the plants taken from the hanging baskets and potted up and stuffed into boxes. Soil taken out of my window boxes. Everything pushed up against the wall in case it rains, and the porch floor swept clean. There's nothing left to pack up except my computer. Tomorrow I unplug the modem and take it back to my isp. When I return, I'll untangle all the wires and hopefully be able to fit the tower, monitor, keyboard, webcam, speakers, mouse, microphone, blah blah blah, into the two boxes I have saved. Then I'll dismantle the shelf they were sitting on, and that will be that! I'll be left with no contact with the outside world until the 16th, when I'm reconnected to all my friends!

Just when I thought I was finished packing, I looked in my fridge. I forgot to save a box for the few things I have left in there. Boy, it just never ends!

Today I went to the college to pick up a transcript of my math course that I just finished. I had been told it would be ready for me today - but nobody told me I would have to pay $5 and fill out a form first! So I went there without having done these things first, and was informed the transcript wasn't prepared! Honestly, I don't know why people are so notoriously bad at giving instructions! They don't tell you anything except the barest minimum, and then just expect a person to blunder through the rest on their own! Oh well, I paid today, filled out the form, and gave them my new address. They've promised to mail it to me.

The other day my sister emailed me to say that she'd gotten an invitation to an 'appreciation day' for a family who took me in years ago when I was a troubled teenager. I lived with them in the same city where I'm going to be moving, but they've since moved to the States. The last time I saw them, I was much younger. I saw the husband last while I was standing on my corner on the street. He surprised me by walking up to me as I stood there under a streetlight, dreaming my solitary dreams. What a strange place to meet! I was as surprised to see him as he was to see me. They'll be very surprised to see me at their special night. It's cool timing - the 'appreciation night' is on the 16th; the day after I will have moved in over there.

Today I had another wonderful surprise. My email bell sounded, and I left my packing to see who had written to me. It was a cousin I haven't seen since I was a young child. She tells me she's been reading my blog, I have no idea how she came across it! She doesn't live anywhere near the city where I'll be moving, but I hope we can get to know each other through email. I have such a huge amount of relatives, and I've never been close to anyone in the family (including my immediate family), it's just breathtaking for me to be connecting with these people! Suddenly I'm part of a large group. I'll never be on my own again.

I had another run in with my future building manager. I phoned him to ask a question about the hydro, and right away I could tell he was grumpy again. The last phonecall went fairly well - we actually joked a little bit with each other. This time it was back to the same barking style that I'm beginning to recognise as his typical personality. It must be awful to be so angry all the time. Well actually, I know what it's like, I used to be angry too. Maybe some of my happiness will rub off on him, given time. (ya right, lol).

Anyway, this is my last post from the Island. Next time I write, I'll be on the mainland, cosily ensconsed in my tiny apartment! See you soon!