Friday, June 22, 2007

We Have Arrived

We're official downeasters now, although I'm hoping I won't pick up the local accent, which startles me every time I hear it. People have been friendly and helpful so far, which just goes to show you that there are hospitable people who aren't in the South or Midwest. Chris met some of our neighbors, and I met their grey cat which lay on my foot, and our landlady brought us a bottle of sparkling wine to welcome us. I got lost jogging in an enormous cemetery yesterday (it was a beautiful cemetery and I wasn't attacked by any zombies, which is a good thing, since I've not yet finalized my Zombie Contingency Plan to which I'm often referring).

Our worldly possessions are slowly moving across the country (they should be in Kansas City today). Hopefully we'll get them on Monday so that we can get out of our sleeping bags and into a real bed!

We were shocked at how easy the drive was; we never became particularly exhausted or irritable and seemed to be spending the right amount of time on the road each day. We arrived here Wednesday around dinnertime, so that's earlier than expected! Greta has taken to hiding in the oven drawer (she can squeeze in through the back, so we'll have to find a way to prevent that soon). She disappeared for a long time before we finally thought to look in there. Insane cat. Typical.

Hopefully we'll have internet access in a few more days (we packed our modem). Right now I'm at the local library branch. Getting our library cards was one of our first priorities, as was dinner at The Great Lost Bear last night.

Now that The Great Cross Country Move is over, I can revert back to book discussions instead of using this space so heavily for "sundry." I think I'll go search the library and decide what to read next. Any suggestions for summer reading?

4 comments:

TP said...

Hey Beth,

I'm glad to hear that you guys made it quickly and without irritability.

What a fright thinking that you could have found your cat's penchant for the stove drawer after your first home-cooked meal! Thank goodness the pots and pans haven't arrived yet.

When you see Elizabeth, please give her a hug from me. No, scratch that. Have Chris give her a hug from me. My typical hug is a rib-cracking, lung-deflating dehabilitator. I trust Chris to be able to bring it.

I'm glad you're there (even if your stuff yet isn't),
Tim

Manalive said...

Congrats on your arrival! We've enjoyed your blogpedition across the country. Do check out the Dogfish Bar and Grill. We loved it!

Scott & Stephanie

Unknown said...

I'm glad you have arrived safely--I hope the same will be true of your stuff shortly.

Why am I not surprised that you have already scoped out the library? Did you even go to your new place, or drive straight to the library upon entering town?

As for a book recommendation, I'd suggest Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. Perhaps not the kind of thing you'd usually read, but I've really enjoyed the first few chapters that I've read.

And July 21 is now less than a month away.

Unknown said...

Though I haven't read it, NPR had a story this morning on "Austenland" by Shannon Hale. Here is the description from Booklist:

Suppose you're a huge fan of Jane Austen, and in particular Pride and Prejudice and in particular Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the BBC adaptation, and nothing in real life quite measures up. And suppose your great-aunt's legacy to you is a three-week vacation at an Austen-themed resort. This is the situation in which Jane Hayes, New York graphic artist, finds herself. Pembrook Park is a kind of Austen Fantasy Island where the female guests are required to dress, speak, eat, and in every way conduct themselves like heroines in Austen's novels, with actors filling out the roles of eligible suitors. Jane, called Miss Erstwhile for the duration of her stay, tries to get used to corsets and other Regency amusements while sorting out whether the attentions of a Darcyesque Mr. Nobley, not to mention a good-looking gardener, are sincere or part of the show. A clever confection for fans of contemporary Austen knockoffs.