I'm back!

My computer is back home after three (!!) weeks in the repair shop. Thanks for the comments on the last blog, Mom and "Not" Abbie. I wasn't sure how a discussion post would hold up. Perhaps I will try again in the future if the inspiration is found.

My days have been spent not unlike Eliza from Jane Eyre, who "spoke little; she had evidently no time to talk. I never saw a busier person than she seemed to be; yet it was difficult to say what she did: or rather to discuss any result of her diligence". Inconsequential activities I've been up to:

Sewing

Baking

Listening to all the songs on my iPod

(of course the last song makes me look like a total dork)

Watching DVDs with Ghost

But don't think I've simply been living the life of a single housewife. I apologize in advance for the lack of Austin-related photos. I've an aversion to looking like a tourist in my own city, so I've been a little shy about photography around town.

The 100+ degree heat has made it hard to explore the city (for example, my bus today was 3 minutes late and I gave up and walked home). You may be wondering, how does one explore a city with basically no money and in such intense heat? And no computer with which to check bus schedules?

Answer: one swims.

Deep Eddy: $3. Love this pool. Another natural springs pool, but not shockingly cold like Barton Springs. Jim Jim's Water Ice and Daily Juice are nearby, both good ways to end a swim. And had I stood on the correct side of the street, it's a quick 20 minutes by bus.

Ramsy: free. Very close, but uncomfortably warm. Usually I like to swim until my internal temperature drops a bit and then sit out in the sun and read, but Ramsy was pretty much a constant back and forth between swimming and sunbathing. All was not lost, though. I did discover a cool bar, The Draught House which is right next to my bus stop, just in case, you know, the bus flies by before I get to the stop like it tends to do (oh shoot! Guess I should go get a beer).

Shipe: free, but closed on Mondays. If you didn't guess, that was the day I decided to go. So close that I decided to take Meagan's bike out there and lost any interest in wanting a bike for myself. I'm just not big on exercise. Also, it hurt my vagina. And if I want to get to my destination sweaty, I can always wait for a bus and not have to wear stupid pants or lose out on reading time.

Here's what I've been reading by the way:

Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood

Part two of Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy. Centers around the Gardeners (who I described in a previous post), specifically Toby & Ren, who have survived the demise of the human race. Enthralling.

Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood

Part one of the MaddAddam trilogy. I read this last fall, but had to read it again after finishing Year of the Flood (did I mention my copy is signed by Atwood's own hands?). Centers around Snowman/Jimmy, who has also survived the demise of the human race and was partly involved in the demise. Atwood is a genius.

I Know I Am, But What Are You?, Samantha Bee

Bust magazine said "Samantha Bee could be the love child of David Sedaris and Chelsea Handler, if such a thing were possible". So I had to read this book. Bee is a freak. Which makes for good reading.

Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian, Scott Douglas

A librarian's memoir. Made me question my career choice. Also reminded me I need to stop reading books by bloggers. They read too much like blogs. Read his blog instead.

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

Should I be reading War and Peace first? Too late, I'm 200 pages in. And. It's. Amazing.

Just want to say thank you to the family for the care package. It made my day on an otherwise difficult, lonely one.

Oh! And Obama gave a speech at UT! But I couldn't go because I'm not a "student" until I register. Too bad for me. His visit didn't cause any problems the way his visit to Seattle did, though.

I promise not all my blogs will be so long and detailed! More pictures, less talk next time!

Orientation is tomorrow and I register on Thursday! It's making me a little anxious, so hopefully I won't throw up.