Landed.

This is a first land-life post, due to the overwhelmingly large response of readers wanting to hear more, clamoring all over my comment page, begging me not to stop writing just because my cruise contract had ended. Fine, fine, I will continue to write! Let me get you up to date on the things I’ve done in the last week or so.

It has been a busy week. Let me give you a photo tour of all the things I have accomplished with no TV or internet! (the lack of TV is self inflicted – the lack of internet was sadly just something I had to wait a week to turn on. I am beyond Comcastland and thus at the mercy of the local internet company)


Moved to Minnesota.

I’ve never lived west of the Mississippi, north of the Mason-Dixon, or even in a town farther than fifteen minutes away from a major airport. It was (and continues to be) quite an adventure to move to a town with only one McDonald’s. It has been lovely to live within a half mile of a Target AND a Walmart – though if I need anything from every other store, such as Kohl’s or Ikea, I have to drive an hour, north towards the twin cities.

Put together a dresser from Ikea (the happy picture directions direct you to not attempt this on your own. I personally think you only need one extra hand for this sort of thing, not necessarily two extra hands, but in any case I managed.)

Installed a new showerhead in my bathroom.
I should mention that the showerhead, the dresser, and the killing of two spiders all happened in the same evening, and I felt quite independent and powerful.

Figured out an easy way to hang the violins I’m working on next to my kitchen table. (which is not so much a kitchen table as a kitchen bench for getting useful things done, like varnishing violins)

Successfully painted and hung large art above my couch:

Baked some yummy Ciabatta bread, ate it all myself.

Experimented with lemon pepper bread recipes, trying to recreate the favorite from the S.S. United States, the specialty restaurant on the Infinity. Still haven’t found the perfect one. (stay tuned)

Made serious headway on other assorted artsy projects which are not quite ready to be revealed (or cannot be revealed because they are surprises for people!)

Made some interesting discoveries about myself regarding packrattedness via unpacking things that I haven’t looked at since March: (now, in my defense, and to explain to those who just joined us: I went on a cruise for 4 months before moving from Nashville to Minnesota, and was working full time every day until the day I drove to Maryland before the cruise - so in March I pretty much threw things into boxes for the move, and put everything into storage. I didn't have the time or the brain capacity to be organized about it.)
- I own a lot of plaid shirts.
- I hoard matches and lighters (maybe I’m subconsciously a pyro?)
- I apparently lose flash drives and then buy new ones, and then unpack 6 months later and find them all. (same with socks)

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Also, I have realized a huge difference between Southern Hospitality and Northern Niceness. Northerners are not meaner than southerners, but they definitely keep to themselves much more. They are quite nice, but they are not friendly. Actually, the friendliest person that I have come across in a week of being here was a Canadian. (with a dog named Wiley)

And to top it all off, I have lost most of the weight I gained on the cruise ship. Hooray!

Classes start on Monday, and I am looking forward to getting to know some people, and starting a new normal.

This was brought to you by Williams Fine Violins – eatin good in the neighborhood!

Posts coming soon:

Going to the Cities! (St.Paul and Minneapolis)
Lemon-Pepper Bread

A Curtain Adventure

Biking and Minnesota Scenery