T minus 10 days

Hung out with D (of C&D) Saturday.  He kind of nudged me about getting out and dating, or at least having sex once in a while.  While one could argue that it's none of his business, he's someone I *have* had sex with, so I supposed that gives him a bit of authority in the subject.

I dunno; I'm not exactly jonsing for a relationship, but I also feel like I'd enjoy having one.  That's kind of the state I'm in and has been for a while.  Oh well; we'll see if anything changes with school.

I know I said I wanted to start getting out to WeHo a bit more, but right now, I'm getting home from work after 6:30; once I'd get changed and such, it's usually 7:30 or later, and I don't really want to get back in the car and head out.  I suppose I could take a lyft, but that's now adding another $20-30 to the price of the trip (even including parking).  There's no bus that goes straight there; best I can do is down Sunset and walk down the hill, and that's still a 45-minute trip for the 4 miles.

Again, once school starts, it'll be a bit different.  My last class Tuesday and Thursday ends at 5:45, and on Friday at 1:50.  So, plenty of time to relax or get stuff done before heading out, at least on Fridays.  We'll see if I actually end up doing it.

Right now, the biggest thing I'm thinking about is whether or not to get a 2-in-1 laptop I can use for taking notes in class.  I mean, I've got the work laptop, and they don't care if I use it, but I'd rather have my own especially since work isn't guaranteed long-term.  Additionally, I take notes better by writing than typing, especially with math and physics classes (which these mostly are).  I've had a slate in the past - in fact, I had one of the very first, back before tablets became a thing - and I loved using it for writing.  I just  need to decide how much I want to spend on it.  Most of them are $800-$1500; it's a question of whether or not I'll be happy with the $800 or should splurge for (and can afford) the $1500.

Apartment is getting a bit more in order.  Not much, but a bit.  I started cleaning off the printer stand, since I ordered a new printer (which should arrive Tuesday).  Nothing extravagant, but I do need to occasionally print and scan at home, so, had to get something.  Anyway, I still have boxes of books, but those are almost all that is left.  I need to do some re-arranging in the bathroom and closet a bit, but nothing unreasonable.

Classes start in a week and a half. I've got all my books and will start reading up on stuff this week.  The syllabi aren't up yet, but I can at least get a head start on the subjects.

Gray skies at dawn

One of the oddest things about the new place is the west-facing window.

There's really only the sliding door, of course; it's a studio and looks basically like a hotel room in layout (long and narrow).  But it faces west, into a small "back alley" area with the other building opposite about 20-30 feet away.  There are trees and plants in the gap, so it's not like looking out at another building; it's actually pretty green.  Also, with the slight slope, my line of sight is just below the roof of theirs, so there's plenty of blue sky above as well.

But, for the last seven years, I've had sunlight shining in my eyes (almost) every morning.  Now, not only is it afternoon/evening light I get, the mornings are even generally foggy or cloudy (the marine layer comes in at night).  So, most mornings, even on the weekend when I sleep in until 11 or later, are dark and gray.

That's not a huge issue, and I've got a 6500K lamp as my main light source for just this reason.  But it's still a bit weird to me.

The old apartment is empty, and I've turned in the keys to management.  I'm Officially Moved, though not fully unpacked yet - the kitchen is done, I think, but I've still got boxes everywhere else.  I got my school stuff mostly organized at least.

Mainly, being moved means 1) Sunday was the first day I got to actually be at home in the new place and not driving all over and 2) today will be my first leave-work-and-drive-home day, since I've been stopping at the old place to clean/pack/toss.  Getting to work in the mornings is pretty quick, about 45 minutes; getting home is going to be an hour or so, maybe a bit longer.  I'm hoping to judge traffic just right and leave here about 5:30 to get home around 6:30 if possible.  We'll see.

I may try to hang out with C&D this coming weekend.  I haven't seen them in ages, and I kind of owe it to them.  It'll be a longer drive, obviously, but it also may be the last chance I get to do so with school starting up shortly.

I also need to start thinking about social activities.  Though I should get my place in order before going too far in that direction.