August 7, 2003

Redheaded PSA

Hey, to all my peeps out there.

In the past three days I have become, in the words of my friend Jackie, a "redheaded whirligig".

As most of you know, I am moving. The date has been set for the 18th of August. The movers are booked.

I have subletters living with me at the moment. I am glad to have them, but find it rather disorienting, too. My apt. is completely packed up, so I am definitely not set up for house guests. However, they are independent women, very polite, and are being very good sports about it.

Additionally: I am going to Cape Cod tomorrow, with my family, and we'll be staying up there for a week. I definitely need a break. My heart rate has not slowed down in 4 days. So anyway: I am not going to bring the laptop with me to the Cape, and will allow the Redheaded Ramble to remain dormant for that amount of time. Perhaps that is a risk, but it is a risk I am willing to take. Please forgive me, and please come back to visit me when I return!

I return on the 17th, just in time for the damn movers to arrive on the 18th, and haul my ass (oops, my behind) over to Weehawken.

All should be complete by the 19th.

But DAMN. I'm STRESSED. I need a little sun, a swim in the ocean, some leisure time, driving around with my sisters with the windows down, blasting music. Cannot wait.

I will be back, mind cleared, in my sweet new apartment, ready to blog again on the 19th of August.

Oh, and I finished Atonement last night, and am blown away. I cried for 10 minutes after finishing the book. That's only happened to me two other times before. Even if a book is phenomenal, and moving, and well-done, it is rare that one dissolves me into tears. Prayer for Owen Meany did that. Geek Love did that in spades. I still cannot bring myself to read that book again. Phenomenal story, but ... painful.

Atonement is, far and away, one of the saddest stories I have ever read. Brilliantly written. And until literally the last paragraph, you do not know the end of the story ... and then he wraps it all up in 2 or 3 concise devastating sentences. I am in awe of this man's gift with the English language.

Bon voyage, everyone ...

I shall return, refreshed and even more freckled than usual.

Posted by sheila
Comments

Yes Sheila, A Prayer for Owen Meany was an awesome book.

Have a great time away and enjoy yourself!

Posted by: Amy at August 7, 2003 8:13 PM

I'm jealous that you got movers. Done in a day? Green eyed monster alert!!!!

Posted by: Da Goddess at August 8, 2003 1:37 AM

Weehawken? Began school there in 1930.

And, there was a lovely little park there overlooking the Hudson River, where Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton fought a duel (1797?). If I remember my history, Hamilton deliberately fired into the air, and Burr killed him. It brought about the end of dueling in the U.S.

We'd go there to watch the famous ships coming up the Hudson, like the Normandie and Queen Mary.

I'm sure it is much changed, but the park is a delightful spot to spend a bit of tiome on a Sunday afternoon during Indian Summer in the east.

Good luck, and much happiness in your move to New Jersey.

Posted by: howard e. at August 8, 2003 1:51 AM

I hope you find an old fashioned New England Clam Bake while you're there. Enjoy.

Posted by: Sgt Hook at August 8, 2003 11:13 PM

Hey Sheila! Good luck with the move! ;-) I was reading your post and felt the need to comment because I'm moving up to NY on the same day you're moving to a new apartment. Stressful, isn't it?

Also, I know what you mean about reading a book all in one night -- being moved to tears by it. I just read 'The Bell Jar' by Sylvia Plath and I tell you, it was an amazing experience.

Posted by: Jaime at August 9, 2003 10:32 PM