I keep forgetting that neither my watch nor my laptop automatically adjust themselves to the time change. I was excited for a second there since it’s 9pm and still so light out. Except that’s 9pm Chicago time, 7pm Vancouver time. I’ll probably set my watch back, but for whatever reason, I can never quite bring myself to set my laptop clock back. Guess I still like glancing at it, and thinking what people at home are doing.
And I’m also accustomed to thinking across three time zones, which is rather handy when scheduling stuff.
So I’m back in Van, back in my apartment that will remain furnitureless for awhile. As I’ve said, the cost of moving is ridiculous in terms of money and hassle. And a thing I discovered: weight starts to add up quick! I didn’t think I had that much stuff. Silly me. My couch is heavier than it looks, it turns out, and if you put enough books in a box, it has some heft. I have quite a few books, as you can imagine. Start stacking boxes of books, and well, you get the idea. DVDs, too, packed in boxes, get a bit weighty. You wouldn’t think it to look at’em though.
Looks can be deceiving, indeed. And as the weight increases, so does the price. Oh, and then there’s the fees for “documentation” and Customs clearance. Not to mention insurance. They don’t even mention taxes. I found myself thinking very much of AT&T: they give you a price, sans taxes and fees of course, and then you get the bill and wonder why there isn’t a tax for breathing to go along with the other taxes or “fees.”One of those fees probably includes a percentage of what carriers charge the government for “listening in” or producing requested information.
So I’m back in Van with three additional suitcases, two of which I bought yesterday and one that has been my trusty travel companion since my trip to Europe, um, a few years ago. The two suit cases clocked in at about 47 and 48 pounds, respectively. Yes, that’s pounds, lbs. The metric weight option fails me at the moment. Only tons and ounces come to mind.
Those were fun lugging up three flights of stairs.
Airport security was light when I arrived, so breezed right through. I figured it’d be light, since it’s Easter Sunday, but not that light. Turns out, as the morning wore on, the lines got longer, and the airport got more crowded, so was glad i went earlier than I probably needed to today. I prefer to be early as it is.
Customs, too, was light. No wait, as a matter of fact. I waited longer for my bags than I did in the Customs line! Nothing new there either. Same questions, same answers. Routine.
It feels good to be back though, oddly enough. I might just be a wee bit jet lagged. I was having a hard time standing upright during mass, but thankfully the Catholic church is all about routine. There were some variances, but nothing that required a good deal of concentration to follow.
It kind of seems like this are settling down a bit, though I’m hesitant about that. There’s nothing looming on the horizon, I guess. I’ve been home and dealt with most, if not all, that needs to be dealt with at this point in time. I’ve got an apartment that I can set about acquiring things as I need them.
So I guess the next thing to do is get out and meet people. Perhaps join a running club, and a book club. Maybe even a writer’s group, if there is such a thing up here.
And invest in a bottle opener. Apparently when the cap says “use opener,” it’s code for “improvising results in bloody knuckles.” Lesson learned.