Interlude - Texas!

So that next post didn't materialize on time, sadly! (Still in the works.) I've been busy, busy, busy, first with exams and then with packing for a heretofore-unmentioned but very long in the planning trip down to San Antonio, Texas, to visit SolusLupus, who's blog is reachable on the right. So, with what's happened, this calls for a personal update!

Texas is known for being hot, but San Antonio is located very near the Gulf of Mexico, and it's not just hot, but humid. I was worried about this from the get go, though I knew I wanted to go see Solus, and when he offered to keep me in his apartment for the summer and told me he had room, I jumped at the chance. I don't handle heat well, so I had to wonder - would I be cooped up inside, forever chained to an air conditioner? I brought a pocket fan, which is coming in decidedly handy, but fortunately the heat isn't bothering me nearly as much as I feared. Yes, it's humid and it can be hotter than forty degrees outside, and it hits you like a blast of hot air whenever you open an exterior door, but after the first few seconds you get used to it. As long as you drink plenty of water (a canteen is another necessity) you'll be able to get out of the house no problem. Ironically, I seem to handle the heat better than Solus in some ways. The heat does tend to suck away your energy, though. Expect to be tired earlier in the day.

We've been settling in. With a recent shoulder issue that's been bothering him, he's been unable to do much in the way of cleaning up, so the first order of business has been to get the place more livable. We've been vacuuming and cleaning dishes and getting the dishwasher functional again. I've only been here two days and already the place looks far different from how it was when I entered.

In a way, I'm very glad that I'm a positive force as a roommate, no matter how temporarily I'm there. Living alone isn't easy on a person, and I know this from experience. When you live alone and have lost contact with many a friend, it's very hard to motivate yourself to clean up, exercise, or even eat well. Nobody is watching, nobody cares and nobody who you feel for is close to you is there to encourage you. It's far too easy to fall into simply not caring about your environment or how you treat your body. Solus' behavior and attitude has changed almost entirely the moment I got in the door. He finds it far easier to do chores, especially when I do them with him, or when we take turns at a physically demanding task. We made bread today, and he measured the ingredients, then took a break while I kneaded the dough and showed him the two phases (sticky and non-sticky) and a few of the ways my mom did it. Slowly, the place is being cleaned up and the food is getting better. It really is amazing how having a roommate can be so beneficial.

There are some downsides to a relocation for the summer, though. For one, though you have an abundance of free time, it's hard to find a quiet moment to write in the first days, and for two, my roleplay projects are pretty much on hold while I get settled! It might be a week or more before we've gotten enough stuff done to fall into any kind of routine where we have the time and mental capacity to come up with stories. Oh well! So far my vacation is turning out great.

I'll get that post on my characters up. Eventually. See you then!