Settling in

I may have been back in New York yesterday but my body clock hasn't quite got the message yet. I fell asleep during acupuncture, which may have been because I was tired, jetlagged or because Juliette is so good at what she does. I'm thinking it was a combination of the three. Interestingly, I woke up thinking I was wearing socks (I wasn't) and almost cried out because I had no idea where I was. Thankfully I kept silent.

After that, I headed out to Long Island to meet Evan and his parents for an early dinner (or not so early given I'm still on GMT). I managed to make my train, despite getting out of acupuncture about 18 minutes before it left--my subway karma was good yesterday--which seemed an impossible feat even given the proximity of Union Square and Penn Station. It was frigid in L.I. so I suspect the next week here won't be pretty. Then we headed back into the city, back to Trader Joe's which was out of everything I needed so I have to make another trip in if I want to carry on eating healthily at home.

Partly because Mum and Dad's internet was down, I hadn't ordered my books for the upcoming semester (which is really bad of me, I know). So this morning, I put orders in, ordered at least some of my desk copies, setting up the afternoon to write at least one syllabus--that way I can also get my film orders in and placate the stressed out staff. It's not a deliberate procrastination or provocation--these things need to be done at exactly the worst time--when I'm grading, writing letters of recommendation for students for grad school/Ph.D. programs and when I'm already tired and overworked. I need clarity to decide on the best films, readings etc. which is impossible when I'm submerged in completely different material. Later tonight, Evan and I are heading over to the Met to meet with friends--I hope I can stay alert for a decent amount of time.

On other matters, I have been quite good with my clothing splurges recently (although I have to acknowledge the drain Christmas puts on my finances, like everybody else). I have some (increasingly fading) hopes about items I want to find in the sales which I'll share later. Reduced inventories, the absence of Mayle and the disastrous state of sample sales (like the Rachel Comey sale which I missed as I was in the UK/in the air) suggest little is available cheap and even less of it is worth getting. I'm thinking of getting some more J. Crew toothpick cords as they are now down to around $20, but do I really need a second pair? I like the ones I have but duplicates aren't always necessary.

My sole new UK item (other than some underwear and tights bought on sale) is one I am quite proud of. The only photos of me in it are on my new UK cell phone and I can't download them until I get a US charger, but I did find the following images on line. I like it because it is so fake, so much like feathers rather than fur, and has that aura of British rock star/alterna-chick/art school glamour. Even Mum liked it. Plus it was a mere 30 pounds (I can't find the pound sign on blogger which irritates me somewhat).

I think my main complaints here (and they are minor) is that there are no pockets and the fasteners could be a little bigger and sturdier (they are those frog kind of hooks that are needed for this kind of coat). Still. I am very happy to have this little piece with me--even though it necessitated me bringing back another bag and checking it in so I could get the jacket home. All this for less than the price of a cardigan. Alas, the rest of the sale offerings were not so hot in the UK--like here, everything was picked over and inventories kept very thin. When I get another camera--one that actually works--I'll post photos of me wearing this. I think it is best with skinny pants/jeans or miniskirts and boots but I have a couple of Mayle dresses I think it will complement nicely.

On another note, the UK is still deeply frozen. It was a minor miracle I made it back to the US just one hour late.