SitRep on New Mexico

I’ve been on the quiet side lately as I try to get settled here in Las Cruces and figure out how to make this whole crazy thing work. I will write something a bit more detailed and emotionally richer in the next day or so, but wanted to just let folks know that I’m fine. I am renting a room in a house that has its own bathroom, is quite big, and has a pleasant view of a green backyard and blue sky.

(There is a large closet just on the other side of the tall bookcase on the right of the above picture that runs almost the length of that wall – probably about 8′ or so wide and 2.5′ – 3′ deep and with lots of shelves.)

Sure, the room isn’t decorated in what you would call, “LtL style,” but it’s nice and big and quite and the woman (K.S.) who owns the house seems pleasant enough and there are two cats living here as well. K.S. had rented out this house before she moved in herself, so neither of us quite understand the dried flowers in picture frames that are on the wall in my bathroom.

So, I have a place to live for $340/month with all utilities included, including cable internet. Yes, it’s not my own place, but for the nonce it will do just fine.

The job situation is . . . in progress. I’m not sure what I would be doing right now if my folks hadn’t been able to float me some money when I got down to Las Cruces, but they did and as long as I’m careful I have a least enough to get through 45 or so days. Hopefully I’ll be working before then – actually, let’s re-parse: I will be working before then. Currently I’ve signed up with Manpower and yesterday I did all the online application stuff for Kelly Services and will be going into their offices later this week. I’ve posted some public speaking coaching ads on Craigslist, both here and in El Paso and will just have to see how that goes. Meanwhile I continue to peruse help wanted ads and will also sign up with a couple other temp agencies later this week. In the meantime, I spend my mornings doing the job search, afternoons doing various errands or other tasks (like getting unemployment deferments for my student loans), and evenings I’m starting to get into the writing habit once more (look for a future post on my 500 Words for 50 Days pledge), and have been reading what many consider the first Gothic Novel, The Mystery of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe as research for a potential project with my friend Jen.

That’s the short of it. I’m going to do a bit of exploring outside of the city this weekend and will post some pics of anything I find interesting.

In the meantime, I will be trying to not let myself get overwhelmed by the mundane, practical problems that need solutions and, without neglecting them, focus on the new, the interesting and the peace and quiet that I have, quite literally, in my backyard.

On this day..

• A New Poem - 2009