Life in my new place is becoming more usual and quite a lot less unfamiliar. I now know my way around pretty well; it turns out the best way to get your bearings is to get lost. Many times. It does help to have a map, though, and I am lucky enough to have thoughtful landlords who had an extra one on their hands which they gifted/lent to me. The upside of getting lost is that the scenery is something else. This is the most glorious autumn I have ever seen. The trees are blooming with colour; scarlets (my favourites), burnt oranges, golds, and greens blend together on the sides of the road and make the world look like a painting. The leaves have been fluttering down onto the hood of my car every time I park it at home, so that when I go to leave, I drive away and the wind picks them up and sends them flying behind me. It's kind of fun.
I've fallen into my place at work, I think. Getting used to new ways of doing things took a little time, but I'm pretty confident that I've picked everything up now. The new team I've joined was extremely welcoming and is very helpful. My new manager is really nice and makes jokes even when she's too busy to do anything else.
I've discovered that the best time to come up with fantastic story ideas is when I'm in the back room at work, methodically unpacking stock. I had what I like to think of as a minor epiphany the other day when I was hanging pea coats. I have a whole pile of finished but need rewriting/half finished/barely begun/scattered ideas waiting for me to pick them up again. I'm hoping I will get some more time to write in November.
Recently my "days off" have turned into "days filling in for sick people at work", which has been just fine by me; more hours is exactly what I need, and I like feeling that I'm helping out.
All right, enough about work. There's a darling bookshop in town about a fifteen minute walk away, and a pretty exciting thrift store (exciting because I discovered a set of Pickwick Papers, the lovely green centennial edition, for $2 each!). It's like a treasure hunt going into that part of town. If I go to the library, I don't even have to pay for the treasures I find. I've been getting Broadway musicals like My Fair Lady and Cinderella to listen to in the car on my way to and from work, and it is positively delightful.
I've been having car troubles, but luckily the Canadian Tire around here is just down the street, so I'm taking it in for the second time tomorrow and I'm planning on strolling around my favourite little area of town while I wait for it. Or perhaps I will just sit and read.
