Contagious Offspring, A Child's Machiavelli, And More Packing For The Big Move

[dr_pretentious]

I can't tell if I was loopy when I wrote this week's Black Gate post, or whether it's clear but I'm so loopy now that I can't read it. Conrad picked up a summer cold somewhere, and now that he's getting better, the cold is kicking my butt. In any case, how far wrong can you go with illustrations from Claudia Hart's brilliant satire, A Child's Machiavelli: A Primer on Power? Okay, silly question, you can go farther wrong with Machiavelli than with most authors, but in this case, it's a brilliant form of wrongness, sort of the way Fountains of Wayne was gloriously wrong with Stacy's Mom.

In other news, our plans to leave our beloved house and, more to the point, its dreadful school district, continue apace. I started packing my books back in January. I'm still on the books. This does in fact say as much about how many books we have as it says about how slow my packing process has been. We're picking up the pace now, and in a week or so will get to things that are not books.

So, local New Jersey peeps, if you have packing materials in good shape that you're looking to get rid of, we'd be happy to free up your attic space. And if you're keen to buy a lovely 100-year-old craftsman house in a town with bad schools but excellent neighbors, drop me a message.

Comments

[jaime-sama.livejournal.com]

You can't have been too out of it, because you wrote this: "If the Metamorphoses were a blog, every post would have cut text with PTSD trigger warnings." Which is love.

That Machiavellian text with the Little Prince illustration does make me feel loopy too, and I'm not on any cold medicines. :)

Best of luck with the move... it is a lovely house, would be perfect for anyone for whom the school district isn't a concern, hope it sells for you!

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Staying local or moving a little more far afield?

[gwisteria.livejournal.com]

Where are you moving to sweetie? And are you coming to fsg? She asks with hope in her heart...

[laradionne.livejournal.com]

I feel you on the whole book packing thing. When I had to move out of the house in AZ I was so overwhelmed by the book packing that I had a moment of insanity, packed up 14 boxes of books (This did not even empty one bookcase which I suspect says something about my double-stacking of the shelves where possible and also the size of the bookcases we once had) and sent the rest of the 14 bookcases worth of books out with the estate sale auction stuff. I regret that I didn't have the patience to pack at least 2 more boxes of books... however, someone out there now has an entire series, plus some single books autographed by Vonda McIntyre that they got super cheap... at least I managed to hang on to Dreamsnake!

Is this the move to Maryland that you are packing for? If so maybe I ought to come for a visit again once the summer colds have gone. I'll even help pack!

[showingup.livejournal.com]

You can't have been too out of it, because you wrote this: "If the Metamorphoses were a blog, every post would have cut text with PTSD trigger warnings." Which is love.

It's genius.

What J'aime said about the house and the moving. May it all go well and smoothly and swiftly.

[citabria]

Damn, sorry to hear that the school district hasn't improved. Where are you planning to move to?

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Somebody who isn't me and has way more time than I do should write a blog of Ovid, along the lines of Chaucer Hath a Blogge.

Thank you both for the well-wishes about the house. If we can once get the place into showable condition and keep it that way, I'm not too worried about finding a buyer. Getting it that neat with the two kids underfoot, though, will be a challenge, and keeping it that way may be impossible.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Going home to the DC area. My parents are there, Dan's father is there, both our respective sisters and their families are there. The school issue was going to force us to move anyway, so we asked ourselves where we wanted to be, and All Became Clear.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Maryland, southern Montgomery County specifically, within commuting distance of Bethesda. We will be at FSG for the weekend this year, probably arriving early-ish on the Friday. Next year, we'll practically be locals.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

It is indeed the Maryland move, and please, please come help me pack!

I've been purging my books since January, and I can't imagine giving up 14 bookcases worth. Oof. Posterity will read about this kind of thing in their ereaders, or brainware, or whatever, and they won't even be able to picture it.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Rockville-ish, Kensington-ish, Silver Spring-ish. Commuting distance to Bethesda, lower Montgomery County, not too much further specified. I'm rooting for Rockville.

[citabria]

That's ... that's ... south! Very far south! Eeeep!

[kistha.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it's all working out for you. Luck with house and the move.

[laradionne.livejournal.com]

I might be able to swing coming over on Monday (June 3rd), but give me a call because all of my plans are tentative these days.