FAT ALBERT, TELEVISION, SITTING, SELLING AND LEAVING

The other day I was riding the bus in Austin and I noticed a woman wearing a t-shirt with the image of Fat Albert and his gang watching television in amazement, and the image of the twin towers under attack appearing on the television screen. The text said something like, "September 11, 2001: The Day Everything Changed." I wondered why anyone would produce such a shirt, much less purchase it, much less wear it, much less wear it in public.

Yesterday I spent most of the day loading a giant crate with my furniture and boxed items. It's one of these services where they leave the crate at your door, you load it up and they take it away. Then in two weeks or so, it appears at your new address. Unfortunately that means that for two weeks or so, I will be living with only the possessions that fit in the trunk of my car, my dog, and an air mattress.

I have to admit that I miss my television quite a bit. Not because there was anything interesting on, but just because it made my life less quiet, and less contemplative. It was a simple way to fill empty moments in my life. I often had it on with the sound muted. I was raised with television as a constant presence, and I notice when it isn't around.

The only thing I miss more than my television are places to sit. It is really hard to do anything in your house if you have no place to sit down besides the floor and the toilet.

This past weekend I had a moving sale. I knew the so-called "earlybirds" existed, but I didn't realize how aggresive they could be. The sale was posted as starting at 8 am, but people were on my front porch and looking through my windows by 7:15 am. About a quarter of the items I was selling were snatched up the moment I brought them out of my home. Someone even bought the microwave that at one time had a roach living in its clock. I made nearly $300 in total, with about $30 coming from items left in my house by former roommates - THAT'S 10%!!!

When am I leaving, you ask. I'm really milking the whole moving thing, you say. Damn, this is the first time I've done something like this in my life, except for Boston, but that was just for one summer, and it was a total disaster. Give me a break! Anyway, my plan is to litigate my first trial this coming Monday and to be in El Paso or New Mexico by Tuesday night.