After finding a place in Albany, which is #58 on the grid below, I headed to Delaware yesterday to drop off some paperwork and the dissertation draft to the secretary in my department. Lots of friendly hellos from folks since I've been gone since December. The room reservation checked out, as did the paperwork, so I then moved on to something a bit more enjoyable--shopping at IKEA. To the best of my knowledge, the closest IKEA to Albany is in Buffalo, which might as well be Philadelphia. The drive from Newark to Philadelphia was something bittersweet. I hated that commute for three years while attending the University of Delaware and living in Philadelphia, but it always made me feel like a real Easterner, zipping down I95 between NYC, PHL, BLT, and DC without a care.
IKEA is one of those places that sucks me into the material culture of our nation. I loathe it. I also, well, adore that store! The Scandinavian design aesthetic is something rare at a discount rate. When I realized they sold unique fabric, there was no way I was ever going to come back to this city without popping in for a yard or two. Last night I stayed at my old place--540B--in West Philly. Its a community house with great character that deserves its own post sometime. This very moment I'm sitting in my old bedroom where the green walls are empty, devoid of all my ephemera. Sigh. Two of the mates invited me to a SuperTuesday party with friends from UPenn, very cool. Oh yeah, my girl won.
Today I drive to Rochester, but not before a stop at Trader Joe's and Fabric Row on 4th Street in South Philly. I'm also thrilled to be here for Ash Wednesday, which I'm planning to observe at the Basilica in Center City. Four cities in 48 hours. Whew.
1 comment:
in all my attempts to buy handmade & local or from companies who are at least doing good with the excessive money they do make, i share in your vice. there is just something about ikea that makes my heart go all a-flutter! :)
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