The intriguing move forward

Moving-in, the big step forward. I'm not sure how all of you coped (/are coping/have coped), but the process of finding an apartment or house is extremely difficult. I'd imagine it's the same situation in any urban area like D.C. or N.Y.C. There's such insurmountable competition for homes; they come on the market (let's say at 12 p.m.), they leave the market (oh, let's estimate 1 p.m., same day). It's such an incredible hassle, but finally over as of this past week.

My housemates (Ryan and Cassie Powers, no relation) and I are signing the lease on Thursday at high noon and likely moving in over the next week and so. The numb quality of a mutual joblessness and homelessness subsides in favor of new feeling somewhat akin to that "First Day of School" vibe. The next week of shopping for the house and preparing the house and life for work and independent living reminds me of shopping for the pencils and pens, the notebooks and school year clothing. The imminence of work and life is no longer unnerving to any small degree: I am, in fact, eager.

I'll try to post some pictures of the house and independent life here when I can.

As far as reading, I feel like I'm an odd one out. I just finished Everything is Illuminated, which puts me way behind the curve, right? I'm starting The Fountainhead to see what Ayn Rand's all about and I've been trudging through some riveting literature on early Anglo-Saxon and Norman workings: The Making of the Middle Ages by R.W. Southern and The Anglo-Saxon Age: c. 400-1042 by D.J.V. Fisher. Sometimes I manage to read a bit from an enjoyable catalogue of European penchant for everything English, a book Andrew Miller gave me entitled Anglomania: A European Love Affair, Ian Buruma.

I know many people dislike Christopher Hitchens, but for all of his curses and alcoholism, I find him to be one of the greatest writers and orators on the question of reason vs. faith. In fact, perhaps his being only an editor to a collection of essays makes The Portable Atheist a more agreeable book to a wider audience. The stories within are fascinating and eye-opening to the great number of modern authors who have contributed to independent thought on morality and the non-existence of supernatural beings.