This is a Texan post. I don’t quite know what that means yet, other than the fact that it’s not Charlotte, and it will take months–years, perhaps–to articulate the difference. I do know this is our first post after a long hiatus, and as such, it should be special. That’s why it’s being written from my favorite spot at Snug, the bustling coffeehouse built by Lady Cheerington and King Calm in the heart of a historic town square.
The whole writing-in-a-coffeehouse scene is played, I know, but hear me out. There’s something special about Snug. Indeed, this place accounted for half of the good memories I gleaned from Dallas, during my exploratory trip back in September. It just feels like home, I guess, from the name to the decor to the edibles. Also! Also, what makes this coffee shop experience unique is I’m not wearing skinny jeans, nor am I a penniless screenwriter, so rest assured this is the same brand of handcrafted, slightly smug post you’ve come to expect.
The old Charlotte life feels like an eon ago, with the horrors of eBay subsiding into softer, still-horrific silhouettes of themselves. Yeah, it’s going to be a long while before I get nostalgic about that shit. As far as Dallas itself goes, it’s probably best to say I’m undecided about the place. The moment I crossed the border into Texas, it was, like, “Yep, there’s the vast, dry, and yellow expanse I remember.” To be fair, it’s the wintertime. But even as I say this, the saltier part of me suspects it will be vast, dry, yellow, and extra hot during the warmer months. I’m here for the people and the career opportunity, though, this much I know, and if I somehow put down roots along the way, then all the better. “Putting down roots.” I dig that imagery. You never see it actually happening, but then you look again, one fine day, and find yourself grounded.
Secondhand Rants is currently on hiatus and may return, possibly, on Tuesday, January 14.
This Thursday, in a measure you may well have anticipated, oh, a month or two ago, we will be instituting an official hiatus. This is a first in Secondhand Rants history, namely the “official” part. Truancy itself has long been a part of our fabric, with frequent absences marking the early days of this site and, in recent weeks, a grand return to form. You would think our de facto hiatus made the call that much easier, but I still hemmed and hawed, then hemmed and hawed some more.
The cost will be great. Not for you, of course, because there’s plenty of content for you to consume on the Internet, and having six fewer paragraphs to skim each week will barely register a blip. For me, though, these missives are how I hone my brain, and already I can feel myself getting duller. The time spent on writing, however, can and must be yoked to furthering my Dallas move.
Do you remember Maslow’s pyramid? I rightly don’t, because I either flunked or dropped out of Psych 101 before I could flunk, but I was reminded of it when the Chief baked it into a PowerPoint deck for work. There is simply no time now for the loftier items on that pyramid: no self-actualization, no writing, no stopping. I have but one goal: transplant my tired husk to Frisco. The main deterrent to this end is eBay, at the moment, because they seem hell-bent on limiting success with their artificial selling limits. I shit you not, I moved more than three grand of product one night–due cause for celebration, right?–and then was promptly cut off from selling more. They were able to raise that limit by a touch, but I’m maxed out again, after peddling $1,500 worth of moichandize tonight. One thing at a time, though. With any luck, I’ll be able to sell, sell, sell again tomorrow morning. And then perhaps in the new year, on a normal Tuesday or Thursday night, we can reconvene–in better times, as our better selves.