I write this at my new abode, a two-bedroom flat in Oakland proper. I have my own room, but there are cats. Yesterday I moved, thanks to my sister's car and the intermittent help of friends.

Strong memories I have of yesterday include the strong scent of barbecued meat from Flint's BBQ near my old place, incredible back pain from helping Benoit's family lug its anvils (disguised as suitcases) to the Ashby BART station, and the hope and belief -- whilst lugging my computer monitor up and down stairs -- that someday everyone will have flat-screens.

I'll miss Benoit and Paulina especially, and the large kitchen and the location. I liked a lot of things about my old place, but I'm glad I only stayed there a semester.

Yesterday, just before Benoit's family left, I got a call from the manager of Cody's Bookstore at Telegraph and Haste. He offered me a full-time job, and I accepted. I'll start tomorrow. I feel very relieved to be done with the job search and with moving. Yes, I have to unpack and train and get used to a new lifestyle, but right now I can actually see past the nuisances to look forward to it.

Zack and I had dinner last night at the Chinese place next to the movie theater on Shattuck. It's now called "Gourmet House" or something like that and the emphasis on their water filtration is much reduced. I was glad to see him and experience a respite from the stress of the day. At one point I tried to explain why I had quoted his recent dream in my journal. I ended up saying that it somehow embodied him for me, his amusing and cutting application of systematic logic to a huge pile of domain knowledge in areas I barely know, such as magic and speculative fiction. I think most of my friends do this sort of thing, which is why they're my friends.