cold house/cute hamsters

Initially the transition from being in Spain to being in Texas was easy...I think it was because I had so many distractions at first. Now that school's started and I feel myself starting to sink into some sort of insignificant despair. It's that my classes are messed up and I'm not used to where I live. I run the risk of being in a boring class with 12 books on the reading list unless I can move up one spot on a waitlist for another class before Thursday. Everything at my house is fine, mostly. We have a horrible (and nasty) toilet clog problem that can only be remedied by a plumber. Besides that I'm cold because there's no heat and it's cold in Texas again. And our internet is not stable since I'm stealing until we get the proper wireless equipment. Besides the temporary stuff, I'm having trouble getting used to living like this. I think the sheer size of this place is hard for me to handle. I don't feel scared when I'm alone at the house, I just feel distant from everything else. My room is tucked away in the attic. I've decorated and turned it into my space, but then it leaves me very little incentive to use the rest of the house. Just going to the kitchen to cook dinner feels like I'm traveling to another country. I want to utilize the space here better but I don't feel like I need it. I've also started to figure out my routes to school and where exactly this house is located in relation to everything else I know around here. Walking to campus isn't bad at all with some shortcuts. I just feel really isolated from the hum of the semi-city that makes up the radius around UT. Although I lived alone in my apartment last year I could always hear people walking around, cars driving by, buses, neighbors and I was close to many of my friends. Living over here I'm in a random house on a quiet street. I suppose it's my heart beating for something more urban.

My new pets are making life much cuter. Before I left Houston I went to get Olive to load him into the car for the trip to Austin. I immediately noticed blood sprayed all over his cage. I ran over not knowing what to expect. I thought maybe his foot would be gnawed off. It wasn't and there weren't any obvious signs of injury. I still don't know what happened to him, but it left blood all over the cage...on every glass wall, on his food bowl and everywhere else, except him. He was already messed up from a stroke, so I left him in Houston with my mom to spare him the ride to Austin. I thought he wouldn't make it--though apparently he's doing okay in Houston. Yesterday I adopted two Robo hamsters. I was very opposed to hamsters my whole life, but these ones are smaller and adorable. I am trying to make them more tame because they're really skittish and they dart around at rapid speeds. I think (hope) they're two girls. I haven't decided on names. Right now they're running in their little wheel together. Everything they do is SO cute.

Maybe I'll put up some pictures if I can ever capture them on camera.