Verticality and itching fingers

I've stepped into a new phase in my life: city life. Everything is upwards; I live on the third floor, and my art studio down the street also happens to be on the third floor. Plus, everything I could ever want or need is pretty much within walking distance... Before I know it, I'll have legs of steel. Until then, I'll be feeling the ill effects of an out-of-shape cardiovascular system.
I've only been here for about three days, but I'm amazed at how comfortable I am already. I'm not sure where certain things are, like the post office or office supply store, but I do know where the grocery store is. That's a start, right? I'm living with a co-worker and his wife and kids, although the first ten days here will be spent alone.
In some ways, that's kind of nice. I get the house to myself... no hustle and bustle. I can sit in silence and not get distracted by being social -- which is all too easily done. However, on the flipside of the coin it would be great to have someone to be social with. Today I felt a small pang of loneliness; I didn't see a single person today, mostly because my chores kept me indoors all day. I also saw some friends yesterday that I know I won't be seeing again for quite a while. But ah, tomorrow- tomorrow I will be out for most of the day.
I can't wait.
Tomorrow I will be meeting up with a grad student at PAFA and he's going to show me around the school. After that I will be joining him in his weekly prayer group, and I'll get to meet more people. Awesome.

The great thing the location of where I'm living right now is that my art studio is just a five minute walk down the street. Every fiber in my being wants to spend time there pretty much every day this week, so my hope and aim is to spend some hours there in the mornings starting tomorrow. There are a number of ideas whirling around in my head, but a more recent one will have my attention first and foremost because it will be the easiest to execute. The others are still rattling around in there, restless, but they'll get to come out and play soon enough. It'll just take some time to adjust and get things organized in the studio space.
Part of my creative efforts left me perusing through animal skulls and taxidermy on eBay earlier today -- perhaps for more time than I really should have spent doing that. Part of me thinks it strange to want to build up a collection of animal skulls and taxidermy (specifically, bird wings), but you know what, unless I learn the art of taxidermy myself it's the only way I think I'm going to be able to really study and draw these things. Typically it's from photographs, and I can only go so far with doing that.
I'm not sure where this fascination will lead me in my artwork, but I'm excited for it.
With that in mind, I'm going back to eBay to see if I can snipe a starling pelt.