June 28, 2020

Day of the greatest exertion since the Plague began. Finally my university office is packed up, that tremendous load of books either boxed or distributed across the various departmental bookcases. Next is to get everything down to the car. I learned I really can’t do it on my own, more than a few boxes at a go. Will consider the handcart. The job was agonizing and endless, I thought while doing it, but when I looked at the clock realized all had been accomplished before 11 AM. Tedium outstripping actual extent.

Uncovered objects I thought lost, or simply hadn’t thought about in years, first volumes from my students, old scripts with my speeches marked and blocking scribbled in the margins, postcards from people I don’t remember, Christmas cards in Irish, photos of long-ago sojourns by the sea.