my new apartment

my new apartment

• 5.04.2014

I've lived here for maybe 2 weeks now but it some ways it feels like less and more all at the same time.

Like any relationship, we are still learning about each other day by day.

The bedroom is phenomenally dark in the mornings. This is great for sleeping but not great for waking up. I used to spring out of bed at 6:15-30 every day ... now it's a struggle. I also have all the hot water my heart could desire. The downside of the hot water, the exposed brick, and even floors? Less storage everywhere. Everywhere being I used to have 4 closets and now I have 1...

The lack of storage resulted in me hiring a stranger off the internet to come and organize my cabinets for me. It was the best $75 I've spent in a long time. "Chris" asked me if I was able to help but I told that I had to "work on a deck". But what I really did was watch Hulu in bed and eat cheddar blasted goldfish. Turns out Chris thought a "deck" was an actual deck that you would sit on ... as opposed to a powerpoint deck. Different lives.

Since moving to this new building, I've met a few of my neighbors ... and other neighborhood characters. In the event I was concerned about meeting the neighbors on this side of the hood, my concerns have subsided. Here are a few of the quick interactions:

• Jeanie works in a hospital and has lived in the building for 9 years. She makes the 9 years seem like she's the youngest person in the building. I'd describe Jeanie as "zesty". On moving day, Jeanie came by with Grace to say hi and see if Eleanor was around. Jeanie is a self-described "cat lady". Grace looks like Whitey Bulger's girlfriend. She wore her sunglasses the entire time. Grace has lived here longer than Jeanie.
• On Saturday, I was coming back from a walk and met Debbie. Debbie lives next to me and recently had knee surgery. For the small favor of carrying up all her groceries, she told me ALL  the details about her surgery. Debbie hurt her knee when she fell off a "dragon boat" last summer. She is apparently quite the paddler but due to her surgery won't get to go to Italy with the team. Bummer.
• I recently met my "super" Gino. I've never had a "super" before. Gino came by because he put up a sign asking if anyone's toilets were running. Mine is. The catch? Gino can't hear the running toilet ... because he's "older". We had a rather great moment where we were both standing in my bathroom in a verbal game of chicken. "I can hear it. Can you?" "No...." "Oh..." "Is it still running?" "Yes...." "Are you sure? Do you know what a running toilet sounds like?"

I'm considering my first full weekend here a success. If only I can get the toilet to stop running ...