The Apartment

I like our apartment, which was a relief since the first time I had a chance to see it in person was the day we moved in. We had some challenges figuring out where to put everything (we ended up having to store Dan's bike off-site), but we've finally found a home for all of our stuff. A few notable things about our place:

• There is a washer and dryer in the basement. This means that, for the first time in three plus years, I do not have to go to the Laundromat. Score!

• Our bathroom is yellow. Not happy yellow; late 70s mustard yellow. Actually, it is really three slightly different colors of yellow. The tub and sink are one color, the toilet is another, and the tile on the walls is yet another. It ain't pretty, but we've managed to make it work.

• We are on the top floor, so we have no one above us, and the people down below us are blissfully quiet, except we sometimes hear them having sex. Luckily, they are a cute couple (I'm sorry, but I would be lying if I said it wouldn't make a difference if they were old or ugly), and it is not freakish, scary sex--just normal sex. Hearing them actually isn't so bad because, given my competitive nature, I do not want to be outsexed and usually decide it is important that I have sex, too. Not such a bad thing, I think. :)
  

• The neighbors across the hall from us, on the other hand, are slightly nightmarish. They have two small children--an infant and a toddler--who scream and cry constantly. It is not normal crying and screaming; it is demonic, endless screaming and crying. The kids are up at all hours of the night, and their parents don't seem to think it's important to put them on any type of schedule. Even better, their parents sometimes yell and curse at them and they smoke in the apartment; a nice cloud of stale cigarette smoke emerges from their door every time they open it. Great parents. Really.
  

• Oh, and above parents also have decided that the only place to store their unwanted crap is in the hallway. Love it. We haven't decided yet how to handle this, as they seem like the type of people who could make our lives miserable if we make an issue of it.
  

• We have off-street parking, which has been a godsend. The streets here are narrow, hilly, and usually crowded with cars. Worst possible scenario for this not-so-hot parallel parker.

• There is single-stream recycling here. No more sorting my paper from my cardboard from my glass from my plastic--yay!

• There are a good number of restaurants within walking distance of our place, and there is a Dunkin' Donuts right down the street (which could be very dangerous). I was excited to learn that there was a Mexican restaurant closeby; unfortunately, it is not real Mexican food and is definitely no Mi Ranchito. I hear, however, that they have great margaritas, so I will likely be giving those a try. The library, also within walking distance, is in a lovely old building, and there's a post office just around the corner. And, of course, the train station half a block away is truly awesome. All in all, the neighborhood gets a thumbs up.
  

It has taken a while, but our apartment is finally starting to feel like home. I really needed a place where I felt like I could get away from everything, so we've put a lot of effort into getting everything unpacked, getting pictures hung, etc. Luckily, since I've been sans job, I've been able to get a lot done, and it now feels like a cozy, happy place. Well, except for our neighbors, but I guess you can't have it all.