All Moved In

Well, sort of.  I mean, my stuff is physically all moved in.  And most of it is actually in the place I want it to be.  But there are ceiling vent replacements on the ground in Home Depot bags.  Decorations still in boxes.  Things large and small weighing me down as they refuse to budge from the to-do list I've concocted on my phone (so that I can access it anywhere...because I'm thinking about it everywhere).

I suppose my current benchmark for "all moved in" will be when I finally spend a full work week doing things that are not home improvement tasks (or paying anyone to do things that might be considered a home improvement task).  Obviously, I will never get to the point where no-caulking-on-a-school-night becomes an unmovable standard, but I think when I hit that first task-less week, it'll really begin to feel like home.

If you're wondering, no, it doesn't yet.  Home is still that old house on Wilson.  I almost drove there after work today.  I wake up in my new bedroom expecting the smells and noises and even the heat distribution of that old house, and truth be told, the new place feels a little empty, a little lonely.  Maybe it's the lack of art on the walls.  Maybe it's the roommate withdrawal.  Maybe it's the fluorescent light in the kitchen that hums like a hospital hallway.  Whatever it is, it makes me a little sad when I wake up.

But I'll get over it.  Because there are plenty of perks about the new place.

(1) There's always street parking.
          One day when they finally turn the old school across the street into condos, that might change, but for now, it's awesome to be able to park in front of my own house without battling nearby renters for the space.

(2) The layout is more morning-efficient.
         I noticed this after a few mornings in the house.  I seemed to consistently be leaving for work on time, despite waking up later or doing a few things before heading out than I usually do.  I thought about it one morning as the very phenomenon was happening, and realized that while shotguns lack in a lot of areas of efficiency (building materials, insulation, privacy), they're quite good for routines.  At the old house, it was back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, but here, I just move down the line from back bedroom to bathroom to kitchen/table to the front door.  Even my newspaper habits are more efficient: I open the door and (bam!) the newspaper is laying on my welcome mat.  I'm sure some people like a good front yard, but as for me, I'll take a newspaper on my front porch any day over something I have to mow!

(3)  There's lots of storage.
         I was terrified about this when I first started thinking about moving in, but it turns out that I've got more than enough space.  There are upper closets that are going completely unused at present, and I've pretty much only got curtains and art in boxes at this point.  I did have to downsize on clothing a little bit, and I don't get to hang all my jeans and sweaters like I used to, but something tells me I'll survive it.

(4) I live alone.
         I think I started transitioning into this a little early by changing with my doors open last month in the old house, but let me just say that it is amazing to be able to walk around my house completely naked without worrying that my roommate with walk through the door at that very moment.  I don't tend to do this.  In fact, I usually prefer being clothed to keep myself warm, but it's the principle of the thing.

(5) I can hear my neighbors through the wall.
         That sounds like a terrible thing, I know, but it's actually not that bad.  I first realized how much sound passes between the units one weekend night when I was painting before moving in.  And I was terrified of what that could mean.  What if I was trying to read and they were listening to Lady Gaga?  What if I was trying to sleep and they were vacuuming?  What if I were trying to vacuum and listen to Lady Gaga, and it turns out that they were trying to sleep?  In the end, though, it's kind of a blessing in disguise.  I can really only hear them in the front two rooms (where it doesn't matter so much), and when I hear something in the dead of night that concerns me, I can just tell myself it's the neighbors walking around their house.  This might get me killed or robbed at some point when I should've heard someone coming, but I'm hoping not.  At least the neighbors would hear me if I screamed.


There are more perks I could mention, but I'm losing steam as I write tonight.  I've spent all of my free time for the last month working on the house: most Saturdays, Sundays when I'm not already booked up to the chin, and work nights.  I even took off a day from work yesterday to relax...and ended up spending most of the day with a crew cleaning my air ducts as I created an expense spreadsheet for the house.  And then I went shopping for the house.  And then I talked about the house as "Jack" and I saw a movie and got dinner at this cool vegan place on Prytania, called "Seed." (I have no idea how they make cheese out of cashews, but it is surprisingly delicious.)

So, I'm going to end this post here (with a few pictures, of course), so that I can climb into bed early and read.  I installed smoke detectors tonight--my house deed for the day--so I feel alright about the fact that the million other parts of my to-do list have to wait a little longer to get done.  I've got time, after all.  I'm not planning on moving anytime soon.

Living Room and Kitchen

Bathroom (a little more cluttered than usual with the impending washer/dryer install--happening tomorrow)

My new washer and dryer, which are only slightly more expensive than what I used to have, but which feel wastefully extravagant for a single person who regularly re-wears dirty clothes to avoid doing laundry.

My piano room.  I'd show you a picture from the other angle, but then you'd get to see a huge pile of boxes instead of the piano, so I thought this was a better option.

My bedroom.  Nothing fancy, but it does the trick.