A Shiny New Home

Tuesday night I got the keys to the Promised Land.

That's what I call my new apartment.  The place itself isn't any bigger- in fact, except for the second full bathroom (I know, right?) it's probably smaller.  Still, everything is in great condition, the building is nice and quiet, partking is plentiful, and crime rates are super low.  I met Maintanence Andy to go through the place and make sure everything was in order, and found out he actually lived in the same building.  He mentioned the insulation is good so he never hears his neighbors, and that most of the old people (which is about 40% of the building's population) take the good parking spots in front of the building near the elevator.

While I've been excited to get out of my crappy neighborhood, up to this point I haven't been really excited about the new space.  And no one actually LIKES moving stuff.  But standing in my new home, a cold Sam Adams in one hand and a new set of keys in the other, I felt it.

Deciding where things go is an intimidating chore for me.  My spacial memory is not great, so just because in my brain my couch would fit in a certain spot doesn't mean it will in reality.  I have a general idea of what rooms furniture will go in, but how they will be arranged?  I think I'll just have to do that on the fly.

Also, I'm pretty sure I have way too much furniture.  My current (old?) place has a pretty big floorplan (was able to fit THREE couches in the living room) whereas the new space is a little more... conservative.  Luckily, I have a HUGE storage space, and it's not even through a creepy-ass basement!*

I'm getting that "fresh start" feeling.  It's like, Ultra-Spring Cleaning.  I've purged a lot since I'd really rather not move crap I never use, and I know I'll purge even more when unpacking.  It's exciting and scary to be the only one on the lease- a place that's mine and mine only.  Ok, it's not like I OWN it, but it's my own responsibility to maintain it and pay for it.  I feel like I'm finally ready for this.

*My current building is an old Catholic school built in the late 1800's.  The foundation is stone, and in order to get to the storage rooms in the basement you must first walk through the dimply lit old offices with warped wood panel, the creepy echo-y hallway, into a room I call the "pit" since it's not unlike the pit of despair with one bare bulb lighting it, THEN into the catacombs where the storage spaces are.  I try to never go down there alone. 

Naked Cartwheels

It’s been an incredibly busy couple of weeks. I work to post at least twice a week, sometimes more, and it’s been tough to find the time. I’ve had meetings every day at work, some with a prominent political figure in this city (who may be my representative but for whom I did not cast my vote). This past weekend Dad visited, hockey Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday night My Runner and I and Mom and Mr. Fixit went to a dinner party at Mop and Face’s place.

Tonight my calendar had “6pm, Whipple St.” I was scheduled to look at a half a duplex to rent. It was cute, had a lot of space, a yard, and was in a quiet neighborhood. Best of all it was within my price range. The owners are a friend of a friend, so it came with a recommendation.

I assume you noticed that all the verbs in the last paragraph are in past tense. I got an email from the owner today that he had rented it out last night. I knew I had gotten too excited about this place. I had even described it to someone as “the one; we’re meant for each other.” But it’s been on the market for a while, and the owners were (understandably) looking to rent it out sooner rather than later.

I’m bummed, but working through it. How? With naked cartwheels. Tonight, instead of having an appointment, instead of scheduling anything, instead of having to see another living person, I’m home. All alone. Well, Fred T. Ferret, is here, but no humans. My cousin/roommate is home for spring break, and I’m taking advantage of an empty apartment and a canceled appointment for some MUCH needed *me* time.

Ok, Leeapeea, but naked cartwheels? That was Face’s idea. I’m sure it was one of those offhand things, “Oh, your roommate’s gone? What are you going to do? Naked Cartwheels! Ha!” Except it’s turned into something more than that. Metaphorically, naked cartwheels represents ultimate freedom and joy. Not only do you have the space to perform a free-wheeling acrobatic attempt, but you also have the privacy to do it disrobed. THAT’S freedom, my friends.

A good life is a life of balance. I love my friends, my family, My Runner, but I also love me. I have to balance my time with everyone else with some me time. Tonight brought the scales back to true. If you’ve been feeling overstressed, overwhelmed, overtaxed, over burdened, take my advice: naked cartwheels.

Aloha, Final Party

The 5th Annual Luau was held this past weekend, and it was a success.  I know so many wonderful and fun people, and I'm glad to host an opportunity for them to all meet each other.  As Sherpa said, “You know a lot of people!”  It’s true.  They’re all fun and nice and wonderful in their own way, and I was happy to have them all in one spot.  It also gave me a chance to invite all the awesome folks I’ve met through My Runner and introduce them to the awesome folks that are a part of my life.

This is the last party that will be held in the hallowed walls of apartment 206.  The Seacoast contingent arrived, looking around and saying, "I forgot how great your apartment is." (They don't visit frequently enough.  HINT.)  Yeah, I said, I know...  And we all had a moment of silence as we pre-mourned the passing of an era. 

So, in honor of my apartment and it's ability to host and hold some pretty phenomenal parties, a memorial of sorts to the evenings of fun (and sometimes not so fun) held at 206.  If you have fond (or horrid or funny) memories of any of these gatherings, feel free to share.  (Click any pictures to see larger.)

Housewarming, Nov. 2004: Held shortly after Smarty Pants and I moved in, the housewarming was a SAUSAGE FEST, with exactly three girls in attendance.  Smarty, Face, and yours truly.  This was the first AND LAST time Twister was played in our apartment.  Shortly after the epic Twister bouts I decided to get renter's insurance.

Oscar Party, Feb. 2005: A small gathering to watch the 2005 Oscars.  Hors d'herves and champagne, formal attire, and a red carpet (well, a swath of red fabric safety pinned to the actual carpet).    The most civil of the early parties.

The First Annual Luau, Feb. 2005: A large gathering, the first luau went off quite well until I realized that the guy I was with was sleeping with another woman and wanted her to come to the party.  I distinctly remember chucking his clothes at him from the bedroom and screaming at him to leave (he was quite in the luau spirit in a coconut bra and grass skirt).  Other than that, it was lovely.  Note: The ex and the coconut bra made a return at this year's Luau.  I did not throw clothing, and I knew beforehand he was sleeping with somebody else, as am I.  All is well now.  :-D

Cinco de Mayo, May 2005: made chipotle pigs in a blanket, managed NOT to poison friends with Mom's margarita recipe.  There was talk of making this annual as well, but the party fuse was running low finally.

Talk Like A Pirate Party, Sept. 2005: this party commemorated International Talk Like a Pirate Day.  What?  Pirates were cool once.  Plus I got to use the corset I bought for a play a second time.  And MrFaceHead came in a full parrot costume.  He is teh awesome.  Proudest about: serving orange wedges to prevent scurvvy.  Arrrr.

Smarty Pant’s Surprise Birthday, Dec. 2005: Since Smarty’s birthday falls neatly in between Christmas and New Years, it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves.  Face and I resolved to MAKE it have the attention it deserved.  Smarty was surprised.  She cried.  It was awesome.

2nd Annual Luau, Feb. 2006: they start to run together... but I'm pretty sure this is the one where a guy threw up strawberry daiquiri all over the living room floor. 

Toga Party, June 2006: for my 26th birthday I held a Toga Party.  One friend came with his new girlfriend and they were the ONLY ones not in togas.  We made them wear really ugly sheets.  They've since stopped coming to my parties.

The Heist, Aug. 2006: for The Boy's 31st birthday I arranged for him to be kidnapped, tossed in an unmarked cargo van, and charged, by Jimmy Baggadonuts to find the McGuffin Statue.  Obviously my wonderful and awesome friends filled out the cast of characters.  It went off without a hitch, proving that not only are all my friends closet actors, but I am a kickass heist planner.  Research for this was fun.  :-)

3rd Annual Luau, Feb. 2007: this year it snowed 16 inches the night of the luau, and there was a parking ban in Manchester.  People walked 5 blocks in the snow in sandals.  The Boy took my offer to "invite friends" a little too liberally, inviting people he knew only from playing pool at Strangebrew who brought along even more strangers.  Max apartment capacity was reached that night at a total of 51 guests.  I was not amused.

Halloween, Oct. 2007: Smarty was in Budapest this fall, so the entire invite list was up to me.  This resulted in a number of theatre people attending, which is great/horrible for a costume party.  A contingent of actors came from the production of Pirates of Penzance, and I’m pretty sure some of them were getting it on in the shower.  Most notable costume: one friend’s girlfriend came as a Succubus, a costume that consisted of black booty shorts, black bat wings, and black latex body paint.  Yes, that’s it.

NYE 2007, Dec. 2007/Jan. 2008: this should have been the end of The Boy and me, but I'm stubborn and a glutton for punishment I guess.  Carnie Irene made her pox-filled appearance this year, prompting The Boy to spend time exclusively with her, dancing with her (while no one else was dancing, mind you), touching her, and being with her when it was time for NYE kisses.  This night I left without saying good-bye and stayed at Face's house.  He hadn't noticed I was gone.  He was upset that he had to clean everything up by himself.  Boo-hoo.

4th Annual Luau, Feb. 2008: I think this was the year my towel rack in front of the toilet was broken as someone drunkenly fell against it.  There was also some girl… someone’s friend of a friend, maybe, who was trying to kiss all the other girls.  And this was the year half the female contingent showed up in bikini tops.  I don’t know what kind of hormones were in the water, but they seemed to be the horny kind.

Halloween, Oct. 2008: I was stop number one on people's party-hopping list.  While it was nice that everyone came, it was a little sad that I had 4 people in my apartment at midnight.  I whined about it because I am 5 years old.

First 29th Birthday Surprise, June 2009: This time *I* was the one who was surprised.  I managed not to pee my pants and was inebriated enough to give EVERYONE at the party hugs.  I was not so inebriated that I couldn’t figure out that The Boy could never have pulled this off by himself, so thanks to Face and Smarty for the best first 29th birthday a girl could have.

5th Annual Luau, Feb. 2010: after a hiatus in 2009 the Luau was back with a vengeance.  This year the tikki gods saw fit to cut half the power to the building, affording ambiance while still being able to run the blenders. Hula and Limbo contests were a rousing success.  Statistics: Rum Consumed: 2 1/2 handles + approx 300 mL of 151.  Ice Used: 20lbs.  Inflatable Fish Sacrificed: 2.  Lei'd at the door: Everyone.

Moving On

After living in my apartment since October, 2004, I'm moving out this spring.

Why?  Well, the neighborhood has never been great.  When Smarty Pants and I were living there together, her car was broken into more than once, and mine was stolen (and eventually found in Cambridge, MA).  There's a lady that lives in the building across the alley who does not take her meds, so in the summer when all the windows are open you can hear her screaming that she's being raped.  She's not.  We called the police the first time we heard her and they confirmed that she's skitzophrenic and often forgets to medicate.  The side street is littered with dog poop and trash.  I've heard children being verbally and physically abused on our streets.  I've witnessed the same children being completely ignored by their parents as they play outside at 11pm.  As I've watched those kids grow up, I see that they are becoming as cruel and stupid as the adults around them.

In my building are at least two questionable men, whom I've named Sketch (Sr.) and Junior Sketch.  Sketch Sr. moved in about 2 years ago, wears a lot of black and camo, sunglasses at night, and used to stand around on the front corner a lot.  A LOT.  Looking, well, sketchy.  I tried to mitigate his sketchiness by saying "Hi," ala Ned Flanders to no avail.  Junior Sketch just moved in to the apartment in the lobby, where he is constantly peeking out the door, and also waiting on the corner in front of the building.  When I pull my car up, he moves to try to get in.  Now, why would you try to get in to a stranger's car?  Unless my car says TAXI on it (which it doesn't), my guess is drugs, prostitution, or both.  Speaking of prostitution, that happens too.  A 40-ish woman with stripper pants, a big bag, standing on the street corner at 10pm... just standing... is not normal.

Oh, and then there was the stabbity.  In October, the night before I left to visit my Dad in PA, a man stabbed another man.  The wounded man ran, fell on my car (which was parked pretty much outside my front door), bled upon it, ran up the ramp in front of the building, then down the street.  I was staying at Face and Mop's the night before, so I wasn't there for the crime, but the entire block was a crime scene when Face brought me home.  My car was swathed with police tape.  We had to get permission to enter my building, and then of course I had to make sure they were done gathering evidence (aka human blood) from my car.  The officers on the scene were laissez-faire about the whole thing, which certainly didn't help me feel more comfortable.

Why didn't I move out earlier?  Because my apartment is BEAUTIFUL.  Well, ok, the kitchen counters are a little meh.  And it needs new carpet.  But it has 12 foot ceilings in the living room and master bed room and 8 foot tall windows.  It's custom painted from when Smarty and I first moved in with warm colors.  The rent is reasonable (though not as cheap as it once was) and the heat is free.  The building is a landmark, as it's a converted Catholic School that was built in the late 1800's.  There's storage, laundry, and off-street parking.  It's 0.9 miles from my home to work.  Emotionally, this is my first home.  It's the first place I made my own; the first place I really settled.

A few pics from the place - excuse the clutter I've been bustling about the last few days:

Still, the decision to move has been made, and while it will be difficult to leave the space, it will be easy to leave the neighborhood.  Where am I going?  Well, I'm likely staying in ManchVegas.  The rents here are good.  The whole reason I'm moving is to get into a better neighborhood, so actually KNOWING the neighborhoods will help.  Ideally I'd like to be in a place with some character, something that's part of a house on a quiet block where I can put my trash and recycling out at the curb, maybe have a balcony or a bit of yard.  And I'm spoiled - I want heat to be included since I've never had to budget for it.

My lease is up April 1st.  I can stay on as a tenant at will (for an extra fee, of course) for as long as I want; I have to give 30 days notice before I vacate.  I'm looking to see if there's anything for April 1st that I'd want, but I'm happy to move May 1st too.  Part of the issue is that I'm SO freaking busy in March that I have no idea when to look for apartments.  Also, after living in a place for 5 1/2 years, there's a lot of purging and packing to do.  Finally, I have to paint everything white again, which is stupid, as it looks awesome and they could totally rent it out as-is.  But they already told me they'll charge $200/wall to paint, and I'd rather keep my $1000+, thank-you-very-much.

So, who wants to join the painting party?  Food, drink, and painting supplies provided by the lovely host, labor and music provided by you.  Anybody?  hello?