Someday I'll be Saturday Night

Right now I am really enjoying the view from my second floor, kitchen/living room window. The day is absolutely gorgeous, just the right temperature with a mild breeze, and our two trees in the front yard, which are interestingly melded together, are creating a nice mixture of shade and reflection of sunlight.

My washing machine/dryer (yes! It is an all-in-one machine) is making a gentle vibration throughout the kitchen, humming happily as it does its duty. Every once in a while I can hear some movement underneath me, and I guess it’s the sound of my neighbor taking care of weekend chores.

Usually all these things are a trivial part of my day, but today, after reading my last blog and realizing the intensity my defeatist outlook was taking on my physical being and that particular week, these sounds and sights make me the happiest person alive – it means I have a place to live and some things to call my own.

Only a few days after I posted the last blog, Alex and I stumbled across a cute little apartment that fit our needs perfectly. We were pretty down about our situation, and were just about to give up the search for an apartment and go the subletting route again. I mean, we really had no choice by then. Not only had we managed to NOT find a suitable apartment, Alex almost got into a fight with an unemployed (and very bitter) black man in Anacostia, we had walked all of DC and into some of the worst areas in the region and were getting blisters, we missed July 4th festivities, and we were finding it particularly hard to balance work, studying and an apartment search.

So take all of these emotions and frustrations and apply them to this scene: After viewing three other apartments – one of which was wayyy to small and overpriced, another which wasn’t too bad but was a basement apartment and also pretty small, and skipping out on one that was in Anacostia where we didn’t know if we should be more worried about our safety or the quality of the building.

We managed to schedule one more apartment viewing, but we were really unenthusiastic and became increasingly so as we walked to it. At first the area didn’t seem so bad, but then we hit the street just one block away and it looked as if it may get really ghetto. I expressed my dissatisfaction to Alex and we ALMOST turned back, but Alex persuaded me to just put in the five minutes to see the place.

At this point, I just wanted to get it over with. When we approached the building, it was very plain looking but had a fresh coat of paint. It was an ok start, and it went uphill from there. The man renting out the apartments was a contractor who had gutted the whole building and redid EVERYTHING. All the appliances were new, the flooring, the bathroom, the carpet, the fans – EVERYTHING! And we would be some of the first tenants.

I’m not sure if we liked the apartment of the landlord more. Ken, the landlord, is an extremely wholesome guy with a huge heart and an even bigger family – 8 children! We immediately took to him and as far as we can tell, he liked us as well.

As for the apartment, we acknowledged that it was a bit smaller than we were hoping for but that it was ideal. The salon has two big windows that keep it well lit during the day. The kitchen comes equipped with granite countertops, more than adequate cabinet space, a brand new refrigerator and oven, and a washing machine that doubles as a dryer (which I mentioned earlier). Moving along, the bathroom is pretty standard and has a large Jacuzzi style tub. Lastly, the bedroom is a bit on the small side but has a wonderful large window that faces the sun in the morning.

The surrounding area is pretty small, with a recreation center and field on one side, and residential area on the other. We are a quick 15 min walk to the Eastern market and ten minutes away from the nearest metro. We also have a huge grocery store, wholesale store, Blockbuster and sports store only three minutes down the street. Alex and I agree that we couldn’t ask for more right now. The place is ideal.

Last weekend Alex’s family came over to see the apartment and it was really enjoyable. It was pretty much the first time Alex and I had a chance to visit family, and just enjoy being around children and chatting.

His sister, Vicky, bought us a huge slow cooker as our housewarming gift. I have never operated or used a slow cooker, in any way. It was definitely a huge surprise, although welcome because Alex can eat like a champ.

In fact, I used it just this past week. I tried out my vegetarian chili recipe in it, and although it took eight hours to cook, it was the easiest clean up in the world and now I have enough chili to last me two weeks! Even better, the chili turned out great. I think the slow cooker and I will become very good friends. Thanks, Vic!

Our next adventure? Missouri! Alex is super excited to get cruising along I-70, and listen to some good ole country music. Last time there was also a great classic rock selection. So if anyone is up for a visit in StL just shoot me an email!

Oh if you get a chance, go to www.psychologytoday.com and take one of their quizzes. Or just read one of their hundreds of interesting articles. I am addicted, and spreading the word!