Weekend Accomplishments

This weekend saw a lot of work getting done on my new place:

• I finally have cable! I read three books this week because I had no television channels until this morning.
• My kitchen floor is almost complete. The room is much brighter, and the floor is clean and smooth.
• The washer and dryer got hooked up. All that needs to be done is to drill a hole in the wall to the outside for the dryer vent, but I can still use them both.

Tomorrow (Monday) the gas should be on, and I'll finally be able to cook. If not, then Tuesday for sure. My biggest desire is for the living room floor to be done, so I can fill my bookshelves and empty my bedroom of clutter.

New Place Firsts

Whenever I move into a new apartment, I make a note of several "firsts".

• First CDs: Miles Davis "Kind of Blue", Pete Yorn "Back & Fourth", and Broken Bells "Broken Bells", all played on 'Black Manta', not my full stereo.
• First Books: Harry Turtledove's "Werenight" and George R. R. Martin's (editor) "Wild Cards 14: Marked Cards".
• First TV Show: "Two and a Half Men" (no cable to date).
• First Meal: Dunkin Donuts - A large regular coffee and a sausage, egg & cheese on a plain bagel (no stove or fridge on Monday night, still no stove to date).
• First Coffee: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters 'Nantucket Blend'.

This is the first time I've moved into a place that still needed heavy renovation (it is a work in progress, and if I'd waited another month, I'd have moved into the finished product, but it'd have cost me another month's rent at $750, which I didn't care to pay). The bedroom is basically completed, but because floors still need to be installed in the kitchen and living room, all of my belongings are crammed in with me on three sides of the bed! Also, none of the living room windows are done being painted, so I have no blinds/shades/curtains, which after dark basically leaves me on display in a big glass cage. I've thumbtacked curtains over a few strategic windows, which helps, but I am looking forward to the work getting done soon. Both floors should be in place by the end of the weekend too, but the stove and washer/dryer hookups won't be done until Monday earliest, so I am still living a half-life... At least my aunt/landlord has lended me her spare laptop until she gets me a wifi card (or whatever) for my computer. Thanks Jean Marie!

I kinda feel like I am roughing it, with my cat standing in for the usual island crew, but without a campfire, fresh seafood or beer...

Moving: Progress Report

My brother Kevin & I moved all of my furniture, boxes and stuff on Saturday, a long day of two trips, and MANY boxes (18 comic longboxes, and 10 boxes of paperbacks & hardcovers). Sunday and Monday I took my time doing the rest of the packing (all my kitchen stuff, and valuables like cds and tech) and final clean-up (bathroom, fridge, etc..). I slept on the carpet both nights (Sun & Mon) , rather than cram myself and my cat into the one finished room in the new place while work is going on.

Tuesday (yesterday) my brother & I brought the previous tenants' fridge down from the upstairs, and blasted it with the hose, cleaned it up, and brought it inside. This morning the bathroom's medicine chest went up, and an air conditioner was installed in the kitchen window. I still have no floors in the kitchen or living room, and no kitchen sink or working stove. And all this eating out, and driving to my parent's house to go online (job search, etc...) sucks.

More later...