The Apartment

When I began this journey five months ago, I had lots of motivation.  And it sure was fun at first.  Because for the first time in my life, the decisions I made about everyday stuff (like furniture and color schemes, although my daughters had a lot to do with helping me out on selecting all of them) and how I was going to spend my spare time were all mine.  I didn't have a mother who made sure it was taken care of, I wasn't living in a dormitory, and I didn't have a wife who was really good at that kind of stuff.  It was me.  And (thanks again, girls) I think I did a pretty decent job.

I have what I need in my apartment.  The basics are all here, and maybe some of the not so basics.  So the place looks decent, I try to clean it every week (and still enjoy doing that), and I try very hard to keep it presentable and liveable.  People that knew me in college would be shocked.  Sure, I have my little messes and places for stuff, but they are contained.  The kittens do a pretty decent job of making me keep the place decent as well, they can make a mess pretty quickly and easily.

The apartment really is nice.  It's on the first floor.  You walk in the door and the bathroom is right there (which is good when I come in and have to go badly, not so good at night).  I'm a guy.  The bathroom needs to have a sink, a toilet, and a shower.  I've got some storage below the sink and above the toilet and the shower also has a tub.  Hey, it's a bathroom.

Next to the bathroom is the kitchen.  Now anyone who knows me knows that I don't mind cooking and I really enjoy baking.  The kitchen isn't really conducive to either.  There's not much counter space, the oven is a little small, and there isn't a lot of storage.  That said, I'm not cooking huge meals for lots of people.  I'm still getting used to it and now that winter is on it's way, I've committed to trying to make it work for myself.  It has everything it needs, and I shouldn't use it as an excuse for being lazy.

Across from the kitchen is a little eating area.  I have a table, there are benches along the wall and I have a couple of chairs.  It's kind of nice, but I don't eat there by myself.  I've got to figure out some kind of tablecloth for the table the kittens won't destroy and I'd like to do some things with the space, but for now it's just fine.

The living room is next.  It's really divided in half.  I have the "TV" half and then the "other" half.  You probably guessed that I spend most of my time in the "TV" half.  I have a queen sleeper against the wall, the TV (with DVR player) is in the corner, and my recliner.  The other half has a small bookcase, an art table, and a couple chairs.  I need some stuff on the walls at some point, they are awfully white, and I need to hang the shelf I bought that has no brackets, but the space is very serviceable and where I spend the majority of my time.

Walk through a door into the office, where I have a desk, hutch and chair.  The desk and hutch are one of those "mess" areas.  This room is really nice, and I spend very little time in there.  During the summer, it also plays host to my windowless air conditioner.  Because it's in the middle of the apartment, I can move it to the door in the living room to cool that area or to the door in the bedroom at night.  It works pretty well. 

Then there's the bedroom.  I have a queen sized bed with a headboard and footboard, a dresser with a mirror, and a nightstand.  Pretty simple, pretty basic.  And it all fits quite nicely.  It's in the back of the apartment, so it's pretty quiet.  And that's where the door to the patio is, too.

Yes, I have some outdoor space.  I have yet to do anything major with it.  It has a table, some chairs, some planters, and is kind of cool.  Getting it to something else (like putting plants in the planters) will be a next spring and summer job.

I have some nice rugs that I bought when Katie (my younger daughter) and Tony (her husband) were here over Memorial Day.  They also came with me to get my microwave, too.  Tony carried it about four blocks, and it's now on top of the refrigerator.  I also have some cool curtains (more appropriately, I guess, they're called 'window treatments') that Maggie made for me and brought when she came in June.  Thankfully the cats have not ruined any of the rugs or the curtains!

The building is fairly secure.  I have a 'fob' entry (yes, this is new).  It's about halfway between Broadway (yes, that Broadway, as in "give my regards to...") and West End Avenues on 103rd Street.  You'll hear more about the neighborhood in a future blog.

So I'm all ready, right?  You know what?  I'm going to be 50 in May 2012.  I've never lived alone before.  And now that all of the 'stuff' is set, that scares the hell out of me.