Not Dead

Not dead.

Not only not dead; doing all right. I have my own place now, and successfully survived living with Tim and Ray without any of us killing any of the rest of us. Half of my crap is still in other people's basements, but we're slowly working on that.

Made it through Christmas at Walmart. Didn't like it any, but it didn't kill me, either.

Herewith a short accounting of ways my new place could totally suck (and doesn't).

The next door neighbor has a huge pit bull (one of my favourite breeds, and a real sweetie).

The downstairs neighbor sings loudly (and well!).

The train is really, really loud (which is comforting because over the last eighteen years, I've only spent one year living where I couldn't hear the train).

It's in the 'bad part of town' (relatively speaking, which means it's simply working-class and doesn't come with homeowner's associations).

The kitchen is tiny, smaller even that my last place (but better laid out, and the twin pantries help a lot as well).

The building has only one water heater, so every time someone flushes the toilet when I'm in the shower... (I reflexively adjust the thing, a skill I learned in college and apparently haven't forgot; also, it's about impossible to run out of hot water!).

I'm pretty pleased with the place. Still have a lot of things to move in but it's coming together. Some short notes, as I haven't the brain for anything more comprehensive:

I have most of my kitchen, at least, and have made a couple of good meals. Today I'll be making some melt-and-pour soap (I do plan soap from scratch eventually!).

This weekend will hopefully be the Day of Moving Everything Else In.

I bought a couch and brought it home on my small station wagon's roof rack, which may have been insane but worked frighteningly well.

The cats are (mostly) adjusting; I'm a bit worried about Taltos but he's coming out more as more familiar-smelling stuff arrives. Samson has been sleeping under the covers which is hysterical and very, very cute.

I discovered this morning that I can see the train as well as hear it, which is extra-specially cool.

The gifties mentioned in the last post have been assembled and will go out Any Day Now I Swear.

Someone in the complex has a big cat named Mufasa Man who has twice tried to move in with me, or at least wander in to investigate.

Sarah is a very, very goofy dog.

I have the bestest friends in the universe. And y'all are among them.

More soon!