Bit by bit, moving in

The stuff I’ve assembled and put up today in my room has been very reassuring—it’s made my bedroom feel a lot more like home. I put up some shelves, and got stuff out of boxes. I put up the print that Judy gave me, titled “Consider Change” (with the Monarch butterfly caterpillar). A lot of the wedding photos I’ve collected—it’s a bit of a comfort to have the smiling faces of many friends looking back at me in those frames. They are all icons reminding me of my community of friends.

I slammed out the installation of a closet rod in the bedroom closet. It felt very gratifying to do maybe a half hour of work and make a closet that functions exactly as I want it to—and probably better than it ever has before, to boot. I also managed to find just about every tool and fastener that I needed for the installation from the packed state—things were packed in the right logical place, and I could remember where they were. Two foot level, 1-1/4” forstner bit, hammer drill, GFCI extension cable, #10 3” screws. I rule.

What’s also interesting is that I haven’t even touched the living room—or spent much time in there. I have the feeling the apartment will feel semi-infinitely larger once I have my furniture assembled and get that space going. It’s a huge room; lots of sun, nice view of the street. Right now, every time I walk into the room, I go—“Oh yeah… I guess I do have more space than my bedroom, and the parts of the kitchen that aren’t filled with boxes.

I have big plans for the kitchen; I hope I can make them happen. For one, talking to the landlord, and seeing if they’re up for me ripping out the cabinets and installing new ones (and countertop that doesn’t suck). As a side note, I would say my assessment of the kitchen is as follows:

“Think of the first few apartments that you were looking at just after you graduated from school. Then think of the one in the crappy part of Central Square that was really cheap. But the one with the kitchen so nasty that you decided that you really needed to pay more and find a better place. That was the kitchen that had not been redone since the 60’s, except for really bad renters’ attempts at improvement. The one seen in Crack Den Magazine’s Kitchens and Baths Special. Yeah… that’s my kitchen.”

I’d like to do a few more things in this kitchen—such as buying chief grad student’s laundry machines, and installing them—perhaps putting a chunk of countertop across the top, as added working space. The electrical hookup and water hookup might be an issue, though.

I think I might be on speaking terms again with fishie (a.k.a. Xi Ugly): I bought him a new tank, filled it up, and put him in it this afternoon. Felt like a relief to get that dealt with—I’ve felt really bad leaving him in a bucket for two days while getting his new home. Well… he’s managed not to die—that’s one tough fish. I find it rather odd that I’m putting this much emotional energy for an animal that no doubt has a less-evolved brain than a field mouse (an animal which I have minimal compunction on killing). Enh… I guess he’s cute.