The Closing

After three days of being busy, busy, busy, Sunday provided some measure of slowness. I trekked to the old place to do some final cleaning and pick up my few remaining possessions. Having lived there so long, it was nice to wrap up my time at the place without the harried nature of moving day.

I considered moving a few times, only once with any degree of seriousness, although you only know my time there being a major source of stress. The truth of the matter is that it was good enough for a long time because the building's other occupants weren't loud or weren't around. The last two years were different. I was unhappy living there but assumed that I wouldn't be able to find somewhere better in a similar price range. I hate moving and didn't want to think about it or do the work required.

I've only spent two nights in my new place, but already I feel like my head is clearer. I'm grateful to those who helped me make this transition, whether assisting with finding this complex, reassuring me that I made the right decision, or lugging my belongings from apartment to apartment. Sure, moving is a hassle, but I needed to do it.

Since I have turned over my keys and am officially out of the old place, it feels appropriate to reflect on the good and the bad.

What I'll miss about my old apartment

-Location

I could walk to work, the library, a few restaurants, and the auto repair shop. (Until a couple years ago, I could walk to the dentist too.) My new commute is approximately twelve miles. Almost all of that is interstate driving, so it's not like I'm that far away. Still, I enjoyed living in an uptown suburban neighborhood that was very convenient. The closeness to work kept me tied to the place much longer than I would have been if I had a commute while living there.

-Lower rent

The cheaper rent came with a toll on my nerves in recent years, and I think that some of my other expenses will be less here. Regardless, I did have a good deal on rent for a long time.

-A dark bedroom

The challenge of the new place will be getting used to a lot more light pouring in through the windows in the morning.

What I won't miss about my old apartment

-Paper-thin walls and floors

No more hearing every step taken in adjoining apartments or in my place. No more hearing conversations, stereos, TVs, bathroom use, and any other sound in the adjoining apartments. No more hearing slamming doors, stomping on the stairs, and every passing car. No more hearing police officers test their car sirens, especially in the early morning hours.

-The problems of an older building

The place was built in 1955 and is in need of some updates. In the grand scheme of things, two-prong outlets aren't a big deal, but I won't miss them. Supposedly the building has more than adequate insulation, but I swear that the place leaked heat like crazy. (I had some insanely high heating bills until I cranked the thermostat to a chilly level.) I had water leaking through my ceiling on a couple occasions in recent years. I have no evidence to support my belief that the electrical system is in need of replacement, but I have wondered how much of a fire hazard the wiring might be. (The lights in the stairwell burn out very quickly.) The narrow doors and stairwell made moving anything of any size very difficult.

-Living on a one way street off of a one way street

Traffic was always higher than you might expect for being on a one way street off of a one way street. It wasn't a major inconvenience, but having limited options for getting home was a minor annoyance. Also, I won't have to drive on brick streets. They might look nice, but they're hell on a car's suspension.

-Being unable to back out of my parking space

Assuming people follow the new signs, this problem fixed itself...finally...when the no parking signs went up a couple weeks ago. They cover more area than they used to. I had to deal with people parking right up to the signs or past them while trying to make a tight turn into my spot. Sometimes I couldn't turn in; sometimes I couldn't back out.

-Having to go to the basement to do laundry

Not a major thing. Having the washer and dryer in my apartment rather than two floors below me is a perk, though.

There are probably other things I will miss and won't miss, but now that I'm out of there, I don't feel like thinking about all of that.

So, going forward... I am writing from home. I split my cable signal and moved the computer to the middle of the floor in the living room until the repair person comes Wednesday. Something's wrong with the bedroom jack. I'd rant about my dealings with the cable company and how they now won't honor the highly discounted price a customer service rep offered on Friday. (I got a lower rate by $24 a month, but I was offered one that would have cut my bill by $41. Mysteriously they know nothing of this.)

Yesterday I made the quick trip up the street to JoAnn's and bought some cotton for dishcloth knitting. Look what I've made: my first FO in the new apartment!

Triangles Galore dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar 'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Potpourri
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 41

I was so excited to knit in the new place that I overlooked the instructions to knit four rows in garter stitch. Since there would be no border on the bottom, I skipped those rows on the top as well.

I forgot to mention that the rain held off for the move, and the heat subsided some too. It's been a strange weekend. With as busy as I was, the time has passed very slowly. (That's not been a bad thing.) I'm still tired from all the activity, but I feel rejuvenated in my new surroundings. And yes, I'll be getting to the sock knitting very, very soon.