Changed My Mind

Outside Apt 3C. Notice the new, modern decor in the hallway.

Remember how I said I wasn't going to move from my present apartment? Never mind.

Really, I had no intention of moving, but one day, not too long ago, I asked our super super, Adrian, what the newly remodeled lobby was going to look like. The whole lobby has been off limits for some time because it's been torn all to pieces, but it was difficult to see the plan for the end product because for the longest time they focused (as they should) on things like electric wires, roughed in plumbing, new walls, especially load bearing ones. Adrian said it was going to be an open lobby, a big open space with only a bathroom walled off and then a remodel job in old Apt 1B to the northeast AND a newly built studio apartment where the old hair salon used to be, a totally new apartment 1A to the south east.


A studio apartment, you say? I thought about it a bit and then went to ask the building manager if she would show it to me as soon as it was safe. Last week she did just that. I had already decided that unless it was horrible, I would take it. But it wasn't horrible. Just small. I took it.

Inside new Apt 1A. I think this will be where the bed will go.

One thing that really sold me was that everything in the place will be 100% new. Nothing refinished, everything out of a box right from the store. It will be the only studio apartment in the building. It will have some things that no other place will have like a 100% tiled bathroom, a cupboard in the bathroom, pot lights in the ceiling, a Mitsubishi hvac system that I will control with a remote.

New wall o'kitchen + bathroom entrance

The place will have the new decor which I quite like, the more I see of it, black-dark brown wood, brushed nickel hardware, off white and gray walls, dark gray floors, art deco styled light fixtures and house numbers and things like that. I will be soooooooo happy to get rid of the carpet and the honey colored cabinets and the floor covering that hides dirt but doesn't really.

Smokey Rose will fit in quite well with the new decor. I hope that moving won't stress her out too awful much.

I am very glad to have the opportunity to downsize. I have known I need to do that for some time now. I won't be going minimal but I have to get rid of a lot of stuff which is a really good thing. That is my planned activity for February …. get rid of stuff. I have already made a good start, but there is a lot more to do.

The overall plan is to get myself ready to move during February. I already got an indoor storage locker  (the last one) and have been very carefully putting things into it. Right now it has some stuff that will go in the car to SD in the summer, the holiday decorations, several pictures which I won't have room for probably, and stuff like my laundry detergent and things so I don't have to carry them up & down stairs when I do laundry. I plan to put in things I don't use very much like the sewing machine, the electric drill, some tools, a small fan, luggage if there is room, extra cat food, litter, toilet paper, etc.

I will move some stuff up to the office temporarily. Eventually most of that will go to SD because it's mostly books. There I will either keep them or give them away to our local library (a lot of cookbooks, for example. The library loves to get cookbooks.) It ail probably take at least two trips with just my small car to do that, but I have room at the office to just stash things for awhile.

I am going to buy a few new things from IKEA…. a kitchen island that I can eat off of (plus a bar stool) and a new wardrobe which will match the new decor. Maybe some other misc, hooks and things. I will also give way several old IKEA things which just won't work in the new place.

I can move in March 1 or so, but will not be under a deadline to move in one day or anything. Trouble is, I have a business trip to MN planned for the first week of March, so I won't actually move until the second week.

That's when I will need a little help from my friends. Won't need a truck or anything, just labor. So I'll see whom I can get to pitch in for a bit some days. I'm thinking one night we move the bathroom stuff. Another night we do kitchen cupboards. Someone can take pictures off the wall and just move them to the new place. And maybe a few taiko friends can come over one day to move the furniture. Someone can put together the new IKEA stuff.

Because my old place will get all torn to pieces for remodeling, I won't have to clean much upstairs. What's the point in vacuuming, for example, if the old carpet is just getting ripped up and thrown away?

I am looking forward to living in my new little nest. Downsizing is a real good thing.