I finally got my apartment all set up and find myself living in an extremely small studio apartment. I've lived in these types of apartments before, but never this small. It's like a hotel room, only a little bigger. When you walk in, the bathroom is on the right and a closet is on the left. Walk a little further and the stove, sink and puny counter space is on the right; the refrigerator is on the left, sitting on a piece of linoleum cut out just for it, in the middle of carpeting. There is no dishwasher and the two sinks are small. I bought a small dish drainer and cloth to put on the counter next to the sink. It just fits. There is a microwave over the miniature stove. I say miniature because it isn't a standard size; it's bigger than an Easy Bake Oven, but not by much. The rest of the counter space holds the toaster, a container for utensils, a can opener and a coffee maker. That's it. I do have a nice-sized pantry to fit all the non-perishable food. There are a lot of cupboards, but most of them are too high for me to reach. Next to the pantry, I put a narrow folding table because my dining table won't fit there. The TV sits on one corner and I plan to put my painting stuff on the other end. Meanwhile, my painting stuff is under the table in a large, plastic tub. One of my kitchen chairs sits against the table. Next to that is a closet that has the furnace in it and I shoved some suitcases in there for storage. On the other side of this rectangle, sits my bed. Next to my bed is a small dresser and next to the dresser is an easy chair. Next to the easy chair is the refrigerator. Again. Down the little hallway on this side is a metal shelf I bought and next to that is a closet that holds a stack washer and dryer. And then again, next to that is the closet, another kitchen chair and then the door. The deck is next to my bed and it's very nice. I can probably fit a small table and a couple of chairs on it in the spring. I don't know how many square feet this is, but it reminds me of those tiny houses people are resorting to. So actually, I'm quite in vogue living here!
One of the very nice things about this apartment is that there is an indoor pool, which I can't wait to partake of. Since before I moved in, it has been "closed for repairs," but I'm hoping it will open up soon. There is also a whirlpool that will feel wonderful after a swim. That is the main reason I moved here. I lived in this building several years ago, but I lived in a one-bedroom apartment that was very roomy, and I am on the waiting list to move into one as soon as it becomes available. It will be more in rent, but I really need more room. When your kitchen, bedroom and living room are all one small room, it becomes very tiny indeed and I feel a sudden urge to break out into a long distance run. Except I can't run, or even walk for that matter, so it is very disconcerting at times. In any case, this is my home for now and I am grateful for it.
I did babysit for Jade and Donovan one day in my apartment, which was a big mistake. I have no toys here and even if I did, there is no place for them to play. I put cartoons on, thinking they would like that, but instead they were bored and became restless quite quickly. I couldn't count how many times Jade got down off the bed then back on then down again and back on - it was making me dizzy. The cartoons bored them and I couldn't find ones they would like so I tried to get them to take a nap because I was tired, and that never happened either. Jade gets this look in her eyes when you tell her not to do something, she smiles and watches you while she does that one thing you told her not to do. I think she enjoys getting over on me, which she does all the time and has already figured out that grandma is a wimp when it comes to her grandchildren, so why not run over her like a truck. Donovan delights to tell me all the things that Jade is doing wrong and Jade will let out a blood-curdling scream if Donovan takes something away from her, so needless to say, I was pulling my already thinning hair out by the end of the afternoon and Jason wasn't getting off til 10:00. I was, thankfully, relieved of my duties by someone else who I thanked profusely when she came to pick them up around 5.
I am babysitting tomorrow, but it will be at Jason's house and will be much easier. There they have toys and room to run and play. Jade uses my cane as her microphone and sings songs to me and wants me to sing as well. We will be doing a lot of singing tomorrow. I think it will be fun for both of us. That is, until Donovan gets home from school. I forgot what it was like having to split your attention. It makes one feel like a schizophrenic if you have more than one kid. And then when they're both demanding your attention at the same time, my ADD kicks in and I yell, "Wait a minute, wait a minute! One at a time!" That's when they look at me like I'm from Mars and become quiet. I can deal with quiet. It's my friend. Thank God for movies and cartoons. I can watch Dora the Explorer all day with them if I have to. I might even learn some Spanish in the process.
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