Apartment Living Wednesday

Apartment Living Wednesday

I just turned 29.
There I said it.

There is something about odd numbers and birthdays that makes me feel old(er).
Pish Pahh. I know.
Maybe this all feels different because I'm a Mom but I've been one of these things since I was 21. Again, an odd number so I'm not quite sure if there really is a connection.

I'm scared of 30. I've been scared, damn near petrified since I was 27. What is it about that number that makes one quiver in fear? I have 360 days to enjoy every tiny bit of 29 for all it is worth and I plan on it. Bring it!

I have an amazing group of friends who helped me celebrate my 29th birthday with insane amounts of laughter; it was fabulous! Living several hours away from my family and our relationships considering, my friends are my family.

We drank, we ate, we laughed, and we created memories like no other!

And best of all... we did all this here, in my home.
I have lived, laughed, and loved with the greatest of those in my life; my son and my friends.

I am officially home now.

Pick Me! Pick Me!!

This song is absolutely amazing! Watching the performance is incredible! All those instruments!
*swoon!*
I cannot wait to blast this on my iPod when I have the windows down in my car and irritate the people of the compound because dammit, it's my turn!

Bring on the sun!

Apartment Living Wednesday

I loves me a wife beater.

No!
Not the slap yo' bitch upside the head wife beater.
The other one.

{photo: Alternative Outfitters}

Apparently for us females, we're to call them "boy beaters". Whatever.
There is something about the comfort of that tight tank top that just feels right.
Being from Maine, I'm allowed to wear them pretty much whenever and wherever I want and well, because I'm also of the female species I can get away with this too.
Double stereotype bonus!

I love to wear those beauties to bed with my favorite pair of pajama bottoms. It truly is the definition of sexy. I mean look!

{photo: Dickies}

{photo: Target}

How could you pass that up?
I'm comfy, happy, content and super relaxed; its perfect.


Now just the other day, here in the Compound, a male species was sporting a wife beater.
I don't even know what to say about that.
Really.


Am I not the only one who associates this...

{photo: Dickies}

with this...

{photo: 95silvia}

I'm counting my lucky stars tonight that I live "East".

*Jenn over at Jeans Friday uses MyLiveSignature to sign off her posts and I thought it was an absolutely fabulous idea so I checked it out, thought it was way neat, so... Wah Lah!
Now you need to go check Jenn out. She's great! She has rockin' musical taste too.*

Apartment Living Wednesday

I don't have anything wild and crazy to post today. I do but I'm not going to.

I need to rethink my blog. I mean really think.
Something happened last night that shined a different light on this situation. Something big.
As a result of that, I have to make changes and seek approval. I will have a co-author and editor of sorts to assist me. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet or if this is something I'm ready to allow. I mean after all, this is my space.
But out of respect and privacy my heart is even bigger now, and with that I'm incredibly proud.


But with all that said... it is still Apartment Living Wednesday!

I love the look of these Barn Stars on houses. They're so simple yet they have such a deep feeling for me. I purchased this for our previous house and it came along for the move. I'm determined to make this apartment really feel like home. Coming here and seeing my Barn Star on the outside of our apartment definitely helps to seal that deal.

It shouts Welcome Home!

This was taken this morning while it was snowing and raining. Oh how I love Maine winters.

...and dammit, wouldn't you know it, my hair got wet. Really wet. I took about 10 pictures just to get ONE that I actually liked.

Happy Wednesday!

Apartment Living Wednesday

Can you believe we're already slapped with another Wednesday? I can't.
The week has been insanely busy for me. I still have boxes here and there. Piles of stuff that need to find homes and overall, just some organization.
I've also had to write papers for school, study for mid terms and keep Boy Child occupied. School cancellations are both evil and blessings in disguise.

A lot has happened around the compound and it will probably take me a little while to catch up but I will. It has to calm down at some point. It cannot always be crazy. Right? Oy!

**
I don't even know what day this was

The Mail Man had just brought the Boy Child home from his weekend full of brainless activity and we were upstairs doing something. I have no idea what; I suffer from CRS.

Then I hear... *knock knock*

I know it is probably not one of my crazy friends, they'd probably ring the doorbell if they didn't see me through the windows. I have a doorbell now and apparently this amuses them.

Me: "Who the hell is that?"

So we race downstairs and see "Onion" (you'll understand later) standing at the door, cigarette in hand and dog leash in other with a pit bull attached. I'm not exactly impressed.
Onion lives two doors down from me.
Onion and I have a history.
Many years ago when I received shit for money in retail hell, Onion and I worked together. Onion used to give me goose bumps.
Not the "Ohh baby, you make me so hot" goose bumps.
The "Ohh fuck, he's creepy. He doesn't look at me, he looks through me" goose bumps.
Ya follow? Good.

I had a really hard time working with him. Frankly, he was a pain in my ass and kinda... umm.. err... slow. I had zero patience for him. None!
This was before medication too. People like him are why people like me take me take drugs.
It's true!
On occasion I would give Onion a ride home because, well for obvious reasons. He was ride less.

And now.... he is my neighbor!

I open the door and there he is. Standing tall and proud to meet his new neighbor.
The single mom.

"Hi! I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Onion." (you have no idea how bad I just wanted to say "I know" but I didn't)

I returned the favor, although not tall and proud. I acknowledged the dog in which he tells me...

"Oh, you don't want him in your house."

Umm... you're fuckin' right I don't!
Don't get me wrong; I love animals and all that fancy shit and I know the strong stereotype against pit bulls but it is what it is. Don't be hating. I read the news. I've seen it and so have you.

The conversation ends and he leaves. I want to shower.

Time passes and now I know the date. February 24th. I wrote it down.

Boy Child and I are upstairs drooling over his new bookcase I had built for him while he was at school. Also the new bookcase which I also umm... kinda sorta broke. This is why you don't buy shit from Walmart that you have to assemble then attach a piece of cardboard with a million teeny tiny nails to the back. Epic fail.

Again... *knock knock*

"Who the fuck?" (Yes, I swear around Boy Child and yes, he tells me this is wrong.)

TaDa! There he is!

I open the door and....

Him: This is going to sound kind of strange but would you happen to have a piece of onion?
Me: A piece?
Him: Yes. I just need a piece.
Me: I'll just give you the whole thing. Really.

I go get him an onion and return to the door in which he blurts...
"you look familiar to me"

Dammit! I've been had!
Me: Yea, we worked at "XXX" together.
Him: Ohh.. yea! Ok!

And off he went.

Oh me! Oh my! Seriously. What ever happened to the days when your neighbor would come over and ask for a cup of sugar or an egg?

Him asking for a "piece of onion" better not have a hidden message because this chic is not giving out any pieces and if he thinks my piece compares to an onion, I'd hate to see where he has been getting his real honest to goodness pieces.

Apartment Living Wednesday

The move has been made. I went from the cute little house with lots of privacy to this cute little apartment condo looking thing with null privacy.

February 13th the adventure started. The adventures in Apartment Living.

I am not used to apartment living. At all. Call me spoiled, call it whatever. I've just been lucky to find house rentals for many years.

So on Wednesdays I'm going to chronicle some of these adventures because you just can't make this shit up. What's mine is yours right?

Welcome to Apartment Living Wednesday!

Let me give you some background info on my little neighborhood. There are five buildings and a total of 24 apartments. The buildings are set apart from each other in a decent distance. Each apartment, except the four handicap accessible, are two levels. The entrance and exit is in the middle of "The Compound".
You've all seen these; welfare apartments, ghetto living, whatever. Don't judge.
We have a dumpster in the middle of The Compound. Quite convenient!
There is also a building that contains our mailboxes and laundry facilities, also near the middle of The Compound. (Oh washer and dryer how I miss you!) Each apartment has an assigned number parking space, which is typically in front of our apartment; one building isn't so lucky. We have doorbells. Some apartments have a shared entrance with a neighbor, others do not. I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to share.
I live towards the middle of The Compound, directly after the entrance, my living room windows (3 bigguns) face the dumpster, mail room/laundry building and driveway. I see it all. I get to be nosey.

So....

February 13th: I get the keys to our new little home. That night after Boy Child goes with The Mailman I start bringing boxes over. A short, skinny woman with a frizzy over permed mullet comes over and starts a conversation.

Now I'm all about meeting my neighbors, I lived at the house 6 years and only knew three neighbors by name. This could be a nice change.

Her: "You moving in?"
Me: "Yes" *although I wanted to say "No, I'm just moving boxes for my fuckin' health"
Her: "Oh, well Hi. I'm ... That's my cat. Do you like cats?"
Me: Looking at her like she has 5 noses. "I'm Jenn. Oh, that's fine."
Her: "Well, don't let him in your house, he'll never leave."
Me: "Oh, don't you worry!" (background: we just brought our 2 cats to the shelter; I'm all set with this for a while.)
Her: She stops talking, puts her hand over her mouth. "Ohhh, I'm so sorry, I have to apologize, I don't have my teeth in."

I had to walk away.

I have seen her three times since then and she still doesn't have her teeth in.