Well, I moved yesterday (Friday, January 11th) into my new apartment.
I used to live in downtown Fort Worth (where I happen to also work!) from August 2000 to Oct 2003. In October of 2003, Tony and I moved into our newly built, first-time home in Mansfield, Texas, which is about 30 minutes from my work. It's located southeast of Fort Worth. January of 2008, I move from Mansfield back to downtown Fort Worth. I was in FireStone apartments and this time I am just two blocks down on the same street as before, and now live at a place called AMLI UpperWestside. Here is my floor plan. I actually really like it!
As I picked up the keys the evening before, I saw some condos being built right across the street. It was one of the few places that advertise their prices, "From the 160s." I zoomed just across the street at 555pm, wondering to myself if they closed at 6pm. I skip in, up the steps to a temporary trailer and the guy says they close at 7pm. Wow - lucky me. :)
He shows me a one bedroom, finished condo on the first floor. It's okay, but the bathroom is too small for me. Then I saw a one bedroom, one and one half bath with a study. It's really nice! But, it doesn't have a garage like the one-bedroom. We go back to the trailer and we talk money. I tell him I would like something with a larger bathroom like the second one, but with a garage like the first one. He says, "well, I have a two bedroom, but it's $20,000 more. I have them on the second and third floors, but the third floor are the only ones with a garage." I hem and haw and finally say, "okay, let's go see it real quick." I know we only have about ten minutes left but we rushed across the street and walked up the flights. Let's just say I left with my eyes wide open, my mouth wide open, and my head spinning. I LOVED it! OMG! The bathroom is to die for... the kitchen has an island... and it has a garage. The only problem is, besides that I am moving to an apartment in the morning and would have to break my lease (if that isn't enough), is that if my Mom was to really come up here to live with me, she wouldn't be able to stay with me because it's three flights and she can't get up the stairs with her emphysema.
I call her and I'm so excited, but I can tell I'm also upsetting her, even while she says she may not move anyway. I don't know what to do, really, but it's expensive, but at the same time the perfect location for me. The one he showed me is ready now for $20,ooo off, but the view is toward an apartment. The ones that will be ready in March are facing downtown - somewhat nice view. The ones ready in August will be facing (partially) some other apartments, but will also be facing have some other nice buildings and more open areas and therefore has an even more pleasant view. I am going to think about this some more... but I haven't been this excited in a long time about a potential place, but I need to consider my Mom right now.
I then went home and Tony and I got some pizza and then I tried to finish packing. The movers would be there in the morning. We packed and packed and packed. It was 2am before I finally crawled my tired ass into bed. I couldn't sleep, with images of that condo in my mind. I got up about 7am and I could tell Tony was awake (we have been sleeping in the same bed, but no funny stuff) and after I went pee-pee, I stood by his side of the bed and he opened his comforter and I climbed in and we just held each other. It's such a tough time, even though we aren't yelling or fighting like most couples, it doesn't mean it's easy; it's depressing and difficult.
But, I did get upset with him the night before, as he's trying to move shelves and boxes from rooms into the living room. He doesn't want the guys to 'accidentally' hit the walls. He's so anal about that stuff.
I finally am able to leave his side and get out of bed... and then I finish a few things I wanted to pack and then started cleaning while we waited for the movers. I just can't
not clean behind me - my Mom taught me well!
The movers finally get there there were three guys and they moved all my crap out in 30 minutes! Tony wouldn't let them park on the drive way so they had to park in the street and walk farther, but the still got done very quickly.
I leave Miss Q with Tony and would come back later as I drove to my new apartment with the movers following behind me. Their truck wont fit inside the parking garage, so they have to park outside and walk farther, so that kind of sucks. :( I walk to the apartment with them at first to show them where it is and the carpet guys are still there! This means my hours will be extended and when it's all said and done my $225 cost would be raised to $300 (I tipped them $50). I wasn't happy the carpet guys had this impact on the movers... delaying them and costing me more money.
I move my car into the parking garage and I'm sitting in my car talking on the phone with Monica and all of a sudden I see this guy riding a bike, caring a silver three-tier shelf. Hey! That's my bike and shelf! I wish I had a camera with me - it was the weirdest thing you ever saw - this little hispanic guy (one of the movers), riding my bike up the hill in a garage (I'm on the second floor), trying to steer with one hand while he's holding the shelves in the other. I catch him out of the corner of my eye while I'm on the phone - I totally wasn't expecting one of the movers riding my bike.... for one because isn't that something they shouldn't do? and two... because they hadn't started moving my things yet. But, I was completely smitten with myself for getting to witness such a crazy thing!
I finally have to go help them direct what boxes and what furniture to which room/area of the apartment. At one point, one of the guys is in the bathroom. After he's done, I think to myself, "eeeeywwoooo.... there's not toilet paper in there!" I go in the bathroom about 15 minutes later... the lid is down on the toilet, but there is water in the sink, so at least he washed his hands. Until I'm TOTALLY grossed out when I lift the lid and there is poop residue in my toilet! He went number two without toilet paper! eeeeywwooooo! And in my new bathroom! eeeeywwoooooo!
While I'm in the new apartment, I notice Tony has taken off the key to the house. I check the car and he's taken the garage door opener out, too. I was MORE than ticked off he already did this.
They finish and I go back to Mansfield and Tony and I meet up at Chilli's for some lunch/dinner. We chat about nothing in particular and then we go back to the house. He had finished using my vacuum cleaner while I was gone and I helped him put up his new table in the dining room and then I put together a new shelf for him. It was one of those that has like ten pages of instructions and is a bitch to do, but I am better at it than Tony because I have more experience. So, we put it together and then I put Miss Q's litter box in the car and I make a final walk through.
Before I could even finish looking around, Tony and I were hugging and crying. I kept apologizing and he was too. We hugged for a long time and then I finally said, "well, we are gonna see each other in two weeks, so I better go and take Miss Q," as I kept wiping my tears. (We have a dental appointment on the same day in Mansfield in two weeks.)
I got in the car and he waved while I had Miss Q on my lap and tears in my eyes.
Miss Q handled herself so well in the car and I was very proud of her. I unpacked mostly hanging clothes and put the sheets on the bed and was in bed before 9pm that night. I was exhausted from not getting sleep the night before. As I slept, the outside lights through the blinds were too bright and I knew the first thing I would do in the morning would be to go buy some black-out curtains and figure out a way to hang them on my bay window in my room - it has three windows. It was so bright, my body and eyes felt like it was "during the day" all night.
I found some curtains (eventually) and hung them up in a curve and just love the way it looks, actually. Then called and tried to get my Internet service up and by that time, it was nap time! I then got up a little while later and unpacked the kitchen and some other boxes, all the while thinking about that condo (lol). I still have a lot to do to finish unpacking, but I am actually VERY pleased and happy with my new, cute little apartment. I will try and take photos to show the curtains... I am proud what I did. :)
It's quiet here and Tony isn't in the other room like he always was in the house. Miss Q is still exploring and being very timid and shy in the apartment and mostly hiding (although I did catch her laying in the sun this afternoon in front of the french doors in the sunroom (I have a sunroom instead of a patio).
Until Next time,
Melinda
