Unless and until my books take off, I'll not be moving to Scotland anytime soon. I mean, I may go again to visit, but I won't be able to move there on a permanent basis until such time that I can afford the visas, the travel, the space, the rents, the deposits, and all the rest. It is a sad thing, but not something I can't live without. I do know that if I moved to Scotland I would literally be giving up so much more space and more money than I need to. Some of these types of facts make me happy to know I'll be OK here in Oklahoma. (sigh)
Scotland has 135 days of sunshine each year, while Oklahoma has 235 days. That's literally 3 months more of sunshine. We have air conditioning, but the sad thing is, we need it. It's so much better in Scotland when it comes to heat. They hover between 30-75 degrees all year. In Oklahoma, we get that in a day....often. We hit -5 this winter and 113 last summer. I'm not a fan.
Anyway, so what I do, and what I often do, is fantasy and pretend I already have the new apartment. I go to Home Depot and Lowes to find things like paint, fixtures, carpets, and all that. I also go to @Home, Living Spaces, Big Lots, and other stores to find furniture, throws, pillows, candles, and any art I think I need. It's fun. I thoroughly enjoy every single minute of the prep time.
My new apartment will most likely be a one bedroom one bathroom unit here where my daughter and I live now. We have a two bed with 1.5 baths now, and we pay $680.00 a month. That seems to send some folks into the sky when I tell them that, but it's true. The new apartment is 750 sf, vs. the 1100 sf two bedroom. It will rent for $640 since the complex has actually made some improvements and is raising the rent on us this year.
I've lived here about eight years this time around. I've lived in this complex about five times in my life. It was the first place for my kids to have their own place to live; that's always cool. Actually, I say that, it's the first place for my daughters. My son did have his own place when I kicked him out at 16 3/4 and let him live directly across the street from his high school. I paid the rent, but he had to pay the utilities. He worked. It was good.
The new place will have a large living where I'll put both the living room furniture and my office set up. The room is about 20' x 16' or so. There is a dining room, but I may not use it as such since it's just me. I may just use it for my boxing bag so I can have a good place to box, we'll have to see what happens.
The kitchen is virtually the same size, and I'm hoping when I do move that the complex will go all out and give me new appliances and a new countertop. I will have to insist on it if they try to get away with it - - I've lived for 8 years with really old countertops and I'm not doing that again. The carpet will be new, and if they don't do it, I'll rip it out myself and they can get over it. Again, I've put up with their nonsense too long.
I'll have three full closets in the new unit, and will only need one for my clothes. The others will be for coats and storage. I have two 4-tier storage shelves that I'll put into one closet to store all that I need to in a very organized manner. My place (unlike my place now) will be so very very clean and so very very organized. My old place was too -- that's when I lived alone. That's when I had NO KIDS living with me. Did I say that out loud? I think I did.
Instead of several bottles in the bathroom there will be only a few. It never ceases to amaze me how two people can't choose to use the same shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, and all the rest. We don't need to make the place look crazy! I want it to be neat, tidy, arranged and pristine. It doesn't have to be perfect, but yeah, the baseboards should be free of cat hair. Can we at least agree on that?
Though I have to take my own trash out, it will be taken out on time. My dishwasher will work, but then again, I've lived so long without one I'll likely do my own dishes since it will just be me. I won't have all the food and/or things out on the counter either. I will have them IN THE PANTRY...you know, WHERE THEY BELONG!! There I go again, shouting. I'll try to keep it down.
When I walk into my new place I will not be greeted by a big dog trying to knock me over. My dog is small, and she knows not to get under my feet. I will only have ONE CAT to clean up after, and yes, I do a really good job cleaning him out every day, not every third day. There will be less clothes and shoes strung around. There will be quiet, peacefulness, tranquility, rather than a loud mouthed gamer who can't seem to realize she doesn't live alone. I love her, I do...but yeah, time to get out!!
I've tried to make my escape about 11 times in the past 8 years, but this time I've put my foot down. If she loses her job or otherwise can't make it on her own, I'm simply going to throw money at her and shut my door! She is not moving back in with me. I'll move back in with her when I'm too old to move about by myself; then maybe I'll be too senile to know I'm in the monkey-cages at the zoo!! I'd love to mask some of these a animal smells with candles but she gets pissy - - she can take musk from a dog, but not sandalwood! GEEZ!
No, it's so past time. It is so so very very past time. We have needed to be separated for years but timing was bad, then the pandemic, then more sickness, then we both lost our jobs, and it just went on and on for too long. It's TIME!! Finally, it is time. We are hoping that in June (This is March) we can do that. That's the plan...and even though I'll be in the same complex so I can take her places (she doesn't have a car), I will not see much of her other than when we walk our dogs and cross paths at the laundry room.
I walk, she walks, so we'll see each other then. If I do live across from her she won't see me because she'll pull all the curtains closed. I want them all open. She's a vampire! She lives in the dark and on the computer. She has finally learned to cook a few things so she's not going to be darkening my door too often to eat with me, but I bet she still does. I think she'll take it to go if I'm honest. She'll think it's good to save a buck or two and just rid me of my leftovers.
My new place will have really pretty paint. I may take off the 2" baseboard and replace it with 4" adhesive type baseboard. I'll line the door jambs as well and the top of the doors. I will have a "classic" look and buy only those things I really want to buy so that my place is both comfortable and cozy. I want it to shine and be a place I am proud of. I think it will be. I just have to get to the point where I can afford to move out, get what I need, and start fresh - - what do you want to bet she pulls the carpet out of this unit and turns the place into a cave with black out curtains? I'll give her 2 days before she does just exactly that.
She'll have my room to put her computer in, and she'll have all the space she'll ever need. I hope she finds a place for all the clutter she has now. I know my mother would have pounded me if I lived this way in her house. I should be more assertive about it, but she's really really a good roommate. I love her, and she knows it. We are just two different people.
I made a list of things I won't miss about this place. I do that too. Here it is, but it's not complete.
- The door that is too thin and makes noise when you open it.
- The dishwasher not working.
- Bad carpet, bad tile, bad counters, bad appliances.
- The stairs!! I will be in a downstairs unit.
- Air ducts not working properly because I will call every day until they are working correctly. We don't here because her job won't allow interior noise and they have to come into the unit to fix it.
- cat hair everywhere. (This is funny because he's my cat, but I keep him groomed most of the time, but he sheds and she's supposed to clean it up but she doesn't. I end up doing it.)
- Clothes and shoes thrown everywhere.
- Puppy pads. (Yes, her one-year old dog still goes on pads)
- Terrible furniture. We don't have good furniture because her dog and her cat destroy it. My cat is declawed. (don't judge me)
- Loud and obnoxious gaming from the other room!
- I won't need to wait to take a shower and that room will be spotlessly clean at all times.
- I will have a patio to use and actually USE!! This one has a balcony and we never go out on it; we could, but we just don't. I will use mine.
- Food will be put away. The fridge will be organized. I will not run out of something without KNOWING IT. (smile)
- Lastly, I won't miss the parking spot because I'll use the other one we have which will be closer to my unit if I'm on this side and if I'm on the other side of the complex I'll have a new parking space. The one we use now is next to the dumpster and the big truck has almost hit my car 100x!!
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