Home Sweet Home's Living Room & Bedroom

~
I'm really glad I did this cause it made me clean the apartment.  And I felt so happy because by having Michael here, I've realized how much I appreciate my space.  I thought I needed more room, but in reality, it is just right for me.  I'm really good at getting rid of stuff when I bring something in.  I mean if I bring in a dress, I get rid of another dress or blouse/shirt or if I bring in a table, it's to upgrade the current table, so out it goes too.

 When you walk in the front door, directly to the left is a long closet.  The first half is where I keep laundry soap and basket, cat food, a coat rack, iron, etc.  The coat rack so handy to the front door is ... so handy.  I hang my keys and key card next to the door, and the leashes and her vest and stuff hang on the back of the door.  The canes are also hanging handy next to the door, and the coats are hiding them. 

And old lady cart is used for laundry and grocery shopping.  I've got a big one and a small one.  Also use it for the library if I'm walking.

Hmm.  The chair looks like a straight board... it's really a chair covered with a pillow case.  

There are bells hanging next to the cat foot container cause I was hoping Annie would go back to ringing them when she needs to pee, but she prefers staring at me instead.  And then poking me if I don't pay attention to the stare.  I think she learned the stare method from Muttin/Jeff. 
                                                                                                                                                                                   

 The second part of the closet is my pantry.  Also vacuum and bags.  Bags are a big deal here.  San Francisco was the first city in the US to ban those white plastic bags. Cause they last forever in landfills.  And trees. 

The calendar is for Michael's appointments cause he's got a million of them.  It's only going to get worse while looking for another place to live.  Tomorrow we go apply at a place at 6am.  They only take the first 7 in line.  It's a cool old building on the National Historic Register. 










Annie's practicing for Halloween. 

Behind the stove, there is a 5 foot tall wooden partion, separating the kitchen from the living room.  Ta da.  I'm standing right next to the partition to take the picture, to give you an idea of the size of my little studio.  The brown thing is a cabinet that I love, but then I got this old Red Flyer Wagon.  If Michael wasn't here, I'd have space for it.  I've already gotten rid two cabinets so I could fit Michael in, so I really didn't want to lose another one.  Solution was to put the cabinet in the wagon! 

I just now got an email asking me how Hank is, cause I haven't mentioned anything about him since my new roommate arrived.  The truth is - is that he's been a little upset with me cause I wouldn't let him stay with me while he looked for a place.  He wanted to know what the difference was  between him and Michael.  Ummm.  We hadn't slept together up to that point and I wanted to keep it that way.  But it came out of my mouth as "I've already slept with him".

Yea.  Classy.

But things are okay now, but he likes to be around so he can keep an eye on Michael.

I'm standing next to my bed to take this one.


Goodness, what a hodge podge of colors.  I don't like the Thanksgiving table cloths...

And here it is.. the infamous bunkbed.  I'm so pleased with it.  I can have a guest, plus it will hold the cats when Michael is gone.  I'm tired of all three animals sleeping with me.  Yes,definitely gonna have to change out the Thanksgiving table cloths to the black and white ones.  The white thing is a fabric closet that I can't get into, but I had to keep it for storing the stuff that used to hold what was in the 2 cabinets that I got rid of.  So I put stuff that I don't use into the fabric closet that used to be in the top of my real closet... isn't this facinating?  I wish mine was black and white <-----like this one.

I can still raise my hospital bed with no problem  I love how cozy it feels.  I do need to figure out something better for the curtains.  Something to block the heat better.  October is summer time for San Francisco and I'm feeling the heat.  Annie's crate is at the end of my bed, and I'm standing next to it.

Next up is the "dressing room" and the bathroom.

TTFN
~

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets

Home Sweet Home's Kitchen

~
  I promised a long time ago that I'd take pictures of my little tiny studio apartment so my friends and family back home could picture me in San Francisco SINCE NONE OF THEM ARE GONNA COME VISIT ME.  I took 23 pictures, so I'll split it up into 2 or 3 posts.

Home Sweet Home Oct 28, 2012

This is what I see when I come in the front door.  I don't know why I call it the front door, cause it's not like I have a back door. 

Right inside the door is the refrigerator on the right.  Another step or two and I'm standing between the fridge and stove.  Man, it's really clutter-y with those words hanging all over the place. 

Looks like I got the Thanksgiving dish towels out too early.  That's what doing laundry only once a month will do for you. 

My potatoes and onion are nicely stored in the dark next to the dog food crate (that wheels out when needed twice a day).  Only trouble with that is "Out of sight, out of mind".  I went on a cleaning spree a couple days ago and was frightened to go any deeper cause of the vines trying to stretch up to light on the back of the file cabinets!

And that there is my kitchen.  I actually love it cause I don't have to make many steps.  While something is cooking, I turn around and do the dishes.  Well, Michael does the dishes most of the time.  I left blueberries out on the stove. whoops.

I have no cupboards, but these shelves do the job.  I can't reach the mugs, but I don't use them.  Michael puts things up there that he evidently doesn't want me to have or use...

The shelves behind the fridge store my cookbooks (easily reached) and plastic containers with labels for the stuff I rarely use.  Like the meat grinder. 

I'm seriously considering putting in a better sink without telling the landlord.  What are they gonna do - charge my dead body? 










I'd like a better faucet too.  I should do this while Michael is here....

I have ONE drawer for silverware, and no space for canisters that could hold utensils.  Several days after moving in, I found the wooden room dividers (with just 2 panels)  I ripped off the fabric, bought some hooks, and ta da - a utensil holder thingy.  It's really quite handy.

On another day, the tall metal rack was sitting on the street, so I stuck it in the basket on my trike and strapped it down with bungee cords.

Dirty dishes pile up in a tub underneath the sink next to the garbage can.


I love my kitchen.  The fridge is little which is good cause the microwave sits on top of it.


That's it for the kitchen.  Next will be the pantry, storage closet and living room.

TTFN
~

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets

N Speck Shin Time

There was an inspection of the apartments today, and all I basically had to do to get ready for it was unpack my suitcase (from traveling 2 weeks ago), wash some dishes and vacuum the carpets.  I clean the cat box every day, and keep the litter tracks swept up pretty good.  I just decided that I'm not going to do the manic scrub every surface down, vacuum every inch, mop, etc., just cause the landlady is coming.  I live the way I live, and it's not a pigsty, and oddly, it's much easier to keep my home clean in this tiny little space, so I just don't give a hoot anymore about being judged for my housekeeping.  I did change the bed, cause I had bought a new mattress pad for it, and the bedding did need changing.  With 3 animals sleeping with me every night... well, really... I should change the sheets every other day...

Now... here's the thing.  I truly have a lot of respect for the landlady.  She really, really knows her job.  Evidently, she was brought in to solve the problems that existed from previous managers.  She is ON THE MONEY when it comes to the paperwork.  And believe me, there is a lot of paperwork... especially when you have a service dog and ... two cats.  I don't even want to go into it. 

But I will.  One day as I brought her papers to prove the cats had been vaccinated, she snapped at me, asking why I didn't just have all my papers for my animals all together at one time.  This had been about our 12th contact with each other, trying to get it all done.  Ummm, was it because she kept telling me every other week some new rule or regulation that I needed to measure up to?  First she said I couldn't have the cats, then she said I could only have one, then she gave me some more paperwork with something that said I could have 2 small pets, blah blah blah.  A service animal is not considered a PET, so, in theory, that should mean I could keep the 2 cats! 

I don't like taking advantage of fine lines like that, but in the case of live animals... that I am responsible for... I used it and provided proof that service animals aren't considered pets, and underlined her own paperwork that said I could have 2 small pets, that I had provided vet care and vaccinations, blah blah blah. 

She also said all pets had to be under 50 pounds.  There are no weight restrictions on service animals, so I had to provide proof of that also.

As a result, I don't think she likes me.  I think she took it as I out-smarted her.  Plus, she simply doesn't like animals - they are germ-y. 

Today, she showed up in this.  Literally.  Cept her gloves were white.  Victor, our maintenance man, came in with her, and he's been in here several times cause I save my aluminum cans for him.  Annie barks a couple of times when someone knocks on the door, which is good, because I don't hear it alot of the time.  She never barks at Victor, because he makes an effort to call her name and now she's used to him.

I had started cooking some eggs for breakfast, and naturally, that's when they knocked on the door.  I opened it, and there stood the white space suit lady.  Annie barked and barked her fool head off and my eggs were ready to be plated.  (ha.  "Plated"  I watch cooking shows). 

Also, I have to move the shopping cart thingy away from the door, and into the kitchen in order to let anyone in.  I was tangled up in dog, wire cart, spatula in hand, and eggs ready to burn.  So I said just a minute, and slammed the door shut.  Took the eggs off the heat, stepped out of the kitchen so I could move the cart into the kitchen, put down the spatula, and grabbed the dog.  Then I opened the front door again.  The space suited landlady was in the apartment across the way, so Victor came in, and asked me if there was anything wrong with the apartment.  It was obvious he was trying to spare either her from having to come in (cause Annie saw her again and was barking), or me from having to deal with her myself.  I showed him the two things that needed fixed, and said to him "She's something of a germophobe, yes?"  He said it drove him crazy sometimes.  He was in and out in about a minute, and walked out the door, but she stopped him and said she wanted to see too. 

Annie, meanwhile is either barking or growling, and I can tell that the landlady is honestly afraid of dogs.  I don't have a problem with that, but when she ignored my suggestion of just calling her name (Annie's) a couple of times, I didn't care about making her comfortable - she could stay scared.  I held Annie back on the carpet, and heard Victor telling her that Annie was just protecting me (thanks Victor!).  Annie did stop barking when I told her to, but then she kept growling, which to me, is even more scary.  SpaceSuit Landlady walked in, took a look in the bathroom and left.  Without saying a word to me, or even looking at me.  Now THAT pissed me off.  I heard Victor muttering to her that he's never heard Annie acting like that before.  (Thanks Victor!) 

She hadn't heard yet from Victor what the 2 things were that needed fixed, nor did she say anything to me, and she was in and out so quick that I didn't get to show her the bathroom fan that sounds like a rocket ship taking off when I turn it on, or the partition wall behind the stove that MOVES when I fall and grab for it to save myself. 

I have no doubt she will call me into the office about my barking dog.  (The guy below me has complained about barking, and that I keep him awake with my noise).  As I said Annie only barks when someone knocks on the door which very rarely happens - I don't know anybody!  Gary, the cat-sitter knocks, but Annie is used to him, so she doesn't bark.  The point is - the barking the guy is hearing is not Annie - it's the new neighbors in the building next to us.  

I don't feel bad that Annie was barking and growling.  I haven't socialized her spacemen!  Now that I think about it, living in the Castro, we see people in all sorts of costumes on any given day.  Bunnies have been real popular the last couple weeks. 

I think it was the mask, more than anything that bothered Annie.  And I don't care if it upsets the landlady.  When she sees me in the building, she looks at me literally, with this face ------------------------->

I told Gary about it, and he says she does the same thing to him - he's got 3 dogs with him, so I really think it's cause she doesn't like dogs.  Because of her reaction, it seems more like she doesn't like people who HAVE dogs!  And since I have Annie with me 24/7, she sees a lot of us.  So ... she doesn't like me.  Face it, Me.  Wahh.  To bad So sad. 

When she snaps at me about my barking dog, do you think it would be inappropriate for me to tell her "My dog only barks at space aliens" or maybe "If you looked and talked like a human, she wouldn't bark at you!"....

Yea.  Maybe better not.




~

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets

Bathroom Cabinet

~

The Photo a Day Challenge is "Bathroom Cabinet".  This was a good thing cause it made me organize and clean my bathroom.

I'm not used to having a cabinet behind the mirror above my bathroom sink, so I always forget where the stuff I've put in there is. 

Alot of these exercises I can do at while standing at the sink.  Which I can hold on to while I do them.  Yes, I actually have been doing them!

 The second one.  Theresa.  Okay, fine, me too. 

I really try to keep "The Four Agreements" in my head.  Specially the second one.  And I'm working one the third one.

Something to think about.  Everyday.  I'm waiting for the answers to come to me.

 The weird thing about this?  I read these things every day because.... I've been wearing make-up again.  It's been YEARS since I've done that.  What the hell is happening to me????

~

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets

Catch Up Photos

What do Handwriting, Fav Pic of Myself, and Where I Works have in common?  

  Handwriting - this months ambitions. 





















Favorite Picture of Myself - Sniff





Where I "work".  Translated loosely.  My health is my job.





 Chantelle at Fatmumslim, that's what. 

~

~

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets

Reading 'Flanagan's Smart Home'

Well crap.  So much for Nablopomo.  It feels like the beginning of MS, when I had weird little symptoms that made me feel crazy and irritated all the time.  Pee problems are once again the sign of a flare-up coming down the pike.  I'm not complaining tho, because this time it hit my hands in a different way than the usual pins and needles pain and if I complain, it'll be permanent.  I'm just going to tough it out right now.

I've been reading a FACINATING book called Flanagan's Smart Home.  The author, Barbara Flanagan, lived on a sailboat, and pared down her possessions to 98 items.  I've been looking around my studio wondering if I could do that.

I have pared down several times in the last 10 years (btw, last night I came across a website that calculates how long you've been alive down to the minutes and seconds, so when I punched in my birthday?  It said I was 54 years old.  %$  [that's 54 in caps] FIFTY FOUR!  What was I thinking?  I've been telling people I'm 52 - just yesterday in fact.  For years, after Jacob died, I often made the same mistake, cause I literally lost 2 years of my life when he died, but dang, I thought I got over that!) 

Okay.  Deep breaths.  I have pared down several times in the last 10 years, from a 3 bedroom home to a 1 bedroom apartment, to the studio I'm in now.  I adore the studio for many reasons.  What I have here now, are items I truly love or need.  Need comes first, then love.  I fall less because there's always a wall, a trike, a chair or a shelf to hang on to, or catch myself before I go all the way down.  Cooking the Thanksgiving meal in a tiny kitchen was actually so efficient - I loved cooking again!

I'm the type of person who had to clean the aquarium and under the fridge if company was coming, and it would take me 3 days to do it in the house, and 1-2 days in the apartment.  It took me an HOUR to clean the studio for when Jeremy came.  When I met "the girl he knows who was visiting her family in San Francisco" (I have been gently reminded that she's not officially his girlfriend) I wasn't worried whether the studio was presentable enough - just whether there was enough room!

Back to paring down.  I'm thinking about taking on the challenge.  Buy quality over quantity.  I'm seriously thinking about a latex mattress because of her research, and because I'm tired of over-heating while I sleep.

Another challenge I'm going to take on is not paying for anything if at all possible.  I might make it a feature of the blog.  I've already scored some freebies off of Freecycle - 2 pork roasts and 8 pork steaks which are delicious.  Something else that I've forgotten.  (Fascinating blog material, eh?)

Between finding stuff on the streets, Freecycle, Craig's List, entering contests, and websites such as Johnny Funcheap, I think it would make some good blog fodder.  I am really good, okay fine, getting BETTER at taking something out when I bring something new in.  Most of the time, I'm up-grading what I already have, or switching something out to wicker, black, white, red, or yellow.  I'm looking for a red hand mixer to replace my perfectly good green one.  Stuff like that.

 I liked alot of Flanagan's ideas, such as replacing the dish drainer that gets all icky and gross with a cloth like "Shammy" - cloth with super absorbent qualities - mircro-fiber stuff.  Let the dishes drain, rinse, wring out, and hang up to dry.  So much cleaner, and less left out on my precious counter space.  I want to do away with chemical cleaners as much as possible.  I REALLY want a steam mop with a wand feature so I can clean the closet tracks - they are FILTHY with someone else's dirtiness.  Gross.  I've cleaned them, but I just can't bring myself to get down there with a toothbrush. 

And on that note, I shall stop.  I'm trying to take a picture of the several hummingbirds that are coming to my feeder.  It's difficult between flapping curtains, 1 dog and 2 cats being super interested in them.  They chirp, so it's not like the cats can ignore them, and the instant they see movement, off they flit and fly.  They actually LAND on the railing - I've never seen a hummingbird stop flying.

So what could I call myself, should I take on being cheap in San Francisco?  I need a name so I can make business cards, so I can grow the blog, since so many of my current readers won't comment on the blog!   >:-( 

I know!  Think of a name for me, and if I choose your idea, I will mail you the first item I get rid of in my studio.  Now remember - I've pared down to the point of loving most of my belongings, so it won't be a junkie thing I mail to you.  K?  Bring it on!

TTFN

~

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets

NaBloPoMo and SCS about Laundry. Brilliant.

Damn it.  Blogger isn't working right with the copy and past thing.  Oh well, here goes my 5 minutes.

That is, IF my Internet connection lasts for more than 5 minutes.  I need to catch up on NaBloPoMo, too.  Every time it rains, it seems the Internet breaks, and I'm so sick of it.  Hate to pay another $30-40 for a more secure connection, but I might have too.  Then again, not being addicted is kind of nice too. 

Has anyone seen that Geico commercial where that man has taught some hamsters to "row" boat oars to provide... energy to run something?  See, I don't even know what the commercial is about because I'm so disturbed by the one hamster calling out "row" "row" "row" so his fellow boat-mates will operate in tandem.

I forgot to look at the clock to note my 5 minutes.

Yesterday, I did 4-5 hours of laundry.  Six loads yesterday, and another 6 loads today, only today it only took 2 hours cause I went to the laundrymat up the block.  I even love to do laundry in San Francisco!  Yesterday, I did it in the apartment complex with 3 washers and 2 dryers, up on the 5th floor, where I could look at the view outside.  Today, the machines were double loaders, so was able to get it done quicker.  Still forgot to wash the comforter on my bed tho.

People watching is one of my favorite things to do, and the people of San Francisco are alot to watch.  However, I'm beginning to wonder if their are any straight people around anymore!  Speaking of which, it's true what they say about "when you stop looking for love, love finds you".  And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Michael Jackson's "This is It" is on TV right now.  Makes me sad.  He was such a huge talent.  Screwed up and talented.  I hope his kids turn out okay.  Kinda ironic that the parents who screwed up Michael, are now raising his kids, and they "seem" to be okay.  Actually, his mother is raising them - daddy Jackson supposedly doesn't live with her anymore.  It is obvious that I'm far too invested in this.

Tomorrow, HUD is inspecting our apartments.  Should be a learning experience, cause everything is soooo different than it was in Idaho.

Oh, that reminds me of the tale of the window blinds.  Months ago, I picked up 4 sets of 70 inch beige blinds, thinking I could make them work for my wall to wall back window.  They've been under the bed, waiting for me and I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I took them down the block and set them on the sidewalk, much like I found them, so someone could have them.

Well, last evening, the guy down the hallway knocked on my door, and said he had found some blinds for me, cause he remembered hearing me say that I moved partly cause of the heat in Idaho - that I couldn't take it.  He said the apartments get up to 100 degrees in early Spring and late Fall here.  I played dumb about the blinds and thanked him profusely for watching out for me and yes, I'd LOVE to have them!
This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…
1. Grab the button
2. Write your post.
3. Link up here

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Blog Gadgets