I have to say, we three have been sharing the 675 sq.ft. place pretty well since the move. Wrap your mind around that number... "six-seventy-five square feet". For two grown adults, and one three year-old boy. Before moving in, I was really concerned about that measurement. I didn't think it was at all possible to compress myself and my lifestyle down to that size. Worrying about Emily and Adin having to make compromises for me and all my random "gear" made me think the experience would be like living in a Shanghai eggcrate sky rise.
But since settling in, we have all been doing very well. In fact, there are some real perks to apartment living that I never appreciated before:
#1 - We have a pool. That's right, the most noteworthy feature of this complex and also a mark of distinction is that we have a lovely in-ground swimming pool right near us. Think of how much time, money, and frustration it would require to install a swimming pool at one's own home? I was blessed enough to move into a place with one already there. YAHTZEE!
#2 - When you have such small space, it's easy to move around and find what you need. Even with meticulous organization, everything is pretty much within your sight by default. It's like an I-Spy game for kids.
"I spy something with two wheels", "it's the bicycle in the corner of the living room!"
"I spy something plastic and black", "it's the 128-piece tool set, also in the living room!"
"I spy something rectangle and cozy", "it's... it's my bed in the living room too? wtf!" (kidding! we're not THAT cramped)
The other benefit of this is; have you ever left the house and remembered you left your car keys on the night stand all the way upstairs? Super-annoying. With the apartment, I'm never more than 9.5 steps away from anything I've forgotten.
#3 - In an apartment, you're hardly the strangest person around. When you live in a house with roommates, they are your social network. Bam, right there, in your space, all the time. They get to survey your daily activities, style of dress, and behavior. Let me tell you, some of the stuff you find "normal" is probably pretty weird to them. But when you live in an apartment, you can breathe a sigh of relief that your habit of pounding kids' cereal from a mixing bowl with a soup ladle doesn't hold a candle to the woman in a muumuu walking her three cats on leashes. Or the guy in jorts and no less than six sweatbands using the "fitness center" between 10-11p each night. And those are just the next-door neighbors.
#4 - Fantastic surprises! Apartment complexes are rife with everyday smile-makers. Whether it's coming home to find a Community Calendar for May taped to your door, or a fresh Yellow Book, something is bound to give you a lil' spring in your step. "The Management" does a nice job making the residents feel wanted, but let's not overlook that the other residents want to make one another feel awesome too. Just the other day, I came back to find someone had written a special message on the concrete outside our building...
You see, that right there is what I'm talking about. One of our friendly neighbors just giving me a little reminder that I like Dave Chappelle, and to download some of his shows. And Good Day to you too, sir or madam!
#5 - Landscaping. That's right folks, who doesn't have to spend weekends slaving away operating gas-powered everything from mowers and edgers to trimmers and leaf-blowers? This guy right here! The Management has a platoon of guys cruising the property every day, making sure any rogue blade of grass standing 1/8" higher than the rest gets whacked down instantly. I feel devilishly guilty to just kick back and enjoy the product.
These are just some of the reasons why I'm loving the apartment lifestyle. I'm sure in time, other benefits will be revealed. But you know, one of the most important metrics of my apartment living experience is how satisfied my girlfriend and her son are of ME. It's important to me that I constantly evaluate my performance and make improvements where necessary. I'm pretty proud to say that I've been on-point so far.
In a recent unbiased survey using a Likert scale of 1= poor to 10=exceptional, Emily responded to the following about me:
Laundry-doing ability: 9
Bed-making ability: 9.5
Dinner-making ability: 10
Being a "good example for Adin" ability: 8.5
Vacuuming ability: 9
Bed-time story reading ability: 9.5
Mother's Day flower-giving ability: 10
That's a 9.36 average in the first two weeks, what you know about that?! I acknowledge some work needs to be done in the "being a good example" category. That probably has something to do with racing shopping carts with Adin in the Kohl's parking lot last week.
Knowing Emily is stoked is only half of the big picture though. I asked Adin the other night after a great bed-time story reading session what he thought of my progress...
Classic Adin; he is a man of few words sometimes. At first I was concerned because I understood that gesture to be a sign of disapproval. But then I got on urbandictionary.com that night and found that when it's pointed down, it's all good... HIGH FIVE!
Being a great family member and making sure those two are happy is the wind in my sails.
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