Monday

She's All Situated In Cleveland Now...

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted anything, super busy with life as they say.  Dave got Christie to Cleveland without much further adieu. Once they got situated at the hotel the university was putting them up in they started the hunt for an apartment for her.

One of her co-workers suggested an apartment just around the corner from the university.  They went to look at it...holy cow...is-it-small,  320 sq. ft., it's what she ended up with after looking at all her options.  For $575.00 a month with all bills paid with cable and high speed Internet it's a good fit for her. Before it became studio apartments I think it was a hotel as the rooms seem to be hotel size.  It has a great workout room, huge laundry room, 24 hour front door attendant.  Great in-gathering space in the lobby and a meeting room with media facilities.

Her kitchen, as you can see is quite small, and doesn't have an oven in which to bake anything.  Nor is there any storage space to speak of.  She and her daddy had to get creative so she would have a place to put canned goods, spices, pots and pans.  Unfortunately she is not able to do Angel Food this year as she doesn't have any freezer space. She has to plug in her crock pot in the living room as the only plug-in in the kitchen is located behind the double doors above the microwave.  A very poorly planned kitchen if you ask me.  Then the microwave is not even a convection oven combo.  How in the heck are you suppose to make cookies!

Her living space looks like this, this is their advertised picture. As you can see there's not much room to fit in a queen size bed, a 1940's chest of drawers and vanity with a circle mirror, book case, TV, couch, papasan chair, computer, side table, straight back chair, two-way standing lamp and wall art.  But for now it is home.  She had to get a storage unit to put the rest of her stuff in as there was not enough room for all of it in the apartment.  Now she knows what RV small space living is all about.
She is within walking distance from work and has the metro just outside her door to get around in the downtown area.  At the moment she is enjoying going to the set of the "Avengers" that is shooting in downtown Cleveland and watching them film.  She attended the guy's soccer game the other evening and she said it was awesome to have the skyline of Cleveland in the background as a backdrop. How fun is that!

Having her own office allows her put her own dorm size refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot in it.  So she is a happy camper.  Imagine not having enough space to have a coffee pot at your apartment.

Dave says he will never complain about the streets in Norman and Oklahoma City or even I-40 again as city streets are abysmal in Cleveland. Another thing they were shocked at was a fairly new Wal-mart there in Cleveland, he said there was no order by management to speak of, merchandise was all over the floor and not on shelves, not enough help, not enough checkout lanes and no shopping carts.  Christie went to get a shopping cart and couldn't find one so she asked the greeter where she might find one and he told her that other than what the different departments had managed to secure for themselves the rest had walked off (been stolen).  Great, huh!

Christie did have another item that had to be fixed on her car, her tail lights were out.  Apparently they were out for the whole trip.  She found a very reputable mechanic just across from the school and got them fixed. She is however going to have to get the center light fixed and that will cost her more money, but it has to be done. But her little Jeep is running great for now.  She is averaging between 22 and 25 miles per gallon and that was with it loaded for the trip.  Not bad for a 14 year old car.

After Dave got her moved in and settled he came home after being gone a week and a half.  It was nice to have him back but he did not enjoy coming back to the 100+ degree heat we've been having.  I'm hoping for a break soon as we are loosing our trees. 

We are baby-proofing our house once again...I thought I was done with that but apparently not.  Our little guy is coming to see us soon and we are all ready for a "Noah Fix".

Happy trails...