Apartments

Do you remember your first apartment? Not a dorm room, but an actual apartment? Single, roommate, married. . .whatever it be? Do you remember the freedom of being able to state "This is my apartment?" I know I will never forget my first apartment! I had decided during the spring/summer before my 5th year at Ball State that I needed OUT of my parents place! I was tired of driving back and forth every day. . . I wanted a smidgen of freedom -- that I did not have to carry a calling card (as cell phones were not that popular yet) with me and let my mother know I was going to be late that night. . . I wanted to live like a majority of the other students either in apartments or in dorms. . . I wanted to see what it was like, know that it was MY place and I could jam the music however loud I wanted! I didn't have to wash the dishes as soon as dinner was over, my laundry would be done when I needed clean underwear, etc. . .

So, in the summer of 1997 I set off to find myself an apartment! If I had to have a roommate, best be a stranger to get to know I guess! I thought of that darn Single White Female movie a lot while looking for my apartment. I looked at four or five and the last was it. . .

705 West Charles Street, Apartment 3 in Muncie. Oh, should I mention now it was in the historical area of Muncie? The downtown area? The area that isn't always the best? The apartment that was located to the east of my apartment had a murder happen in it right after I moved out. . . Yeah, it was affordable because of the area, but I felt safe, so who cared right?

The apartment was $210 a month! That was darn cheap rent for a 1 bedroom apartment with HUGE rooms, all wood floor (minus the kitchen), heat, water and garbage included! I had figured my bills over and over and I knew I could do it! My electricity bill was on budget for a whopping $17 a month (man, I wish I could do that again), my cable bill was $35 and my phone bill. . . .who knows :) I loved the freedom right away, just saying "I'm moving into MY apartment on August 2nd. . . "

So, on August 2nd my lil sister and her friend Yolanda helped me move my stuff from my parents house to my first apartment! Oh, I probably forgot to mention it was on the second floor of a revamped house :) However, Amber and YoYo didn't complain one bit about having to help me! Bless their lil ol hearts! :) I think I bought 'em pizza or something for dinner that night! They scoped out the guy that lived downstairs (ha ha -- no idea what his name is now, but his loozy tune ol lady was Melissa), and of course Amber flirted with him right away. . . Yo, she was Yo and was more into the Ablert Einstien poster on my neighbors door than flirting!

Ahhhh, yes ol Albert! The guy that was renting the apartment beside me, I never saw! I was glad when he moved out and the other guy moved in though! I asked the other guy to leave up Albert though -- let me explain Albert! It was a full poster the size of the window for the front door (it was a door that was 1/2 glass and 1/2 wood) -- HOWEVER, his eyes were cut out so they were peepholes! It was totally awesome! So, Albert stayed up the entire time I rented! And EVERYONE always commented on Albert! :)

The only real downfall to the apartment was the bathroom! Now, before anyone makes a comment about "Oh was it just so small you didn't have any room?" No! It was a nice size -- and it was heated! It is not the fact that it had that harvest gold and poop green horizontal striped wallpaper from the 70's (heck, it might have been before the 70's) that made ya wanna heave your guts up as you walked up the stair ( it was at the top of the stairs-- WORSE!!!! It did NOT have a shower! Yes, folks, you read that correctly -- no shower! It had this super old, claw foot tub! Yes, a TUB for crying out loud! I tried to rig a shower up, but to no avail! I was stuck with a darn bathtub! It was just lovely!

Of course, Eluides wasn't worried about the bathtub, nooooo. . .he was more worried about people trying to peak in at me in the bathroom that was facing a window! Sheeze! Freak show galore if that had happened!

So, I dealt with the darn bathtub. My kitchen was big enough to have a table. . . .but I was too poor paying rent to buy a table! LOL I think I had MORE counter space in that apartment than I have in this house! Now that's bad!!

My livingroom -- I ended up getting furniture from a family I babysat for. Ahhh the country blue sofa and a coffee table, along with the TV my mom gave me. . . and a cordless phone. It was a cute living room. Once again, nice sized for an apartment! Oh and the walk in closet in the living room was great! Held all my crap I didn't set out! HAHA!

The bedroom was a wonderful size! Full size bed, dresser, junky TV that at least had cable hookup, desk, and still a buttload of more space! I wish I had that size of a bedroom now! And another walk in closet! Totally awesome!

I had a little deck space outside my kitchen, but I didn't use it. It faced the ally. WHoopie!

The laundry facility was next-door in the other house/apartment. I just ended up taking most of my laundry to the laundromat. . . Same price and more than one washer and one dryer! LOL

Yes, folks, I loved the independence! It was totally great! I wouldn't trade it for anything. Yeah, I worked full-time and went to school full-time, but it was totally awesome!