Our Apartment

I'm totally procrastinating right now. I should be writing report cards, but the having the Internet for free is just too much temptation to keep me focused.

A week after I got a job, we found a place. It's a sweet little place where we hardly have to drive our car because everything is in walking distance: the grocery store, the hardware store, an ice cream shop (verrrry important), lots of restaurants, a public library, my work, a gigantic park, a waterway to put our canoe in, a street car line that goes straight to the French Quarter, and our garden plot at a nearby church.

Our apartment is called a shotgun. There are no hallways, just a long row of rooms. This makes for a rather narrow house, but I sure get my exercise when I forget something in the front room and I'm in the bathroom (at the opposite end of the house). Why is it called a shotgun? Because you can shoot a bullet into the house and it won't hit much as it passes through. This first photo is the front living room of our new place. The second room is another living room that we'll use as our little office/craft room. Separating the two living rooms are some French doors. Our friend Jeanne said that the double parlor style is popular with houses down here. She should know; she's a architectural history buff.

The third room is our bedroom, which has no windows. There is a window in one of the closets, so it's not totally dark. Next comes the dining room/kitchen, and behind that is the bathroom with a tub.

The whole apartment is great. We have high ceilings, ceiling fans in every room, hardwood floors, new appliances and laundry facilities on site. Dude, we even have a dishwasher and a patio on the back. Let the dinner parties begin!

You know how you feel a little uneasy when you are sleeping in a new place? Staying at Helen's was comfortable and I wasused to the noises there, but here I wasn't. So our first night here, I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and as I sat on the toilet, I heard this rustling outside the window. I started freaking out because I wasn't clothed, I didn't have my glasses on, and holy moly, there was someone outside! I cautiously and quietly walked to the window and I came face-to-face with really large raccoon peering back at me. The little bugger was perched on a branch just outside the bathroom window. Thank the little stars in the sky! My adrenaline rush slowly subsided and I was able to go back to sleep, albiet somewhat fitlessly.

We've met most of our neighbors immediately surrounding our house, including the landlord of the house right next door. She's only met us twice (one time when I was putting paper mache on Kyle's face and he wasn't able to speak) and she has taken a liking to us. She told us we were such nice people, so why didn't we consider joining her and her friends crew in their Mardi Gras parade? Wow!

Mardi Gras is a big deal around here. I get the whole week off! People dress in costumes, there's lots of great music. I'm not exactly sure what else, but people are always excited to learn that I'm going to experience Mardi Gras for the first time. My sister is going to visit for Mardi Gras, so I'm excited that she will get to see it, too. It's been a while since we experienced something new together.

Since last night was Halloween, Kyle and I took the streetcar to the French Quarter. It was amazing! It was like State Street (in Madison) back in the day before all the riot gear was brought out. Musicians were found on many street corners and even walking through the crowds. I have photos, but I will post them later. Anyhow, Helen told me last night that I got just a taste of what Mardi Gras was like. A taste? That was pretty awesome already!

Oh man, it's late. I started writing about our apartment and now I'm onto a different topic entirely. I need to get back to writing report cards.

P.S. Blogger, you might want to put "Mardi Gras" into your spellchecking dictionary. I spelled it right every time, I swear.