Well, I’m still unpacking and setting things up, but I have moved. And it is good. Gone are the leaky days, the moldy smells, and the AC that knocks out the circuit with the fridge on it. I am now living in a slightly smaller but much nicer place in the city. It has central air, a new water heater, a new washer and dryer, curtains already installed, and the best part, an extremely responsive and knowledgeable landlord.

I’ve got about 3-4 more boxes to unpack, but that’s coming along nicely. Since I’m in a smaller place, I’ve had to have a little rule: if it doesn’t have a home, it can’t live in mine. In other words, if it’s something I don’t have a reasonably logical place for, I’m not keeping it! I have lots of storage spaces here (three largeish closets, a locked closet in the back stairwell, and a basement locker), but I don’t want to keep things I don’t need.

I’ve found out some things:

1) Clothing that did not fit in the old apartment will not suddenly fit in the new apartment.

2) Shoes that are torn up and ugly do not suddenly become beautiful and new in the new apartment.

3) Expired medicine and personal care products do not become unexpired in the new apartment.

It’s a fun learning experience.

Also, with the move, I’ve been spending more than necessary (mostly on eating out… oops!) so I need to cut back a bit. I’ll have a lovely dental visit next month that will cost a few hundred dollars, but I can work it out. The biggest thing is that I need to curb my extraneous spending, which means meal planning and leaving my credit and debit cards at home unless I actually need them (to run errands or buy gas). Actually, I really need to just go back to my cash budget. It’s too easy to spend more than I intended when I have cards. Granted, my biggest “extra” expense this month was legit stuff for the new place (sheets that aren’t worn through and a toilet paper holder, which is like the one thing the place lacks), but the whole buying lunch at restaurants for myself is not a good deal.

Oh well. I will be making crock pot chicken stock, so I’m thinking a good soup week should get me back on track!

In four weeks, I am moving out of this place and into a new apartment. It’s in a nicer, quieter area. The apartment has central air and forced air heat. The place is being fully renovated even as I type. It’s slightly smaller than this place, but I will be paying approximately the same monthly rate for a nicer apartment with a more proactive landlord.

The gutter overflowed again today, sending water into my bedroom. In the aftermath, my apartment is a smattering of boxes and miscellaneous furniture I took out of the bedroom. I’m so ready to go. It is a pain to move, but it’s even more of a pain to see the exact same thing happen over and over, but it’s not getting fixed. My landlord is frustrated–after all, he has to pay for the many repairs–but the problem is the same. It’s the same gutter overflowing the same way in the same conditions every time. I feel bad for the guy in some ways, but this is quite enough! I know he is working to fix the problem, but I worry that he’s treating the symptoms (water damaged plaster, masonry failures) instead of the problem (THE FREAKING GUTTER).

Oh well. Hoping four weeks will pass quickly and that if it rains, maybe it at least won’t pour!

I made my first omelette ever on Monday of this week. It was okay. I made a cheese omelette, didn’t add milk or herbs, and slightly overcooked it. A worthy effort, but not perfect.

I got free range eggs yesterday and decided it was omelette time. So I made an omelette with herbs, tomato, and mozzerella cheese. Served with a couple slices of pumpernickel bread. It’s delicious. A bit dense (I’m out of milk!), but delicious.

Mmmm eggs.

I hate this morning!!!

Went outside, had a parking ticket. Apparently I was parked more than a foot away from the curb. Because being two to three inches outside that margin is a menace to society. Stupid city. Spend the ten bucks on something nice. GAH!

Then I went to Aldi. I go there every week. Last week they sold me a bag of potatoes that were all green within two days. Green potatoes = neurotoxin = don’t eat them. So I threw them out, found my receipt, and kindly asked for a refund. They wanted to see the potatoes. I still have one of the bad potatoes left. Part of me wants to go back there, throw the potato at the manager, and say “Here’s your *expletive* potato!”

They gave me a refund. They also hassled me about it and did not give me a new bag of potatoes. Yes, I am going to contact corporate. Teach your stores to follow your own policy.

I have more errands to run, but I don’t even want to go outside anymore. I hate this day!

Sometimes, dinner should be light and simple. Like this.

Boil some spaghetti noodles.

Toss with some olive oil and herbs.

Add salt and pepper.

Add just a touch of cheese (Parm would be best, but I have none!).

The kale chips were an idea from Apartment Therapy. I’m trying them out. Someone at work said roasted kale is delicious, too. And since you should eat dark leafy greens because they’re healthy (I know, right? I sound like someone’s mom), I decided it was worth a shot. I’ve met few roasted vegetables I didn’t like.

These are amazing. Salty and crisp like a chip, a bit of kale taste action, whoa. I think I added a bit more salt than I should have, but these are good. Don’t eat them right off the pan. They’re kind of hot. But tasty. And a great way to eat cheap, healthy kale.