Introduction
I plan to write a chronological summary of what I am doing from here on out, but I will be referring to some things which need to be explained in advance. Hopefully I can cover everything here, but memory is infinitely fallible so I might not get it all together. The following will be in no order, simply written as they occurred to me.
The Jeep
Devin's family were all in town around the fourth of July for an annual blues festival. His father drove up in his old Jeep without problems, but the very first day here the Jeep inexplicably died. The radiator was borked and it was going to be too expensive to fix it. He left it here and took the train back down. He then started researching how to fix it and started ordering sealants and car parts and such and having them shipped here to Devin. It's been quite a process but Devin has now replaced the radiator entirely and done some other stuff to the thing as well. The engine might also be on its last legs but we're not sure. His dad was up here a couple weeks ago as well and he signed the Jeep over to Devin. So we now have the use of a probably operational Jeep. We've used it a few times for short shopping trips. My presence has necessitated weekly, rather than bi-weekly, trips to Costco. Consequently using the Jeep rather than the bus is highly desirable. So that's the story of the Jeep.
Chelsea's new job
An online friend of Chelsea's, and teammate for GISHWHES, works as an assistant at a very large escrow firm. She was able to give Chelsea the details of the local office and Chelsea applied. She got the job and now has to wear businessy skirts and blouses and go to work in a big building downtown. The work is nice and the pay and benefits are very good, also she hated her prior crappy job. So she's quite happy now.
Devin's new job
Devin started work at a bakery yesterday, a really nice local place nearby. He is already enjoying it and is overjoyed to have been able to quit his other job at a restaurant (from hell) downtown. It would take volumes to chronicle the horrors of that establishment and the almost certainly psychopathic owners. Suffice it to say almost anything would have been better, but this new place is not just anything, it is a very nice thing.
My computer situation
In my quest to have a workable computer setup I have been through untold trials and great misfortune. For a few weeks now my computer has been wedged between the cat tree and the entertainment center. It is hooked up to the television and is usable, however it is so cumbersome and space consuming that it is only usable when Devin and Chelsea are gone. They have been very accommodating but it is simply too in the way to permit the movements of other people. So I just use it when they're at work. We're trying to figure something out that would make it possible to fit the computer and such in the room I sleep in. That story is still developing though, so I'm sure to write more about that in the near future.
The multipurpose room
Devin referred to the room as the "MP room" a couple days ago and I thought it was a very apt title, so I plan to use it. It really is a multipurpose room. Part of it is a home gym, part of it is Chelsea's computer space, part of it is Devin's practice space, and now parts of it are my bedroom. It's totally fine except for the computer not fitting in there.
My furniture
I have made some very fine cardboard furniture to house all of my stuff that I use, and have ample tucked away closet space for stowing the things I don't use. About a month ago Heather gave us her couch because she had gotten a new one. Their old couch was a futon and frame deal, They threw out the frame and I got the futon mattress. I folded it over and we strapped it with some large exercise bands (think of very thick bungee cords). I wrapped it in a sheet, a comforter and propped up the end to keep my head from being at a decline from my feet on account of weight distribution on the springs. It's a very serviceable bed and only caused me grief when I first started working out and my hamstrings were sore as hell. I'm happy with it though, and happy with the way it fits snugly amid my things.
Mochi
Chelsea's cat is very dumb and has the strangest array of bad behaviors I've ever seen in a cat. Therefore she annoys everybody but Chelsea routinely. Locke wanted to know what Mochi looks like. So here is a picture of her doing the only cute thing she ever does: sleep (on her new five-something foot cat tree).
Conclusion
I have been at this for a while and will just cut it off here. I'll post another primer to talk about The International, GISHWHES, my boardgame, and a couple other bits. I want to get this post published today though, so it must be thus. I'll leave you with some pictures to illustrate some of my talking points and so that the more visual learning based among you can better put an image to things I mention.
This is my other roommate, the large gray yoga ball. He's just doing his usual.
I put on a stick-on mustache because there were leftover stick-on mustaches one day.
This is the multipurpose room after one of Chelsea's GISHWHES items. I thought it looked like the world's sissiest terrorist was filming a ransom video in there.
Chelsea put her Pikachu headband around Winthrop's neck and he didn't care. It's been on him for almost twenty four hours now and it's only moved down around his torso. He is just not giving any fucks anymore, apparently.
Finally the views through (top to bottom), the window of the MP room, the MP room window again, the living room sliding glass door, the kitchen window. And no, I didn't crop anything unpleasant out to make it look beautiful, wider lens shots would have showed even more nice stuff just out of view.
Post Script
I forgot, here is a video of a walking tour of the MP room and living room while my computer is all set up. Hopefully it illustrates everything properly.
