I'm a Big Girl Now

Today I took my first step towards complete independence. Okay, okay...so really, if you want to get technical, I've been working every summer since I turned 12 and I've had a full time job every year since I was 17. Sure not all those jobs were ones that the government could tax (I work for cash, I have no shame), but it was still work. Technically speaking I've been paying for my own bills and buying my own food (except when Mom cooks, because let's face it, I don't care how old you are or how independent you become, there is nothing in the world like your Mom's home cooking - not if you are Southern anyway), for 11 years now.

It is a common misconception that just because I still live at home, my folks pay all my bills. This has been a bit of a sore spot to me through the years. I've always had part-time or full-time jobs while attending college and still managed to pull off a 3.5 GPA, thankyouverymuch! But people have made comments throughout my life that have caused my already usually ill temper to flair in a matter of seconds.

I don't like for people to think I can't take care of myself. So, for example, when someone suggested my Mom use my silver Cavalier several years ago without asking me first, because "you and Eddie pay for it anyway", it kinda rubbed me the wrong way...because, guess what? They didn't pay for it.

The only time my parents have ever been out any money on a vehicle for me was when I got my first car at 16. Dad bought my Aunt's 1987 Ford Tempo for $500. I drove the poop outta that car until I started paying payments on a 1999 Chevy S10. That's right. Me, myself, and I paid the payments on that truck. Paid the insurance too. Paid for it anytime it had to go to the car doctor (automechanic in non-April terms). Same goes for the silver Cavalier I drove (until I wrecked it) and the white Cavalier after that (until it completely gave out on me).

Sure, sure, Mom and Dad banded together to get the white one because after the silver one was gone I was car-less for about 3 months and I needed a way to get back and forth to school. But guess what? That $1,800 they spent on the car? Within a month, I had paid them back in full. And Cherry Darling (again...she died due to a wreck) and even Maisy (my current love), I pay for those as well. So all this amounts to is that it is a sore spot with me when someone either a) presumes to tell me how I should spend my money and b) assumes that someone else is "keeping me up."

BUT...the problem is that I still live at home. It doesn't matter how much land I am in debt for or how hard I've worked to get my little house fixed up. It doesn't matter if I help pay bills at the house or if I pay all my own bills. Because I still live under my Mom and Dad's roof, society doesn't see me as nearly as independent as I could be. Maybe society is right. Maybe not. I don't care much either way, but what I do care about is moving out on my own because I'm tired of driving 100 miles everyday to work. Yes. One Hundred Miles. 50 miles up there and 50 miles back from my family home. Five days a week. Plus, in a week or so I'll also add another three days a week to Lexington for classes.

Anyway, there are a lot of reasons to finally bite the bullet and move out on my own, but I've already gone off on enough tangents here and griped about enough things, so I'll not bore you with those. Instead, I will tell you about my new apartment. :-) Its small but I'm excited about it!!!

Its a one bedroom deal about five minutes from work and about two minutes from I-75 which will take me to school in about 30 minutes. Much better travel time than living in Jackson County. I have two large windows in my living room (which is the biggest room in the apartment), but not much of a view. I can see my bank, Wendy's, the bypass, and all that jazz from the windows, but hey, beggars can't be choosers. The apartment used to be an office of some sort. One of my windows still has the smudgy imprint of some random business name stuck to it. I'm hoping that the maintenance folks can get that cleaned off nice and pretty before I move in. Its carpet, so I'm gonna have to get a vacuum cleaner...especially with two cats moving in with me. I was tickled to be able to bring my critters. :-)

There is a small room with two doors that I am certain is really a closet, but I intend to make that the bedroom, because I don't want my largest room to have a bed taking up all the space. My living room is for entertaining and studying and all that jazz, not to have random people that have nowhere else to sit, putting their nasty feet in my clean bed. I'm weird about stuff like that. I'll let my hairy cats sleep in the bed with me, but Heaven forbid someone's dirty feet be under my covers. Ugh. Gives me shivers just thinking about it. Anyway, so the closet will become my bedroom. Its big enough I should be able to fit a full size bed in there and possibly a chest of drawers or something along those lings.

I have a tiny cute kitchen. No cabinets on the walls but plenty of cabinet space on the bottom. The cabinets need some contact paper or something put in them. I mean, they probably don't actually NEED it, but I feel like it needs it and I intend to put it there. Later, I may put up some shelves to sit glasses and whatnot on, but for now I'm not worried about it.

Beside the kitchen is a small bathroom with a door. The toilet and sink are in there. The shower (and here my friends is the tricky part) is outside the bathroom. Its in the middle of my dining room. Yeaaaaahhhh.

When you first come in the apartment, there is a small room and I intend for that room to hold my kitchen table. So its my dining room. The tricky thing is that when you open the front door, the door knob, if left to swing aimlessly, will actually hit the side of my shower stall. So...not only do I need a shower curtain, but I also have to put up something that will hide the shower stall a bit. Its weird, but I find it quirky (or at least that is what I'm telling myself), and so I guess it suits me fine. :-)

Just be warned...if you ever need to shower at my place, you need to either a) have a large towel or bathrobe handy to hide you from your walk from the bedroom to the shower or b) not be ashamed of your body.

Whichever works for you, works for me.