The new place

Some people have asked to see pictures of my new apartment. (You know who you are!) For you, I dedicate a small portion of my blog.

I was somewhat surprised at how hard the decision was to find an apartment. I figured I would look at several options, and one would stand out as being "the best". It turned out that it was hard enough to narrow it down to 3 or 4, much less one. Regardless, I made my choice, and here is where I live and why.

One of the main reasons I chose this apartment was because of the size. The living room, dining room, and kitchen areas were much larger (up to 50%) and much more open. The apartment also boasts 11' ceilings. Some may consider that too open for an apartment, but I enjoy it. What I would like to change would be to have one of the walls painted, and to add some throw pillows to the couch. Oh yeah... a coffee table or dining room table wouldn't hurt. See for yourself in the following pictures: (If you don't want to click on all the links, you can see the whole album at http://picasaweb.google.com/smerkerg/Apartment)

Living area from the entrance
Living area from the back
Living area from the kitchen (most apartments had the kitchen very separated, not open like this)
Pantry in the kitchen (no other apartments I saw had as much storage space, especially in vital locations like the kitchen)
Kitchen from dining area
Kitchen - proof that it is my apartment!
"Dining Room" - further proof that it is my apartment!
In-wall bookshelf, more storage space

The bedrooms and bathrooms are nothing amazing compared to other places I looked. If they had some of the amenities here that were to be found in other apartments, it would have made this apartment that much more appealing.

Walk-in closets
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
2nd bathroom

The other downside to the apartment is the location. It was a little farther from work than I was hoping for, but so far the commute really hasn't been too bad. I don't mind driving too much, and I am exploring some other bus options as well. Hopefully I will get to the point where I can be on a work schedule that starts and/or ends during non-peak traffic times.

All in all, I've been pretty happy with my choice, and I'm enjoying the experience of having my own place!

Hungry? Open that bag of charcoal

This is sad stuff of course, but what's with the picture? The article is about food stamp recipients starving because of rising food costs, but the most prominent item in the picture is a bag of charcoal? I think there may be more wise investments for food stamps if you're worried about starvation...

Read the article here.

B- for life

I recently graduated from college. During my last semester, I eventually grew tired of one of my courses, and felt it no longer as necessary. So I didn't go for the last 2 weeks and stopped completing the assignments. It was an empowering feeling, one that I had not previously felt during my college career. I felt good, until I realized that my A in the class had turned into a B-...

It was then that I began to consider what I had done. Was it worth it? I had always been diligent in my studies, and received good grades for my effort. Was this something I would regret for the rest of my life? It turned out that while it may have lowered my GPA, it didn't change my graduating status at all. I graduated magna cum laude with my B-, and I would have graduated magna cum laude without it.

Of course, no one should want to lead a B- life, and that's not what I'm condoning. If I had a B- average, I obviously wouldn't have been able to graduate with academic honors. So when is it ok?

Life is all about balance. What did I do with the extra time, effort, and attention that became available when I gave up on that course? Did I devote those resources to something more meaningful? Unfortunately not. And that made me think.

What does my life's report card look like? Do I have an A in my career and a C in my relationships with friends and family? Am I graduating with honors in my plans for the future while having to take remedial classes for serving and caring for others? Who will look at my life 50 years down the road and give me a B-? What am I doing about that?

Who would have thought that my decision to be a slacker would cause so much introspection? I may have got a B- in the class, but if it helps me to earn an A from those I interact with... I'll consider it the best grade I ever got.