pictures ranjeet on 15 Oct 2008 09:47 pm
Would You Like to Come In For a Glass of Champagna?
A grand total of three people other than myself have been in my apartment. That’s actually alright with me; that’s just less cleaning I have to do. But at least one person has asked me what the place looks like, so I thought I’d post some pictures. It’s a standard, overpriced California apartment, but it’s overall it’s pretty nice. I don’t have a patio or balcony, but I also share only one wall (and one ceiling, obviously) with neighbors (and so far, no mariachi bands — although Thursday nights are often karaoke night upstairs).
The view from my door :
Here’s what greets you as you walk in. My phat ride is leaning against the wall, double suspensions and all. I have 21 gears at my disposal as I commute to work; how many do you have???
My Amusement Center
This picture serves a couple of purposes. I guess it tells people what to expect if they break into my apartment. It might also serve to prove to my insurance company that I have this stuff. But really, it’s just a picture of a good portion of my amusement potential. Television, cable, games, internet, movies. When I actually have the time to engage in such things, I can amuse myself without exercising a single neuron.
The Dining Room
Right now, the dining table’s main purpose is to hold my laptop off the ground. This is where most of the website magic happens.
Tiny Kitchen
The one main downside to my apartment is my small kitchen. Counter space is a real premium, which is why I was glad when I finally bought the dining table. It’s not like I’m a fanciful cook, but I do need counter space, elbow room so that I can chop up vegetables very very slowly. But it has a dishwasher, and a real exhaust fan over the stove (although the stove is electric), so it meets my needs.
Kitchen Disappears
The ridiculous of it all is affirmed if I open the stove and the dishwasher simultaneously — there is no longer any room to actually be in the kitchen. And forget about putting something directly from the oven into the fridge, or vice-versa. Because that happens a lot.
Gas Heat is Ridiculous in California
While I don’t have a gas stove, I do have a gas furnace. With a pilot flame. In California. This thing is going 24/7. I have yet to turn on the furnace. We’ll see what happens this winter. You know, theoretically, I guess I could just shut off the gas and deal with relighting the pilot flame when it gets cold enough to use it. But (a) I don’t know how to shut off the gas and (b) my power/gas bill has yet to top $40 so I’m not that concerned. Really, it’s just the principle.
The Master Bedroom
This is where the magic happens. Literallly; I’ve been working on some card tricks that I’m sure will kill at parties. Could I have chosen a worse camera angle? I’m really not sure. Maybe I’ll just take a picture of the ceiling some day. Until I got cable internet here, I leeched off the free Google WiFi. Unfortunately, the only place in my apartment that I could get a good signal was at my window. And I mean literally, at my window. I had to place my laptop perilously on the windowsill, standing up while I checked my e-mail. My apologies to all of you out there who were walking down Villa street and noticed my creepy face in the window, ghoulishly illuminated by the glow of the laptop screen. I promise you that my pants were on.
The Office/Guest Room
This is the office, until I get guests. Then it’ll be the guest room, I guess. It’s also the central cardboard box repository. I chose this angle because it showcases the full length mirrored doors that slide along one of the walls. Considering this is me, this is downright artistic! You can see my CD case that is currently being used to hold origami, as well as the computer that I rarely turn on because I don’t have time to play computer games. In the lower right, you can see the pile of moving boxes that I still have. I put them there in the first week I was here. I’m now scared to move them because I am positive that there it is now the home to a colony of disgusting paper spiders or something. It’s really best that I never touch it. I even avert my gaze as I walk in there.
So, that’s really it, unless you wanted to see the bathroom. And really, it’s best that no one sees the bathroom. There will be no tours of that without IAEA coordination. I hope your curiosity is satisfied. Visitors are welcome, of course; I even have the room to house them, an extra key, and easy access to public transportation. Someday, maybe even kittens. Maybe.