We started driving again at around 9:30 and made it to Wausau by 6:30 pm. Hudson did pretty well. Luckily he took two long naps and we only stopped twice since I can feed him bottles while he's in his car seat now (acid reflux didn't allow me to do that before). While he was awake he wasn't too happy to be cooped up in the car. He doesn't much like any kind of restraints. Thankfully, his mother is so hilarious and doesn't mind making a fool of herself to entertain him. Haha, it's funny what we do to make babies smile.
When we got to the apartments I hadn't known what to expect since Brandon told me they probably wouldn't be the nicest place we've ever lived, but they were the only ones available in Wausau and the other option was half hour away. I was excited to live downtown so I would be within walking distance to so many fun things to do and that we'd be so close to Bran's area so he'd get home earlier.
Let me just say... I've never seen apartments quite like these. At least not in the States. We walked in and I started laughing. Actually I started laughing as soon as we parked the car. It's one of the oldest buildings in Wausau. It used to be a hotel in the 20s or something. There's an old manually operated freight elevator that we moved our stuff up in. Our apartment is on the seventh floor and the hallways smelled musty, a bit smoky, and unpleasant. I took pictures today, but I should have taken some before our furniture got here. It's two small rooms with old radiators, a closet they call a kitchen (no dishwasher or disposal), a tiny bathroom, and a few actual closets. There's no AC (they put a window unit in the day after we got there... I'd never even seen one of those in real life). I feel like I'm living in a movie... Something like a combination of Barefoot in the Park, Butterflies Are free, any other older movie with a quirky apartment. Since we didn't have furniture yet we slept on the ground (Hud had his co-sleeper crib). The windows were open and since we're on the 7th floor and the weather is so nice we had a very lovely, cool breeze. I felt like I was camping. I felt like I was in an apartment in London. I felt like I had a very odd three months ahead of me. Oh, and a very nearby cathedral played a glorious bell chorus at 7 am. I was already up with Hudson and I enjoyed it immensely. They play again at noon. We now have furniture and lots of Febreze products so the place looks and smells a lot nicer. Don't know what to do about that kitchen and bathroom though... Here are some pictures of our new humble abode.
I think I made it look quite nice actually with the extent of my decor being two pictures I brought from Utah :)
Front door
Didn't believe me about how small the kitchen was?
To give you some perspective... I didn't know they made them this small
Life with no dishwasher after only 2 days... I think this will be good for me. I'll be better at keeping things clean consistently as well as appreciate modern conveniences more when we leave this place behind.
Some pictures of the babe to break things up a bit
My miniature oven. Was this made for a doll house?
Ugly fake marble... Might want to buy a cheap table cloth
My stash of books and the doorway into the bedroom. Haven't unpacked in there yet
Our air conditioner... Very loud. And classy.
Nice.
Also haven't really unpacked in here yet... Although there's not much room to put anything
Hudson will not be taking baths in here.
Another Hudson break
Our hallway. I'll get some pictures of the lobby later. It's very "old hotel" looking. Also, I think only weirdos live here. I haven't seen one normal person.
One of our views. It's beautiful actually and I love the sunsets and looking out at the river.
Another view. Sorry about the screen. That red cathedral is the one that plays the bells.
I went to the public library today to get a card. It's a block away by the river. There are also parks, a charming downtown street with shops and cafes, an art museum, and a small mall all within a short walking distance. I'll have plenty to do here and there are two other wives (Jodie and Ashlin) who are very nice and fun. I'll try to befriend (or avoid?) the man with missing teeth who operates the freight elevator, the woman with short blond hair and a very fat cat named Allie, and the 70+ year old man appropriately nicknamed "Shorty" (about 5'2") who asked us for our licence plates when we get Wisconsin plates. We told him we weren't getting new ones. He was sad and told us that he'd been collecting plates all his life. We asked how many he has. His answer was four.
7 comments:
um, Brit I'm speechless. Is it ok to laugh? I honestly would have cried walking into that apartment, but maybe I say that because its been a loooooong day. A radiator? Really?!!! And is that duck tape holding the ac unit in your window? Hahaha! What a fun little adventure for you guys. Hows the city? Have you checked out the book store next door ;) I miss you, and Pax misses his buddy. Call me soon!
HAHAHA you are hilarious.
You still got my apt beat! I kinda like the table. lol. Oh and that last paragraph would make some interesting characters for a short story. Doooo ittt.
Thanks, Lindsay. :)
Lisa, I will call you tomorrow!! I miss you too. And of course it's okay to laugh, haha. That's all I've been doing since I got here!
Vanessa, awesome idea. I shall do it!
Other than weirdo neighbors, your apartment isn't much bigger (or better) than mine. I can laugh because you have about all the same amenities as I have yet, I've lived in mine for 4 years with at least another to go. I promise, I have not one, but 2 window AC units in my 530 sqft. (although mine are a little more modern. But they are in the window with this cheap foam and a plastic window that is awful for keeping heat in during the winter months) apartment. I have the mini stove too-- its really not so bad to cook on. The difference in our kitchens is that yours is a closet type space and mine is stretched out along a wall which encloses the dining and living room areas. Oh, and my radiators are all along the bottom of the walls in each room. Not classy at all, but when you are doing the whole PhD thing, who needs classy. Someday perhaps! Enjoy your little space, and enjoy Wisconsin!
Your apt is tres chic. I bought a stove just like that for $50 for the first home Stan and I lived in. It did the trick. That's back when I'd put my just-washed clothes and diapers in a wagon and walk a mile with the wagon and baby Eli to the folks to use the dryer. No kidding. I was just so glad I had a washer. Life---what an adventure.
You poor thing. That license plate story really gave me a good laugh. You will look back on these days and always have good stories to tell. I remember the tiny studio apt. Jordan and I lived in one summer in NYC. We had to climb up a ladder to get into bed and the ceiling was about a foot away from our heads. I can guarantee Jordan and I weren't doing too much up there.:) We can't wait to see you guys soon and have little Huds and Jules meet.
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