Monday, November 1, 2010

Home Not-So-Sweet Home


Saturday was moving day. We packed all day. Funny thing happened, first thing that day I packed up a box full of yarn and lifted it up to take out to the car, and suddenly my back hurt! I could barely lift anything  after that. I almost couldn't even walk. (Still can't)

I drove one car filled with all my clothes and supplies, Mowgli, and Fungus. Fungus kept getting out of his kennel to walk around on my head, and Mowgli wanted to play with Fungus the whole time. 
It was not a very fun drive. 
We pulled into our new apartment around 2:30 in the morning.

We opened the door to see that the living room was covered with white boards, company posters, filing cabinets, printers and paper shredders. (Including lots of shredded paper.) 

In the bedroom there were boxes and boxes from the floor to the ceiling.  
In the closets there were tools and screws and more boxes.
In one room there was one small dirty looking bed.

I asked, "We are living here?"
Our apartment had been used as the Memphis office this last summer. They held meetings, stored equipment and eventually had a tech move in after the summer season ended. It was a disaster.

We began to clean the house right away, at 2:15 in the morning.

After hours of box moving, car unpacking, sobbing from back pain, and heavy lifting, we decided to finally make the bed and sleep. We put lots of sheets on that gross looking mattress and finally got in bed, only to notice we could feel the metal springs through the sheets. We tried to sleep, but after about 20 minutes we got out our air mattress.

Next day was full of more boxes to move and things to unpack, 
which continued on until today.
I finally sat down on the couch to rest only to smell a terrible smell. I asked Taylor if he remembered to put on deodorant today.
He said he did.
I knew I did, but checked anyways. 
I did.

What was that awful smell? The couch I was sitting on. 
It looks like the previous owner had decided the mattress was not comfortable enough and decided to sleep on the couch. 
I demanded the company send us a new bed and new couch right away. 
We are still waiting for a call back.
I will be demanding that Taylor call and ask everyday.
I'm stubborn.

Things found in apartment:
  • 2 dead dried up frogs
  • pipe (not for tobacco use)
  • Dirty underwear
  • Food still in microwave
  • Bottle of rum
  • Basketball
  • Soccerball
  • Lots and lots of used q-tips

After a few hours of vacuuming everything, washing shoe prints from the walls, and mopping up the floor,
our apartment is finally clean enough and looking like a home. Minus a few boxes of clothes I will put away tomorrow, and the stinky couch. 
We've emptied almost a whole bottle of fabric cleaner on that thing.




"My Happy Corner"
Middle picture on wall by IrenaSophia

 My art supplies, cleverly stored in cute little boxes.
 I'm keeping these Halloween decorations up
Three posters from A Vintage Poster


 The wreath hasn't been hung up yet.


Fall scented potpourri.
 I sat down, and couldn't get back up.
Birthday Boy, chewing on his new birthday bone.


18 comments:

  1. that's foul. the company that put me there would be getting phone calls everyday from me until i got what i wanted. that is inexcusable. i hope it gets better and you get a nice smelling couch.
    you know how to make something ugly into something beautiful, though, it looks like. :D way to go.
    eva.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so sorry your apartment was like that... sounded horrible, but it looks nice now that its all cleaned up. Hope you get a good smelling couch... until then, spray a bottle of Febreeze on it... It'll help! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, you guys whipped that place into really good shape! I think moving is one of the most stressful, terrible things in the world, I HATE IT. Congrats on having it all or mostly behind you and on being in your new adorable place!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Everything looks cute as always!! That is pretty messed how gross everything was. Sorry girl:( You have it all lookin real cute!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Girl, you are a trooper! You've moved like five times since I've known you. You never complain and you always post the most inspirational things. I'm sorry about your back and your couch. They will both get better! Your new apartment looks super cute now that you've decorated it up.

    Keep your chin up!

    <3 <3

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rachael, I am cracking up at the smelly couch! I hope you get it resolved, I know what an annoyance smelly items in home can be! If it comes down to it, you may be able to unzip the cushions (if they have zippers) and wash the cushion covers! Poor thing, and your backache! I hope that gets resolved sooner than later too. Anti-inflammatory iburprofen action + hot showers (+ bio-freeze) will do wonders.

    Love + Light from hot muggy FL to TN you,
    Carissa

    ReplyDelete
  7. T__T Oh noo! I feel so bad for you, sorry to hear about your back, and I would have just broken apart to find out I would have to live in a place like that. You´re so strong to actually get up to clean that mess, and the pictures are so adorable! I hope you can make it feel like home!

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow I would have headed to a hotel and demanded they clean it the very next day! I can't believe they left it that way. I'm so so sorry that happened to you both! I hope you get the new furniture soon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ohmigoodness!!! What an awful turn of events!!!
    Uck!!! I hope that that couch gets replaced!! Ewww!
    But you made the place look so cozy and cheerful!!!
    I just love it!!! and I love the boxes you store your supplies in and your dining table. The photos on the walls are so lovely!
    I hope your back feels better soon!!! Take a hot bath and relax!!!
    Have a beautiful day,
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm sorry it was so yucky! I hope you get something new to replace smelly couch and nasty bed. But you were still able to make it look beautiful after all that disappointment. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  11. If I had to choose the freakiest thing among your findings, I would have to go with 2 dead dried up frogs (!!!)
    It sounds nightmarish, yet you guys have turned that place into a cozy nest in such short time! I'm blown away.
    Have you gone out exploring yet? :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. ugh yikes! im so sorry everything is yucky and smelly :< i hope everything turns out well soon!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yuck, gross, blech! Thats the problem with apartments, people have lived in them before. I remember when I lived in my last apartment, all the girls apartments were on the east side of the floor and the guys were on the west, and anytime I went over to the guys' side, the smell was overpowering. 40 years of nasty college boys trashing gross and decaying apartments was too much! Hopefully you get a new couch and new bed soon! There is nothing worse than sleeping on a disgusting bed where your not sure who or what has been/happened on it before.

    And Happy birthday to Mowgli!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm sorry about all you've had to do! sounds super hectic!!! I love what you've done with the place though!!! Miss you girly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    <3

    and I love your paintings!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gross. That's terrible. I probably would of had a major freak out. Hope you get compensated some how.

    ReplyDelete
  16. it is absolutely amazing to me how quickly you are able to turn space into a home that is more put together and pretty than my home of more than four years! i'm so sorry to hear about your back and your couch and your long long night.. i would have gone to a hotel that night, i'm so impressed you guys just started cleaning! wow. dirty undies an used q-tips? EWWWW

    ReplyDelete
  17. you ARE a trooper girl. what a time you've had with that place. you have it sparkling now :-)

    love you and miss you! text me if you come to LR. we will go take photos...

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love your prayer flags! As a full timing traveling family, we may be going to Memphis soon! Maybe we can meet!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving a comment!
Be sure to leave a link to YOUR blog so I can come say hi! xoxo