Yes, this will suit me fine

LOOK OUT!
Originally uploaded by Haiku Garry.

I have never lived by myself before and never had to negotiate a lease agreement or deal with utilities or sign key release forms, or any such malarkey.

And now that I'm navigating these murky waters for the first time, I've unearthed a side of my personality that is quietly freaking me out. I am getting rattled, and I hate that. I am allowing long lines, monumental paperwork, and outrageous charges to make me a grouch. So nutty am I right now that my friend P has taken to calling me "The Crack-Smoking Aussie".

But today I took a deep breath, and little by little I got what I needed and I had the first look inside my new apartment since the day I decided to lease it. Without the previous tenant's furniture in it, the apartment looks small. But the more I thought about, the more potential I saw. And I was in the apartment at around 6.30pm, when the sunlight was coming through the windows at such a beautiful angle, and lighting up the honey-colored floorboards, that I was content for the first time in days. Happy would be pushing it, so let's just go with content.

Less crack, more valium perhaps.

But all things being well, the movers come at 9am this Saturday to shift my measly crap into the new place. And thankfully P is going to be there to boss me - and the movers - around. She's done all this stuff countless times before and I am so grateful for the push she'll give me. Wish me/us luck!