The New Lair

Phantom on the bed with the retrieved Fate die.

We had many annoying setbacks but we’re almost finished settling in the new lair. Our debts are 90% paid off, we just have a little bit more to catch up with. The house is not rented yet but we moved into the little apartment that served as our gaming den. I’ll post photos when we’re completely unpacked down here, but it’s going well. We were only able to do it because we have wonderful, generous, clever friends.

We’re trying to make it as cosy as possible so that it will be pleasant despite the cramped quarters; we’re thinking of it as camping in the game room. We’re using organizers to maximize use of space, and the one thing we do have plenty of is shelf space for games, miniatures, and books. I even installed a wifi doorbell. As of today, we’ve officially moved in—including the cats!—even though there are still books and clothes to put away.

We would not have moved down here if we weren’t forced to by our finances, but there are things I can appreciate. 

• It forced us to purge a large amount of stuff we did not need.
• We consolidated the network and AV equipment into a modest but much more functional entertainment center.
• In the process of getting the house ready for rental, we fixed a bunch of issues such as leaking valves throughout the plumbing, ill-functioning garage door, etc.
• We can now just walk directly into the backyard rather than having to get down the stairs. And we had the yard professionally cleaned, so it no longer looks like a jungle.
• Speaking of stairs, I will no longer have to climb up and down, which my arthritic knees will appreciate. That will encourage me to go walking more often, since the stairs were actually the worst part of it.
• Instead of a tub, we have a (nice) tiled shower, which is easier to get into for the aforementioned knees…
• Everything is closer at hand, now, including the washer and dryer. No excuse for not getting things done: I can work and keep watch on a risotto.
• We moved without having to change our address or transfer services, except for moving the Internet from an upstairs connection to downstairs. And when we did, we got a new, higher-speed modem for free from our provider (ping 11 ms, download 57.00 Mbps, upload 4.91 Mbps right now.)
• We can comfortably watch movies in bed; that’s mostly a benefit for the cats, who love the comfort! And that bed is an improvement: we had a king bed made of two twin beds together, which meant a big crack in the middle; now we’re using the queen bed that used to be in our guest room, and it’s super comfortable.
• We’re surrounded by books and games.
• I hear the wildlife sounds better at night.
• We replaced the refrigerator downstairs and even though it’s an “old” model, it’s the newest and nicest fridge we’ve ever had: bottom-mounted pull-out freezer drawer, two doors to the fridge section for easy access.
• We found the missing Fate die, restoring the set to four.

“New” fridge

Everything at eye level

Freezer drawer (we’re still filling it.)