New apartment thoughts.
Thoughts on my new apartment: I love the basic set-up, and decorating this new space is really enjoyable! The electric system is a mess, because this building is from 1930 or so. This means I can't run AC or computers/tv while doing laundry
:-/ The basement is pretty damp, but only when it's rained, so it's not a constant thing, and not profuse flooding. I love the general set-up of the apartment, and love having a front porch. I also love the painted brown trim around the railings inside, above doors, etc. And I like having a separate living room, kitchen, and dining room (combined with office/craft/computer space). And my bedroom is huge! And the bedroom for Nate, which I'll eventually also use as a general guest/music/fitness room is pretty big, too.
I miss having a fenced in backyard, though. People have stolen Nate's bouncy ball, his fitness ball (which he used to sit and bounce on, as a safe way to stim due to his autism), a bottle of his bubbles, and my broken gardening hand shovel. Chances are, it was kids who took those things, and it was all during daytime. Still, I'm upset. I lived in East Franklinton for nearly 8 years without being stolen from. I've used a bike lock to attach Nate's Big Wheel bike to my back railing, and to attach his Little Tykes car ("Sleepy") to my grill. We still haven't put together his Little Tykes playset, but it hasn't been messed with (it seems people take things they can easily grab, according to my neighbors who've lived here awhile).
I went to a National Night Out thing for the neighborhood, with my dog Macy. I met a local animal charity, who gave me a pack of dog treats and told me that the fact that I'm on disability means their organization will provide free microchipping for Macy, and will help her stay up to date on deworming and vaccines. Very glad to know of this resource!
I'm also going to try to push myself through my social anxiety enough to attend the local block watch group's meetings occasionally. Two of the people from the local block watch actually noticed me moving in, saw that I have flowers and was making an effort to make my porch look nice, and came to introduce themselves. I mentioned that I couldn't reach the light above my back door to change the bulb, and they brought a ladder over, so I now have a light out back. I don't want to ever be in people's business, but this area is pretty rough, and I have no problem keeping an eye out for safety issues.
I did find, while walking Macy, that I can literally cross to the other side of Parsons, and suddenly everything is really nice. So, at the very least, I am a quick walk to pleasant neighborhoods and pleasant parks. The nearby Kroger and Dollar Tree (on Parsons) are kinda crappy with their selections, but at least they are close by and convenient. There's also a Dollar General and Family Dollar nearby, and even an Infinity 99 Cent store.
Tonight, though, I was out back with Macy, and some random guy pulled up in a truck and told me: "I like your outfit" (I was wearing a short sun dress), and he wiggled his tongue at me. I was triggered and am still feeling pretty uneasy...