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New house, new routines
Aug. 5th, 2014 12:44 pmPart of me is still wondering, what was I spending all of my time on in the old house?
I don't know that there will ever be a good way to account for it, but what I do know is that I'm satisfied with how the new household routines are shaping up, and I'm also happy with the layout and organization of the new space.
The kitchen layout here is completely different from the previous one. This goes back to an article I wrote about but can no longer find (argh Google I hate you), arguing in favor of keeping cooking and kitchens behind closed doors so that one can hide the mess and focus on entertaining when guests are over. Maybe it's true that Americans have ever-larger open-plan kitchens just as they are watching ever more cooking shows, but going out to eat more often than ever before in the past. All that said and done, this kitchen is getting heavy use, and I'm grateful for ample, well-organized counter space and the wraparound bar that allows guests to sit and watch (and help) while the chef(s) prepare food. The Villa Maria kitchen was dark and antisocial.
Both J and K have to be at work by 8 am, and have to drop B off before work, so there's a lot of activity between 7 and 7:30. I've set my alarm for 6:30, so I can crawl out of bed and make some coffee and breakfast in time to share breakfast with others. J and K aren't big breakfast eaters, but if something tempting is sitting there, ready to eat, they'll happily partake, and I'm absolutely happy to cook and share because it's about the same amount of work as just cooking for myself.
Once that hustle and bustle is over, the house gets really, really quiet, aside from an occasional whine from Luda the dog. That moment might be my new favorite time of day: I'm up and awake, I don't have to hustle in to work just yet, and the house is peaceful, so there's space to think. I can wash a few dishes, tidy a couple of things, say hello to and water the plants, make my lunch, and then bike in to work.
In the evenings, I'm not the only one thinking about what to cook and eat, although now cooking winds up being interspersed with providing entertainment for a five-year-old. And vacuuming. It's a relief to have roommates who are equally sensitive to cleaning up fur explosions. I'm finally back to a point where I am getting consistent exercise, between the daily five-mile commute, the Monday Social Ride, rowing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Wednesday Ride. The "hurry up and get it done" project of the bike hooks is complete, so there's time for other things outside of chores. A relief, even though it all never fills in the big hole whenever![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scrottie leaves town.
I'm now feeling one of those pauses that occur at different times in life. I keep thinking back to the first months at Villa Maria, when I was broke and didn't have internet at home, and would come back to the schizophrenic living room where the only entertainment was reading a book. Will I read more books, with the current newfound free time? Or will I finally get myself to sit down and start quilting the grandma quilt? Hard to say, just yet. There's a feeling of stasis, while waiting to see how the science schedule and agenda will shape up for the fall.
I don't know that there will ever be a good way to account for it, but what I do know is that I'm satisfied with how the new household routines are shaping up, and I'm also happy with the layout and organization of the new space.
The kitchen layout here is completely different from the previous one. This goes back to an article I wrote about but can no longer find (argh Google I hate you), arguing in favor of keeping cooking and kitchens behind closed doors so that one can hide the mess and focus on entertaining when guests are over. Maybe it's true that Americans have ever-larger open-plan kitchens just as they are watching ever more cooking shows, but going out to eat more often than ever before in the past. All that said and done, this kitchen is getting heavy use, and I'm grateful for ample, well-organized counter space and the wraparound bar that allows guests to sit and watch (and help) while the chef(s) prepare food. The Villa Maria kitchen was dark and antisocial.
Both J and K have to be at work by 8 am, and have to drop B off before work, so there's a lot of activity between 7 and 7:30. I've set my alarm for 6:30, so I can crawl out of bed and make some coffee and breakfast in time to share breakfast with others. J and K aren't big breakfast eaters, but if something tempting is sitting there, ready to eat, they'll happily partake, and I'm absolutely happy to cook and share because it's about the same amount of work as just cooking for myself.
Once that hustle and bustle is over, the house gets really, really quiet, aside from an occasional whine from Luda the dog. That moment might be my new favorite time of day: I'm up and awake, I don't have to hustle in to work just yet, and the house is peaceful, so there's space to think. I can wash a few dishes, tidy a couple of things, say hello to and water the plants, make my lunch, and then bike in to work.
In the evenings, I'm not the only one thinking about what to cook and eat, although now cooking winds up being interspersed with providing entertainment for a five-year-old. And vacuuming. It's a relief to have roommates who are equally sensitive to cleaning up fur explosions. I'm finally back to a point where I am getting consistent exercise, between the daily five-mile commute, the Monday Social Ride, rowing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Wednesday Ride. The "hurry up and get it done" project of the bike hooks is complete, so there's time for other things outside of chores. A relief, even though it all never fills in the big hole whenever
scrottie leaves town.I'm now feeling one of those pauses that occur at different times in life. I keep thinking back to the first months at Villa Maria, when I was broke and didn't have internet at home, and would come back to the schizophrenic living room where the only entertainment was reading a book. Will I read more books, with the current newfound free time? Or will I finally get myself to sit down and start quilting the grandma quilt? Hard to say, just yet. There's a feeling of stasis, while waiting to see how the science schedule and agenda will shape up for the fall.
