Ah, the joys of moving. Yesterday I was standing with my dad outside our building, talking with the 12 year old neighbor boy, who was wrestling his dog (Champ) into standing still. As we stood there chatting, I thought, “Wow, I’m going to miss this.”

That made me think about other things I’ll miss:

1.) the comfort of sameness. I love it when things don’t change too much.

2.) Champ the pitbull. Yes, pitbulls are scary, but we’ve known him since he was a baby, and he is just the sweetest thing ever.

3.) The way Woofie knows his routine here; get the harness on, go outside, do business- one and two, walk to the dumpster, punk the Jack Russell who always barks at him (he does this hilarious fake out run, he’ll run at the Jack Russell with a bark and a yip, then quick dodge and run the other way, it’s SO FUNNY), and then, in a good mood from the punking, will literally SMILE as he romps up the steps to the apartment.  Who knows what the routine will be at the new place. I won’t be able to leave the front door unlocked, that’s for sure. :(

4.) Leaving the front door unlocked. Well, before a month ago I did that. We used to leave the front door unlocked when we’d just head around the corner to the store. Then, we heard from a neighbor that ANOTHER neighbor’s uncle (who was currently living with the neighbor) had told her that you can use a credit card to unlock the doors- as long as the deadbolt isn’t on. Then, the dimwit told her he once let himself into the wrong apartment “by accident”, and we’re guessing he let himself into her apartment. So, we’ve started double locking our doors after that.

5.) The nice people we’ve met in this building. We’ve lived here for 4.5 years now, and you really build up a life that way!

6.) The accessibility of the spot we live in, there are tons of stores night on the corner here.

7.) The straight shot to Dad’s house, as it’s literally just down the street.

8.) Woofie’s friends (other dogs) in the hood.

9.) A big mailbox

10.) The memories we made in this apartment.

11.) The gas stove

Now, the things I WON’T miss:

1.) The super close proximity to the freeway.

2.) The construction that has been going on to add on to this freeway.

3.) Living on the busiest boulevards in Los Angeles.

4.) Our upstairs neighbor having sex

5.) The crappy apartment

6.) The crappy carpet

7.) The lack of air conditioning

10.) the gas bill

11.) drunk neighbors who “accidentally” let themselves into your apartment

12.) the pollution from the busiest street in So. Cal.

13.) how much traffic/noise we have because of this street

14.) the lack of a parking space.

15.) All the stairs we have to carry Woofie down (he has a bum knee and can only do a few stairs at a time)

16.) The dickhead bastard down the cul de sac who messes with your car (like, BAD things to it) if you park IN THE PUBLIC SPACES near his house. We call him El Guapo (Three Amigos Reference)

17.) The stink of Burger King right across the street

18.) The fact that we had not one, but TWO mice make their filthy rodent-stinking way into our apartment.

19.) The horrible bitch who pulls our laundry out of the machine RIGHT when it’s done, sets it atop the dryer or on the table. Because she thinks that it’s okay to touch someone else’s UNDERPANTS?

20.) The smell of pot wafting through our window from either one of the pot smoking neighbors.
Ah, sweet relief. We’re still in the process of moving out, and hope to be done by Saturday!