My first care package :)

May 2 - Day 21

Thank you Mom and Ami for my first care package! I was so excited to get the peanut butter, room scenting oil and the sudoku book was a great addition! I have worked very diligently to clean up the apartment and unpack and organize as much as possible. It is getting better, but I need some hangers and curtains and someplace to store laundry items before I can truly organize and be able to find things! Part of the reason that I was working so hard on cleaning is because I invited the girl that I met at church on Sunday over for dinner Thur. evening. Yes, that is only my 3rd night in the apartment. But I really want to hang out with her and I think I have a bit of my Mom's hospitality in my blood. Home isn't really a home until you entertain and share your space with others. I even picked up a potted hyacinth at the grocery store tonight. I may have trouble finding lots of items here, but they do love their fresh flowers.

Tonight on the train ride home, I was quite a sight. I had a backpack overloaded with groceries, I was carrying a big bag that has 2 pillows in it (yeah I have pillows for my bed!!!) that I bought over lunch, then I had a bag that I was trying to keep upright with the potted flower and round that off with a purse and a tote filled with cleaning supplies. I had a bit of trouble going through the train turnstile with my wide load! I need to buy quite a few items including towels, water and wine glasses and something to hold laundry, an alarm clock etc. Basically I will need to buy one or two items each day for transportation purposes. It is very strange to shop in terms of what I can carry! Today was definitely the maximum carrying amount.

May 1 - Day 20

Heavy duty cleaning night. I learned how to run an Irish vacuum...it just kept turning on and off at first and I couldn't figure out how to keep a steady air flow. Finally got it figured out. I suctioned every particle of dust and yucky stuff I could find. Watch out for me and the Irish vacuum :) I don't know if they have swiffers over here, but I'm going to search. That would be really helpful in keeping the hardwood floors clean! Oh, the landlord showed me how to add a bag of salt to my dishwasher. I'm glad he showed me because I would have no idea why he left me a bag of specialty salt under the kitchen sink! Apparently they don't have garbage disposals at all over here, not in the sinks and not in the dishwashers like mine at home. So, instead they have dishwashers that take salt and it helps to break up food particles during the wash cycle so that it can go down the water drain. It even has it's own little funnel and slot in the dishwasher. I've never heard of salt in the dishwasher before!