New Apartment

So I got keys for my new apartment yesterday. It is nice, although definitely smaller than what I am in right now. It is over 500 square feet, so it is not minuscule, but going from 1100 square feet to 500 is a big change. One thing that I really notice is the kitchen. My cabinet space is greatly reduced, so I will have to develop a new strategy for dish placement as well as find a new home for my foodstuffs as I do not have a pantry. My creative juices have yet to flow on this one.

I am still excited though. I moved quite a bit of stuff into it last night, so I have a good start for the impending big-move this weekend. Now I just have to start packing the last minute stuff and also finish packing the kitchen.

This apartment has new carpet. It is really soft and I really like it, but it is brown. I have never seen brown carpet before. I guess that it is good though, because it should be able to hide stains and won't look as dirty. It is very nice though.

I also have to decide what is going to go into my apartment (and where) in the respect of furniture. My former roommate and I have 3 couches, so I think that I will take one and send the other 2 to storage. We have a recliner and I am still uncertain as to whether I will take it or not. Also, I need to figure out which wall my bed will be going on. I really want it on the same side of the door, but there is not enough space. I guess that my best option is for it to go under the window, which is not exactly where I want it, but guess it will have to do.

I am really excited though and ready to get everything settled so life can return to some sort of normalcy.

I will have pictures of the new place up soon..

A true sign of boredom

Did you know that toilet paper has been around since 589 AD? According to Wikipedia, there have been documents written that include talk about the use of paper for toilet purposes.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) a Muslim traveler made this remark,

"They (the Chinese) are not careful about cleanliness, and they do not wash themselves with water when they have done their necessities; but they only wipe themselves with paper."[2]

The first rolls of toilet paper and dispensers that we know of today were invented by Seth Wheeler of Albany, NY in 1871. He was granted several patents for the actual roll and the dispensers that accompanied them. He sold the product under the name of the "Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Co."

From Wikipedia :

"It is sold "by all the leading druggists" and is not medicated. It is marketed as being free of "all deleterious substances" which includes printed materials and chemicals "incident to the ordinary process of manufacture (which is) a cause of hemorrhoids." In addition, medicated toilet paper which is "heavily charged with ointment" was offered for "sufferers of hemorrhoids."

From there, toilet paper has evolved. Today, it comes in various forms : Quilted, containing Aloe, "Earth Friendly", and so on. You used to only be able to buy it at a drug store, but now it is practically everywhere.

The advertising of toilet paper has also evolved. Mr. Whipple taught us in a 1970's commercial to "Not squeeze the Charmin." Charmin is teaching us today that there are 2 different types of toilet roll for your needs, as demonstrated by cartoon bears. I wonder which one sold more rolls?

And just in case you go to another country, here are some common names for toilet paper : toilet roll (UK), TP (US Slang), Loo Roll (UK), Dunny Roll (unknown).

Now you can go and impress your friends with your new knowledge about toilet paper! :)

Photo Credit : Chris73 via Wikimedia. This is a picture of Ancient Japanese toilet paper. They were sticks found from a stream. Aren't we lucky that these have evolved?

Good luck with that...

So I am going to try something new on here. I am going to blog about my daily life. I know that I am a boring person, but it will give me something to do. I am starting a new adventure by living alone. I am excited, but also aprehensive at the same time. I have never lived alone for a long period of time, so it is definitely going to be a new experience. And to kill time, I will document it here. I have been reading a blog from a friend that I know from High School. She lives in Chicago and it is interesting reading about her daily adventures living in a busy, "happening" city. If you want to read about her adventures, you can go here : http://cbhoff.blogspot.com/. I am going to borrow her style and try to document my own experiences of living in the 'burbs.