Work in Progress

Things may be moving at a snail’s pace on this blog, but down under it’s completely the opposite.

As I said previously, I have moved into an apartment with my girlfriend, Brandyn, and my good friends, Rich and Seamus. Our goal was to find a place close to the beach, and to say we accomplished that task would be an understatement.

We secured a place about two blocks away from Manly Beach, which connects to another reserve beach that sports a park and cliffs. Then, behind the apartment, there’s a fantastic harbor that also features a wharf for ferry rides to downtown Sydney. Wrapping the package together, the beach boasts volleyball nets, surf lessons, crystal clear water, rocky cliffs that hug both sides of the horizon and a smooth running/biking lane to exercise.

It gets better. Everything anyone could think of basically sits at our fingertips. The grocery is three blocks away. A corso, or walking strip -- containing shops, eateries and bars – sits merely three blocks away, too. We also have a laundry mat four doors down, since we don’t have internal laundry, and every other type of business within a four-block radius. It is truly amazing.

But, there must be a catch. And there is.

The apartment we secured, which we found for a very reasonable price, was basically in shambles. The walls were stained yellow, ceilings filled with cracks and dust, floors littered with cockroaches and, basically, the place looked like it suffered through some type of natural disaster, like a flood or hurricane.

But, through the wreckage, the place seemed like a gem. Hardwood floors run throughout, the location has a bathroom, huge kitchen, enormous living room and two considerably big bedrooms. Last, but not least, a porch hovers in front, giving us a place to relax – well, once it’s cleaned up some.

I’ll admit this: If it were just I looking at the apartment, I wouldn’t have ever come back. But Brandyn, sporting the house-flipping attitude, and Seamus knew we could do it. I believed in them, and so it began.

So, the overhaul started Monday and continues onward as we speak. So far, the kitchen, living room and both bedrooms have been bleached, mopped, and painted. It’s really mind-blowing to understand how much things have changed in this place in only 5 short days. When we moved in Monday, I was disgusted to touch anything.

But as I type this, I walk around barefoot and gladly lay around. I’m also sitting on bed with my laptop, but unfortunately, internet access is still a work in progress, too. This will go up as is, but it’s not hitting the web as soon as it should.

Even so, things really couldn’t be better. Hopefully, I can provide pictures of Balmain Harbour and the apartment soon.