Unit #2 - The Good, The Bad, and The Simply Ridiculous

I’m ready to share some of the tricks I’ve learned that can make a temporary rental immediately feel more like home now that I’ve settled into Unit #2.

It doesn’t take much. Consistently displaying a few personal mementos brings me an immediate feeling of continuity whenever I shift to my new location. Some candles, some sugar skulls (I am a crime fiction writer), an encouraging motto coffee mug from a dear friend and a Tampa Bay map are all part of my current homey collection.

What else have I learned?

The Good

• Bring coffee, creamer, and filters.

• Bottled water.

• Off street parking is a plus.

The Bad

• Bring new dish sponges. Trust me on this one.

• Bring your own bath towels. Cotton is king. I swear the Unit #2 towels are made of recycled single-use plastic bags. They don’t absorb water. Am I wrong?

• Check every rental listing location on Google Maps first. Never rent anything near a fire station. Bring ear plugs.

• Crushed shell makes a great burglar alarm. Thankfully I haven’t had to use this, but I now know exactly when each of my neighbors gets home from the crunch.

The Ugly

Hardee-har-har. It’s time for some hard truth and gallows humor because evidently, the big joke is on me. Yes, maybe I was in too much of a hurry selecting Unit #2 as I blew into the Christmas holidays and yes, I am guilty of paying insufficient attention to the complete listing of amenities, your honor.

In my defense, sure I read that Unit #2 was only 300 square feet, but it was advertised as a loft apartment. I am an innocent victim of semantics. Loft apartment to me meant that the space would feel cozy and industrial. But no. Oh, no. Way no. Wrong. It meant that the only bed in Unit #2 is up a steep ladder in a loft. When I lay down I can brush the ceiling with my fingertips.

I am too damn old to climb a ladder every time I want to go to bed. Especially when the bathroom is back down the ladder on the ground floor. At this age I generally need to make a midnight trip (or two) while half-asleep.

Ah, well. Live and learn. It's a short-term rental. For now, I’m pretending that I’m sleeping below deck in a ship's berth. I’ve nicknamed Unit #2, “Mountaineer.”