Our California Cottage

So now that we FINALLY have internet, I can show some California updates. Let me just emphasize that I primarily keep this blog for my own journaling purposes, so I don't expect anyone to be interested in all the details that will shortly follow. :)

First, I'll start with our cottage. My initial plan was to take all these pictures to show how gross and run-down our cottage is...but unfortunately, all the pictures I've taken make this place look better than it actually is. Really, I shouldn't complain. We have our own little place that was pretty reasonable for the area. We're in Menlo Park which is super nice and ritzy. It's just about 30 min. south of San Francisco. I don't feel classy enough to live here! Every other car is a BWM or a Mercedes...our '92 Avalon blends right in. Anyway. Our landlords are the sweetest old couple and have been fun to get to know. The cottage has a lot of "character"--if you know what I mean. The furnishings are completely out of date, which wouldn't really bother me, except that I feel like everything is SO DIRTY! Dust and cobwebs on everything. Ugh. I'm a little bit of a neat freak so it's taken me a few days to sanitize everything (and cover the couch with a sheet) to the point that I can feel comfortable here. It's beginning to feel a little bit like home.

Now, the tour of the cottage. I'll start with our main living area:


And the bedroom:


The Kitchen. Let me just say that "fully equipped kitchen" means different things to different people. The kitchen came equipped with 1 spoon, 3 forks, 2 butter-knifes, a few plates, bowls, cups, and one pot. We cook a lot so we're having to get creative. No frying pans, cookie sheets, real knives, mixing bowls, etc. We wish we would have brought a lot more. One more funny thing--the sink you see is our only sink in the whole place! It's fun storing all our toiletries in the kitchen.


The shower area. The 2'x 2' shower is so small that I have to turn the water off in order to lather up without all the soap running off my hands before I have a chance to apply it.


One thing I actually really like--our window above the couch:


One of the many funny decorations up in the cottage. We still can't figure this one out.


These are up all over the place. We're not sure what they are.


And lastly, the outside of the cottage. Which is actually pretty cute. We have a lemon tree outside and a blackberry bush. Mmmm!


One last funny quirk to mention--the reason we could afford the place is because it's right next to a caltrain. And I mean RIGHT next to it. Probably 20 feet away? It passes by every 20 min. or so and even comes by every couple of hours in the night. It actually shakes the cottage! Oh well--makes good memories. :)