We are (almost) moved in.  The movers came on Tuesday, two Estonians named Ingos and Ingos.  They arrived in a Penske rental truck, like a couple of guys we’d hired from the Home Depot parking lot instead of the licensed, bonded, insured moving company we’d been promised.  A says they were both very nice – apparently big Ingos apologized for the condition of our stuff (crushed boxes, covered in bird crap) and said ABM was terrible.  On the whole, it could have been much worse, but the headache and hassle wasn’t worth the $500 or so we ended up saving.

Now we’ve got to figure out how we’re going to fit 1000 square feet of stuff into 700 square feet.  Most problematic is the kitchen.  A could probably equip a restaurant kitchen with very little trouble. We have mandolins (3, all of which are different), saute pans, pots of all sizes (from small enough for half a can of chicken ship to big enough to make soup for ten people), whisks, spatulas, cutting boards, pasta rollers…. Then there’s all the machines (bread, juicer, mixer, rice cooker).  Plus the bakeware.  None of which is going to fit into the kitchen, as all the available space  has already been used for food and dishes.  Plus, there’s only one drawer, and it’s not even big enough to put silverware in.

A’s solution is rather ingenious.  He wants to buy a free, standing island, something that has cabinets and drawers on one side and a counter tall enough for him to use as prep space.  We’d put barstools on the living room side for breakfast and such.  I’m not sure if we can buy that sort of thing, but it would transform the kitchen from unworkably small to entertaining-ready.

Which is going to be the other big decorating point.  I loved that we could give dinner parties this summer.  One of my favorite things is to take friends I know from different contexts and mix them together.  Between our two jobs and the random friends we both have out here, the possibilities are endless.  It all depends, however, on having somewhere to put them all.  I’ve sound takes that expand from 2 seaters to 8 seaters.  Now if only they made a couch that did the same.

I sense a trip to Ikea in our near future.