Day 1 of the New Apartment

Today, is DAY ONE of my move to my new apartment! 

Bill and I moved to Galveston in 2021 to be near our daughter, Shelly. We settled into a two-bedroom apartment not far from her, but when I had to place Bill in a nursing home, my budget couldn’t stretch to cover that space anymore. So, I downsized to a small, 725-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment on the western side of Galveston. This place was far from perfect—tiny, run-down, hurricane-damaged, bad HVAC, and barely holding together. It wasn’t ideal, but it got me through a tough time. 

Now that Bill is in the VA memory care, my budget has stabilized, so I decided it was time for an upgrade. My goal? To find a "forever home"—as forever as anything can be in hurricane territory—somewhere close to Shelly, who lives in the midtown area, and near the places where I spend most of my time, like OLLI and UU.

While I was searching, I came across a brand-new complex called The Cove at Galveston Yacht Basin. It was so new they weren’t even giving tours yet, but I knew this was the right spot for me. In August, I put down a deposit to snag my ideal apartment, making sure it had all the features I wanted: morning sun, a higher floor for flood safety, and a nice view. The complex officially opened last month, and I’m moving in this week!

My new place is 1200 square feet, on the 3rd floor, and overlooks a courtyard with a pool, cabanas, grills, and even a pickleball court. Maybe I’ll give pickleball another try! The convenience of this apartment is hard to beat: I can either take the elevator up or drive up to the third story of the attached parking garage and walk straight into my place. For Oreo potty breaks, I can take the 3-story stairs for more exercise! 

Here’s a fun fact—I calculated that, thanks to less traffic and central location, I’ll save about seven hours a week in travel time! That’s seven more hours to do what I love - crafting, playing my keyboard, and hanging out with friends. In the map below, you can see where Shelly is located and where my new apartment is. The blue dot on the bottom left marks my old place.

I chose an interior unit facing the courtyard, with a view of palm trees, the pool, and the pickleball court. The exterior units didn’t have what I wanted, plus I figure this spot gives me a little more protection from hurricanes. Fingers crossed, right? 

The photo below shows where my apartment is situated on the island. The shipping channel and the Gulf surround this area, making it scenic and peaceful. Downtown is just a short drive (or walk) away, there’s a park across the street, with squirrels for Oreo, and everything I enjoy—like OLLI and UU—is within a mile. The ferry to Bolivar is nearby too, so Oreo and I will have plenty of places to explore on our walks.

My apartment layout below. The 2nd BR will be my crafting room. My piano will be in living room as the centerpiece - I'm determined to give a concert someday! Haha!  

Today, I'll be getting internet installed and taking over my clothes, some food, a chair or two, and one of Oreo's beds. Then back here to pack some more. I'll post some more as the week goes by. 

A Day Full of Surprises!

Yesterday’s visit with Bill was both pleasant and full of surprises. Since I’ve stopped taking him out of the complex due to his mobility challenges, I’ve had to get creative with how we spend our time “out and about.”
 
On my way to the care home, I picked up some snack pack lunches with crackers, cheese, meat, and salads, as well as cookies for dessert. I also picked up a big gift box of cookies for the staff – always a good thing to do. They love it, so I try to take them some kind of goodies once a month. 
 
When I arrived, Bill was snoring away, waiting for his exercise class to start. The residents had gotten flu shots the day before, and everyone seemed a bit drowsy.
 
It was also haircut day. We have a new female barber who does a great job with the residents. She agreed to let me photograph her in progress! He was so proud of his haircut!

Best Barber Ever! 

For lunch, we headed outside to the beautiful, enclosed patio attached to the memory care unit. It’s a safe space with locked gates, so no one can wander off. The weather was perfect, and Bill seemed to really enjoy being outdoors. 
 
After lunch, I took him for a walk to the other side of the complex where the independent living and assisted living residents live. They have it all decorated for Halloween, including several new resident skeletons! 

Later, we bumped into Bill’s psychiatrist – a delightful man who took the time to stop for a nice chat. He told me that Bill is “teaching him how to fly a Cessna” during their sessions. I mentioned how strange it is that Bill cannot remember anything from the last 30 years, but still knows how to fly. The doctor shared a story about another of his patients who consistently remembers two things: his wife and how to play the piano. He can’t read music anymore, but he’s still fabulous on the keys. Alzheimer’s is a very strange disease! 
 
We finally ended up back in his unit in time to get dessert. Although he’d already eaten lunch with me, he couldn’t resist sitting down for the sweet potato pie that was being served. While waiting for the pie to be served, we chatted with the other resident at our table who announced that he was a Texas Ranger. That’s when things got interesting. Bill replied back that he was a pilot. The Ranger quipped back, “Oh, I probably shot you down.” I wasn’t sure if that was a joke or not?!
 
Bill then went on to explain how he was a demolition expert. He followed that with a story about building a bomb and using the bomb he built to detonate another bomb. I have no idea where this came from. TV? Conversations with other residents? Or is it the truth? Don’t they have to go to a special school to do bomb demolition? Why had I not heard about this before? When I asked, Bill said, “It’s secret stuff.” 

Whether it’s true or a figment of his new imagination, Bill seemed to have a good day. He enjoyed the food, the conversation, and my visit. I left feeling happy because he was happy. What could be better than that?