Thursday, March 1, 2012

It feels like I'm living in a warehouse

My study has become little more than a depository for storage boxes as we aggressively pack things away for our move in a little over three weeks.  I seem to be obsessed with my friend Don's living arrangements onboard his boat as my roll model for lean, uncluttered living.  Actually, the way he lives is so spartan I think he's out-spartaned Sparta.  I'm not prepared to go quite that far.


Don lives on a 35-foot vintage Chris Craft boat he keeps in a boathouse in Tampa, FL.  He takes it out fishing on occasion, but it usually stays tied up in the boathouse he rents.   As best as I can recall it looks something like this:



He told me at one time he calculated that he's actually living in a little over 300 square feet.  Everything is ultra-compact.  His "library" is one small shelf over his bed.  His kitchen has a 2-burner stove and a mini-fridge, and is so small you can't turn around without bumping into yourself.  Bake a cake?  Ha!  A cupcake, maybe.  


It looks rather quaint, but that wears off in about 30 minutes.  Then it's just small.  He has a hibachi grill rigged up to hang over the stern of his boat.  If he wants a steak and a glass of wine he brings home one steak and one bottle of wine and cooks it and eats/drinks it all right then.  No leftovers.  And his bathroom....yikes!  Not a place you want to be if you're claustrophobic, for sure.  There's not even enough room in there to turn the page.  *wink*

I know I'll never match Don's level of compact living, nor do I really want to.  Still, it's fun (not sure what K thinks of all this) to look at every thing you have and decide whether it's worth keeping or not.  I've come to realize if something has been in storage or in the back of a closet for years, and has never been missed, never even crossed your mind, it's probably time for it to go.  Easier said than done, though.  

Someday I may break down and build us another home, but something small and easily maintained.  Trouble is, around here most cities don't allow building new, small homes.  They zone for McMansions, no doubt because they bring in lots of property tax revenue.  I'll admit it's a bit awkward talking to clients about building them a new 5,000 or 6,000 sq ft home and they ask, "Where do you live?" and I reply, "in a very modest apartment".  They look at me like I just arrived on planet Earth.

Hmmm....wonder what Planning and Zoning would think of a yert?
  
S



8 comments:

  1. When we moved almost 3 years ago we put a bunch of boxes in one of the spare bedrooms & we haven't really looked at them since. I think it's safe to say that we could probably get rid of whatever's in those boxes now!

    You know, now that the Kindle exists I could MAYBE live like your friend - as long as I had an internet connection :)

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  2. Bug....a Kindle would definitely be the way to go, and he does have internet, but still, you can't imagine how tiny 300 square feet is to live in.

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  3. I used to fantasize about living on a small boat, but then I saw Jaws and the dream died.

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  4. I like apartment living. I have about 500 sq ft, and it's cluttered up some. Every time I've moved I gotten rid of stuff, but replaced it with more stuff :-) I could probably live on a boat, but not in my local climate.

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  5. I'm with you Doug. Apartment living suits me just fine. The lack of a yard to mow or things that need fixing is what I love the most.

    Steve....how about on inland waters? I've never heard of a fresh water shark. :)

    S

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  6. Your description of your friend's boat quarters reminded me of my first apartment. I used to say that if I wanted to turn around in the bathroom, I had to leave it first.

    Oh, the memories. When I moved out from that apartment, I came home after work, wrapped things up for about 20 minutes and then moved to the new place.

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  7. Did BG and I tell you 'bout the couple we visited in New Zealand who had been seven YEARS on a small sailboat, which they sailed from Turkey. Seven years!! fin

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  8. Didn't hear about that, Fin. How small was this boat? I guess you could get by with one swim suit and a t-shirt, but where would you put the 60" big screen? Again, a little too spartan for me.

    S

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