Things to Remember

1998 was a big year for me. That spring I finished my first year of college, toured across the state of Wisconsin in the summer as a band member of the famed "KIDS from Wisconsin," and I also rented my very first apartment with two other roommates. I was beginning to feel like an adult - finally out of the nest and on my own (sort of).

As we spend this week packing boxes and preparing to move into a much nicer apartment in Champaign (no pigs!), I'm reminded of the experience of my first rental and how it taught me two very important lessons that I will never forget.

Lesson #1: Always make sure that you have lights and hot water:

When I arrived with U-Haul trailer in the afternoon of a cloudy June day at 211 Fulton Street in Eau Claire I was excited. I couldn't wait to unload my furniture, set up my room, and spend the first night in my own apartment. I was the first of three to move in and, at least for the summer, I had the place pretty much to myself. It was therefore to my considerable dismay when I flipped on the light switch in living room that the lights didn't come on. I went all over the house turning on all of the lights and nothing happened. There was no electricity.

Immediately I felt a sense of despair and the excitement of the new apartment wore off. Later in my adult life, after I purchased my first home, I learned this is called "buyer's remorse." What was going on? It was then that I realized that we needed to actually call the electric company (NSP back then) and let them know that we were actually occupying the apartment. At the time I didn't know that my roommate had already taken care of this and that the problem would eventually be solved - something was wrong with the meter as I found out later. In the meantime I would spend two full days without electricity and without hot water. Oh yeah I also learned, as it turns out, the electric company is also the gas company.

Which brings me to Lesson #2: Make sure you can communicate with the outside world from your apartment.

Back in those days nobody had cellphones. As a result I couldn't let NSP know about my problem until the next morning - at a pay phone next to the McDonald's on Water Street. You see, not only did I forget to set up the electricity, I also forgot to set up a phone line in the apartment. I couldn't call NSP from my apartment to let them know there was a problem because I didn't have a phone line.

On my second day at the apartment (after a romantic candlelit evening for one - candles purchased at Shopko) I awoke, took the coldest shower of my life (remember - no hot water), and then got in my car and drove around looking for a pay phone. I finally found one on Water Street and called NSP. After waiting on the line for a while, I talked to someone about my problem. They explained that my roommate had already set up the gas and electric so there must have been a problem with the meter - they would send someone out the next day. So I spent another night in the dark. (I decided not to shower the next morning until I had power).

Finally, after two days, electricity and gas was restored and everything was fine - just in time for me to leave for Milwaukee and KIDS. I even got myself a phone line too - after calling the phone company from the Water Street pay phone.

These days I've moved enough to know the ropes. Get your ducks in a row before you move. Today Kaia and I both spent time on the phone (cellphones) making some final arrangements for our new place including internet, water/sewer, electricity/gas, etc. Now all that remains is packing. I wish I would have thought of all of this in 1998 but I guess sometimes the best teacher in life is experience.