January 13, 2007

• I found a new apartment today.

  But first, a brief story about the past 48 hours of my life, fraught with panic and disorder. When i got home thursday evening I found a note on my door from my landlady, who lives downstairs with her big family. I swear i don't know how they all fit on the first floor in a space smaller than my weenie apartment; there must be eight of them cohabitating. So i went down to talk to her, and she told me that's she's 8 months expecting and they're desperate for space. I guess the closing fell through on the new house they were vying for, and therefore they decided to give me the boot and take over my apartment. Before she pops the new brat out. IN A MONTH.

  GAHHHHH

  When the initial shock wore off/ i switched to panic/ survival mode and pillaged craigslist for potential ads. At ten pm i was emailing and calling rental offices, and the next morning i printed them all out at work, put them all neatly in a binder with notes on who what when where why, and made followup calls. Organized by neighborhood, i queued up six appointments with agents and landlords, twenty apartments total. First one was a flop this morning, but I had my little listings binder, a bottle of water, pen, checkbook, camera, t-pass, ready to rock. Been rocking some ill apartment prowlage. I am mad efficient.

  Further proving that once I've got my ducks in a row, thereby allieving any interruptive feelings of anxiety or doom, I am somehow more receptive to the good things that come my way and everything turns out just beautifully. Omens and stars and perfect apartments galore. Today's good omen came in the shape of a black squirrel I saw out a funny shaped window in a kickass place in malden. I was born in malden, you know.

  My realtor this afternoon was a funny old duffer named Jim who reminded me of somebody's kind grandpa, and he'd brought along his fiance Pat since he was taking her out shopping later that day. Awww. I cannot describe how much i loved these funny old people. Jim was utterly guileless and the most charming old man I've ever met, with his dapper trenchcoat and red tie and his grey hair combed to the side; said he could tell that I was a wonderful young lady and the place suited me. Pat conceded and told me that she loved bunny rabbits too, and hoped mine would be happy there. haha.

  I agreed with them, and just having spotted the black squirrel from my destined-studio window, I put down a deposit and filled out an application. Keep reading & you'll see why. it's not cheap by any means, but considering the amenities I felt it was super-affordable. I couldn't NOT take it- it would be one thing if it had one or two of the things I desired in a home, it's quite another that it has everything double-plus-good daydreams. I'm trying to resist feeling attached to it because the landlord might arbitrarily reject me....gahhh......but If all goes smoothly (be kind to squirrels this week on my behalf, please) I'll have a new home by february.
  

  ---

  So here's the lowdown on my new casbah flat:

  Second floor with a pretty front stairway papered in vintagey peach flower paper. No, really, it's classy. It has a bigass bedroom with a ginormous walk in closet. Like, you could live in there and never come out and just try on shoes all day. Or have a fashion show for four other people. that big. The whole place has more closets than i can count (at least one for every
  room), and a nice new bathroom, too.

     

  Big branny new eat-in kitchen with
  dishwasher, disposal, laundry hookup & a porch out back which looks
  out over trees and a park and a playground. Ugmoe will love the park,
  & i already love the porch. You know I'm gonna rock some paper lanterns and have a margarita party this summer.

  

  It also has a dining room which is painted a pretty
  buttercream yellow color with a  "wrought iron" chandelier and sconces.
  Faaancy. The livingroom is big, open to the dining room /foyer, has a
  bay window, and is painted a warm wine red with white trim. Shexay!
  That's the casbah part.

  

  AND THEN there's a finished loft space upstairs for MY ART
  STUDIO which is nearly the whole length of the place. I told myself i more than deserve this apartment if i can get some art done up there. I could also put an extra bed up there for my friends to crash. It's got a funny
  sideways window that looks out over the park and rooftops. Whenever i look at houses my favorite parts are the funny windows and nooks and crannies, and I always imagine what it's like to look out of them and watch the world go by. Today, out of this funny window, I saw a
  black squirrel in a tree outside and took that as a very good omen. And there's
  also a creepy storage space under the eaves, and i think that maybe some
  goblins live in there. House goblins! eep.      

   

  Now i just have to pack all my crap.

  • 6:02 pm
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