Getting a word in edgewise
3 more apartments today.
1) was in what would have been a perfect location if they weren’t shutting down the paulina station for upgrades for a year (ie, the term of the lease), oops. Across the street from the library, near whole foods and the Y. Not to mention a ton of restaurants. map
Well, so far on the chicago apartment hunt I’ve checked out two places. One was badly located. The intersection given was a block and a half closer to public transportation than the actual address, and the bedrooms were tiny. Not gonna happen.
Place number two is home to a swell, earnest, semi-awkward, definite achiever gay guy (reminds me so much of “Best Little Boy In the World”). A few years older than me. Not hard on the eyes. The place itself is about as long a walk to the nearest public transit as I currently have, but a longer ride. About as close to groceries (Whole foods) and a cheaper, but just as fully featured gym. Has the amenitities I want, but is lacking/poorly configured on the space front. Would be awkward to impossible to have the dinners and game nights I have at my current place. Would involve disposing of most of my furniture. (no tears shed there). Would also involve a 3rd roommate, of the unknown variety (he lost two around the same time). So long as I can constrain my mess to my room, I think that will be a source of 0 stress.
Places 3, 4, and 5 are vacant 3 BRs, much closer to the whole foods, cheaper gym, and transit than Mr. BLBITW’s coach house. I’d have to find roommates, and might not have as much luck, but, rent would be slightly cheaper, and location much more appealing. How the space would work out remains to be seen.
So far no tree rats with rat mites.
Stay tuned for more. =)
Why do I mention my sexual orientation in roommate ads? It seems to encourage people to ignore all else for good or for ill and focus on that. I want to live with geeks. Queer geeks would be great, but geek is more important.
Not that geeks don’t often present their own roommate challenges. But the fashionista crowd and I just don’t make such great roommates (gay or straight).
This whining has been brought to you by Stephen’s internalized homphobia.
Yeah, Seattle is awesome. But no, I’m not living here. Probably not ever. Visiting will almost certainly happen again sometime, but not with the living. My decision not to live here is in no way a reflection of the awesomeness of the wonderful people I know here (including Ducky, Adam, Rehana, Zack, and Carl, whom I’ve seen this trip.) Nor of the vibrant culture.
I’m midwestern born and bred. Chicago’s a big town, and I’m far from done with it. I don’t know that it will be home forever, but it is home for now. I think I should continue the experiment with stability for a few years more. Stay in town a few more years. Stay with my employer a few more years (unless I find a research position that aligns more closely with my interests, that doesn’t suck, etc, etc.)
There’s definitely going to be some egg on my face for this, especially at work. At least three going away parties to cancel. But that’s not a reason to make a major life change. “Because I can” isn’t a reason either.
I’m glad I came out to visit. I love love love the Seattle field office location. If I could have the view from the Seattle office, and the bike lockup + showers, and the hills, and the greater bikability and the excellent lunch selection in Chicago, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But Chicago’s big in part because it’s so flat. You don’t get to stitch together your home out of pieces parts of different areas like some sort of frankenstein monster.
I was becoming a bit overwhelmed with my life in Chicago. Stress was part of what prompted this plan. I’ll find a better way to manage that. Scale back on my commitments. Moving across the country as a stress management technique has… issues.
This is a pattern for me. And I choose to change it. I choose to embrace the changes that can happen when I commit. I choose to grow up a little bit more. That’s a choice with some major consequences. But such are the strands from which adulthood is woven.
There was the lady in the red lined black cloak providing directions on public transit to the tourists and the jaywalking guys in utilikilts and combat boots across the street. Pioneer square seems like it would provide for some excellent people watching. =)
Haven’t decided yet. While this looks like a definite upgrade on the office space, the other professional aspects of the move are more ambiguous at best. And I have some damn fine friends in Chicago.
And there are some transformations and growths that require constant change, but there are others that can only take place after one has grown into a place.
If I’m still feeling this way by wednesday, I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Let’s see how the weekend is.
Anyone know someone I wouldn’t strangle in their sleep looking for housing near downtown Seattle?
Nerd is preferred
Straight and/or female could be an interesting change of pace.
Last week on Tuesday I ran 4 miles to Leah’s place for our weekly group meal. The next time I ran was Saturday, 5 miles wit da gays. Biked 10 miles (2.5 at a time) same day, just to get around. Okay, well, the final 2.5 was the following morning, but it was early. Anyway.
I also finally registered for the 10 miler.
I don’t doubt I can run 10 miles without collapsing at this training pace, but I mean, really, I should be running more. I’ll probably repeat last week’s plan, but run to Ellen’s instead this week. Unless I do the indoor track run at the downtown bally’s, which is less fun, but more convenient.