Last night I reached a low point, a mild depression that was closely associated to not having a home or a job or very much money. For the past four years I’ve always had this mental calender, and because I usually had one to four jobs at any given time it was filled with a scattered schedule of dance classes, theater classes, store hours, and rehearsals…defininetly not a typical M-F, 9-5 type of way. Now the calender has been wiped clean, which some people might really enjoy, but I feel very unsettled.
Last night we went to an Italian restaurant with no menu, they just sort of brought out various treats and eats for us to try. The first thing they asked us was if we had any food allergies, if we ate meat and fish, etc. We gave them the all clear and they brought out everything from shrimp to little stuffed chickens. Naturally, this was a pricey dinner, but worth it for the experience.
Today we looked at several places, and the intresting thing was that the places just slightly out of our price range were the best and the one that was equal to the amount we paid for in Fort Collins was the worst. OK, so maybe we’re not going to find something fabulous for 850 or even 1000, but mind you, we’re avoiding apartments. But we’re also looking at places that were once the ghetto, now cleaned up, and newly refinished. We saw a fantastic 3 bedroom house on Beacon Hill for very little cost compared to everyone else, but it was really unfinished. The tenants before had trashed the joint, so the poor landlord was trying to refinish it. The hardwoods were raw, the carpet was pulled up, the light fixtures were bare, but the place was huge and beautiful and in an OK neighborhood. The question was: Can it realistically be done in a week and a half? Really? And would it be worth it? We’ve waited around for places to get finished before, usually ending up disappointed. But comparably it was a steal. The landlord even knocked off 200 just because it was just the two of us.
Then there were the OK places that we looked at that had equal plus and minuses….but usually it was case of the landlords asking for just a shade too much. And we peeked at a newly built Cap Hill apartment and grimaced at both the price and the tiny space. And I really feel like I’ve never really lived in an apartment before, why settle now? Oh, I’ve lived in a few multiplexes and a duplex and once I lived in an apartment for four months with Josh, but overall I just can’t resign myself to the closed, claustrophopic feeling I get with apartments. And trying to settle for a balcony compared to a backyard…well, it’s tough. But it’s also like, well, can we do it?
We wrapped up the day with Happy Hour at McCormick and Schmicks. Their 1.95 bar menu is legendary, so much in fact that for years Josh and I would reminice about it: FANATASTIC food for very little, and sure they gouge you for the drinks, but c’mon they have crab cakes for 1.95! Yes!