Showing posts with label apartment hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label apartment hunting. Show all posts
So my stuff is mostly all moved into the apartment now (that includes clothes and the like!), and so I'm set to actually begin living here. There are still things that need to get done - I need to find picture hangers for a couple of frames, I need to get some other stuff framed, but it's mostly little things like that - the decorative touches that would really turn the place into home. Having said that, though, it's really coming together, and once I get the cardboard and garbage out of here, it'll be brilliant.
I do still need another bookcase. When we moved my stuff, we moved about 8 boxes of books, and damned if I didn't find another 4 boxes worth lying around the 'rents house between then and today. I've got the 'personal/fluff' books in my bedroom on the book case in there, but the more academic/serious books are still in boxes in my living room. That and maybe a small table to set my stereo on. 'Cuz right now it's living on its cardboard box. Functional, but not elegant. Sort of student-first-apartment-esque. And I'm not a student any more. For now, anyway.
Went to see Antony and Cleopatra on Thursday night. Good fun. I can say I'm all cultured up for the month that way, I guess. I have a hard time suspending disbelief when I see shows that people I know are in, though - you can see exactly what that person is bringing of themselves to the character, and at times it seems more like watching your friend than it does like watching the character, if that makes any sense at all...? Having said that, though, it was a good two hours. Very entertaining. So nice to see Shakespeare acted, rather than just reading it.
Needed to pass up several potential engagements on Friday, and having seen the photos from some of them, I'm sad I had to - Magnolia's Vegas-themed party looks like it was an absolute blast, for example.
Got a letter from the folks at the government job I applied for. It wasn't a PFO letter, which is always nice, but they want me to write a test on Friday morning. Which I could do, but it's the second busiest weekend of the year at work, so it's not really feasible. I'm going to call tomorrow morning to see if I can make alternate arrangements, but if they say it's Friday or nothing, then I might just bow out. The only busier weekend they could have picked would have been Labour Day weekend. *Kate knocks wood that something doesn't come up for that weekend*
Anywho. Time to have a bath and go to bed. Although I don't have to get up at 6 tomorrow morning. Nope. My alarm will go off at 7. I will leave my apartment at 8, and I will still make it to work on time. This instead of leaving the 'rents house at 7 a.m. So very excited. Looking very forward to the sleeping in, such as it is.
I do still need another bookcase. When we moved my stuff, we moved about 8 boxes of books, and damned if I didn't find another 4 boxes worth lying around the 'rents house between then and today. I've got the 'personal/fluff' books in my bedroom on the book case in there, but the more academic/serious books are still in boxes in my living room. That and maybe a small table to set my stereo on. 'Cuz right now it's living on its cardboard box. Functional, but not elegant. Sort of student-first-apartment-esque. And I'm not a student any more. For now, anyway.
Went to see Antony and Cleopatra on Thursday night. Good fun. I can say I'm all cultured up for the month that way, I guess. I have a hard time suspending disbelief when I see shows that people I know are in, though - you can see exactly what that person is bringing of themselves to the character, and at times it seems more like watching your friend than it does like watching the character, if that makes any sense at all...? Having said that, though, it was a good two hours. Very entertaining. So nice to see Shakespeare acted, rather than just reading it.
Needed to pass up several potential engagements on Friday, and having seen the photos from some of them, I'm sad I had to - Magnolia's Vegas-themed party looks like it was an absolute blast, for example.
Got a letter from the folks at the government job I applied for. It wasn't a PFO letter, which is always nice, but they want me to write a test on Friday morning. Which I could do, but it's the second busiest weekend of the year at work, so it's not really feasible. I'm going to call tomorrow morning to see if I can make alternate arrangements, but if they say it's Friday or nothing, then I might just bow out. The only busier weekend they could have picked would have been Labour Day weekend. *Kate knocks wood that something doesn't come up for that weekend*
Anywho. Time to have a bath and go to bed. Although I don't have to get up at 6 tomorrow morning. Nope. My alarm will go off at 7. I will leave my apartment at 8, and I will still make it to work on time. This instead of leaving the 'rents house at 7 a.m. So very excited. Looking very forward to the sleeping in, such as it is.
I went... I saw... I liked... I put down a deposit and filled out an application... The place is nice - bright, fairly large, it even has a dishwasher! The balcony is HUGE! I could amost have a party on it alone... and it looks right out over the Legislature building... It's on the end of the building so there's a pretty unobstructed view to the southeast... Lots of storage, kitchen with more counter space than my old one, there's CUPBOARDS in the bathroom (this is a huge improvement over the last place)... and I'm already mentally figuring out where to put all my furniture! (It's hard when you've really just got one big room and need to fit dining, office, living and music rooms in it... but I think I've got it figured out. Bookcases may need to be in the bedroom, however. The building is also a sort of EPS experiment - I had to sign a contract saying I wouldn't do anything illegal while I was living there (no drugs, no trafficking in humans, no weapons, etc.). It's brightly lit, there's a security guard on when the office is closed... For the price, I can't beat it in terms of location and amenities. I'm so excited!!
I was even offered a part-time job while I was there. "If your hours at the university are ever reduced, we could use someone over here with experience in running housing..." Ha! Hilarious!
I'll probably find out later today or tomorrow whether I've got the place, just based on some credit and background checks, so I'll let y'all know.
I was even offered a part-time job while I was there. "If your hours at the university are ever reduced, we could use someone over here with experience in running housing..." Ha! Hilarious!
I'll probably find out later today or tomorrow whether I've got the place, just based on some credit and background checks, so I'll let y'all know.
So the apartment building called again... New vacancy... about $50/month more than the other place, but still within my budget (just... )... Going to see the place tomorrow after work... Keep your fingers crossed for me.
On a completely different note, tomorrow it's "Victory Over Violence", some random training session where they want us to wear "loose, comfortable clothing" with long sleeves to "prevent fluid transfer". Our 5-0 officer says it's not that bad, and that people rarely get cut, but to expect some bruising. Should be fun... looking forward to beating up my boss (in a fun way - I really rather like my boss...)
On a completely different note, tomorrow it's "Victory Over Violence", some random training session where they want us to wear "loose, comfortable clothing" with long sleeves to "prevent fluid transfer". Our 5-0 officer says it's not that bad, and that people rarely get cut, but to expect some bruising. Should be fun... looking forward to beating up my boss (in a fun way - I really rather like my boss...)
I got a new mobile phone... It's red and it's shiny... So of course, that means new phone number (I switched companies... *sigh*).
Should you like to have my new phone number, you can contact me via some medium that does not involve me posting my new phone number all over the internet. :)
Nothing like retail therapy to counteract your disappointment, eh?
Should you like to have my new phone number, you can contact me via some medium that does not involve me posting my new phone number all over the internet. :)
Nothing like retail therapy to counteract your disappointment, eh?
Prelude: A piece of music meant as the introduction to another piece of music. Usually is relatively simple in terms of its harmonic complexity, with one main melodic voice.
Fugue: A piece of music whereby the same melody is repeated in different "voices" in various stages. Each 'voice' takes prominence at various points in the piece, singing out a recurring melodic theme while harmonic lines fill in and fill out the remaining lines of music...
It's been a busy day... things are finally picking up at work, which is nice - meant I didn't have time to check peoples' blogs 60 zillion times today, which maybe put me into a bit of withdrawal, but nonetheless, I survived. My mother's away in Calgary, so it's just me and dad at home... and maybe because neither of us ever really speaks,
I've had a lot of time to think recently
and I've realized I don't know how much longer I could have lasted. The cold, combined with the 16 hours of darkness each day, the sedentary desk job, and the fact that my mental health isn't the snappiest to begin with have plummeted me into this weird sort of funk that I can't seem to snap. The energy's gone, and I can't even seem to bother with the things that I do on a regular basis, so
I've had a lot of time to think recently
and so tonight I tried to sit down at the piano and prevent the complete and utter loss of my faculties in that particular discipline. It's incredible to know that I can make a bunch of strings and hammers sound like that, but tonight, it just wasn't working. My fingers stumbled instead of skipping, the rhythm just wasn't there, and Bach brough me to tears instead of a sense of self-satisfaction. No matter how hard I tried, things just didn't seem to go my way. I couldn't make it work. That certainly didn't help my mental status, that lack of success. It makes me feel like a failure, and when I feel that way, things around me slow down, so
I've had a lot of time to think recently
about moving out and getting my own place, which brings me to the potentially exciting news I got today. I got a phone call from the folks who run a building near Grandin LRT station. $770/month could get me a one-bedroom with Grandin LRT station on my doorstep, exercise room... not much more than I was paying for my last place with a few more amenities. I can handle that. I'm third on the list though, so hopefully the other two won't want it. If they want it, then I'm shit out of luck. I'm hoping to get to see in on Friday, but sort of want to have someone there to hold my hand but until then I just get to sit at home, which means
I've had a lot of time to think recently
about the books/library materials conservation course. I have an appointment with the Special Collections librarian at the uni tomorrow. I emailed her the other day to ask if she might be able to help with career advice. She might know if there's a conservator on campus, or where I could go to see about financial aid to attend the program I'd like to attend. I get so excited whenever I look at the program syllabus and prospectus, but then reality hits and I realized that I don't have enough money to go back to England at any point in the near future, so I sit at my boring desk job, nothing to do
I've had a lot of time to think recently
about everything that went on during my year in England, and strangely enough, feel a little homesick for the whole thing. I ranted about it while I was there, I raved about it, but there were so many good little thing that just added up and in the end most of my memories were good ones...
I think.
Fugue: A piece of music whereby the same melody is repeated in different "voices" in various stages. Each 'voice' takes prominence at various points in the piece, singing out a recurring melodic theme while harmonic lines fill in and fill out the remaining lines of music...
It's been a busy day... things are finally picking up at work, which is nice - meant I didn't have time to check peoples' blogs 60 zillion times today, which maybe put me into a bit of withdrawal, but nonetheless, I survived. My mother's away in Calgary, so it's just me and dad at home... and maybe because neither of us ever really speaks,
I've had a lot of time to think recently
and I've realized I don't know how much longer I could have lasted. The cold, combined with the 16 hours of darkness each day, the sedentary desk job, and the fact that my mental health isn't the snappiest to begin with have plummeted me into this weird sort of funk that I can't seem to snap. The energy's gone, and I can't even seem to bother with the things that I do on a regular basis, so
I've had a lot of time to think recently
and so tonight I tried to sit down at the piano and prevent the complete and utter loss of my faculties in that particular discipline. It's incredible to know that I can make a bunch of strings and hammers sound like that, but tonight, it just wasn't working. My fingers stumbled instead of skipping, the rhythm just wasn't there, and Bach brough me to tears instead of a sense of self-satisfaction. No matter how hard I tried, things just didn't seem to go my way. I couldn't make it work. That certainly didn't help my mental status, that lack of success. It makes me feel like a failure, and when I feel that way, things around me slow down, so
I've had a lot of time to think recently
about moving out and getting my own place, which brings me to the potentially exciting news I got today. I got a phone call from the folks who run a building near Grandin LRT station. $770/month could get me a one-bedroom with Grandin LRT station on my doorstep, exercise room... not much more than I was paying for my last place with a few more amenities. I can handle that. I'm third on the list though, so hopefully the other two won't want it. If they want it, then I'm shit out of luck. I'm hoping to get to see in on Friday, but sort of want to have someone there to hold my hand but until then I just get to sit at home, which means
I've had a lot of time to think recently
about the books/library materials conservation course. I have an appointment with the Special Collections librarian at the uni tomorrow. I emailed her the other day to ask if she might be able to help with career advice. She might know if there's a conservator on campus, or where I could go to see about financial aid to attend the program I'd like to attend. I get so excited whenever I look at the program syllabus and prospectus, but then reality hits and I realized that I don't have enough money to go back to England at any point in the near future, so I sit at my boring desk job, nothing to do
I've had a lot of time to think recently
about everything that went on during my year in England, and strangely enough, feel a little homesick for the whole thing. I ranted about it while I was there, I raved about it, but there were so many good little thing that just added up and in the end most of my memories were good ones...
I think.
So I've been tagged by Crafty Bean... much like Crispy, however, I will need time to think up some good, interesting, weird shit about myself to post. I've got one thing written in a draft post, but nothing else.
Friday night was a lot of fun - got to see people I don't get to see very often, meet some cool new people, snoop around in Magnolia's house (got to see the famous Red Room), and just generally have a relaxing night out.
Apparently, however, relaxing makes me tired. I worked on Saturday at TBS, and by the time 7 p.m. rolled around, I was dead on my feet. Good thing I was home by that point - I doubt a deathly pale pallor and dark under-eye circles would have made for good make-up sales. I was in bed by 10, and slept until 10:45 the next morning.
My mother has gotten it into her head that I need a suit. I already have a suit that she forced on me about 5 years ago, and I hate it. I look like a black rectangle in it. Needless to say I was not thrilled when she woke up me at 10:45 to inform me that we were going shopping for a suit for me. This from the woman who is constantly harping on me to save my money and not make purchases that aren't necessities (we'll just not talk about spa night at Eveline Charles - for all she knows we just went window shopping and out for dinner). So she says she'll pay for the suit. She paid for the last one. I've worn it maybe twice in the five years. She's not convinced that a more casual-ish suit would be more appropriate - one with a jacket that I could, say, remove from the matching pants and pair with, oh, say, jeans.... khakis... that sort of thing. I might actually wear it then. My office does, in fact, require me to wear business casual. I can usually get away with black/grey pants and a nice sweater (three guesses as to what I'm wearing right now). We even have Jeans Fridays at work (you pay $2 for the privilege of wearing jeans, and the money is a fundraiser to send students on service learning project to help the homeless in Hamilton). Suit? Not so much.
She points out that I may need it for job interviews in the future. Fine. That may be. I think she somtimes forgets that I'm not aiming to do her job - I don't want to be a lawyer, thanks. I'm not going to need to appear in front of panels and judges and the like... And so far I've managed to appear good and professional at my interviews without an actual suit... So whatever.
Perhaps the kicker on this one was that I HATE shopping at the best of times. Which is probably why she dragged me into it with no warning. But to have to shop for something I don't even want? Ouch.
In the end we failed miserably. The only suit that I sort of liked was at J. Michael and they didn't have my size in the bottom half at either of the locations we went to. I mean, I have to have it tailored anyway (waist a size smaller than hips), but they didn't have it available in my hip size - pants or skirt. Story of my life, really.
On the bright side, I did get what I was initially aiming for - a more casual jacket that can be work with jeans, etc. And I didn't have to pay for it (the one that fit nicely was about $30 more than I wanted to pay for a jacket, so my parents were just, like "early birthday present").
On the other hand, I feel more dependent than ever. If I can't even buy my own clothes, then what the hell am I doing wanting to move out on my own?
On the bright side, my parents took a drive past an apartment building that I'd mentioned where rent was affordable and the location was good, and they approved. No balcony on the building - not sure how I feel about that - there'd be no place to store my bike (yup, it lived on my balcony in my last building - it was always interesting getting it out...)... but other than that...
Anywho...
Friday night was a lot of fun - got to see people I don't get to see very often, meet some cool new people, snoop around in Magnolia's house (got to see the famous Red Room), and just generally have a relaxing night out.
Apparently, however, relaxing makes me tired. I worked on Saturday at TBS, and by the time 7 p.m. rolled around, I was dead on my feet. Good thing I was home by that point - I doubt a deathly pale pallor and dark under-eye circles would have made for good make-up sales. I was in bed by 10, and slept until 10:45 the next morning.
My mother has gotten it into her head that I need a suit. I already have a suit that she forced on me about 5 years ago, and I hate it. I look like a black rectangle in it. Needless to say I was not thrilled when she woke up me at 10:45 to inform me that we were going shopping for a suit for me. This from the woman who is constantly harping on me to save my money and not make purchases that aren't necessities (we'll just not talk about spa night at Eveline Charles - for all she knows we just went window shopping and out for dinner). So she says she'll pay for the suit. She paid for the last one. I've worn it maybe twice in the five years. She's not convinced that a more casual-ish suit would be more appropriate - one with a jacket that I could, say, remove from the matching pants and pair with, oh, say, jeans.... khakis... that sort of thing. I might actually wear it then. My office does, in fact, require me to wear business casual. I can usually get away with black/grey pants and a nice sweater (three guesses as to what I'm wearing right now). We even have Jeans Fridays at work (you pay $2 for the privilege of wearing jeans, and the money is a fundraiser to send students on service learning project to help the homeless in Hamilton). Suit? Not so much.
She points out that I may need it for job interviews in the future. Fine. That may be. I think she somtimes forgets that I'm not aiming to do her job - I don't want to be a lawyer, thanks. I'm not going to need to appear in front of panels and judges and the like... And so far I've managed to appear good and professional at my interviews without an actual suit... So whatever.
Perhaps the kicker on this one was that I HATE shopping at the best of times. Which is probably why she dragged me into it with no warning. But to have to shop for something I don't even want? Ouch.
In the end we failed miserably. The only suit that I sort of liked was at J. Michael and they didn't have my size in the bottom half at either of the locations we went to. I mean, I have to have it tailored anyway (waist a size smaller than hips), but they didn't have it available in my hip size - pants or skirt. Story of my life, really.
On the bright side, I did get what I was initially aiming for - a more casual jacket that can be work with jeans, etc. And I didn't have to pay for it (the one that fit nicely was about $30 more than I wanted to pay for a jacket, so my parents were just, like "early birthday present").
On the other hand, I feel more dependent than ever. If I can't even buy my own clothes, then what the hell am I doing wanting to move out on my own?
On the bright side, my parents took a drive past an apartment building that I'd mentioned where rent was affordable and the location was good, and they approved. No balcony on the building - not sure how I feel about that - there'd be no place to store my bike (yup, it lived on my balcony in my last building - it was always interesting getting it out...)... but other than that...
Anywho...
So, let's face it. The real estate market in Edmonton sucks right now for renters and buyers alike. Demand is high, supply is low. That's the way it works. The people that live in the rental next to my parents' place are just waiting for their house to be built. It's not quite Tent City, but it's getting there. This makes finding a decent, non-scuzzy apartment for a decent price in an OK part of town rather difficult.
Ok, granted, I was spoiled in my last apartment where I lived from 2003-2005. A 1-bedroom right across the street from the university, 550ish square feet all for ME, brand-new appliances ('cuz the building manager liked me), heat/water/power included, for less than $1000/month. Well less than $1000/month. I know I'm not going to find that again. But I don't want to spend more than about 1/2 a month's salary on rent and utility bills and the like. I'd like to put part of the other half into savings (geesh... look at me being all responsible and adult-like), food, hanging out with friends on occasion, and the non-necessities, like cable/internet, a cell phone (which would actually be instead of a land line), bus pass, etc.
I would, however, like something roughly the same size, albeit further out from the uni/downtown core to help keep prices down. I would like something close to a direct public transit route to the U of A - I'm even looking at apartments by Clareview LRT station. I have no problem walking 10 blocks or so to get to an LRT station. I really don't. It's exercise. Either way my morning commute isn't going to be much longer than it is now (roughly an hour from the time I leave home to the time I get to the office). I don't have a vehicle, so close to public transit is something I NEED. I'm sorta picky when it comes to interiors, too, though - I will NOT do a basement suite. I couldn't. I get depressed enough without sunlight as it is. I'd also rather NOT have something that looks like it was decorated in the 70s.
I've found a couple of options online with various companies... They look all right from the 'net, but of course I'd need to see them before I moved in. They're a bit of a hike from LRT stations, but one even has a fireplace! Having said that, that's only about 4 buildings in all of Edmonton that meet my criteria at this point in time. I'm going to keep looking, and hopefully as all the students move out at the end of the year, more things will be available, but we shall see.
In the meantime, I will attempt to not lose hope, and I will attempt to remember that really, it's only a couple of months more living with my parents (I WILL move out by the summer, that's all there is to it), and that something will come along... Or maybe I'll win the lottery and be able to buy a condo on Saskatchewan Drive. I suppose I'd have to buy a ticket for that, though, wouldn't I?
Oh, and [RIS guy]? I'm actually not sure _how_ taken he is, Genderist. Definitely "Let's go off to the mountains together on my week off" taken, but beyond that...
*The title of a song by Garbage
Ok, granted, I was spoiled in my last apartment where I lived from 2003-2005. A 1-bedroom right across the street from the university, 550ish square feet all for ME, brand-new appliances ('cuz the building manager liked me), heat/water/power included, for less than $1000/month. Well less than $1000/month. I know I'm not going to find that again. But I don't want to spend more than about 1/2 a month's salary on rent and utility bills and the like. I'd like to put part of the other half into savings (geesh... look at me being all responsible and adult-like), food, hanging out with friends on occasion, and the non-necessities, like cable/internet, a cell phone (which would actually be instead of a land line), bus pass, etc.
I would, however, like something roughly the same size, albeit further out from the uni/downtown core to help keep prices down. I would like something close to a direct public transit route to the U of A - I'm even looking at apartments by Clareview LRT station. I have no problem walking 10 blocks or so to get to an LRT station. I really don't. It's exercise. Either way my morning commute isn't going to be much longer than it is now (roughly an hour from the time I leave home to the time I get to the office). I don't have a vehicle, so close to public transit is something I NEED. I'm sorta picky when it comes to interiors, too, though - I will NOT do a basement suite. I couldn't. I get depressed enough without sunlight as it is. I'd also rather NOT have something that looks like it was decorated in the 70s.
I've found a couple of options online with various companies... They look all right from the 'net, but of course I'd need to see them before I moved in. They're a bit of a hike from LRT stations, but one even has a fireplace! Having said that, that's only about 4 buildings in all of Edmonton that meet my criteria at this point in time. I'm going to keep looking, and hopefully as all the students move out at the end of the year, more things will be available, but we shall see.
In the meantime, I will attempt to not lose hope, and I will attempt to remember that really, it's only a couple of months more living with my parents (I WILL move out by the summer, that's all there is to it), and that something will come along... Or maybe I'll win the lottery and be able to buy a condo on Saskatchewan Drive. I suppose I'd have to buy a ticket for that, though, wouldn't I?
Oh, and [RIS guy]? I'm actually not sure _how_ taken he is, Genderist. Definitely "Let's go off to the mountains together on my week off" taken, but beyond that...
*The title of a song by Garbage
