Moving, etc.

Tags

apartment, change, epiphany, moving

It’s been almost a week since I moved but I still don’t feel completely settled in, partly because my new place still needs some odds and ends (a rug here, a corner chair there), and partly because I haven’t explored the neighborhood at all.

Without boring you with the details of the move, let’s talk numbers, shall we? Here are the stats:

• My “stuff”: 14 boxes (11 big ones, 3 medium ones), 3 suitcases, half a dozen bags, an assortment of furniture. Wow, is this the “essence” of my existence at this point in time?
• Time: 3 nights and a day of packing and notifying dozens of parties of address change, 1.5 days unpacking.
• Physical cost: numerous cuts and cracks in my hands due to all the packing & unpacking.
• Money: Almost 3 hours of “mover time”, over $300 mover expenses.
• Unexpected: $40+ of automobile insurance increase (according to GEICO, my new neighborhood is more “dangerous” than my old one, traffic-wise).
• Unexpected: $3 less for renter’s insurance.
• Cleaning: took me 4.5 hours to clean up my old apartment. It was spotless, except for certain areas (I will NEVER EVER use mounting tapes or any tapes on the wall again – you can never remove them when the time comes). I wonder how much money I will get back, if any, from my security deposit.

In a nutshell, total exhaustion by Sunday night. Then I was hit with an unpleasant revelation: the awkward location of my neighborhood. This is a real, if anything, quite famous, neighborhood so imagine my surprise at finding out that there are no quality grocery stores in it! It’s a 12 minute drive either north or south to different neighborhoods if you need to visit regular grocery stores. There is a Safeway a few blocks away from the building, but it’s so pathetic (run down, food only) I will never go there again. Oh, even the closest public library branch is in another neighborhood, to which I have to make some scary left turns across a busy road without stoplights. The closest park (a block away) is a small unfenced dog park (poo alert!). A relatively bigger park 5 minutes (of driving) away doesn’t have trails (only paved paths). The only park that is remotely similar to Forest Park is 10 minutes away (in another neighborhood, of course). There are no gyms nearby for the long rainy months; the closest place to work out is a community center that charges $43 per month (I was paying $29.99 for LA Fitness in my old neighborhood). It really dawned on me that “I am in the ‘burb now” when I was in the community center — I have never seen so many kids in one  place in my entire life! I’d been spoiled by living for 4.5 years in my old neighborhood, in which everything (shopping, library, parks, even work) is within easy walking or short driving distance. In the new place, everything essential is at least 10 minutes away so I have to plan my trips very carefully to avoid wasted trips (and gas). No more impulse run to Trader Joe’s! No more going out the door and starting running. I guess I should have known and done my research, but as I said, I was desperate, and at that time, 10 minutes doesn’t sound like a huge amount of time. But it adds up. Sigh…

The new pad, thankfully, makes up for the suckiness of the location. It’s BEAUTIFUL. I can’t tell you how much I relish basking in the bright warm morning sunshine that pours through the big windows into both my living room and bedroom, how much I enjoy gazing out the same windows into some lovely trees (and not so lovely, but at least distant, traffic), and how I treasure a mold-free and actually well-insulated apartment (I’d have loved it even more if it were in the middle of winter, as my old apartment is often freezing despite the heater running 24/7). It’s not perfect. I can hear a fair amount of traffic noise since the building is quite close to a state highway. But unlike The Noise, it doesn’t irritate me much as it’s steady and faint (although I have developed an active loathing for muscle cars with loud engines and motorcycles). My neighbors haven’t been too annoying, so far (keeping my fingers crossed). I haven’t heard anything from my next door neighbors, but definitely can hear my upstairs neighbor.

So, I am not exactly having buyer’s (or rather, renter’s) remorse: I do love my new apartment but I am pretty sure that this is not the neighborhood I will stay in in the long run. I might become more fond of it as I begin to explore and discover things in the area, but again, if I eventually decide to stay in Portland, I will buy a condo or small house in the next year or so, either in NW or NE. If I move, however, now that’s a whole new story…

Anyway, my biggest “epiphany” out of this whole experience is that things work out eventually, if not in an ideal way. There will be complications and problems, imperfections and regrets, but if you really put your mind to it and  have enough resolve and patience, The Universe will give you a chance. Now if only I could muster the same courage for a bigger change. Looking for work is not the same as finding a place to live — it’s much more challenging. I am still ambivalent about the prospect of a sure pay cut and decrease of quality of life. I know, however, that if I want it badly enough, I can pull it off. I just wish that I didn’t have to do all these alone, but I know that’s probably just my fate.

An interim update

Tags

apartment, moving

I signed the lease this afternoon! Moving bright and early Friday morning. Despite all the drama/complications, everything worked out eventually.

Packing is a pain. I had forgotten how much work it is. I already got rid of a lot of stuff, but still the boxes are filling up and piling up.

I am looking forward to something new.

Spring Break 2011

Tags

annoyance, apartment, dating, health, loneliness, Movies, Oregon Coast, philosophizing, road trips, shopping, spring break, The Noise, travel, weight, workout

Spring break was boring. BORRRRING, period.

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I worked the first two days and took Wed through Fri off. It was quite out of character of me to not have a plan, or to plan at the last minute, but that was exactly what I did. I knew I had to get out of town, but the destination wasn’t picked until 9pm Tuesday. Packing didn’t take much time since it was a one nighter.

The bathroom noise from a neighboring (downstairs, next-door, phantom?!) apartment is driving me insane. I am pretty sure their bathroom fan is broken, but unfortunately, not “broken broken” as in “not working”, but “working but making a racket” broken. I’ve lived here long enough to know that this is NOT the normal noise. In fact, I never heard this noise until this year. Since the source of the noise is unclear and it involves giving two of my downstairs neighbors 24 hour notice, the apartment manager wasn’t  happy about taking this maintenance request. In fact, it’s been a week and nothing has been done. Typical. She even questioned the legitimacy of my request (“Why aren’t they complaining?” — Huh?! Because MY FAN is NOT BROKEN!!!) I will have to call her again to follow up, but I suspect that just like how they dealt with the bathtub issue, they are going to just ignore me and hope I will give up. The noise is so loud and powerful I am at the mercy of my neighbor’s schedule. I know exactly when they go to the bathroom, how long they stay there, and that they are night owls (turning on the fan and thus waking me up anywhere between 12am-2am). I swear, I am not going to put up with this. I will hassle (their definition for asking them, very politely and patiently, to do their job) them for two more days, and if they continue ignoring me, I am going to give them the 30-day notice and move out. Any noise is better than this noise.

So yeah, when I drove out to the Coast Wed morning, I was so aggravated that it took me the entire drive to finally calm down and relax. There is not much to say about this trip. I had low expectations because I just wanted to get away from it all, esp. The Noise. The hotel I stayed at is quite interesting. I was expecting something rather basic, bland, or rustic, but turns out, it’s elegant and charming. They have the most beautiful bathroom sink I’ve ever seen in any hotel, and to go with the nautical theme, faux-antique night-stands with aqua chipped paint (which look like old treasure chests that belong to pirates). The room is very cute, but has paper thin walls. I could hear every single word from the next room (and one of them kept coughing, either from a bad cold or from being a chain smoker). One thing that always amazes me about this country is the contradiction between people’s desire for privacy and the utter lack of it in most building (apartments, hotels, etc.) due to the thin walls and floors. Seriously, will it kill the construction companies to put an extra layer/padding?!

There was no sunrise or sunset since it was cloudy most of the time, and it actually rained from Wed afternoon to Thursday late morning. The sun finally showed its face when I started to drive home. Thanks for nothing.

But the thing that bothers me about this trip is really not the lack of awe-inspiring scenery, or the nonexistence of photographic opportunities, or even the weather. Yes, sure, those are contributing factors. But I realized that I wasn’t exactly happier after the trip because I picked the wrong place. The beach is the WORST place to go on your own (speaking for myself, of course). I rarely felt lonely on my trip last year to the Southwest because there were tons of things to do, and striking beauty in every corner I looked. The coast, esp. a familiar place like Cannon Beach (yes, very original choice, eh?), is one lousy destination for a solo traveler. I’ve seen all that I could see so there wasn’t much worthy of “exploring.” I couldn’t “lounge” on the beach whiling away the hours, because I was surrounded by people (couples, groups, families…), and just taking a stroll by the water made me feel as if I were the loneliest person on earth. I felt both completely out of place and utterly conspicuous at the same time. To put it bluntly, I felt I had the words “pathetic” and “loser” written all over me.

Despite my apprehension about being assaulted by the noise again, I still wanted to come home. My home, my castle, my little hideaway. My conclusion: I still think it’s better to travel alone than not traveling until you have a partner (who knows, what if we remain alone forever?) because I don’t want to put my life on hold, but I will never ever go to a beach (any beach) by myself, ever again. Beach is for families, lovers, or at least, friends. It’s a place where you experience the “sweetness of doing nothing” (or “L’arte di non fare niente”), with someone(s).

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After coming home, I broke down and went on a shopping spree on both Thur and Fri. I normally don’t enjoy shopping as a regular girl should, but once I embark on a mission for something specific, I could spend a lot of time in the malls/shops. I’ve been having a “pants crisis” for a while now (thanks, Brit Boy, for ruining me, not only emotionally, but also physically — I got FAT because I was so devastated). All my size 0 and 2s from Express no longer fit or are so tight they are at the risk of splitting open at the waist if I laugh too hard. MUST LOSE WEIGHT!!! Before I succeed in losing those pounds though, I need new pants (dammit dammit dammit!!!). Now I am a size 4 (from Ann Taylor whose size runs big to begin with) — not good for someone my height. I also feel really bloated and heavy and lethargic all the time so it’s not just a vanity issue, but a health issue as well.

My goal: lose 20 pounds in 2 months by:

• Eating healthy meals (small portions) and healthy snacks (fruits and nuts)
• Exercise every day; even if I can’t work up the energy to run or bike, I will at least walk for 40 minutes or more after work.
• Go to bed early and get up early to do yoga.

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Went out on a first date with a guy on Sat. He is probably the only guy I’ve met so far that actually looks YOUNGER than his pictures. In fact, he looks so youthful I felt as if I were older (although he is six years older than me). We had a very pleasant chat over coffee for 2.5 hours. He is cute and articulate and our date was much better than the one I had last month. However, I don’t think anything more will come out of it, because he didn’t ask me for my number, or mentioned hanging out again, or emailed me today. Am I disappointed?  A little, since he is fun to be around and could be a great guy friend, if not a boyfriend. Am I surprised that he is not interested in me? Honestly, no, not at all. Am I bothered that I’ve lost my “mojo” and do I wonder why? No, because I’ve learned some painful, but very valuable lessons from my previous failure:

1. any guy is just “a guy” until he commits to you and becomes your boyfriend; don’t put too much energy/feelings/hopes/expectations on him or the connection (before it becomes a real “relationship”) trying to decipher the minutiae, because…
2. if he is interested, he will follow up; if he doesn’t, he is just not that into you;
3. you can’t force attraction; and it’s NOT your fault;
4. no expectation is the best policy — it keeps you sane and in control of your own emotions; s/he who cares more, loses/suffers.
5. true love is not tragic or difficult; it should be easy and fun; if it’s full of angst and disappointment, it’s not right.

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Bought a pair of Vasque Mindbender trail running shoes from REI Sunday morning (I couldn’t figure out anything else to apply my 20% member discount, plus since my gym membership is running out soon and I am committed to running outdoors, I do need them).

Watched The Fighter w/ GS Sunday afternoon. I didn’t want to watch it at first because I am not into boxing movies, but it is actually pretty good. Gritty, as expected, but surprisingly funny and moving, too.

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And just like that, spring break 2011 is over. Sigh…

Misc stuff

Tags

apartment, orchids, spring equinox

My orchid fever came back with a vengeance! Thank you, Trader Joe’s, for the endless supply of gorgeous AND affordable orchids.

Me and the Supermoon is not meant to be. It was rainy and cloudy. But hey, Happy Spring Equinox!

Apartment hunting took a dramatic turn this weekend. In short, I was going to take a look at an apartment Saturday, but when I arrived at the leasing office, I was told that it was rented Friday. The “assistant manager” and I talked a few times during the week and had sort of an oral agreement that I would see it Saturday. However, she neglected to notify me of this change on Friday and wasn’t even apologetic when I told her that she could have called me so I didn’t need to take an unnecessary trip.

Strangely, I wasn’t even super disappointed. Although I like the neighborhood and the look of the complex, I had my reservations for various reasons. Something just didn’t seem quite right. I was hoping that seeing the actual unit would convince me to move there. I wasn’t able to take a leap of faith and send in the application site unseen. I didn’t fall in love with the apartment (or the one that I actually saw on my 2nd visit but didn’t like due to the lack of a view). The funny thing is, my hyperactive imagination was way ahead of my emotions. I was already thinking about moving next week, about waking up to my own slice of the forest, about doing sun salutation drenched in the sunlight streaming through the big living-room windows, about running/walking on the numerous well-maintained trails in the neighborhood, about having my own washer/dryer… I was like a girl before the first date with a seemingly great guy: you haven’t even met him yet, but based on the small pieces you do know (e.g., his profile), you are already fantasizing about dating him and planning the wedding/honeymoon. I really need to stop assuming things, but instead, see them as they really are.

Imagine my surprise when I got a call Sunday morning from the same flaky assistant manager. Turns out, the person that so desperately wanted to move in canceled their application. Huh?! She said I was the first one she called and she would hold the unit if I was still interested. Well, not anymore. I had a gut feeling that this was not the right apartment for me, plus I found her too unprofessional to work with.

So back to square one…

Of Apartment Hunting & Dating

Tags

apartment, dating, love

After living in my current apartment for a little over 4 years, I am again itching to move, of my own accord. For someone who hates moving, this is somewhat unusual. Not because of another rent increase notice (although I won’t be surprised to receive one any day now, based on past experience), not because the quality of life has gone dramatically downhill, just because I want to. I am at this stage (or age) where I want (and can finally afford) a better place. A place with all the goodness of my current apartment (hardwood floor, no upstairs neighbor, convenience and safety of the neighborhood, and close proximity to The Park and its trails), but just with a little bit “more”, as in: an unobstructed view outside big living-room windows that can actually open, better insulated and thicker walls, and my own washer/dryer. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so. And I am even willing to pay a (reasonable) premium price for it.

misc saturday

Tags

apartment, books, friends

At page 147, I stopped reading A Long Way Down. I. Just. Don’t. Care. About the story or the characters. I don’t care for the writing either. I would never have thought of using the word “boring” to describe Nick Hornby’s works, but this, is an utter bore. I really wanted to like it. I tried. But I give up. Maybe I will revisit in a few years, but at this point, I have better books to read than wasting my precious time on this uninspiring piece of crap. Sorry, Nick!

Renewed my lease for another 6 months.

jinxed / movies

Tags

apartment, Movies, neighbors

Jeez, I did jinx myself (I should have known better). After a week of relative peace and quiet, the dog is acting up again (spring fever?). Last night it started yapping around 11:20pm, continued well through 12am, then God knows when (I put in the earplugs eventually). Ten minutes after midnight, I called the apartment manager, knowing full well that I would get the voice mail. This time I wasn’t shy about my irritation. 

Late afternoon today the barking session started again (still going now). Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to own dogs. If you can’t come home to walk the dog after 8 hours, you are pretty much abusing the animal. To give their dog some credit, it only barks when they are away for a long time, and I can understand the loneliness (separation anxiety?) and the need to take a bathroom break. 

I couldn’t take it anymore and wrote a note, in the nicest way, and taped it on their door. We will see what happens. 

Watched three movies over the weekend (took on the 2-week Blockbuster trial):

Wall-E: a really cute, “awwww”-inducing movie with an original concept and interesting social themes. 

Kung Fu Panda: with funny and endearing characters, but a bit predictable.

Eagle Eye: the Big Brother is Everywhere topic has been done to death, the machine taking on independent thinking/action is nothing new, but combining the two you get an action-packed, and pretty interesting flick. Not groundbreaking, but good entertainment.

neighbors, movies, car, & taxes

Tags

apartment, car, Movies, neighbors, taxes

Two weeks ago: my new neighbor’s dog (still haven’t seen it in flesh): it barked, it bayed, it howled, it wailed, it emitted primal guttural growls… all when the owners weren’t home. I googled the best way to handle a noisy dog, and two tips were usually offered: 1) leave an anonymous note; 2) inform the landlord. Since I am not a big fan of anonymous notes (it just seems very passive-aggressive to me), I called the apartment manager, made the complaint calmly, emphasizing that maybe the owners just didn’t know, etc.. The manager could even hear the howling from his phone while we were talking (yes, it was that powerful and penetrating), expressed his sympathy, and promised to talk to them. 

Now: every night I hear “Down! Down!! No!!! Good boy!!!!” from next door. Guess they finally got a dog trainer or started to train it themselves. Anyway, it’s been pretty quiet (hope I didn’t just jinx myself by writing about this), but maybe it’s just because the dog has abandonment issues but finally got used to the new environment and stopped freaking out. 

Every night music wafts into my apartment from the couple on the other side. Thankfully, they have very good taste in music (aka, similar to mine…) so I don’t mind; in fact, sometimes I even stopped my own music and listened to theirs. So I guess, for now, I will not consider moving. 

Two movies I recently watched:

Vicky, Christina, Barcelona: great Woody Allen film. G and I argued a little while watching. She said I am Vicky and want “dorks” like Doug (her “boring” is my “commitment & stability”), while I pointed out that she is just like Christina, who likes and fantasizes about the “free-spirit, European” lifestyle and notion of love, IN IDEA ONLY, but could never pull it off in real life. Anyway, the ending is rather ironic, but so true. They went on a vacation, flirted with the idea of a different kind of life, but ended up going right back to their former selves (with minor changes). It’s a gorgeous film with brilliant colors and an amazing cast – in fact, I think the Tourism Board/Beaurea/Department of Spain/Barcelona should list this as one of its promotional features. It makes me want to go to Spain! It’s humorous most of the time, hysterically funny in certain places, and a pleasant surprise (I didn’t check it out in the theater when it was running, as the blurb sounded  just another formulaic romantic comedy – and it’s NOT formulaic). 

Watchmen: okay, don’t understand the appeal. Yes, I get the irony and dark humor, but it’s soooooo slow and boring I dozed off several times. 

Went to DEQ yesterday. My car failed the emission test because the testing device wouldn’t communicate with the car computer. Was told to get it fixed by a dealer. Called the dealer, was told that it would cost at least $95 for the diagnosis and more (a lot more) to get it fixed. Called DEQ to see if they could just test the actual emission like they did with older (before 1996) cars and of course the government doesn’t allow it. After a rushed lunch w/ EC, dashed to a dealer half an hour away, waited 2 hours half reading a dull book and half flipping channels between mind-numbing infomercials on back pain relief, Animal Planet’s Weird, True & Freaky, and VH1′s I Love 2003. Finally, to my surprise, and GREAT relief (I was bracing for the huge price tag) was told that the ECM computer was still under warranty so they just replaced it and I didn’t need to pay at all! Wow, best ending to a rather sucky day.

Done e-filing my tax returns. I owe almost $300 in federal and state taxes. Aaarrrggghhh!!! If I am staying here next year, I am so going to start the flex spending and individual IRA thing.

apartment saga, a twist / various news

Tags

apartment, neighbors, shopping

I knew it! There is no such thing as “perfection” in this world – there is always a catch! The new neighbors finally moved in to my ex-cute-single-maybe-gay-neighbor’s apartment. Apparently, in their desperate attempt to attract tenants, the management company is now allowing pets and I am “lucky” enough to have the first ever with-pet-neighbor. A disclaimer: I have nothing against pets. In fact, I like cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds and maybe others, as long as it’s not anything slithering (snakes) or scaly (lizards) or slimy (frogs). However, when it comes to dogs, I do prefer quiet medium to large sized breeds (such as labs and golden retrievers) to seemingly cute but ultra annoying little ones that are constantly barking in a subconscious attempt to make up for their lack of stature (isn’t it telling that the smaller breeds always bark more and louder than the big ones?). Unfortunately, my neighbors’ dog is the small but loud type (I don’t have to see it to know it). And worse still? This building has paper-thin walls (you can hear a ruffling paper bag or an entire phone conversation from next door) so every bark is like chalk on the blackboard, grating on my nerves to no end. Isn’t it ironic that just less than a year ago, I was given a “serious warning” (“if you have a dog in your apartment again, we will start the eviction process.”) because my ex’s dog that I slipped stealthily in my apartment barked like there was no tomorrow in his absence (we were out for a show that night)? And now since dogs are apparently legit, I can’t even complain! 

Plus, I am now surrounded by couples. The whole floor, whether it’s a one-bedroom or two, is taken over by couples – except mine. I am the last singleton standing, and I feel deeply disturbed by this fact. Apparently I am the only single chump that’s paying this kind of rent for this kind of apartment. Since I haven’t yet signed the lease, can I still back out and start looking again for another apartment? Aaarrrggghhh!!! I hate apartment living – your quality of life is so heavily dependent on what kind of neighbors you have. I think I will see exactly how noisy my new neighbors (and their dog) are before I make my final decision. 

In other news, I received my red Tucano MB sleeve and love it. It’s a tiny little bit big in width, but the “anti-slip” system (basically a “lip” that prevents the laptop from accidentally slipping out and zippers scratching the body) is awesome. Also got the Twilight saga books and will start reading. Bought a DKNY Be Delicious fragrance tonight – love the fresh light leafy green smell and it seems to be the only perfume that doesn’t make me dizzy. And finally, after over two weeks of absence, I went back to the gym today and ran 3.68 miles. Sold my bike yesterday for $100 – glad that it found a new home (and I got extra cash).

skulls / party crashers / vampires / apartment saga – victory

Tags

apartment, books, friends, love, Movies, plays, Portland, twilight, vampires

Had two “first” experience last night. First, went to a Third Rail Rep show called A Skull in Connemara. This is my first live stage play so I was pretty excited. The Irish accent threw me off a little but I got the gist of the story. As much as I wanted to love this show, I have to admit I was quite underwhelmed. I was bored out of my mind during the first part (before the intermission) – even a succession of yawning and blinking could barely keep me fully awake. Thankfully the second half finally picked up, with all that skull smashing, blood shedding, and physical struggles (even a very disturbing head-hammering). Although the story was disappointing and on the heavy side (very dark humor), the performance, however, was quite good. The four actors really bought out the characters, and I marveled at their ability to memorize and deliver a long stretch of lines live on the stage – movies stars definitely have it easier!

Afterwards, G went over to pick up her son from his classmate’s party in an exclusive (but not fancy) club. We were the party crashers since only her son was invited. Adults (parents) and kids were about half half, but it seems the grown-ups were having more fun on the dance floor. I felt quite weird at a party full of strangers – obviously underdressed and well, different. Thankfully her son didn’t make a fuss about leaving early so the torture didn’t last long.

Watched Twilight at Laurelhurst in the afternoon. I expected to hear the “screaming teenage girls” but the audience, about half kids half adults, was alarmingly sedate in the packed theater. Is that the famous NW sensibility? The movie – wow, what a dark, soaring, gorgeous piece of work! Admittedly, the story is not exactly original (vampire-human romance meets teenage angst), the lines are over-the-top cheesy (“You’re my life now” – “ I don’t have the strength to stay away from you anymore” – “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.” – “You’re like my own personal brand of heroin.”… you get the idea – but of course I am just a cynic), and most of the characters have the peculiar tendency to mumble. However, there is something tragically romantic, strikingly beautiful, and immensely mystical about this movie. Maybe it’s the lonesome town and its somewhat quirky residents, or the rainy cloudy Pacific NW bleakness with its sea of lush verdant forests, or the eclectic soundtrack (I can’t stop playing Full Moon after getting this album) that perfectly accompanies, even accentuates, the atmosphere, or simply, the intense chemistry between the two leading characters/actors (doe-eyed Bella/Kristen Stewart emanates an ethereal aura, even though she always acted flustered with the “deer in the headlight” look, while the brooding Edward/Robert Pattinson is devastatingly alluring). Or all of the above.

Twilight, true to its fantasy genre, is in its heart an escapist’s tale. It takes you back to your 17th year, when everything was awkward and frustrating, yet exciting and full of possibilities, when you seemed to be trapped by your teenage status as the world was blossoming right in front of your eyes, when time was a commodity to lavish instead of sand seeping through your fingers, when the air seemed to be electric with expectations and mysticism, when the commonest amongst us daydreamed of being special – meeting amazing people, seeing spectacular things, being rescued from the insufferable mundane reality and transported into an alternate world of myth, legend, and high drama. This is, essentially, a Cinderella/Superman story, only with a vampiric twist. It seems in this kind of story, the vampire (whether it’s Edward in Twilight, or Mick in Moonlight) is the self-loathing rescuer that refrains from killing humans and is reluctant to turn his lover into his own kind, while the human (always the woman – Bella or Beth), is so inescapably and irrevocably in love that she is ready to give up everything to be turned.

What’s with our fascination with and glamorization of vampires? Does that reflect our fear of death and the unknown, our yearning for immortality, eternal youth, and super powers, and our desire to be with our loved one forever? What do such stories say about our tacit recognition and affirmation of gender roles (man saves, woman sacrifices)? Even as I am having these “deep thoughts”, and even though I am no longer a teenager, I still find the story irresistible (just like how I gushed over Harry Potter a while ago): I want to know what will happen next because I care about the characters (the whole Cullen family, Bella and her emotionally stunted Dad, the mysterious Native Americans that are bound to play an important role in events to unfold). In fact, I care so much I just bought the whole series from Amazon – if I put them on hold from the local public library, I would be #300+.

Oh yes, an unexpected twist to my apartment saga: I won! Got a call Friday from the apartment manager, who informed me that his boss agreed to keep my rent as is, as long as I sign a six-month lease. That’s EXACTLY what I wanted, but I wasn’t expecting that she would actually change her mind. In fact, I was going to check out an apartment on Sat. I was stunned and elated. I don’t know what he told the boss because she already rejected my rejection once. No matter what, I was grateful and happy. I will stay where I am at least for the next six months.

an open-mouthed mac / apartment saga, or farce

Tags

apartment, Apple, Macbook, stupidity

Reality check for my love affair with Apple when I found out about a glaring design/manufacturing flaw in the new Aluminum Macbook line. When you put it in a vertical position (standing on the black spine), the magnetic latch is sooooo weak the screen/lid just pops open (not enough to wake up the machine but annoying nonetheless). At first I thought it was an isolated incident, but after reading about similar complaints on various forums I had a sinking feeling that it was more wide-spread than that.

Finally, it bothers me enough that I took it to the local Apple Retail Store. I waited 40 minutes. Yes, I arrived on time (5 minutes early to be accurate) for my “appointment” and stood there for FORTY minutes. Talked to one of the “Geniuses” for FIVE minutes, was told that all of their Macbooks have the same problem, and I was on my way back to work. It’s better than seeing the doctor (you know, at least I don’t have to pay for the hour long wait and five minute “diagnosis”). I don’t care what the fan boys (who will defend Apple under any circumstances) say, this is a flaw, a problem, a defect, and not something I had expected from Apple. It’s just so blatantly obvious (it’s a LAPTOP and meant to be transported while sitting in a bag vertically) and easily fixed (all they need are stronger magnets). The machine just seems a tad shoddy, now that the glamour has worn off, when you stare into the gaping maw of something so elegant and sophisticated in every other way. I have two choices: 1) ignore it and get used to the idea of the screen flapping open and close like a butterfly’s wing(s); 2) get a really snug sleeve. Humph! I am so disappointed in Apple right now.

Finally, finally, got the letter of response from the apartment management company, almost a month after I sent them the “the huge rent increase is unjustified” letter. What a bunch of idiots! A full page of lies and denial – they keep lowering the rent in their desperate attempt to attract potential tenants (while increasing the rent for current occupants) and have the audacity to use the old numbers in their response. I called the apartment manager this morning to confirm because the “corporate response” was dated the beginning of Feb but postmarked only yesterday (in additional to being greedy, now they are also tardy and dishonest). He answered the phone in a weary and resigned tone. I had to wiggle into my “thick skin” and asked if the negotiation was final and it was either their way or the high way. You know it’s bad when the manager, being a company employee, started complaining bitterly about the company and the CEO. Words just tumbled out and I had to give him my support by telling him that he is a good manager and the company is ridiculous. Turns out, the CEO is a money hungry hag who 1) slapped everybody with such an “enormous” rent increase at the end of last year that a whole bunch of people (including my cute neighbor) moved out, leaving behind many vacancies in the complex; 2) blamed the apartment manager for “not renting apartments” when the real problem is that her properties are grossly overpriced in a currently down market (a gazillion move-in specials on top of a prevailing lower rent); 3) stubborn – never “in a million years will admit that she is wrong”. Anyway, the manager thought that I made a very good point in my “well researched” letter(s). He would take my second letter to the company and follow up in two weeks. He’d much rather that I stay, but will completely understand that I will move if they don’t reconsider.

Honestly, I don’t know why I even bother. Is it my inertia – that I don’t really “want” to move despite my gripes about the poor insulation (both in terms of heat and sound) and high rent, or my naive belief that people can be reasoned with – that if I present a good argument (without being “argumentative”) with solid facts and concrete evidence they can be persuaded to see what a mistake it is to drive me away (thus creating yet one more vacancy) in a renter’s market?

The search for a new abode has begun, because truthfully, I will be ASTONISHED to hear that the company turns around.

Concluded, apartment hunting saga

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apartment

I should have written about this earlier, but for one reason or another never got around to doing it. It seems like things always work out for me at the last minute. I got the approval notice on the same day I was supposed to tell my current landlord whether I was moving out by the end of Sept or not; I used my last check for the deposit; I found my dream apartment when I was about to lose hope, when I had absolutely no other apartments that I was slightly interested in. When I was waiting at the bus stop this morning after signing the lease, I still couldn’t quite believe that I actually got THE apartment.

The gist of the story is: I have been wanting to move into apartments in this area, and this complex in particular, for a long time, ever since I started looking. Apartments from this company are unbelievably popular. There are seldom openings, when one does come up, it’s snatched almost immediately. What can I say, good apartments are like good guys – they are seldom available. I guess success is really 99% hard work plus 1% chance. Chance/serendipity plays a big role in this whole process. I took two full weeks off just looking for apartments but due to timing and my being ultra picky, I never found anything. I checked the websites of prospective property management companies several times a day, but still nothing turned up during the “full-time searching” periods. I was on the verge of giving up. Towards the end, instead of checking CL religiously (every hour) I just checked it about twice a day. Then on Monday afternoon, I saw their ad.

Anyway, the whole thing was pretty dramatic. I saw their ad on Monday, called and as usual nobody answered, called several times more and finally one of the managers (a couple) picked up. She told me that someone already sent in an application. Remembering my friend (who used to live in San Francisco and had plenty of experiences getting frustrated by the apt hunting process)’s advice (“if you want something really bad, you gotta go the extra mile!”), I told her that I was ok being the runner up, even though on previous occasions the ones before me always passed the screening. THEN, I told her, very sincerely and passionately, how much I would love to live there, how I had been eying this apartment for a long time but never got a chance to be the first applicant, blah blah blah. I guess sometimes desperation (or… enthusiasm ) does work. She was quite impressed/moved and told me if I dropped by that evening (I couldn’t leave early and she had sth to do that night) to fill out the application she left under her doormat, she would put me on the top of the waiting list. So I did, and last night (around 9pm) I got a call and was told that the first application indeed didn’t go through.

Just got back from the apartment. It is sooooo perfect, *almost* perfect anyway. It’s smaller than my current one (big enough for me) and in a great setting (2nd floor, the balcony has a full view of a rolling grassy slope and green trees of the Forest Park). It has bamboo floor in the living room (yes!!!). It’s also in a very residential area (all apartments and houses), with off-street parking, and even cheaper than my current apartment. It doesn’t have its own washer/dryer, but I don’t mind using the laundry room all that much. The funny thing is, I was so enamoured by the apartment and its surroundings that I didn’t even ask the questions in my carefully prepared Excel spreadsheet of checklist. What can I say, love is blind! – I later called back and asked a few specific questions and got answers I wanted to hear. So… I took the bus back to work, and realized that I didn’t have enough change (only one 10 dollar bill) for the ride (right now I live in Fareless Square so buying tickets is not a habit). I sheepishly told the driver, he grudgingly told me to remember next time, I apologized profusely, but was happy that he was so nice. Then after getting off the bus I was caught in a heavy downpour, which didn’t dampen my joy at all.
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Anyway, my love for the new place was reaffirmed today. This, is, my kind of place. I have never been happier or more excited about moving.

Life Lessons:
– Be careful of what you wish for, becoz you might just get it;
– Nothing is impossible if you care to work hard for it;
– When opportunity knocks, you must open the door (** take a chance even when the hope is but a glimmer);

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The cold is killin’ me!!! I feel so miserable. However, I am quite excited about one other thing. I am going to Andrew Bird’s show at The Aladdin Theater late Sept! Finally, a show that’s interesting that’s not sold out! It’ll be my first Aladdin experience.