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| Saturday, July 5th, 2008 |
kinnerc
|
12:41p |
Calling All Word Travellers!
Heh. I should be heading back to NY, but I couldn't resist just getting a tiny bit of "work" done. I just emailed the Committee my acceptance to the National Virtual Observatory Summer School program.
Now this is specifically being written to the world travelers who read my Journal. Hello Mark, Mikey, and Nathaniel! Aaron, I'll include you, too, but after your experience wrt Heathrow/Gatwick...I don't know. :-) :-)
How can I figure out how to get from Logan to Santa Fe, MN, arriving in Santa Fe on 2 September, and coming back to Boston on (Gods, this should be soooooooo fun) 11 September?
For $400?
This is a done deal, so I can book immediately as far as I can tell. |
kinnerc
|
12:18p |
Heading Back...
Spent the night at Arc & Jeremy's delivering Arc's bike and a book. I got him caught up on Doctor Who, but since they're sharing a WiFi connection for internet access now Arc nearly killed me when he realized that "Stolen Earth" was not the series finale. :-)
It remains the oddest thing to visit Arc. Last time I did it I came away horribly depressed. The last couple of times I was in Cambridge I actually avoided coming up to NH on the way back. Leaving now is not as bad as it was last time, but the depression is still there. I'm not sure of its source.
I'm charging up electronics - most especially the PADD to enable me to navigate across NH and VT.
Now that an address has been garnered, I immediately go into high gear with regard to renting the 1st floor of Darrowby House (Heh. Being on the other side of what I've just been through), freecycling the computers, and trying to schedule Trash Day. The end of the line for Operation Dumbledore is now in sight whether I want it to be or not.
Here we go... |
| Friday, July 4th, 2008 |
kinnerc
|
1:33p |
Hell of a Fourth So Far... I'm in the office picking up the Jerred as I travel to Concord to deliver Arc his bike. He's also getting my 1990 Volume of the American Radio Relay League Handbook since he's been doing some TTL logic circuit work lately. But I've never just stopped into the office. Not this office! :-) • With all the traveling that Arne has been doing, the actual paperwork of my Official Acceptance Letter had been delayed. I actually got the apartment without anything that actually said I was going to be working here full time! I was never worried, but as Aaron kept saying, the paperwork was important because if something happened, having things in writing was critical. Apparently some things were left in flux when our former Director, Dr. Janet Mattei, suddenly died four years ago so some people have been properly cautious since then. But that's all done now. Arne has given me my Formal Offer Letter which is exactly what we'd agreed to, to the letter. I just sat down and wrote him an Formal Acceptance Letter to, in his words, "close the loop." So. Its done. • My acceptance in the National Virtual Observatory Summer School program in Santa Fe, NM in early September came in two hours ago. This makes the moving schedule from Groton to Sommerville even more critical. • And finally, while it may usually be my policy to not speak ill of the dead, there is a small group of people that I will make an exception for. The BBC is reporting that former Senator Jesse Helms died this morning. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Good riddance, Mr. Helms. Please let the door smack you on the way out. And now, I'm off to Concord. |
| Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 |
kinnerc
|
10:27p |
The Fascinating Bull of Credit Reports...
So, like I said, Colin ran a credit report on me and gave it to me to keep.
These reports run our entire lives, and its amazing what bullshit they are. It's terrifying, really.
First, my credit score is 760. "Wow! That's high," Colin, who is an architect for the Bank of America, says. I'm happy because I remember the score being a semi-respectable 690 when I got Darrowby House.
"Wow," Colin says, "You've moved a lot."
Ummmm, no. Not when I could help it.
The credit report lists five different addresses for me in Cazenovia!
a) 8505 Albany St.
b) 85 Albany St.
c) 8515 Albany St.
d) 85 1st St.
e) 85 One Half Albany St. (Arguably the correct one in this case).
I've also apparently lived at 213 S. Albany St. in Ithaca!! Oooooooookay!
What may be most fascinating is what wasn't on the report - anything regarding Verizon Wireless! Looks like I finally won the war war with those bastards!! :-) |
kinnerc
|
10:25p |
My First Bad Experience...
Boston and its surrounding environs is a megalopolis. There's no way around that. And when you pack people in a megalopolis things are gonna happen - especially when those people are mentally ill.
So, after having dozens of wonderful experiences with the people of Cambridge and Somerville - including today! - something had to happen.
I was at the Davis Square station reading one of the maps on the wall near the bench. This oldish man comes up and says, "Can I sit there?" indicating the bench in front of the map.
"Oh, absolutely!" I say, and I back away a bit.
"What the hell did you say?" he asks angrily. "You can't talk like that? I can't even say what you said to me! You wanna fight about it? You wanna kick my ass right now?"
I initially try to repeat what I said, then realize that the man had not heard "Oh, absolutely!" but something like "Fuck you, asshole!" because he was programmed to expect to hear something like that.
I went into my programmed response which is to smile - not grin, and not laugh because that could be taken the wrong way - and slowly back away.
I needed to go down into the station because I was looking for 89 & 90 bus schedules. Didn't find them available, but upon coming back up someone had seen the whole exchange between me and the man (who was now sitting on the bench outside) and this man who'd seen things, in a rather chatty way I thought, came up and said that it was a shame how MA treated its mentally ill, that this guy hung around the station a lot, he thought I'd handled the situation well, I looked like a had a good head on my shoulders, and welcome to Boston!
======
I was accosted by a pan-handler as I was coming back through Davis Sq. after getting the apartment. This was my own fault, though. I was standing in Davis Sq. looking around like I was lost - something you just don't do in a megalopolis. I was dealing with the aftermath of having just dropped $3k - something I never do easily.
So this guy comes up and starts asking me about movies (we're in front of the Somerville Theater, after all). He indicates that he's seen Indiana Jones. Have I seen Indiana Jones? Yes, I liked it. He says he's seen Mongol and had actually taken a picture of Genghis Khan with this T-Mobile phone! Have I seen Mongol? No, not yet. Did I have a dollar? Not at this point, as I back away.
So, I guess I'm a real resident now - I'm being attacked by the mentally ill and the pan-handlers. :-) |
kinnerc
|
10:20p |
|
kinnerc
|
9:52p |
Ĝin Finiĝas... It's done. I basically feel like I wanna throw up at this point, but, you know, that's me. No one who knows me should be surprised that my first reaction is to get sick. $1475/mo and we're budgeting about $170/mo in winter for gas and electric. The place is very much like Darrowby House in that we have gas downstairs, which in the winter goes for about $50/mo and electric upstairs which goes for a good bit more. The current tenant's electrical bill (I thought I was looking at heat) was $167 for March. They were home 24/7 and have a six month old toddler so they had the heat on all the time. I went ahead and factored their $50/mo for gas and $120 for electric (which will only happen in the winter) and basically got my energy bill save that I have 50/mo for Electric (prorated because the electric here is 11.1¢/kWh, and about $110/mo for heat. This makes it reasonably competitive - within $20 - of my energy costs now, its just that the price of Gas and Electricity is reversed. Based on projected income (the details of which I won't write here, but trust me, there are confirming calculations on paper scattered all over Nathaniel's futon right now. Yes, boys & girls, you will use the algebra you thought was so useless in High School!) this should put me in about the same living cost/income cost ratio that I have now, which was the plan all along. Plus, should my goals hold, there are a couple of things that will be going down in Boston. Transportation costs should go down from $130/mo to $60/mo, for example. So, the appointments for the day start at Cross St. East two blocks away - Kathy's place. It was a condo she was renting. The place was beautiful and also at $1475/mo. This morning when I got up I scanned Craigslist and found Colin's ad. I celled him and left a message. While I was going to Kathy's place and moving through Davis Sq. he called back and I made an appointment with him for 1430. I saw Kathy's place, was wowed, stopped at KFC for lunch (See, Aaron! I did eat! :-) ), and then headed for 17 Rush St. a block away. I was about 15 min. early (yes, a shocker for those who know me!), but since Colin was working from home, it wasn't an issue. The place is wonderful and huge. It is two floors, just like the Cambridge place, but add a dining room to it, and rooms that I knew were not small. There is a washer/dryer for me in the basement. The downsides are that the flat has carpet downstairs. There is no porch or deck to speak of, but when was the last time I used the porch at Darrowby House? So, I see it. I like it (my "furniture" is going to look like shit in this place. The current tenants know how to decorate). And then, so, like I've done over the last two days I say, "OK, Colin, what do you need from me?" "Well," he says, "I guess I should run a credit check." "Yep," I say, "Makes sense." "So I guess I need your legal name, SSN, and a driver's license so I know that you're you." "OK." So, I start writing these things down for him, and Colin logs into the computer and starts referencing some documentation he has. I realize that Colin is going to run the credit check right then and there! And I detect if that's good, we'll go on to the lease phase. "Colin, I'm getting the impression that if the credit report is good and it doesn't say that I'm the brother of Osama bin Laden that we're going ahead with this as far as you're concerned." He says, "Yea." Soooooo. I asked questions about the heating. I went upstairs to take another look at things. This was now going farther than anything had before! I want data on the heat that Colin can't give me. We have to wait for his tenants to come back. "I can save this [credit scan] before I run it, and then I can call you back when they come home. Shouldn't be long." "OK, great." We do that. I go to the East Branch of the Somerville Library a block away ( :-) ). He calls within a few minutes and I go back. Once we figure out the difference between gas and electric, I'm more comfortable. "OK, Colin, run the numbers," I said. He did. Details of the credit report - which he gave me - are in another post. While he was doing that I went through the lease line-by-line making changes. We agreed to all the changes (5 day grace period on the rent, 2 cats allowed, notice given for entering apartment (unless water pipes have burst, etc.), and a provisional provision for a small Amateur Radio antenna (Yes, I was comfortable enough with Colin to ask, and while he wasn't as acommidating as Dave was (he doesn't have the land), he wasn't adverse on principle.). And then we signed things, and I gave him 1st month's rent and security deposit. The place is mine from 1 August (so, at least at this end, Aaron, we're back on schedule). Link to GoogleMap of 17 Rush St. And there we have it. Now the real work begins. :-\ |
kinnerc
|
7:58a |
THEY WON'T TAKE MY MONEY!!
You hear that, Aaron? That headline is directed at you! :-)
When last we left the Livejournal Intertubes I was on the porch of a flat in East Sommerville waiting for Mrs. Lee who never showed up.
I left and went to Savin Hill to give my application to Barbara for 26 Savin Hill. The place is not taken yet, and there are a couple of people look at it. So, I go into the pool.
Barbara and I talked more. She remains cautious about the Twins, which, honestly, is making me nervous.
I then traveled to HQ for a Staff Meeting. Aaron was back from Europe and we talked for a bit. He was saying I had to be more decisive and agressive, that I couldn't wait for the perfect place, but needed to get something. I began to think he was channeling Uncle Mikey. He said I had to be willing to put down a deposit before I got out the door.
I talked to Isaac on the way to Alewife Station. While he agreed with Mikey and Aaron, he did say that being able to give a deposit immediately was just not how things worked. Landlords needed to check things out.
So, I was off to 114 Saxton St, up the road from Barbara's. It was interesting. I saw that the character of the neighborhood somewhat deteriorated as you walked up the street going toward JFK. 114 Saxton St. seems to be exactly at the midpoint between JFK and Savin Hill's T stops.
The building seemed fine, although the building next to it was only semi-fine. The hallway seemed to need a tiny bit of work, but not bad. The flat itself was fine, and would be better after some of the work (repainting) that Maureen would be doing. The place was also big with both a front and a back deck.
We talked a good bit, and trying to take Mikey and Aaron's advice to heart I filled out the application right there in front of her and mentioned that I'd be willing to give her money right then. She said she would want to check some things out first.
"Would it be embarassing if I called your boss?" Maureen asked. "I'd just, you know, confirm that you are working there."
"No. No problem at all. If Arne does say something different, please give me a call cause I'll need to know that myself," I quipped.
Maureen lives on the 3rd floor now, but is moving to another place she's just bought. We talked lease and she mentioned that she had a 30 day cancellation clause (for both parties). After thinking about this for a bit I realized that this was then, effectively a month-to-month lease. More on this later.
==========
I then rushed back to Michigan Ave and Mrs. Lee. Her place seemed nice as well. It includes an actual Washer/Dryer (not just hookups), some basement storage, and is big. Mrs. Lee also lived there, but lives a bit away now. I think we got along together well.
She listed the flat at $1400, but said she'd give it to me for $1350 since I was alone.
This is a "tenant-at-will" situation on a month-by-month lease. There is some indication that Mrs. Lee at one point will be selling the house as condos. This made me nervous thinking, "Oh shit! I could be doing this again in four months?!?" The other part of me was thinking that one of the things that I didn't like about Trottle in Ithaca was that the lease was effectively a 1.5 year lease because she'd start trying to shove next year's lease at you at the midpoint of your current lease. I mean, a 30 day notice might actually be a good thing. I could find a rich boy with his own house who's always wanted to have cats!
Hey! No one can say that I'm not trying to be optimistic! I would like opinions on the month-by-month lease arrangement, though.
Mrs. Lee wants my boss to email her as a reference saying that I was working and that "I was a good person." Yes, I know, we may have to stretch on that last clause. Other than that Mrs. Lee seems informal. I may have Aaron act as my boss for today cause I'm not sure I want to give Arne something else to do.
=======
I have another appointment at 1300 today a couple of blocks away, and found something else this morning that I have to call on. All these are not "near" T stations, per se, so, trying to take Dr. Saladyga's advise (our Archivist) who I believe lives on Winter Hill, I decided not to go back to Sullivan Station last night but caught a bus west down Broadway. Two buses literally came up on top of me so I just got on one, brought out my map, and tried to figure out where I was going. I eventually made it back to Davis Square not horribly. However, I did take a look at the MBTA web site for trip details from Broadway to HQ and not matter what I seemed to do it came out to about an hour: Bus to Davis Square, T to Harvard Square, bus to HQ. Part of me has started to think that Savin Hill may be a bit too far away even if I just have to get on the Red Line, but it seems that virtually every place I want to get to in this megalopolis, no matter where it is, its an hour away.
So, now I'm going to deal with email with regard to what Mrs. Lee wanted for references, then call up about Rush Street now that I just found, and then go into the office until the 1300 appointment on Cross St.
I now have so many possibilities in play I'm beginning to lose track of them. I may sit down and right it down later this morning. |
| Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008 |
sonjaaa
|
6:38p |
|
kinnerc
|
9:18a |
Sullivanl Sq. Waiting For Landlady...
Waiting for landlady. 20 min lare so far.
Neighborhood seems OK, I think, but I now have decided that Savin Hill is simply the best neighborhood I've seen. Depending on how this goes, I think I'm calling Barbara to check in and give her my app.
Simply put, if there are gangs and murderers on Savin Hill then I may need to look into it as a second job cause they can afford to buy in the beest neighborhood I'VE seen.
The Cambridge location is better, but its immediate neighborhood is slightly worse.
25 min late...
=====
Doc from the PADD... |
kinnerc
|
12:02a |
Embarrassment of the Century... From the BBC: Nelson Mandela Taken Off US Terrorist Watch List. No, the dateline on this article isn't 1 July 1991, its 1 July 2008! Almost 18 years after Mr. Mandela defeated the evil in his country and became President and one of the world's most revered leaders the United States decides he's not a terrorist. Eighteen years!! It was blamed on a "glitch" or "oversight." Right. If one of the most revered living world leaders can fall prey to such an oversight, what are the chances that you or I will be able to get off a "terrorist watch list" that we've been mistakenly put on? |
| Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 |
nadyalec
|
8:43p |
Getting things done: Chiropractor’s office 2040
“So how’s your neck this week?” asked Dr Bowler, and he did a quick calculation from the ESMs for the last week.
“Better, over all—I had a lot of vertigo last Saturday though. And my left shoulder started hurting on Tuesday. I don’t know if that’s related.”
“Well, let me take a look.” He hopped on up on the table, and she stood behind him feeling his back and rotating his arms.
“Can you tell what’s happening in my shoulder?”
“There’s something happening with this rib, “ she said. “I don’t know if it’s connected. Go ahead and lie on your belly.”
He lay down and focused on breathing while she moved different body parts, trying to provide the correct level of resistance, or move with her hands, depending on what she was doing. As muscles released and tensions shifted, he remembered that he needed to buy a power adopter for next month’s trip to Egypt, and that he had been meaning to reread the latest novel by Delany.
He didn’t like to create action items at the doctor’s – he preferred to focus on breathing, and the physical sensations — so he just sent them to his inbox to prioritize and schedule later. The visualization he used was butterflies; he imagined butterflies shooting out of his left shoulder and sent the todos on to deal with later. The power adopter was urgent, so he made the butterfly yellow to ensure that he’d look at it the next day.
Dr Bowler’s hands were warm, and small, and very precise. When she had him roll onto his back, he closed his eyes to avoid an intimacy that seemed inappropriate; he was very aware of the ways that her skin touched his. His neck and jaw were itching, now; she did the thing that felt like turning his jaw inside out and scratching it deliciously. For a few moments all he could think about was the way it felt; then he remembered that he needed to email to cancel next weekend's gaming session. He sent that on its way with another butterfly, tagging this one yellow too.
He was dizzy when she was done, and sat up slowly, breathing deeply while she brought his glasses from her desk. “You should have more motion in that shoulder," she said, "But you might feel a bit woozy."
“Yeah, I guess so, “ he said, and they both laughed.
“Let’s try two weeks,” she said.
“Great.” He sent a blue butterfly— his visualization for an appointment— to choose a good date between his calendar and hers, and wobbled out of her office. |
kinnerc
|
10:57p |
A Cambridge Update...
I did call Eloise and told her that I was interested enough in the flat to come down and give her a deposit.
She was not at home when I called so I couldn't go back. She had another person see it tomorrow (Wednesday), and then her family would have to discuss the best option. I told her I was staying around until I found a place, or Sunday. She said that she'd certainly call me back before Sunday. I left her the Skype number to call back on. I wonder, of course, what that means for Savin Hill - by the time I get a "no" decision from Eloise the Savin Hill places will be gone.
This isn't like dating, I realized when I was in South Station tonight - it's like finding a job. Well, I have a job, thank you very much.
========
I tagged along with Nathaniel as he went to South Station to pick up his Amtrack tickets for Europe (no, I'm not sure of the logistical details there). We then walked through the Boston Common ("It's 'Common.' There's no 's' here," sayeth Nathaniel) almost to Copley Square where Nathaniel entered the Green Line and I backtracked for dinner at McDonalds and then the Red Line back to Davis Square.
I set the cell to charging when Nathaniel & I went to South Station. When I got back it was still charging at 1 bar, but when I unplugged it, it registered full deflection. I think this means that I can limp along with the cell, only turning it on when needed at this point.
I have two appointments tomorrow so far both "near" Sullivan Square at 0900 and 1815. Sandwiched between them is a Staff Meeting at 1400. The 0900 appointment is with a landlady that sounds Chinese and the 1815 appointment is with an Investment Properties property. There may be a possibility of seeing the third place on Savin Hill tomorrow evening.
I'm dead tired and my legs hurt. There is part of me that is amazed that its just Tuesday and that Project Barbary Lane has been going on for just 48 hours. It honestly has seemed like far, far longer. It almost seems like a bloody week. |
kinnerc
|
10:50p |
|
kinnerc
|
6:24p |
Cambridge & Davis Square Report
First: the cell phone is dead. :-\
=============
Two appointments today.
A) 8 Alberta Terrace, the Investment Property site, right by Nathaniel and perhaps a 20 minute walk to work.
Gone before I came to the showing.
==============
B) 28 8th St., East Cambridge, 10 min north of MIT, 10 min W of Leachmere and the Galleria Mall.
This is a three bedroom place on two floors - 2nd & 3rd. The 2nd floor has a squarish "Master Bedroom" (read - Library), Main Room, Kitchen, Bathroom. The second floor has two bedrooms (read, Bedroom and Lab) with sloping walls (which is fine for a bedroom).
Hardwood throughout.
Asked about heating from folks moving out. She said, "$140 (gas heat)" during the winter." Both the second floor and the 3rd floor bedrooms have separate heating controls. I'm honestly not sure if I believe her because that seems too good.
$1450/mo. Absolutely no problem with the cats. "We've had six!" First month and 1 month as a security deposit. No application.
My only concern is that I don't know how big the rooms are, per se. This is where my lack of a spatial sense is killing me.
The neighborhood, per se, seems more built up and has an apartment complex across the street so in my mind it wasn't as "nice" as Savin Hill. But then, as I'm walking to the MIT Red Line I'm passing through the Cambridge Central area and I realize I'm in Cambridge!! This would give me a Cambridge address. Call it dumb (it might be), but that had a certain appeal.
=============
Except for the fact that I'm not sure of the size of the rooms. I'm thinking that this is the descending priority list right now.
A) 28 8th St. Cambridge (Eloise's place).
B) 26 Saxton St. (Barbara's place. First place I saw).
C) 24 Playstead Road. (Gjergji's place). Very nice. Just re-done. Beach access. But small.
Kate, our webmaster, mined the Boston Globe for me regarding "Murders in Boston, 2008" and displayed the hits on a Yahoo Map. One, a knifing, occurred just a block east of Barbara's place. It was nice for her to do that, but I'm stuck between, "Oh my God!" to "Yea, but lightning doesn't strike twice, and I lived in a place that had two murders within sight of my apartment and there was nothing wrong."
Part of me is thinking about calling Eloise back and seeing if I can put down a 24 hr deposit on the Cambridge place. |
sonjaaa
|
1:14p |
Montreal hosting?
Any suggestions on a place I could crash or couch-surf in Montreal on the evenings of July 15 to 17? It should be close-ish to downtown and have no cats. |
kinnerc
|
11:40a |
A Telling Exchange...
Scene: This Morning at Nathaniel's while talking to Nathaniel.
Doc: "Wow, I hate this [searching for a flat]. I think it's because I never thought I'd be doing this again."
Nathaniel: "Yea. It's sorta like dating..."
Doc: "Right. Given my history there, you can stop that analogy right now!" :-) |
kinnerc
|
10:10a |
Application Question...
Can't get ahold of the Sullivan Square person again. I caught her in the car wash. She asked me to call back in 10 min & now I just get voicemail.
I'm headed into the office. Before I do so, however - Question!
Handing in a filled out Application puts no contract on anyone, right? I mean at this point I have applications for the two Savin Hill places. I've filled them out, but I've not handed them in. If I hand them in I'm not saying, necessarily, "I'll take the place" but just given them information that they want.
Right?
My issue is that I'm thinking of taking the apps back to Barbara and Gjergji depending on conversations today. The way I'm thinking is that it doesn't bind either party, but does show serious interest in my part.
Please give opinions, my friend, as I get into HQ! Thanks!! |
goulo
|
3:18p |
amuza teĥnika sonĝo Hieraŭ mi ekreinstalis Windows sur unu el niaj komputiloj, kompreneble iom ĝena longa frustra afero. Krome lastatempe ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ghewgill taglibrumis pri el siaj diversaj teĥnikaj aventuroj. Do eble tiu kombinaĵo inspiris amuzan strangan sonĝon dum mi dormis hieraŭ nokte: En la sonĝo, Greg rakontis pri tio, ke li estis en ia granda arbaro kaj devis elektre lumigi iun arbon en la mezo de la arbaro apud iu lago. La arboj iel havis foliojn kaj branĉojn kiuj povus lumi se estus elektro por ili. Do Greg trenis longegan elektran kablon al tiu arbo por konekti ĝin. Ĉiuj arboj efektive havis elektrajn ingojn por kabloj, sed Greg trovis ke lia kablo havis maltaŭgan konektilon, do frustre li devis serĉi adaptilojn. Krome estis ia neklara afero kiu kaŭzis, ke Greg devis dividi la kablon en kelkajn partojn per dividiloj ĉar alie estus tro da elektro por la unu arbo. Do unu teĥnika ĝenaĵo post alia, kaj finfine Greg plendis al mi pri la daŭraj problemoj elektrigi la arbon. Verŝajne mi iom ekkonstatis ke la situacio absurde sonĝecis, ĉar mi subite respondis "Sed kial vi plendas? Viaj arboj en Nov-Zelando eĉ havas elektrajn ingojn kaj povon elektre lumigi, do jam la problemo ege pli facilas por vi ol estus en aliaj landoj!", kaj mi tuj vekiĝis. Yesterday I started reinstalling Windows on one of our old computers, of course a rather irritating long frustrating process. And recently ghewgill blogged about various of his technical adventures. (E.g. this and this.) So maybe this combination inspired an amusing strange dream while I slept last night: In the dream, Greg was telling about how he was in some big forest and had to electrically light up some tree in the middle of the forest by some lake. The trees somehow had leaves and branches that could light up if there'd be electricity for them. So Greg dragged a very long electrical cable to that tree to connect it. All the trees actually had electrical sockets for cables, but Greg found that his cable had the wrong kind of plug, so he frustratedly had to search for an adapter. Plus there was some unclear reason that he had to branch the cable into several parts with splitters since otherwise there'd be too much electricity for one tree. So one technical annoyance after another, and in the end Greg was complaining to me about the continual problems to get electricity to the tree. I seemed to become semi-aware of the absurd dreamness of the situation, because I suddenly replied "But why are you complaining? Your trees in New Zealand even have electrical sockets and the power to light up electrically, so the problem is already a lot easier for you then it would be in other countries!", and I immediately woke up. |
goulo
|
6:44a |
|
| Monday, June 30th, 2008 |
kinnerc
|
10:35p |
Is What "Everybody Knows" Wrong?
So...I'm back from Dorchester. Alive.
Everybody was concerned about this, and I appreciate the concern. Given my track record and inability to read body language or see situations the concern was good.
I don't know.
===========
First things first. Both properties, taken just as themselves, are fine. The space vs price differences are so at a slope of "1" that I find it difficult to choose between the two.
Barbara's place is larger and has better space (no sloping walls) and is $1425/mo. Gjergji's place is smaller (by one room) and has sloping walls so that bookcases could be an issue, maybe. His is $1150.
Gjergji is also within spitting distance of the beach. A real sand beach.
There are winding staircases to Gjergji's which may make getting things up the stairs semi-interesting.
Gjergji has absolutely no problem with the cats. He had two growing up. Barbara has not said "no" to the cats because I think I've made it clear it would be a deal breaker, but she remains nervous of the Twins shredding the walls, I think. She also, I think, just wants one person in the apartment, but didn't say "no" to someone else.
I'm really having a difficult time deciding between the two if I had to.
===============
And now, the neighborhood.
When I first saw Darrowby House three years ago Dennis and I stood in what is now JC & Jen's kitchen and I looked and Dennis and said, "This place has been on the market for six months. What the hell is wrong with it? What are we missing?"
Dennis looked around baffled and said, "I don't know."
That's what I felt like on Savin Hill after everyone's input today (WHICH I APPRECIATED!!!). I got out of Savin Hill Station and started looking around immediately, every sense hightened. I found nothing wrong. I honestly found the homes and the neighborhood seemingly better kept up than what I saw around Porter Square and it could easily give the neighborhood around Darrowby House a run for its money. Might even win!
I mentioned my concerns to both Barbara and Gjergji. Both of them said that Dorchester had a bad reputation, yes, but they hadn't seen it where they are. I met Barbara's third floor tenants. They have a six month old baby which the mother takes for walks in the carriage. When she gets back home, she takes the baby out of the carriage and brings him inside. She then goes out and gets the carriage. It has always been there.
The only evidence of any sort of crime I saw on Barbara's street is that there were more car wheel locks than I've seen before. I think I saw three on all the cars on the street.
(Great bumper sticker on one of the cars: "Frodo Failed! Bush Has the Ring!")
Gjergji said he's heard the same rumors. He has a 23 year old fiance and he wanted to make sure it would be safe for a woman to walk home from the T. They came to the area around 10 times and different times of the day to check before they decided things were fine. And they have been since they've been there.
I spent two hour walking around the neighborhood desperately looking for something wrong. I sat on cement wall for 15 minutes sketching both flat's interiors. I saw couples walking babies in strollers. I saw people walking dogs. People mowing lawns. Kids riding bikes. I sat on a curb filling out applications. No problem. I wanted to find a problem. I went up and asked an old lady on her porch. I asked the clerk at the corner store. No one said to me, "No, I wouldn't live here." Of course, they are living there, so...
I come back to Nathaniel's and saw Nathaniel's roomate, Peter. I mention "Dorchester." The first offhand words out of his mouth - "You'll be shot."
Peter googled the top news stories for Dorchester. The conversation went like this.
"'13 Year Old Girl Fights For Her Life!'," Peter reads.
"Yes," Doc says, "but is that due to cancer or because she was gang raped by five boys aged 6 to 9?"
"I'd lean toward the latter," Peter answers.
I just didn't see any problems, even though I wanted to. Did I find a Green Zone in the middle of Bagdad? How should I know? That's the problem. :-\
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So, meanwhile we're seeing the Investment Properties place by Nathaniel's tomorrow at 1700. The other place I emailed on Savin Hill just got back to me and wants to show the place on Wednesday. I also think that's when the Investment Property place by Sullivan Square is being shown.
And now to look for more! |
kinnerc
|
11:27p |
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sonjaaa
|
4:11p |
Job ad guidelines?
If a job ad has no official posted deadline, what is a good deadline to assume? For example, one week after the post date?
Basically I don't want to go in "stress mode" and assume I must apply right away, but at the same time I don't want to wait too long and risk missing the opportunity! |
kinnerc
|
3:45p |
Investment Properties...
I found the place.
I have no idea who answered the phone at 0800, but I couldn't see or make an appointment to see any of the properties. They old "open houses" at set times where the people who are interested in the property come and take a look at it.
On the surface this seems OK, but I had this vision of this small group of people looking at this apartment all looking at each other & thinking, "I may have to kill all of them..."
So, apparently if you're interested you give them a deposit and fill out an app. If they like the app (and your deposit, I guess), then they give you a lease. First, last, and security deposit.
I really don't like this last month's rent shit. I can just see problems coming up when, during my last month I don't pay the rent and they complain. :-(
What the guy at the counter (Mike) had going for him is that he was totally my type - big, beard, red hair. Unfortunately I think he called me "sir" more in five minutes than I've been called "sir" in five months. While that really rubbed me the wrong way, but whole demeanor of the place made me think that I might only have slam these people with a clue by 4 with regard to customer service, as opposed to Trottle who would have had to be slammed with a clue by 400. Still, I wasn't rushing to sign anything. I do have showing times for two apartments, though.
Now I'm off to Savin. I hope everyone is wrong about it. |
kinnerc
|
1:58p |
"Hi! I'm the Doctor..."
Things are quiet here. I've decided to go down to Investment Properties on Mass. Ave and pin them down on the two listings I've found that I'm interested in. From there, I'll make my way to Savin Hill. |
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