Tales of Interest

I've got an apartment!

OK, so more correctly I will have a different apartment than my current apartment come July.

The search for upgraded (non-suburban, non-terrible neighbors) living has been not so long, not so hard, and incredibly fortuitous, and it ended today with me writing an $1100 check to some dude just to make sure he doesn't show that apartment to ANYONE else because I love it so hard that I just couldn't bear to see it end up with anyone else. It's in the neighborhood I want to live in. It has beautiful hardwood floors. I can walk to places that AREN'T the Mall of America to do my shopping/adventuring. (This latter point should please those of you who might still be bothering to read my blog after all my non-posting and non-excitement of the last 3 months.)

There is a dilemma, however. There's ALWAYS a dilemma.

Just two days ago I looked at an apartment that I loved *almost* as much in a neighborhood that I love *almost* as much, that was $250 a month cheaper and 3 blocks from the apartment a friend of mine just rented. I very much liked the landlords and I very much liked the apartment itself, but...........it had the WORST. KITCHEN. EVER. Now, I don't often make claims about things being the worst thing ever (hahahahaha that's the biggest lie ever), but this kitchen seriously had NO dishwasher, NO garbage disposal, an institutional freestanding sink that looked like it came straight out of a catholic orphanage, about a bajillion cabinets (80% of which were too high for me to reach without climbing on a stool), the original (unhooked) icebox that was now acting as a pantry, and approximately 1 square foot of counter space. I wish I were kidding. The solution that the property managers came up with was, "well some people just buy some shelving and a stand-alone counter from IKEA and just put it in this (miniscule) corner". All well and good, except that I'm the champion of small kitchen appliances and more and more are rolling into my possession every day. I'm also far far too lazy to take out said appliance from a cabinet and then subsequently put it away just to use it. The kitchen was NOT going to work for me. AND.....the hallways smelled weird. There is NO good way to tactfully ask a property manager what the smell is in the hallway, why it smells like that, and if it ever goes away.

But, I feel bad. Because I told them I was in the 90% range on wanting to rent their apartment. And I was. But I'm in the OMFG this is the greatest apartment ever range for the one I looked at today.

Tomorrow........awkward phone call.........