Category Archives: apartment

Furniture Followed by Randomness

Last Saturday I went furniture shopping. I didn’t post about it because it was the most uneventful thing ever. I vaguely alluded to “errands,” and that sort of encompassed all of my activities outside of social outings. It is really hard to go furniture shopping when your apartment isn’t ready yet. Even though I took picture for reference, I realized they don’t actually help. It gave me an idea, but I didn’t think to measure, so the pictures were in reality not very useful.

Also you have to realize I have only seen this apartment twice, and both times for roughly twenty minutes. So it’s not like I have some sort of coherent mental image I can’t work off of.

Secondly, what do I do with the furniture? I *could* have it delivered here, or to my mom’s house, and store it until moving day, at which point I will have to hire movers to take it to the new place, or I can wait and get it once I am moving in. Not only does this add multiple steps to the moving process, it also makes it more expensive. As of right now I don’t need movers since I am taking almost no furniture. Unless you count the numerous shoe boxes, in which case I will need an entire army.

I have made arrangements tomorrow to go back for measurements. While I am down there I will also take some time walking around and really seeing what is in the vicinity. I mean, I know the area *a bit,* but that applies more to the general area as opposed to the specifics of where I will be living. Knowing me I will get lost down my own street.

At least everything I plan on doing tomorrow is within walking distance. I tend to get less lost that way. Driving always messes me up.

At least I will be close to UCLA on the off chance they actually accept me to their grad program. In fact, I should put that in my letter of intent. While my grades and test scores are very good, and their medieval program is extensively well developed, especially in my particular area of interest, they should admit me by virtue of my proximity. No?

I think this will be a perfect exercise in rhetoric, specifically persuasion, and I will practice my skills by convincing the admissions committee that since I recently moved, and it so happens to be not terribly far from them, they should highly consider my admittance based on the probability of fate. Had I not been destined to attend their institution, I would not have found my apartment.

I didn’t major in Rhet Comp.

Can you tell?

I know, I know, worst argument ever, and you don’t need to tell me I best keep it to myself. In fact, with my luck I will probably be accepted to UCSB which was far closer to my house than my apartment. That is how fate screws with you.

Also, two people mistook what I said to mean that I will live within walking distance of UCLA. No. Even with my crazy ideas of what “walking distance” means, I will still not be able to comfortably walk to UCLA. Can it be done? Sure. Will I, or anyone else do it? No.

Unless, of course, I decide to take in a roommate who also happens to be a Nigerian marathon runner.

And how sad would that be? Not only will I (probably) not be accepted to UCLA since they will find my persuasive argument tacky and perhaps questionable, but then there would a Nigerian marathon runner in my apartment who I could never keep up with, practically running laps around the campus just to taunt me. This is why I can never have roommates.

Well, *that,* and like eighty thousand other reasons.

But mainly because I say things like that. I mean, if you just met someone and they started talking to you about Nigerian marathon runners at UCLA, would *you* want to live with them? Exactly.

Also, I am not a big fan of strangers in my house (for prolonged periods of time). And that is what roommates are. Strangers that you kind of, sort of know, but not really, and they are there… all the time.

Anyway, I meant to blog about furniture. I had all sorts of fun things to tell you, and somehow this went from whimsical decorating piece to…. whatever it is now.

In conclusion (not that there was ever a beginning or middle), I will one day have furniture. I strongly believe this.

 

New Place

I have an apartment! Granted I initially (naively) thought I would have moved by now, not realizing how much more complicated a move would be than in the past. A lot of different things had to happen, that I have been feverishly working on. When I first started my search I had found several places I would have gladly moved into, but unfortunately I was not in the position to do that yet. Today I signed the contract.

I took pictures, but for my own reference. I have seen so many apartments I was afraid I would forget what this one looked like before I made it to the end of the block. There are still people living there until the end of the month, so I feel weird posting pictures of someone else’s apartment with all of their stuff.

I also inadvertently saved them a lot of money. The woman painted some of the walls in accent colors, and now they were going to lose their deposit for it. I said it was sad to hear that, and asked if the management could perhaps not repaint the place since it is in good condition, and I really like the colors. Turns out since I requested that, they get their deposit back, the management doesn’t have to paint, and I get pretty walls. Everyone wins!

I will be moving shortly before midterms, and then the following week I will be going to Portland for five days for my conference, giving me very little time to get settled in. Between taking care of my kids, going to work, grading, putting things away, going out of town, more grading, and exploring my new neighborhood, October is going to be a very busy month.

Speaking of which, there are like 5000 coffee and pastry shops not far from my new place. I am currently planning on spending the week of October 14th in a self inflicted caffeine and sugar coma. I am penciling it in right now.

As much as I wish I could move tomorrow, I think it is for the best it took a little longer. Far too many things have happened in too short a time and I have been running around insanely putting it all together. And I am tired.

Besides, I can’t move tomorrow, I will be in Solvang.

And It Continues

I saw almost a dozen apartments today. I am exhausted, but I think I have narrowed it down to a top three. At least for now. Unfortunately one of the problems I am having is keeping them straight in my head. I can’t remember which one had the counter top I liked, and which one had the walk-in closet. Which one had the balcony? Notes would have been good.

I was originally planning on a three bedroom. But since I am now going to be paying rent and a mortgage, I will have to settle for a two bedroom. And seeing how convoluted everything is right now, I am not foreseeing any changes in the immediate future.

Out of the two bedrooms I have seen, several met the majority of my needs. For those of you who suggested I get the kids involved in this decision, although that sounds like a lovely idea, I don’t think a two and three year old are to be entrusted with choosing our living situation. Besides, they are both very easily amused.

Option 1:

2 Bedrooms. 1.5 Baths. Brentwood.

I love the area. As for the apartment, the kitchen is spacious with tons of counter space, comes with new appliances, and has a nice little nook for dining.

I am not a fan of the 1.5 baths situation. Since the kids won’t each get a room I figured it would be best if they got the master bedroom. There are two of them, they come with many things, and they spend far more time in their room than I do. Actually, I spend almost no time in the bedroom – other than sleeping and getting ready in the morning I hardly ever go in there. I assumed that they would get their own bathroom that comes with the master, and I would take the hall bathroom. In this case, the hall bathroom does’t have a shower or bathtub. That is a problem.

The apartment comes with lots of storage space, which is always a plus.

Option 2:

2 Bedrooms. 2 Baths. Santa Monica.

I love the area. The apartment is a great size, and the hall bathroom has a shower stall.

The kitchen is a decent size. This one doesn’t have quite as much counter space as the one above, but the counters are nicer.

Also, this one comes with a washer and dryer in unit, which is pretty convenient.

There is a little gym downstairs, which would mean I would no longer have to run around in the streets before dawn. But then again I would be minutes away from the beach… so…

Right now I am completely enamored by the fact that the apartment is only a few blocks from Third Street. But I am not so sure living this close to a giant tourist attraction will bode well in the long run. The view, however, is amazing.

Option 3:

2 Bedrooms. 2 Baths. Sherman Oaks.

This apartment is by far the largest of the ones I have mentioned. The bedrooms are visibly bigger, as well as the kitchen. It also has a balcony (and I love balconies).

It has two full baths, and I think this one also had a walk-in closet which is nice.

This apartment is also closer to where I will be heading every day. However, both the Brentwood and Santa Monica apartments aren’t too far from UCLA, and I used to make that commute from and into the valley every day for years, so I am not unfamiliar with the route.

Rent wise, all of these apartments are comparable in price, so that is not a deciding factor.

This is the first time I have gone into apartment hunting with a clear idea of what I want. You would think that would make thing easier, but actually it complicates matters. I am a lot more picky, and more stubborn about settling. I know I am not going to find the “perfect” place, but I am unfortunately more hesitant to compromise on certain features.

But I need to make a decision soon.