Moving Update

Well, there I was saying nasty things about Time Warner and they go and turn all efficient and helpful on me. Originally, the website said I needed to go down to their office and yadda yadda, but I called them up and they scheduled an install the next day, so hey presto, I've got cable and the internet. Hooray!

Other developments. My old bike was in really bad shape, so it found a new home and I got a new one. Hooray again! I haven't been riding to school in about a year now - ever since I came back from Japan, I guess. Anywhoo, I rode around a bit yesterday and today, and it feels so good to be riding again. I live a ways away from school, but one of my friends bikes in every day from about the same area, so I might give it a shot, too.

That's because I'm teaching summer school, starting tomorrow. I'm always a bit nervous before a new class, but I've already taught this particular class two times here, so hopefully it'll go well.

Oh, I promised photos of the new pad, so here we go with a couple pre-move in shots:

Living room:


















Kitchen:

There is a Point, but It's at the Very End

There's something really frustrating about begging for the opportunity to spend money. I listen to a podcast called Buzz Out Loud, and one of the hosts is always talking about how this is working with electronic media and internet services.

Examples - I needed a piece of software, but it's published elsewhere in the world and not sold on our shores. It's a really common program, but the only way to buy it is either to pay some random person on eBay for a most assuredly pirated copy, pirate a copy myself, or - oh holy of holies - the company's website has a pay for download service. But, it only works if you use a bank card from the country of origin. No international cards are allowed. I wonder if they ever considered that if I their customers had such a card, They might probably be living there and wouldn't need to buy online. Here, I want to give you my money. I want you to have my money. Please please pretty please let me give you my money. I want to make sure you are compensated for the good work you have done, and you are making it very difficult.

I really liked that Chelsea Dagger song and one or two of the others on that album. Pretty fun, but I don't buy DRMed music anymore. I'm not sure I want the whole CD though. Picky picky, I know. (Insert old codger here saying, "In my day, you couldn't even listen to the music beforehand. You bought your stack of victrolla records, and you listened to them all, and you liked it! Uphill! Both ways!) Anyway, I've been checking Amazon every month or so since it was popular (on an iTunes commercial? Maybe I should reinstall iTunes and check there. They do DRM-free now, too, right?) to see when it'll be available for download. Nope. Still not there. It would be really easy to get a pirated copy, but I really do want them to have my money. Really. Please let me pay you!

So, the point of all this is that I've been worried all weekend about whether or not I would be so graced by the credit score gods and the whims of the management company that I might be selected for the great honor and privilidge of paying an metric dumpster-load of cash every month to live in their apartment. There's a little more reason behind this, I know. Buying a CD ain't exactly the same as signing a contract to pay all that money every month for a year.

Still, I got the apartment. I sign the lease tomorrow. I'll get some pictures for you guys.

Anyone want to help me move? :)

Wherever I Hang My Hat

So between apartment #1 and apartment #2, I put in an application on apartment #3. Actually, it's about apartment #12, if you go by how many I looked through. The one I put in for is pretty nice. It's a little bigger than I probably need, but one I get all my books and crap in there, it might seem small. It's in a good location for buses, but slightly bad for noise (window toward big street). Another lesson learned was that, like refrigerators, A/C units are as rare as well-written final papers. This unit has a refrigerator, but no A/C. We'll see how that goes if I can get the place.

So anyway, that's that for now. Oh, and since I deferred a couple of months ago, yesterday I got a new jury summons.

A Swing and a Miss

Well the one I wanted got rented yesterday while I went hunting proof of my salary. Feh. Looks like I get to start over again.

You're Packed, Right?

Things you may have missed while I've been incommunicado:

• I was hired to teach this summer -yeah!
• They gave us raises for the summer session - yeah!
• Because of the raise, the class size has been doubled - Boo!
• That '2 years' that the university said that I could stay in the University housing? Yeah, well, they meant 2 academic years, not two calendar years. So, they just sent me an email reminding me that I need to be out of the apartment by the end of the month, thanks. Boo!
• So, um. That means I need to find an apartment and move in the next couple of weeks. I guess the pressure will at least get me off my lazy tukus, right? Boo?
• I spent all day today looking for apartments and hunting down managers to open doors. Don’t they want me to look at their apartments? Boo!

• Things I’ve learned today:

• There’s no way I can afford to live in a place anywhere near as nice as the place I live now. I’m going to have to live much further away and pay a whole lot more for a much worse place. Everyone I’ve talked to has told me this, but I really didn’t want to believe. Boo.
• Apartments don’t come with refrigerators anymore. Really? When did this happen? I’ve got to rent a regrigerator now? Boo?
• When they say that they want proof I make three times the monthly rent in salary, it’s hard to explain to management companies where my money comes from exactly: “Well, there’s a little bit from a fellowship, then I’ve got a TAing job, and of course, that pays my tuition, so that’s money, but I don’t see any of it because it goes directly to the university. And of course that varies from term to term, and it’ll be completely different over the summer. Then there’s those side jobs that I do, right? Um. A paycheck stub? Errr… Let me get back to you on that one.”

• After today, there are two possibilities:

• Apartment #1

• Closer to grocery stores and on several big bus lines
• Cheap(er): about the same as what I’m paying now for about half the space.
• Small – basically a studio with a kind of attached kitchenette thing, oh, and a miniature shower/bath seemingly made for a chihuahua.
• Lots of shelves and cabinets
• Old, partially refurbished
• No A/C (very bad for me, as my sweat point is about 77 degrees)

• Apartment #2

• Slightly far away from most major bus lines, but on one good line that goes directly to campus
• Very Pricey – more than I planned of spending, but still doable
• Good size, kitchen, main room and a bedroom
• Really gorgeous view out of the main window.
• A/C, dishwasher, laundry room
• Newer, more refurbished
• Nicer building, keypad lock enterance thingie.

I guess it’s clear which one I like better. I’ve got a couple more places I’m going to look at tomorrow, but I think if they’ll accept my application, I’ll take #2 and try to cut back of other things. Thank goodness I don’t have a car.

Good Chump/Good Samaritan

We, like most schools, I imagine, rely on the skills of overseas students for some of out TA slots. I think we're been pretty lucky in getting some real winners from our department and some stolen from other departments. However, we've got one now who... well, let's say he's not terribly popular amongst the students. That's a charitable thing to say. His accent is heavy, but that's not a big problem. He's just a really awkward person. He really has had a very hard time trying to figure out what US students and the atmosphere in a US class are like.

He's also had about the worst first couple of months in country as possible. One of the least catastrophic things involved basically the destruction of the apartment where he lived. As with most campus areas, there just aren't many options after school starts. Eventually, with the help of who knows what kind of dark mojo, the collective found him a place where he can move in. on the 5th. 5 days after he has to leave the hotel where his ex-landlord put him up.

three guesses on whose couch he'll be sleeping until then?

It's been suggested that I can take this as an opportunity to talk to him about TAing.

Have I mentioned that I don't like people?

This will be an interesting week.