Oh. My. God.
Sometimes I am impetuous. When I buy something big or decide on a life change, it tends to happen RIGHT NOW.
For the last week or so, I have been feeling like moving.
Understand that I never feel like moving. I hate moving. I abhor moving. Moving stresses me out until I break down sobbing, my forehead resting on the cardboard box, and that’s just when I pack my books. So this feeling that I’ve been having, lying in bed thinking about new, unfilled cupboards, has been unnerving.
Then yesterday I received an email from my landlord. Seems that the guys who live upstairs have found a new complaint. They think they are paying too much for heating, and that we should share the bill. I think not. I pay my gas/electric bill separately, and have my own meter/breaker. And this is the straw that’s flipping said breaker. Four girls live downstairs in this big old house, in three apartments. Four guys live upstairs, in a big communal four bedroom, one kitchen set-up. We girls are awesome. We’re kind and helpful and respectful. The boys are awful. One is a DJ-mixer and mixes thumping rap until all hours. They stomp above me and crank the bass until my windows rattle. The block the driveway on a daily basis. And now they’re asking for money for THEIR utilities? When I got home yesterday at 5pm and found the email, I decided to start looking. I’d just see what was out there before I responded back to my landlord.
I went to Craigslist and found several listings that seemed all right. I called one. He seemed nice, and said he could meet me there in half an hour.
Now, get this: It’s less than a mile from my present apartment. It’s still in the wondeful walkable area of Rockridge/Temescal that I love. It’s really close to BART. Cats are welcome. It’s easily two and a half times the size of my present place. Hardwood flooring in the long (yellow!) living room area. A private fenced back yard. A sliding glass door. Green yards and trees on all sides of the place. Only one shared wall, next to a single man who is reputedly never home. It’s only a three unit single-level building, with a new washer/dryer. The owner is a contractor and architect who said I could paint the walls any color I wanted. There’s a walk-in closet in the bedroom. There will never be anyone thumping and clunking above me. He said I could have the place. We’re meeting today to sign the lease. I’m freaking OUT. But in a good way.
Hey. There’s room for a kitchen table. In all my grown-up life, I’ve never had room for a table (no, Mom, the card table didn’t count). I’ve never lived in a place in which I could have more than two people visiting comfortably at the same time. Two is pushing it right now in my present apartment. You can’t all stand up at once or claustrophobia sets in.
And it’s only $150 more than I’m paying now. Tony never raised my rent (what with the ants and the awful boys, how could he?) so that’s right where inflation would normally have placed me, anyway. I can handle it.
And because this isn’t a forced move, it’s more exciting than terrifying. I want a yarn area. I want to paint words on the walls. (But how do I choose which words?) I want to paint one wall red. I want a writing area. I need bookcases. I worry about how to keep Digit safe in his new yard (big scary German Shepard next door). I wonder how to make a bigger place as cozy as my present place is.
I want to have a dinner party. A real dinner party at a real table.
I find my sentences in this entry are short. Choppy. I have so much to think about. Me? Moving? By choice? I am astonished at what has happened in so short a time.
Stay tuned for further. Yow.
And Greta arrives tonight. I took tomorrow off to PLAY! I absolutely canNOT wait.
(Oh, sign my new guestmap, wouldja? I love to see where all y’all are….) —->
The guest map is too fun! Hadn’t seen such a thing before. Moving… that is so exciting! I am also impetuous…once I decide to do something, I have to do it RIGHT NOW or go crazy! 😉
I wanna come to that dinner party and sit at that table! Yea! This is so exciting and it just sounds PERFECT and meant to be. And speaking of impetuous, I just saw Em’s Silk Garden and ordered my own ~ Have FUN with Greta! O to be there too . . .
Oh. my. That sounds perfect. Perfectly perfect. And for totally self-serving reasons, I am glad it’s near BART. Because I plan to escape next time we are visiting the in-laws… Rockridge…sigh. Yay!
Congrats!! I hate moving too. In fact, I’ve told my kids I refuse to do it again (since we own where we are it’s pretty easy to say!) And the idea of moving all the beasties is just too scary to even think about. Enjoy your new place!!!
COOL! It sounds great! About Digit – you could always make it a reason to go next door and meet your new neighbor and ask about the dog’s disposition. Could be the dog is a cream puff…maybe. I have a bump out/bay window thingie in my living room and painted it brick red – a bit of intense color is great; go for it. I’m kinda in the same spot – my buddies and I were planning a great mondo deck party for the sping yesterday in my “new” house. You’re going to love it!
We are in the same boat! I’m moving at the end of the month and going a little crazy, but it will be SO worth it once it’s over. We, too, have never had room for a table so I understand how exciting that prospect is! 🙂 Best of luck!
Excitement and fun! Sounds like moving is a great plan Rach! And I’m with Maggi, I want to come to that dinner party.
I am so envious that you and Greta are hanging out. I’d gladly switch places with either of you for the chance to meet the other. You HAVE to take pics!
Have tons of fun and then tell us all about it!
Your new place is going to be fantastic, and it sounds like such a good deal. And painting! Everyone is painting! So when do you move? When’s the dinner party?
You MUST give Greta the most enormous hug from me. Promise?
Gosh, that sounds wonderful!!! Go ahead and hate the moving process, you’ll love the new place all the more.
Whew! Things sure do happen fast around here. Knitting! Dating! Moving! It’s more than a slowpoke like me can take. Are you going to have any problem with your current lease?
Your new place sounds FANTASTIC and so ideal!!! This time, you will NOT sob and bash your head against carboard boxes, ya hear? If you need help moving, just holler …
OH, I forgot to say HAVE FUN WITH GRETA!!! She needs Peet’s coffee, you know.
How exciting, congratulations on escaping the noise! Your new place sounds wonderful, I hope you enjoy the moving part more this time. 🙂
I absolutely hate moving. Luckily, the last 3 moves have been work-related and we have been packed. Love that! Except for the broken stuff. Your new apartment sounds lovely. My mom always told us to butter our cats paw so they wouldn’t get lost when we moved. Crazy old lady.
The physical process of moving is the pits and I absolutely abhor it but when you finally do it and look around at your new abode, it will all be worth it. Plus for it to be the first one you looked at and so perfect….it was fate my dear.
Sounds like a good place to move to. I think Digit will figure out pretty soon where it’s safe to be in the yard. Yeah, moving is always stressful but just think – yard, trees, 2.5 times bigger – cats will be happier, YOU will be happier. Hey – holler if you need help with the move. I live in Oakland and have been enjoying your blog for a while. I’d like to give back a little, if I may.
Let me know if you need a caterer or flowers for your dinner party! I work for yarn! hee!
Congratulations on finding what sounds like a perfect new place!
Please give Greta a big hug from up her blog-fan here in the North Bay!
Yea for moving into a new place! While the act of moving usually isn’t fun, you’ll be so happy in your new wonderful place!
Congrats! And just think a special yarn place!
Wow. Big. News. I do remember the scary panicked “Oh no what have I gotten myself into feeling” from when I moved apartments a lot. So what was your landlord thinking? That he was goign to make you split the bill with the boys? That doens’t make any sense at all, and would probably be illegal given the fact that you have your own meter and all. The nerve!
You found a new apartment less than a mile away?!? It’s kismet! Have fun moving. *groan*
How exciting for you!! The new apartments sounds fantastic. Is there another opening for me?
Oh, the new place sounds FANTASTIC! I love it when things just fall into place like that. When Em and I get done painting my place, maybe we can hop a plane to paint yours (oh how I wish we actually could!)
Woohoo!
Ahh, hardwood floors and MORE space, you sold me right there.. When is the party?? 😉
Congrats on finding a new place so quickly. It sounds great. How are your cats with roaming? Have they moved short distances before? I’m wondering if you’ll have to keep them in for a month, or whatever it is, to reset thier “compass” for where home is.
How wonderfully exciting!! Choppy sentences make perfect sense. Too much going on to have room to expand thoughts. Sounds like a wonderful thing is happening to you -enjoy!
The new place sounds wonderful! Bigger! Yard! No one thumping upstairs! I’m so excited for you, Rach. Are you moving at the end of the month? I love that you want to have a dinner party. I’m like that, too — I want to live in a nice place where I can entertain!
I don’t like to move either, but I often fantasize about moving when it seems an easier alternative to cleaning my house.
Tell Greta hi! I’m very envious of all you California Girls being able to get together.
Oh yeah! Your new place sounds really really cool!
Impetuous just means you don’t have to spend time worrying about something you’re going to do anyway. Congrats! As for Digit, I would be less worried about a dog than another cat, actually – cats are usually pretty good at not being around when there’s something as scary as a big dog menacing them. And they’re way faster than dogs. Have fun!
Oh, exciting! It’s so true that moving can be stressful (and I am saying that as I face the very real likelihood of moving in the next three months), but it is made so much better when it involves moving into a new home that is perfect! I wasn’t able to post a pin on your guest map for some reason, so thought I would just say hi from here…I am writing from Chicago, and would be be waving to you along with everybody else if I was only able to get a little person on that map!
Exciting news, Rachel! The place sounds perfect, it must be Kismet!!
You’ll be in and cozying up the place before you know it – stress not, my dear!
Wow! Excitement galore! Good luck with the move. When you start getting down just imagine the words you could paint on the walls of your old place.
How awesome Rachael! Now you’ve got me all excited for you. Can I come to your dinner party? For sure, I want to see pics of the new digs.