Time Flies

Day: 345
High Temp: 93F

Good lord, where did the last two weeks go!? I was shocked to see that I haven't posted anything since July 12.  Part of this time lapse can surely be accounted for by the fact that Tom was out of town all last week. This meant not only did I have to (once again this month) play single mom to Homer, but I spent much of my free time running errands, packing and cleaning, all in preparation for our move next weekend.

It seems like yesterday that Tom and I got the good news from our friends Zach and Adrienne that they would be moving here at the end of the summer. Guess what, they get here NEXT weekend! And, I am getting married in two months.  Forget the last two weeks, where the heck did my 17 month engagement go?

So here is the deal, Tom and I are leaping our way closer to that year-anniversary mark, and despite time flying, I have had the opportunity (and inspiration) to think about where I am at, where I was a year ago, and all the excitement to come this year. It has been a really rough year in a lot of ways.  There was the 4 month stint of unemployment, the constant anxiety about my inability to make adult friends here, my frustrations with my living situation and just the general sense of feeling on the outside of life, while everyone else around me seem to be living in it.

I have already told you how excited I am to be moving into a real house (with a yard, no one above me, vegetable garden, etc!!!) With this exciting event impending, I have made up my mind about one thing: I will embrace Texas for all that it is, the good and the bad.

Today, I say, NO MORE moping.  I am going to embrace this change of living situation as an opportunity for an attitude adjustment. When my job is boring me to tears, I will just remind myself of the anxiety of having to pay rent several months into unemployment.  When I start to feel like a looser for my lack of friends in Texas, I will remember how much better it can be to have one close friend you can talk about anything with than many acquaintances you can't really relate to. When I am missing the snow of the midwest, I will just think of how lucky I am to not have to walk my dog in January wearing a sleeping bag coat, galoshes, mittens a stocking cap AND earmuffs. Missing those fall leaves?  Well, there is lettuce in the garden, and broccoli, and it's November!

Tom and I are getting married in two months, and just 3 months after that I turn thirty.  I have spent the last year of my life feeling sorry for myself and I am tired of it. I wished away this last year, anxious to get to the wedding, to get the heck out of the lame apartment and to be at a place where I just feel settled.  I am now realizing that settled is just as much a state of mind as it is time gone by. I am there, or at least I will try my hardest to be.

I saw a bumper sticker in the Hobby Lobby parking lot on Saturday that said, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as quick as I could!" And I just thought to myself, no matter how positive I am going to be about this whole Texas thing, I am not sure I will every be that person. I am just hoping for, "I wasn't born in Texas, but I live here now and that's not so bad!"

The Mint House

Day: 331
High Temp: 91F

Is it possible that come August 1, Tom and I will be living the Austin dream? Tom just got a phone call from Mrs. Maylene Bird who told him that she and her husband would like us to rent their too-cute-for-words, mint green 2 bedroom house in the Hyde Park/North Loop neighborhood!  I am going to pick up the lease tonight after work. I am so happy, and so relieved that I am near tears right now.

So, what does this mean?  Well, there are a lot of unknowns. We have never rented a house before, but I do know there are a lot of things to look forward to and be grateful for. For instance:

-We have just 3 more weekends in our current, little apartment! And because we are going out of town this weekend, that means just two more weekends of the drunk, douche-bag neighbors waking us up in the middle of the night! Also, did I mention no one above us? No one below us! No shared walls with anyone!

-Homer will have a yard!  A nice, fenced-in yard to run around, play fetch and chase bugs in!

-We will have a guest room! We have already had five sets of out-of-town visitors since February (how amazing is that?) Now, Tom and I will be able to offer our guests their own space, instead of our aerobed put up in the living room.

-I won't have to leave the comfort of my home to do laundry!!! There is a little utility closet just off the  living room, and it is equipped with a washer and dryer that come with the place! I have not experienced such a luxury since moving out of my parents home 11 years ago.

-I will have dinner parties!  The kitchen in this house is HUGE, and our dining room table will fit so nicely underneath the adorable little vintage chandelier in there.

-I will have a garden! The house is on one half of a double lot.  The owners have a garage/storage building on the back of the other lot, and there is also a raised bed garden. The other lot has it's own fence, but the owners said we can use the garden if we want. That means veggies for us on the other side of the fence from Homer! Did I mention that the other lot also has a fig tree on it? Jam!!!

-Austin Charm! This place is one of a kind, for sure.  It was originally two tiny houses that someone in the 1950's moved to this lot and put together as one.  The whole outside was re-done, so it looks cohesive, but the interior still has tons of vintage touches from the original houses. Aside from the chandelier mentioned above, the bathroom has an original claw-foot tub, and the whole house has original hardwood floors, nicely refinished. Did I mention the blue cabinets in kitchen and the glass door knobs?

-We will live in a great, safe, neighborhood that puts us even closer to campus than we were before. We are also within a 5 minute walk of: Flight Path Coffee, Foreign & Domestic, The Parlor and a trio of beloved vintage shops: Room Service, Blue Velvet and Hog Wild. And we are within a 5 minute bike ride to the heart of Hyde Park, and a few more great restaurants: Mother's Cafe and Garden, Julio's Cafe and Quack's Bakery!

When Tom and I were planning our move to Austin last summer, we had dreams of renting an affordable house with a yard. Those dreams were soon dashed by a few leasing agents, bad timing and our own lack of understanding of how Austin "works." This year, although we were learning as we went, we were determined to find what so many of our friends here have... A nice little house.  I personally think we got even more than we expected, and I am excited to sign the lease, and start making plans to move. And now, I am just curious about when y'all are coming down to visit!

Searching

Day: 305
High Temp: 93F

You all may have noticed that the day counter is ticking slowly up towards the magical 365 day mark.  Our one year anniversary in Texas is nearing, and beyond being a sentimental anniversary, it also means that Tom and I will soon, blessedly, be released from our current apartment lease!

We are early in our search (having seen only 3 places so far) but last night, we had an experience that took my confidence in finding a nice, affordable place down several notches. Most of you who read this blog have gone through the dual excitement/headache of finding a new place to live, but what Tom and I went through last night should win top honors for the worst apartment hunting experience ever...

We responded to a Craigslist ad for a small bungalow situated in the heart of one of Austin's best urban neighborhoods, Hyde Park. This little place had a great price, and while it didn't promise a lot of room, it was just two blocks from a locally owned grocery store, a great bakery, and several popular restaurants. We got there, and it was surprisingly run down.  Huge holes in most of the window screens were apparent before we even stepped foot inside. Once inside, we saw it was vacant, but the previous renter's trash and other unwanted items were still in the house. It certainly had not been cleaned, and generally it did not appear to have been "made ready" to go back on the rental market. Given the fact that it was vacant, this seemed like a red flag warning me of poor management.

It certainly was not the charming, cozy bungalow the Craigslist ad had been promised, but matters got worse when after just a few minutes of looking around the rental agent said "oh my god!" and started slapping at his ankles.  It was right around this time that I felt a sharp sting on my own leg, and looked down to see dozens of FLEAS swarming my ankles. I ran to the kitchen sink (which was filled with cleaning supplies and trash) and turned on the water which I proceeded to splash on my legs and feet, trying to rinse the little devils away.  Grabbing a stray roll of paper towels, we quickly exited the place to continue our frantic slapping outside.  I was horrified.

The rental agent could not have been more apologetic or embarrassed, but I was incredibly angry that they had agreed to show the property without first confirming that it was in livable condition.  Not only did it waste our time, but I walked away with no less than a dozen red, swollen welts from the bites.

Horrible right? I am just hoping that this awful experience gains us a little positive house-hunting karma, and that we will soon find the perfect house at just the right price.

Camping

Day: 234
High Temp: 81F

We have, again, been having problems with our apartment. About 2 months ago new neighbors moved in next door. They are bachelors, and total douche-bags. I hate them. For the first few weeks, they were fine. However, in the past few weeks the have started to act like total assholes. They go out to the bars every Friday and Saturday night. When the bars close, they come home, and hang out on their back deck, making a ton of noise which wakes us up. I am talking 3 or 4am, laughing, incoherent ramblings and event the perplexing occasional appearance of ESPN radio. You know, sometimes Tom and I go out too, and nothing is worse than coming home, getting into bed, falling asleep only to be awoken an half-hour later.

(Okay, now I know you are all thinking, what does this rant have to do with camping? Bear with my while I suss out the finer points of my indignation, and we will get to the camping, promise!)

We have asked nicely, and we have complained. Our (nice) neighbors have complained too. We all call the security team for the complex, or we call APD. Then we wait until they show up, and eventually it gets quiet and we can go back to sleep. So far, the (asshole) neighbors just don't give a crap that they are waking everyone else up on that side of the building. The office management says they give them lease violations each time a complaint is registered, but no one is really sure what happens after that. Do they get kicked out after a certain number of violations? Have to pay fines? No idea. All I know is the us other 8 apartments on that side of the building and are good members of the community, who pay our rent each month. And for that, we are now subjected to this ridiculousness.

It makes me so sad. Since Tom and I moved over to this new building in October, we have been pretty happy. I guess I should have known a tolerable living situation in this complex was too good to last.

So, instead of waiting around this weekend to be rudely awoken again in the middle of the night, we are going camping. We are packing up our stuff (including a new, bigger tent that Tom and I bought right before leaving Chicago), and getting the heck out of town.  It's bluebonnet season here in the Hill Country, and besides that the weather is supposed to be glorious this weekend. Highs in the upper 70s, with lows down into the 50s. Perfect campfire weather.

It will be Homer's first camping trip, which is exciting. He is a little bit of a scaredy dog, but he loves being outside (even in the rain) and loves to eat bugs and meet new people, so I think he will like it.  The only things I am worried about are the fabled critters of Texas.  While I would be amused by a somewhat far-off sighting of an armadillo (I've never seen one) or even a scorpion, I am terrified of encountering a tarantula. Please god, keep the mutant spiders at bay.

Stay tuned to hear how the adventure turns out!

What is really going on?

Day: 37
High Temp: 95F feels like 101F (seriously, it is the first day of fall for pete's sake!)
Job Status: Unemployed, participating in market research study tomorrow
Jobs Applied To: 4

Okay, so this is the blog I have been trying to avoid writing. But, in doing so, it has slowed down my ablity to blog about anything else. Trust me, I have dozens of hillarious blogs floating about my mind, like the how horrible it is to drive in Austin, or the many mispronounced Spanish words in a state so close to Mexico, or the crazy antics of the now almost-completely-potty-trained Homer and so forth, but I gotta get this off my chest before any of those will come out. So here goes.

This is the hardest thing I have ever done. EVER. Being here, in Austin, is so hard. It is mentally and emotionally draining, and every day really does seem like an eternity. There are a few reasons it has been so hard.

1. The only friends or family within a thousand miles, are Tom and Homer. I love those two guys more than anything, but it puts a lot of pressure on a relationship when it is the only one you have. And, the other truth is that Homer and Tom would be just as fun and entertaining anywhere else on earth. It's not something special to Texas. Also, Tom has a lot of work to do, even when he is home, and Homer sleeps most of the day, and also doesnt speak English, so that's hard.

2. Another aspect that makes this hard is my lack of job. True, I am doing some freelance work for TimeLine, which is keeping me sane, and I did book my first market research study for tomorrow ($125 cash!), but I can't think of a time ever that I have had this much free time on my hands. Not to mention the lack (or at least drip) of cash flow coming in. For about the past 3 years I have been saving up for a down payment on a house/condo. At this point in my Austin adventure, about 1/2 of that nest egg is gone. Between moving expenses, rental cars and deposits, not to mention our first and second months of living expenses, it went really fast. Things have started to level out, but it's depressing to see my savings go towards, what in the end seems like nothing. I have about 3 more months of living expense in the bank, if I continue to budget carefully, but that doesnt include tickets to Tahoe for Thanksgiving, or any unforseen expenses.

3. And finally, the variable that is most up in the air, but that is also making me probably the most miserable, is our apartment. Tom and I live at The State House, which is an other wise nicely kept, clean and safe complex. However, there are two problems. One is that we can hear our neighbor's music (or more specifically the bass line of his music) whenver he listens to it. And he listens to it ALL THE TIME. And sometimes with his patio door open, which makes it even easier to hear. I know this isnt the apartment managment's problem or fault. I mean, it's an apartment, you are bound to hear some noise from your neighbors. Curiously, we hear NOTHING from the neighbors on the other side. We have talked to the music lover and the apartment managers, and we have sent notes, and finally last night, we called security on him. I mean, you know we can hear your lame top 40 music, it's midnight on Sunday night, turn that crap off.

And then there is the pool. On the weekends, it is basically a non-stop frat party, and at least twice a week, each week we have been here, we have been awaken by people splashing and screaming in the middle of the night. I feel like such an idiot. I mean, how did I not know that living by the pool would be such a pain in the ass? Well, I have spent my entire adult life in Chicago, where mega apartment complexes are rare at best, and pools in apartments are even more rare. I didn't know people would be playing beerpong in the pool, and that the closing time is just arbitrary as there is no one to enforce it. This, I feel is totally the management's problem, but they are doing little to regulate or enforce the pool rules.

Okay, so that is the shit I am dealing with. I am doing my best to cope, but breakdowns are frequent, and I fear it will only get harder before it gets easier. I know, it will still take months to meet people. Getting a job will help. I have been networking the best I can, given I know no one, and I am applying to every job that is posted that fits my abilities and experience. And of course, getting a job will also ease the financial pressure. How am I supposed to make friends (or keep friends) if I can't afford to go out for a beer every once in a while?

And, on the apartment front, we have registered formal complaints, and are in the slow process of working through this with the complex manager. Not sure we will ever come to a resolution that makes Tom and I happy, but best case scenario, we will be able to convince them to move us to a unit that is not poolside, and then we will only have to contend with loud neighbors, if there happen to be any. In the mean time, I am experimenting with lunesta to help me fall, and stay asleep (works like a charm so far.. but the samples are dwindling and I have no medical insurance!) and we are employing a white noise machine and earplugs with regularity. Worst case scenario, we have to stay here, and we can move out to a house that doesnt have a public pool or shared walls next summer. I just have to get through the next 11 months...

I am trying to keep my sense of humor about it, but it is a pretty depressing place to be right now. I am focused on not blaming Tom, and not taking it out on him. It's not his fauly, and I think I am doing a really good job of not directing my frustrations at him. But, if you are feeling sorry for me by now, you shouldn't. Feel bad for Tom, who has to deal with my breakdowns and is really doing a saintly job. Just send me your positive thoughts, and any tips on how to block out unwanted sound.

Okay, so it's all out there now. Very cathartic. Let the healing process begin.

The New Digs and Wheels

Day: 8 (we made it one week!)
High Temp: 102F
Job Status: Unemployed


Tom and I have moved into a place called the State House. It's one of those huge, suburban style apartment buildings that are incredibly common in Austin. Its a really well-kept complex, and has nice amenities like a fitness center and a pool.

Here is a pic of our diningroom, and another of the living room area. It's nice and open and a pretty great layout. You can see the kitchen a little through the cut out/bar in the diningroom.
















Our apartment is a pool-view unit. We thought this sounded excellent, until we actually moved in... As it turns out, pool-view is like living in a 4 star resort for 50% of the time (see pic taken from our balcony), and the other 50% is like overlooking a frat party. I was told by an insistent stranger at the last TimeLine company BBQ that it would be WAY too hot to use the pool, and that no one would EVER go in. In fact, it is quite the opposite. People are in the pool all the time. They even go in the heated whirlpool! It's insane.

Even in the middle of the night, it seems, people are in the pool. It is supposed to close at 10pm, and there is supposed to be a community patrol that comes around a few times a night, but we were definitely awoken twice last week in the middle of the night... I talked with the management person, and she gave me the number of the community patrol, and said they will respond immediately to any noise complaints. Yep, I am going to have to be the neighborhood bitch that calls the cops on my those having fun in the pool after hours, but Tom and I are embracing our status as total strangers in this city and will relish the opportunity to tell the drunk ex-frat boys to shut the hell up!


And, as you pretty much cannot live in Austin without an automobile, Tom and I have purchased one. And, as you cannot really be a Texan with out a truck, we decided to go ahead at get one for ourselves (sort of). It's a Mazda Tribute, a small SUV. Not sure either of us ever thought we would own an SUV, but after driving a rental car in the city, and realizing that every parking lot has a gigantic dip between it and the street that is guaranteed to scrape the hell out of the bottom of your vehicle, we looked for something that was a bit taller, and found Elly (short for Elephant in honor of her size and color.) I realize a Mazda Tribute is not exactly the largest coche on the camino, but it sure is a big change from our little Toyota Celica we drove in Chicago.