October 30th, Still No Apartment

Am I really that picky? It's October 30th and I still have not signed a lease for an apartment. My current sublet ends after tomorrow and I don't have a place to go or stay after that. I faxed in an app today, but the place won't be ready until this weekend. And if that falls through, I don't have a backup. Maybe I should just go back home to Maryland.

After 1 Week, 1 Cash Advance and Buckets of Sweat, She Made It

So my car finally made it home to me at 9:17 pm yesterday. It wasn't easy, but she came.

My mom loaded her up with my snorkel coat and some comforters and the driver boarded her onto the trailer. ETA...Monday, maybe Tuesday. They said they'd let me know the exact day on Friday. Sunday comes around and still no call, so I call them. Driver doesn't know. Maybe Monday. Maybe Tuesday. I tried emphasizing the importance of at least narrowing the ETA down to a day, but the driver didn't seem too receptive to the fact that I needed to know which day to take off of work and be home to meet him and more importantly (to him at least) pay him. It was frustrating and I brought it up with the moving company, but they offered nothing more than what I got.

So Monday comes around and I head to work per usual except that it was the first day at the new client site...in Kent, Washington. I arrange a ride with one of my hiring managers and plan to meet him in Upper Queen Anne. I miss a stop (or two) on the bus route and end up in Lower Queen Anne. At any rate, he scoops me from the 7-Eleven and we're off to Kent. Takes us no time as most traffic is coming into the city so that was good. I arrive at work and it's business as usual. I get a lead on a potential apartment and kept my fingers crossed that Nirav would leave at a decent time so that I can make it back for a 6pm apartment showing. The tricky part was that I wanted to view the apartment at 6, but I also need to get cash for the car mover before the banks closed. The problem being without a car made me basically on Nirav's schedule. I figure the only way I could do it was to hope we get out at 5, get back to Queen Anne by 6 and then race to the only Bank of America open past 6 in Seattle, the one at the UW.

It's 4:45 pm and no indication of Nirav leaving. 4:55 pm and still nothing. 4:59 he comes strolling by and says he just has to shoot off one email and he'll be ready to go. Relief. I then call up the property manager to confirm the 6pm showing and it turns out she is on her way out to a 5:30pm showing. Not a good thing as the apartment seems like a very good deal and will most likely get snatched up right away. I stay positive and just think that if it's meant to be, it'll work out. We head home and make good time. As we approach the block, I give the manager a call at 5:45 pm. "Oh, hey Rithy. Unfortunately my 5:30 has just taken the place. I've got the deposit in hand. I'm very sorry, but would you be interested in a 2 bedroom in Phinney?" I sigh heavily and ask her the monthly rent just to humor her and to hide my own disappointment. I get off the phone deflated, knowing that I had just missed out on probably the apartment for me at such a reasonable price. Modernly updated. Located in Queen Anne and under $900. Nirav apologizes and asks me where I'd like to get dropped off now. I tell him if knows of a Bank of America near here, I might make it before the 6pm closing time. He pulls over, looks up some stuff on his phone and begins driving towards Magnolia. By this time it's 5:55 pm and I'm now realizing I will have to resort to plan B and catch the bus to the UW, all the way across town. Nirav kindly drops me off at the nearest bus stop. I wait 30 minutes for a bus to the UW at which I'm supposed to transfer to another bus that takes me to the U Village, where the BOA is opened until 7. Unfortunately the last transfer was at 6:05 pm. I started wandering aimlessly asking students where it was. Nobody seemed to know, but just said it may be on 45th up the hill. So I started speed walking up the hill thinking it's right there. Well I make it to 45th and no BOA in sight. Pull out my notebook for the address and start walking to the right. 15 minutes later, still no BOA. Then I remember the bus I was supposed to be on was going to drop me off at 45th and 20th and I was currently at 15th. So I run about 10 long blocks and still no BOA. So I see a long hill and figure it's at the bottom. Once I get around the curve, I see a little shopping center at the bottom. It's 6:45pm. I'm in my dress clothes and shoes with my winter coat and backpack on. Phone in hand and ipod in pocket with only 1 earphone in and 1 earphone that slipped out during the run. I finally get closer to the center and see the BOA! Get to the bottom and had to go completely around the fence and circle back towards the BOA. I get to the door, but the lights were out the hours read open until 6!!! I was so pissed. That can't be right. There must be another one. At that point, I had practically given up, but then I decided to call the number to at least complain that they had outdated info on their website. I call the number and the automated voice comes on and says "Thank you for calling the Bank of America in QFC." I immediately hang up and realize it's the BOA in the QFC at the next center over. It's 6:55pm and I run (again) all the way across 2 parking lots, practically running an old lady and her shopping cart over and the entrance of the QFC and ran up to the counter. As soon as I stopped the sweat started to pour. I caught by breath and told the teller I needed a Cash Advance. She asked if I had an account, and I said no, just a Credit Card. She sort of rolled her eyes...probably because she wasn't expecting to help a customer at 6:59 pm. If only she knew what I had gone through just to get there. At any rate, as soon as I left the counter, she put the close sign up. I walk out the QFC still drenched, grabbed a seat to cool down. All I was thinking was if this motherf*cker doesn't show up tonight with my car, there's going to be an ass-whooping AND he woouldn't be getting a dime from me. In reality, none of that would actually happen. I'd probably just pay him, thank him and be on my way. I'm such a wuss.

So I get the call, race down the hill and see her on the truck. All dirty from the trip. He carefully drives her off. I pay the man and plop right into the drivers seat. Filled her up with gas and raced up and down 99 for about 15 minutes. Best feeling ever was to be behind the wheel again. Having the Prius over the weekend was cool, but nothing like driving my baby again. Freedom.

Seattle weather

Seattle weather changes at least 5 times a day. Cold and drizzly in the morning. Sunny and clear in the afternoon. Rain in the evening. Overcast and cold at night. And these weather changes can happen both in the course of a day, and even the course of 1 hour. Had to buy an umbrella the first day of work, but have only used it twice since. The rain is so sporadic and light (so far) that it's almost not even worth the hassle of opening up the umbrella. All the buildings in downtown are built with some time of cover so you just get slightly wet in between streets. Well at least if it's raining here...it's snowing in the mountains. I miss the east coast.

3 Days in a row

So I have had buttered chicken from Westlake 3 days in a row. It's the most appealing meal I see at the eatery and the most bang for the buck. But the 3rd time was more than enough so on Tuesday I had $15 worth of Sushi and then 2 meals: Sbarro pizza and Bourbon chicken on Wednesday. I'm breaking the bank just trying to feed myself. Will start to bring in TV dinners for lunch to help offset the costs. Current routine...work from 8:30 to 5:30. Walk to Westlake. Eat dinner at the eatery. Catch the bus home. Watch 2 back to back episodes of Friends. Surf the net for apartments and do some more work. Hang out with housemates in the common area. Brush teeth and off to sleep to do it all over again.

Naked

I dropped off the rental today and felt completely naked. I was already trying to figure out how soon I can get my car out here. It's not a pedestrian city like in New York, especially not in the area I'm in (Greenlake). Also, I got an email from my manager and he mentioned that I will most likely be working on client-site in Kent, Washington. Not a preferred location as I was hoping to leave the "commuter life" behind, but I guess it is another reason I should get my car shipped ASAP. My housemate is still have issues with her keys so for now she's going through the kitchen entrance like I am. She mentioned going to a piano bar tonight and politely invited me if I was interested. Might be daring and take her up on the offer. New city, new adventures right? It's 1:43 pm and it feels like 4:43 pm.

From G'burg to Seatown

After spending all night moving out and packing, my mom drove me to Dulles at 5 in the morning. I checked in while she parked the car and as soon as she got in, it was time for me to head to my gate. I hugged and kissed her and started my way towards security and she followed me every step of the way from behind the ropes. She started to tear up and as I told her bye and that I loved her, she was too emotional to respond. It made it that much more difficult to leave, but I did and waved one last good bye to her.

The sublet is pretty cool. I'm sharing a house with 2 other tenants, one that I met on the way out to run some errands. She's an attorney relocating from Cali. My first meal in Seattle was McDonald's and then I went back to the house for a power nap. I headed back out to drop off shirts at the dry cleaner down the street. Bought a new set of clippers and New England Clam Chowder from Target at Northgate. The GPS in the rental came in handy today. Tomorrow, I'll be getting around by bus.