I'm beginning to think there's nothing left for me here.
Have you ever felt that, no matter what you try to do, you're being told that you're not going to move forward at all where you're at right now?
A.M. and I are trying to find a new place to live, and I'll tell you something -- It's tough.
A.M. has one primary need, no matter where we live: the house has to has central air. Window units are not good enough. He's extremely sensitive to heat, especially when sleeping, so a system that keeps the house at a constant cooler temperature is something he will not and has not budged on. The other non-stated primary needs are: the owner must permit pets; the house must be in a quiet area; the house must have the wiring to handle a crapload of electrical products (including an entertainment system, two hefty computers and a color laserjet printer); the house must have at least two bedrooms (a seperate room is needed for my eBay stuff and also to keep the cats' food & litterbox in, or the dog will get into both -- stupid dog).
Considering ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL of this, our budget for rent (not including utilities) is around $550 or less per month. Currently, we're paying $400/month for our little 2BR bungalow.
It's hard enough to find a house with central air in our price range, but it gets worse when you have to find a place that will allow a retriever-sized dog and two cats that can handle a technolphile's wiring requirements. Here are some of the oddities I've encountered while searching for our next place to live:
In addition to the housing dilemna, both of us are trying to find permanent work (with benefits) that we actually enjoy. I've been a contracted worker for a year now (with no end in sight), and his job has finally caused him so much damage, he's now walking around with a cane (and since they can't prove this is work-related, he gets no worker's comp).
So, I'm wondering if we're supposed to be moving somewhere else. Mom is trying desperately to get me back in Cincinnati, and contacts me semi-weekly for the sole purpose of harassing me about new jobs she's seen in the paper there. I love Cincinnati, and would really like to move back there, but we can't move until one of us has a "sure thing" job-wise in the area. Considering our skill sets, that responsibility will lie on my shoulders, and it doesn't seem like anyone wants to consider an out-of-towner up there. I'm also then thinking that maybe Cincinnati isn't where we're "supposed" to be moving.
Maybe I'm just being told again that I wasted 3.5 years on a music degree. Ha!
A.M. and I are trying to find a new place to live, and I'll tell you something -- It's tough.
A.M. has one primary need, no matter where we live: the house has to has central air. Window units are not good enough. He's extremely sensitive to heat, especially when sleeping, so a system that keeps the house at a constant cooler temperature is something he will not and has not budged on. The other non-stated primary needs are: the owner must permit pets; the house must be in a quiet area; the house must have the wiring to handle a crapload of electrical products (including an entertainment system, two hefty computers and a color laserjet printer); the house must have at least two bedrooms (a seperate room is needed for my eBay stuff and also to keep the cats' food & litterbox in, or the dog will get into both -- stupid dog).
Considering ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL of this, our budget for rent (not including utilities) is around $550 or less per month. Currently, we're paying $400/month for our little 2BR bungalow.
It's hard enough to find a house with central air in our price range, but it gets worse when you have to find a place that will allow a retriever-sized dog and two cats that can handle a technolphile's wiring requirements. Here are some of the oddities I've encountered while searching for our next place to live:
- The old woman who wouldn't let me ask any questions about her house, and instead asked about our marital status and demanded that we not call her again until we've been married.
- The real estate broker who asked, as I was getting off the phone after he'd stated their no pet policy, if we owned any fish.
- The beautiful old house that we found for $550 a month that had a multitude of defunct appliances in the yard & in the basement, and that hasn't been inhabited since 2002.
- The cute blue house in the semi-seedy neighborhood whose east-facing windows were riddled with bullet holes from a BBgun.
- The not-so-cute little house with "central air" in the same semi-seedy neighborhood that apparently had had its central AC unit chopped off and stolen without the rental agency's knowledge. (We never informed them of this little issue, we preferred they find out for themselves, because of....)
- The PERFECT house on a hill listed for $575/month on the website with three bedrooms, a brand new kitchen, and a yard that would be hell to mow. When I called to arrange for an appointment, they told me the website was wrong and it's actually $675/month. I asked if they would honor the advertised price, and they said no. To this day, the website STILL SAYS $575/month.
In addition to the housing dilemna, both of us are trying to find permanent work (with benefits) that we actually enjoy. I've been a contracted worker for a year now (with no end in sight), and his job has finally caused him so much damage, he's now walking around with a cane (and since they can't prove this is work-related, he gets no worker's comp).
So, I'm wondering if we're supposed to be moving somewhere else. Mom is trying desperately to get me back in Cincinnati, and contacts me semi-weekly for the sole purpose of harassing me about new jobs she's seen in the paper there. I love Cincinnati, and would really like to move back there, but we can't move until one of us has a "sure thing" job-wise in the area. Considering our skill sets, that responsibility will lie on my shoulders, and it doesn't seem like anyone wants to consider an out-of-towner up there. I'm also then thinking that maybe Cincinnati isn't where we're "supposed" to be moving.
Maybe I'm just being told again that I wasted 3.5 years on a music degree. Ha!