red hair and black leather

As everyone knows, Zach and I are moving back in together, into a huge-yet-cute basement apartment. Part of the appeal of the apartment was the size, another part is the rent, and another part is the proximity to both of our workplaces. I haven't been doing much exploring of the neighborhood because I've been too busy trying to get all of my junk in. Still, I've noticed.... things... that have let me know that we have moved into a neighborhood that's out of our league.

Seriously. We have shot from funky bohemian to Rich People, with nary a stop in yuppiedom (which I'm not complaining about).

My run takes me past houses with lots that could fit 3 apartment buildings. There's a bus route available to me now that has at its main patrons people who easily make 6 figures a year. This house is two blocks away from me, and it's one of the homlier ones on that block.

Sheesh. I feel vaguely like a class traitor, and knowing that living in a basement apartment is the only way we'll ever live in this area doesn't help much.

Still, I'll enjoy while we've got it.

Sheesh.

Some days, I wish I could be as hysterically hyper and random as datlowen. But then I realize that that would take too much energy. I'll settle for the random, I guess.

Anyway....

Ran yesterday morning. It was good, and it was fast. The problem was that someone fell into pace 5 steps behind me, making me feel like a rabbit. (The race kind, not the bunny kind.) My stupid stupid competitive streak won't let someone who is close to my pace overtake me, so I kicked it up a notch. Which made that person actually use me as a rabbit. Which made me run about 5 seconds faster than my usual race pace. I need to do that more often. Run faster, not be a rabbit. Although, if rabbiting makes me do that....

The word rabbit has now lost all sense to me. Rabbit rabbit rabbit.

Ahem.

So I ran in the morning, and then biked into work. I love my bike, as it is big and tough and was Robin's, but it has some bad habits that seem to be ingrained (hey, just like Rob!). Chain slippage, gears not quite in place, etc. I'll take it in again, but they haven't been able to find the cause yet. I'm only worried about the MN Red Ribbon Ride. My daily commute is one thing, but I'd prefer it to be in top shape for a ride that is 100+ miles per day.

Huh. Looking at the website, I see this year's Ride is sponsored by Chipotle. Huh. Well, at least I like their food, if not their corporate parent.

The upshot is, I'm biking in to work instead of walking in now. Which means I'm going to try to get in a 7-mile run tonight. We'll see if it works.



It looks like Zach and I have found an apartment. It's within spitting distance of the Walker museum (old Guthrie), garden-level (which I don't like), 2-bedroom, gigantic, etc. My biggest objection to the place is the bathtub. More specifically, the absolute lack of one and the slightly institutional feel of the shower room. Yes, shower room. The shower is bigger than some of the bathrooms I have had before.

My second objection to it is that it was clearly a gigantic studio apartment, and then they decided to put up some walls to make it a two-bedroom, so the interior walls are extremely flimsy.

Zach says it has sort of a bohemian feel to it, and he's right, even if the thought does make me sing "La Vie Boheme" from Rent. We're going to spend a small fortune on fabrics for draping and muffling and whatnot. We'll also probably be allowed to paint, which will be nice. I'm tired of white walls.

The best part about the place? Private entrance. There's a door that leads into the building proper, but there's also an entrance that goes right up and out into the street. You'd better believe that will be our main entrance.

All in all, not a perfect place. On the other hand, as I've been saying, 2004 is all about pushing boundaries. I tend to find places that are already perfect (see my last two apartments). This one can be made to be ours, and I think that's a good thing. I also think that I'll be doing most of the initial ours-making, as Z is, howdoyousay, hella busy for the next 6 months. And if it's truly hellish, we can move in a year. The joys of renting.

It's $60 more a month than I wanted, but it's sooooo pretty. So pretty. 1907 building, dark dark woodwork, mini-buffet in the dining room (dining room!), many big closets, big bedroom, big windows, and so very close to downtown, my busline AND my co-op. Plus, no extra pet rent, cheap laundry, bike storage, BIG storage closets, and everyone there seems really nice. Oh, and a terraced backyard with a BBQ and table that's for the use of all residents. Also, these are my former landlord/management company people, so I know that the maintenance is good.

$60 extra a month. No big. I'll drink less. I need to drink less anyway.

So pretty.

Brian's right. This is not a happy move, so take the place that made me happy just walking in.

So so pretty.

Soon. June 14th, I hope. I move soon. Wow.

Pretty apartment.

I'll go to bed now. ;)