We returned from a long weekend in Austin with no lease in hand. That's okay, because it beats signing for something that we don't like, or paying simultaneous rent in both California and Texas.
We looked at a good dozen properties, and our friends also looked at a handful of the same ones, so we got to confer and unite in our short lists of favorites. They're all in the 78704 zip code -- our first choice -- and they're all different.
One was brand new, never lived in, with a creek in the yard and a private community park -- but no fridge. One was quirky from the '30s with a Being John Malkovich top story that we can only stand in if we walk in a straight line at the highest peak. It also had cockroaches coming up from the kitchen drain that were so big, they didn't even gross me out. I thought of seafood. Maybe prawns.
And one is my dream house. It's been the house in my mind for several weeks now and I've watched it go down in price three times. It's our house; the landlord just needs time to admit it. He said we can apply in 2 weeks. Since it's been on the market already for 60+ days, what's another 2 weeks?
There will be a lease in our future. We know it! I'm just practicing patience.
Brewing my unbleached Melitta coffee into a glass of ice and finally blogging again. We came clean with the landlord with our notice to vacate, so now the world can know that the moving truck is parking out front on May twentysomething-ish. This year! Next month! In a number of days, if you count it like that.
It was only three years ago in October that 3 dudes moved us into our current house here at Mission/Richland.
When they were loading that truck from our old flat on Church/Market, the head guy pointed at tiny items found in bottoms of drawers or filing cabinets: stuff like screws, nuts, jackknives, whatever.
We emptied the last batch of little things onto the kitchen counter and he pointed at them, saying: "This chowder...with the hourly rate we charge, it's really not worth your while for us to pack that."
Chowder?! That was one of my favorite parts of the day.
This time when we move, I want to have no chowder.
Below: some houses we like and may look at in person this weekend if all goes well!
If you can't make it, don't panic. Like a sprinkler system, we will be spraying the city with a smattering of smaller parties between now and the end of May aka Moving Truck Day.
San Franciscans lucky enough to have a yard are surely pulling clover right about now. Weeds grow like...weeds! But being outside on a sunny day is its own reward, and there is nothing wrong with filling up a compost bin every week. Greater good, people.
I'm pleased that our yard is perking up lately. The fuschia finally got rehydrated, and the roses are in bloom. Elise once told me to put coffee grounds on the dirt for the roses and that trick is not only free (and free of chemicals) it really works. The roses are fatter this year, and they have more petals.
Just finished paying bills online and if I get off Facebook long enough, I'll post a photo of said flowers.
There isn't a color in the world quite like a Weimaraner.
Put on your art helmet for this one.
He is Executive Producer on the Sundance Channel's fresh series called Iconoclasts where reality-style cameras follow around a pair of "visionaries" who are successful in their own fields. Their hang-time gets edited down to an hour and it's almost like having a seat at their table.
The pairings are unique, like a skateboarding pro and a film director; an actor and a basketball great, and their fame makes you want to tune in. Sometimes it devolves into a mutual lovefest, more fun for the subjects than the audience, but sometimes it's a nice surprise like Stella McCartney + Ed Ruscha who agree to collaborate his art work into her fabrics.
Although I only saw the first half of the Tom Ford + Jeff Koons episode (hello Tom Ford's Hollywood house) Jeff has this great quote:
"What I really enjoy about art is how, you know, it always changes -- its relationship with you -- changes every day. And for me, it's always been, just, really a process of accepting myself. And trusting in myself. And I think that's really all that you can do. Trust in yourself. Go to as deep a level as you can. And to follow your interests."
-Jeff Koons
