Downsizing...

So when I first agreed to move up to Seattle, friends in tow, I had absolutely no clue where I wanted to live, save for one itty bitty caveat: NOT DOWNTOWN.

The fact is, up until I officially clear out of here, which is pretty soon now, actually, I was literally one block away from the city line (Seattle/Shoreline). Seriously, in my first year+ here in the Emerald City I have been living as far north as is possible while still being able to keep the "Seattle" in my return address.

Today, this has officially changed.

Andy and I have signed our lives away to an apartment complex down near Gas Works Park! Talk about a 142 block change of venue! The way we were going about looking for a new place to live, though, I honestly thought we'd be on 137th or even 100th! Things were going less than splendid in finding new digs. Finding housing with people can really be trying on a friendship, lemme tell ya.

At one point we thought it was us and that maybe it was time for us to look for 2 different places to live, you know, on our own and stuff.

I found a CUTE basement apartment with a black and white checkered floor that would be both cheap and awesome! Well, as long as you were about my height...which neither Andy nor Tim, nor Lev, James, well, pretty much anyone but the aforementioned girlfriends' really...the ceiling? Kinda low. The highest point was 6'4", according to the ad. According to one of the girls I work with who actually saw the place? Well, that was actually only in one spot in the entire place. I.e. a "not safe for Andy" to visit place as he's kinda on the 6'3.75" side of the vertical spectrum.

Then came June 1st. Did you all know about the mass exodus of people come summer in Seattle? I sure didn't. Well, all of a sudden all of these 2 bedroom/2 bath W/D, NP, NS, P(!) ads were all over! The best part? They were popping up in places where we actually wanted to live...or at least close enough for my NO DOWNTOWN self.

See, I have this awful feeling that if I am not very careful, I will become very much like the old man in "Monster House." I like it quiet. I like my space. I hate kids being loud and obnoxious...be they 3 or 33, I have found myself counting to 10 so as to not say things like, "you kids be quiet!" "Get off my lawn!" "Turn that horrible music off!" Etc. and so forth.

So while the place is just around the way from Fremont and all the fun places Andy likes to go hang out? It is still AT LEAST a 10 minute walk away. The downside? The bus stop? Yep, same 10 minute walk away...if not 15... An upside? I can bike to my latest temp assignment. Down...groceries are kinda far. Up: Gas Works Park! Down: ummm the crowds at Gas Works Park. Up: FIREWORKS at Gas Works Park for 4th of July!!! Down: We're going from a huge 2-story house to an average sized 2-bedroom apartment. Up: umm less to clean?

Obviously there are lots of pluses and minuses. The bottom line? We will have a roof over our heads and be moved out of "Wayne Manor" before the "FOR SALE" sign and all the garbage attached to such things starts up.

Speaking of which, I gotta go start packing now.

Happy Saturday!