Homeless.

The search for an apartment continues, and I have to say that my nerves are in need of rest for the moment. Last weekend, I went to look at an apartment in the Montlake neighborhood which actually turned out to be more of a house share. While I'd have the main floor pretty much to myself, the kitchen is shared. I interviewed with the tenant upstairs, since the owner was out of town, and she is the one I'd need to get along with to live there. I liked the house, but I had some issues with my potential roommate. Let me just say that she was very nice, and I think she is truly a good person, but I couldn't see myself living with her quirkiness.

Mainly, it came down to her cat. From the get go, she was very eager for me to meet her kitty, and when we went upstairs to her apartment, I was greeted by this incredibly ugly and bony little animal. While that in itself isn't a big deal, the cat had a horribly persistent and angry meow that the woman insisted was a friendly greeting. She also insisted that I pet and play with the cat. Sigh. While we were up there, she mentioned that the cat is very old and has recently had health issues. It turns out that the health issues are an allergy to her own teeth, and she pulled back the kitty's lips (?) to reveal only one remaining tooth. I had never heard of a condition like that before. I was horrified.

After that, we went downstairs to talk a little bit about the house and roommates, and the woman showed me a gold ring she had as some sort of prize for a job well done. It turns out that her last cat had lived until the ripe old age of 20 with weekly acupuncture treatments the last five years of its life. I commented that she sounds like a very dedicated and good pet owner. She agreed and then said she wanted to show me something else. She proceeded to pull out one of the many necklaces around her neck to reveal a thin chain with a charm on the end. At first I couldn't tell what she was showing me, but, as I looked closer, I realized I was looking at one of her cat's teeth!

Uhhhhh. I couldn't even pretend to be nice about that one. I think I made a funny face and was like, Wow. I went away feeling like I should consider living there since I didn't have any other options at that point. I ultimately decided no.

Tuesday, I saw the apartment of my dreams. I love everything about it. The location is perfect. The size and storage is great. It's the right price in an older but well-maintained building. It has parking for my car. It's an excellent spot for Kitty. The building's residents garden all around it. The couple living there planned to move out at the end of the month into a house around Greenlake and were looking for someone to take over the apartment. I was the first person to look at it, and I said I'll take it. The woman living there was happy and said she'd call me as soon as they signed on to the house and she talked with the landlord. Well. The next day she calls me to say that she has sad news. She and her boyfriend were outbid on the house by a couple of med students, and they just couldn't compete. Man! I felt bad for her and me. They are still looking for a place, but whether or not they'll move out is uncertain for now.

I love this apartment. I want this apartment. I feel like it's MY apartment. I refuse to believe that I won't get to move into this place. I heart it. I told her I'm still very interested and to keep me posted on what they decide. I'll stay with friends for a few weeks, whatever it takes, if I can have this apartment.

Today, in attempt to keep my spirits up and see what else is out there, I met up with an agent to view an apartment in my neighborhood. The current tenants are moving out at the end of the month. She knocks on the door to make sure no one is home before we go in. We can hear a dryer running. She knocks again. Finally, some disheveled guy, who had clearly been in bed, answers the door. She says, "We sent you notice and are here to show the apartment." He says, "I didn't get any notice. I have company here and was sleeping. Come back later but not now." The apartment looked trashed. I left with no plans to return.

In the meantime, I'm trying to avoid hanging out in an emotional wasteland. All this searching and near misses are not great for the morale, even though I'm managing to stay positive most of the time. I have looked at SO MANY dumps or spaces that just are not right for me, and it's frustrating at times. I can easily slip into feeling stressed and afraid at the thought of having no where to go on the 31st, even though I have a back-up plan. A friend has generously offered to let me and my stuff crash at her place until I find something, so I won't truly be homeless. I don't like the thought of imposing, though. I'm also (male readers feel free to cover your eyes) nearing the start of my period, which automatically classifies my mental state as rocky at best. Add all these ups and downs, and we're in extremely dicey territory. :-)

No matter what, though, I stand by my choice not to live at the Crazy Cat Tooth house. No regrets, only relief.

Thanks for allowing me my blog therapy today. I promise to be nicer and more interesting in the future.