Journal Entries
The hunt is proving fruitful (PC)
Posted Jul 4, 2012
K and I have made some progress with apartment hunting (we're still going to look at some condo listings, but it sounds like K prefers to keep renting).
We looked at four units, two units each in two different buildings. We're working with a rental agency so I haven't yet found public listings, but can try to find photos later.
So now we need to decide on pros and cons.
Unit 1- we saw this one last week, too. The people who used to live there were slobs, so it needs to be painted and to have some minor repairs and major cleaning. 2 bedrooms and an office type room, eat-in kitchen, living room, and one bath. The interior wall is exposed brick, it has hardwood floors, granite counters in the kitchen, stainless appliances. Bathroom is done in slate tiles that look like bricks, on all the walls. Central heat and air. French doors in the kitchen with a Juliet balcony. Fireplace (which is no longer connected to a gas line and is decorative only, I guess. Laundry hookups in kitchen.
Unit 2- located next to #1. Same features, slightly different layout in the living room, and regular windows in the kitchen (no fake balcony). Also has the actual washer and dryer instead of just the hookups.
This building does not have on-site storage space and the scavenger service doesn't take recyclables to a recycling center. All the common areas in the foyers have exposed brick walls and wood floors.
Unit 3- three bedrooms, one bath (with a wood vanity and granite counter instead of brick tiles and ceramic fixtures). The vanity is located at a somewhat awkward angle to the toilet. In this unit, the living room has a decorative (disconnected) fireplace and a sun room type extension in the living room. Also the laundry hookup and furnace are in a closet on a living room wall.
Unit 4- bathroom is configured more normally. Laundry and furnace located in kitchen. Living room is a regular rectangle, no fireplace or sun room. Has a nicer view.
This building is located at the very end of a cul-de-sac which borders the riverbanks. I have always loved the look of buildings and houses which flank the river. The front yard is huge and full of bushes and flowers. There is a little area on the back porch which could accommodate a small grill. Both units have granite counters and stainless appliances in the kitchen. This is a brand-new rehab so no one has occupied either since the rehab. Common hallways have wood floors.
Both buildings have working door buzzers and intercoms, which would be nice to have- here we have to run up and down to let people in. Also all four units seem to have properly functioning air con. 
We are waiting to find out if building #2 has on-site storage space and if there is an additional charge. Building #1, the rent is $175 more than we pay now; building #2 is $300 more. If we'd also have to pay for storage, that might affect our options somewhat. I'm positive we can afford the rent, it's just a matter of spending less on groceries and takeout.
Any comments? Feedback from friends is always useful when making big decisions.
Discuss this Journal entry [35]
Latest reply: Jul 4, 2012
Take this job and it. (PC)
Posted Jun 22, 2012
It's been a long time since I've had a rant. And I'm fairly certain I haven't had a work-related rant here since I started my new job last year.
It's been a long time coming, and it's warranted, so...
rant alert
I hate making long initial posts, as it means visitors to my PS have to scroll a lot to get through it, so the official rant will commence in the following post.
Discuss this Journal entry [9]
Latest reply: Jun 22, 2012
Thoughts on music: my first Create related journal (PC)
Posted Jun 4, 2012
I was very excited to learn that the June "Create" topic is musically themed.
I'm going to start a separate post for my musings on music, as they could go on for some time, and I hate to clutter my PS and make any potential visitors have to do lots of scrolling (one of my personal pet peeves).
Discuss this Journal entry [39]
Latest reply: Jun 4, 2012
Milestone birthday and hootooversary (PC)
Posted May 13, 2012
Today seemed like a good time to post a new journal entry. I turned 40 years old this past Thursday, and tomorrow (14th) is the 10th anniversary of my joining h2g2.
I've had a lot of fun these last 10 years, and gotten to know a lot of lovely people. I've even learned some new and interesting things. I'm enjoying myself now, too, working behind the scenes a bit to help h2g2 flourish and remain a nice, interesting place to be.
I've had some ups and downs these last 10 years, but life is good. I've got a job I hate some days and love others, but which at least pays for bills and records and books and cat food. I have a wonderful (if a bit messy) husband and two adorable cats. I'm *still* looking for a new place to live, but I'm sure the "right" place will present itself soon. It's a beautiful day in Chicago, and I'm sitting next to an open window enjoying sunshine and a lilac-scented breeze. And having birthday cake and cheap champagne for breakfast for the third day in a row. 
Life's pretty good, and the last 10 years have been overwhelmingly so, overall. Thank you to all my hootoo friends for contributing toward making them so.
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: May 13, 2012
Making Space (PC)
Posted Mar 28, 2012
I've mentioned a few times over the last couple of years that K and I really need a new place with more space. I won't get into another boring recap of what we looked at, and why we didn't go for it. We're working on Plans A and B at the moment and I'll just let everyone know where we wind up.
It's the lack of space thing that has brought to mind what I'm thinking about today, while I'm working. We've been purging a lot of stuff we don't use, mostly to avoid packing and moving more than necessary, but also to get a better idea of what kind of shelving and storage we really need. We've donated a couple dozen bags of books, clothes, and dishes/ housewares since the beginning of the year.
In my previous JE, I mentioned K's "40 Days of albums" surprise. I'm at #7 as of today. And storage remains an issue!
We don't even have sufficient shelving to accommodate the albums we already own- K has his in a number of cardboard record crates and shuffles through them when he wants something. I have mine in milk crates. We're going to need that much more space to fit in another 33 albums.
So this morning, I was wondering if I should go through my CD collection and flog anything that winds up duplicated with a vinyl copy. I much prefer listening to albums than CDs (digital music is rather flat) anyway, and gone are the days when CDs were necessary if I wanted my music to be portable. It's certainly no bother to rip an album to mp3 while I'm listening to it (or to back up specific tracks from CDs before trading them in). I'm just wondering how much actual space it would free up. We already have to store books and CDs in double rows, so we're used to having to dig for anything we want at any point in time. But, with the exception of the odd gift with sentimental value, is there really much sense in keeping multiple formats of the same release?
Obviously if the CD is a reissue, that might be different.
(And I'm wondering if I should purge cassettes in the same way...?)
What do you all think?
Discuss this Journal entry [14]
Latest reply: Mar 28, 2012
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