April 19, 2004

11:54 p.m.

Long-Term Plans

Dinner tonight with my sibs, after a wine tasting at their favorite wine store. They're such regular customers there, they are on first name basis with the owners, and often go to these wine tastings which are invitation only. This was my first, and Rose and I were both disappointed that all six wines, in our estimation, sucked. She insisted this was the first time it had happened. I believe her; it was still fun to go, and we ate Indian food afterwards at our local place. During dinner we had a most interesting conversation.

The topic came around somehow to my exorbitant rent, and I said I would be looking for a Situation come November or so. I'm putting it out into the Universe, I said, and asked them to keep their ears open for possibilities.

My brother in law, for whom I have so far NEVER been able to think up a name for these entries -- they usually come so easily, too -- so I'm just going to use his real name, Mike, okay? -- and hope he doesn't feel out of place among all these pseudonyms -- anyway, Mike said, "Whenever I think of an apartment that would be right for you, I always think of my friend Carla's apartment in Springfield." Carla is a very close friend of his who also works at the same place, in Springfield coincidentally, and I've met her a few times. She's way interesting and I never get enough chance to actually talk to her, but she spent 15 years in India on an ashram. One of the things she devoted herself to there was cooking, and she's a top notch cook. Her apartment is the second floor of a two-family house, and the landlord lives beneath. It's in a beautiful area and is quiet as a church, besides being one block from a big park. Two bedrooms, and a significantly lower rent than what I pay now. It turns out that Carla is moving back to India; she's already bought an apartment there. She won't be moving until one to two years from now, but Mike suggested that we go up sometime and visit her so I can see the place. He thought it would be a piece of cake to get Carla to refer me to the landlord as the next tenant. It'd save him advertising, and I'd come with all kinds of references.

Needless to say, I was thrilled at the prospect of a great apartment, even if it won't be available for a while. It's even a little closer to the band's house than where I live now, so that's no sweat. Then came the clincher.

"When your lease is up [end-November]," Mike said, "why don't you move in with us for a year until Carla's place is available?"

Don't think this has never crossed my mind. I lived at their house for about six months once, when in transition; I was very grateful. However, I know their house isn't all that quiet (barking dogs, early risers, a fair amt. of entertaining) and the guest room is just off the kitchen, down a short hallway, so all the morning noise would be invasive for this late sleeper. (My room in those past years was upstairs, what is now the office.)

I explained that I was too big to live in their house now; I have all this furniture, I have to have an office, I need lots of quiet to work, and no offense but your house isn't all that peaceful.

He countered that they could absorb my stuff easily, or put extra furniture in storage; Rose said they have tons of room in the "office" and could rearrange it to give me plenty of work space. "You could save your dough," she insisted, "just pay us a small amount for food or utilities, and bank the rest of what you make."

Mike added, "And I travel a lot, so I'm not even always home."

"Neither am I," I admitted.

"We love you," they said. "You're always welcome at our house. There'd be plenty of room."

Well, I cried just a little bit because they're so damn good to me. While being there for a year would involve some unexpected compromise, and putting up with some chaos (they're almost always dashing around, and there are four animals), it would be quiet during the day for sure, no bass playing, no adjacent neighbors; I would save a ton of money, the laundry is right downstairs next to some very scrumptious exercise equipment, and IF Carla's apartment hits me in a certain way -- you know how you know the right space when you see it, and feel it -- it would be worth the wait. An investment in time.

I was floored that they offered. They're just amazing people. Like, their lives aren't full and complex enough without having me there as well?

At the least, it's comforting to know it's an option if other options don't pan out.

Then, of course, the more I thought of it, the deeper I went looking. I could actually leave this apartment a couple of months before my lease is up, and even if I lose my security deposit, I'll still save money because I won't be paying the huge rent. The management likes me and they might even work with me about leaving early. That'd have me moving out of here in five months.

Naw, I don't even want to think about that yet.

I won't do anything until I see the apartment.

(Thinks) A year without paying rent........

I could pay off my computer, and save for a newer car........ my baby has 138,000 on it now....

It could all work out.

And as if the Universe were nodding, it's been really quiet here since I came back tonight.

********

OH. One other thing. We got a document from my puzzling and deceased father's ex-wife today regarding his estate. On the second page, Item 7A stated that each of his kids was due an amount in the vicinity of $3,000. We had no idea we were getting anything, he having left his estate to her. What do you know.