Various and sundry

[tzikeh]

So - my Onion horoscope this week?

You will learn that he whom the gods would destroy, the gods first treat to a whole bunch of delicious pancakes.

Yep - we went to Walker Brothers, and then the Earth exploded. Also? I kinda had a bad few days.

I am planning (planning, mind you) to write up a great VividCon report, both from the regular con-going perspective and a bit of behind-the-scenes as well - we'll see if that actually happens, since I'm kind of busy apartment hunting.

Which brings me to my current quandary. I have found, on my first search, on my 15th apartment, a space which could work out quite well for me and for merryish. It's close to the Sheridan El stop, it's in our price range, it's got style, it's got a tub with jacuzzi jets, it's got central air/heat, and a parking space.

Photos are here, and a badly drawn floor plan is here.

So, what's the problem, you say?

Well, the problem is this. I found a place my first weekend looking that will serve, and is cool, but this leads me to believe that I could do better if I keep looking. It's not even September, and I'm looking for an Oct. 1 lease. Oct. 1 is a huge moving date in Chicago; there will only be *more* apartments available in the coming weeks. And the place does have drawbacks - not a whole lot of wall space, since it's all lofty, and I have lots and lots and lots and lots of bookshelves. The closets are smallish. There is no porch or patio of any kind. Street parking for visitors is tough. And, the biggest one -

I have a cat. Merry has two cats. This wouldn't be a problem if my cat weren't so darned persnickety. She pretty much won't spend time where there are other cat scents. In my current apartment, we have a radio fence blocking off the back of the place where my bedroom and office and bathroom and whatssnoo's bedroom are. This gives my cat lots of space that belongs to her. Her litter box is there, her water fountain is there, etc.

In this place? Pretty much I could block off my bedroom. Which means she'd almost never leave it. Which means the litter box would have to be there.

Not exactly what I'm looking for.

And yet? This is a rockin' apartment with all the stuff on my list that I want/need.

And, as you might have guessed from all this angsting over where the cat will live --

THE CAT WILL LIVE.

Yes, I took Artie to a different clinic today, and they did a full examination from nose to tail. I had to leave her for a few hours (I went apartment shopping, natch) -

She has ... <drumroll> ... AN EYE INFECTION.

Imagine! That's why her eye was bothering her! Crazy, huh?

Gah. So I have some antibiotics to give her and stuff. Whoopie. But? Not so much with the "month to live" thing.

So remember, folks - pancakes? Harbinger of the Earth blowing up. Just an FYI.

Comments

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

So very glad Artemis is okay!

Have no useful advice on the apartment front, as I tend to the paranoiac must-grab-first-suitable-living-space! school of apartment hunting, and while I haven't done badly, I, like you, have the sneaking suspicion that I could be doing better. (My current living arrangement is excepted from this general trend.)

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I would usually do that "grab it grab it grab it" thing, except for the fact that the drawbacks are somewhat significant, even though the place is completely groovy. And it's also likely that if I were willing to move further north along the Red Line, I could get as large a space for less money.

It just might not be as cool.

Decisions, decisions...

[heresluck]

to Truepenny:

Oh, you could probably be doing better space-wise. But your upstairs neighbor might not be so fantabulous. *g*

to Tzikeh:

Thank goodness Artemis is basically okay! Antibiotics aren't fun, of course, but *such* a minor thing comparatively speaking. ::relieved::

[sisabet.livejournal.com]

THE CAT WILL LIVE.

Yay!!! I have no advice on the apartment front. I live where Dawn tells me to live. Once upon a time I would find my own spaces, but those were very stressful times indeed.

[destina.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad your cat is going to be okay; I was worrying for you, for a while. :-)

[debchan.livejournal.com]

THE CAT WILL LIVE.

Oh, thank GOD. I was worried about the both of you.

Good luck on the apartment hunt. *fingers crossed you find the perfect place soon*

[melina123.livejournal.com]

THE CAT WILL LIVE.

I am beyond happy for both of you! You've both been in my thoughts all week.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Very, *very* glad to hear about the kitty.

Let me know if you want advice on splitting cats up and keeping them split. (I have one of those finicky cats, too. Loves all humans, hates all felines. If I were a Freudian, I'd say it was internalized self-hatred ...)

-J

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Well, the problem is that there are no doors to close except bedroom doors, and that means the litter box would have to be in the bedroom, and the cat would be confined to one room.

There are two bedrooms, a bathroom, and then a wide open space.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

You can do a lot with baby gates, though. We have a slightly revamped one that prevents the upstairs cats from coming downstairs, and prevents any cats from going in the basement.

The thing is, they *want* to be apart. So putting up a barrier is more psychological than anything. You need to make it difficult to get over it, but it doesn't have to be impossible. Would it be a possible solution to buy the tallest wooden baby gate you can find, extend it a bit using plywood so they can't get *under* it, and then set it up in a hallway? Your cat could arguably have half the apartment that way.

-J

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Er.

You didn't look at the pictures of the apartment, did you.

There are no hallways. it's all one big space, except for the bedrooms.

[cereta.livejournal.com]

Yay on kitty! And no advice on apartments: my luck runs about 50-50 on that.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

*So* glad to hear that Artie will be fine, but my gawd, that you had to go through all that! {{{tzikeh}}}

My best apartment-hunting advice is: use Craigslist. I've found my last three apartments using Craigslist, and even when the market here was down to less than a 1% vacancy rate, they always had good listings.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I actually found this one on craigslist. :)

[klia.livejournal.com]

Phew, I'm so relieved about Artie! I called it, and I'm happy I did. Woo!

About the apt. -- if no porch or patio = no outdoor space, I'd keep looking if I were you. I have bupkus in the way of outdoor space, and let me tell you, it drives me absolutely nuts. My place is nice, and even has lots of big windows, and I still feel like I live in a freakin' cave, especially during the rainy winters we have here. Lack of parking is also a real pain. When K lived in SF, it was really tough to just go over and hang with her on weekends, because parking was so limited.

Good luck, whatever you choose to do!

[flambeau.livejournal.com]

Hugs to you and Artie! And me, I'd go crazy without a few more walls and furnishable corners, so my advice is think carefully. :)

apartments

[(Anonymous)]

2 cents, for what it's worth from a total stranger :) But go with your gut feeling. If you had to have a place NOW, it would be different. But you have time, and it sounds like the choices will only increase.