Hmm, looks like PT is ahead ... Ahh Tiffany!
Afternoon! This is me. We’re taking a break for now. I’m not sure how much real work went into it, but this is what’s happening now. Hmm, I did work! I did a group! WoohOOO … I’m not going there now though. I think before the group, I was wandering and I’d gotten into how to make our apartment more assessable.I would then have to say that as to last night, we did look at both those apartments. I called today to say no to both of them. That’s all they want a yes or no, they have to go forward. I was glad the one stated she would like to know why … that’s good follow-up.
We saw the 2 bedroom first and it seemed very small like a box house. It had a beautiful parking lot. There was room that everyone had two spaces and there were four leftover. That was good thinking. I have been trying to re-picture the place in my mind and I can’t say that I remember anything except the nice tiled floor.
That might have been the best part of it. I remember the kitchen being open to the dining room and that open to the living room, but it just wasn’t enough … We talked with that guy though for a while. He was nice.
We had had dinner out because of the hectic schedule, and we got to the 6:15 meeting at 6:17. The woman was frantic. She called my boss at 6 pm looking for me and she was on the phone with us as we pulled up to meet her husband. I said maybe you would like to call her back, but before we had said it, she had called us back.
That might have been a pesty situation.
We looked around the neighborhood and made a couple of more calls – that didn’t work so well either. We got to the next appointment on time and the people were also waiting for us. It was the girl who had been living there with her boyfriend and brother. Apparently, the brother, skipped out on them and they got stuck with an apartment that was too expensive for them.
The three bedroom part was nice and I actually like the kitchen which might have been only 9x9. It was very efficient and like something you’d find on a yacht. Not a rich yacht, but it was neat. The dishwasher and micro were new and built and the fridge was new. But, they didn’t fix the garbage disposal. Couldn’t understand that … The front bathroom was similar to what we have, but the back bathroom was like a half aisle and there was a gaudy mirror on the wall. Rich said that we also wouldn’t like it because one of the tenants had frequent parties and their grill area was up against two of our bedrooms. The official reason though for declining the space was that the living room was way too small for our furniture and the parking was terrible. It was bad in back because it was so small, and the second car had to struggle for crowded parking out front. There was no way we were going through a parking crisis again.
Either apartment would have been a step-down. What surprised me though was that on the outside those apartments and many in Brookfield have a more eloquent front and you would expect something bigger and better, but inside they were horrible. After Rich and us got back in the car he had told me about the parties, but I didn’t say anything. He said that we needed to go to the store, so we went in that direction and I was glad for the twenty minutes Rich would be in the store so that we could think. It was like a crash session in trying to get me back in kilter. It seemed very disappointing and I didn’t know how we were going to see ourselves through. I carefully went over the good and bad points of the two places we looked at and I compared it to our present situation. I didn’t have it worked out by the end of the time, but I had a jist of which way Rich was going … I saw his face at the apartment.
Rich must have known I needed time. He didn’t push, but by the time he came out of the store – after it had rained softly – I had made my decision that we couldn’t move to those places, but I still had to work it out loud with Rich. He didn’t want to hear it at first because he said his brain was too filled up past his ears. I knew he meant it, but I couldn’t leave anything unresolved … I needed to know what to do next. From Rich I wanted him to hear out my logic in having made a decision.
I came back and reiterated his frustration – might have spoke tiny bits of it out loud, but fortunately he gave me time and that helped tremendously. Neither of us solved the big puzzle, but the two places we had looked at could be put back in place. They were both NO’s! I think it was easier for Rich when we got to the part it was going in that direction.
This morning I was still thinking of what was happening and I had to figure out where to go with it. I knew that I had to call a few people back … like I said before the two women were pretty accepting, but when Mike picked up the phone he asked me positively if we had a new tenant for the Saylor building. We gave him a straight out no. Then we went into explaining … I don’t know if we really even told him why no on that building. Maybe it was obvious. I think I went into a thing about how much I love the building I’m at and their management.
But, I had built up my courage or at least some of it. I had been reading up on ADA and I had held on tightly to the word “accommodations.” I explained carefully to Mike that I had figured if our friend wasn’t here or so stubborn that I would be having Peapod deliver groceries. But, we weren’t able to get over the 12-15 trips it takes to do laundry or the effort and cost of taking laundry in to the service.
I said the accommodation would be that we get a machine. Mike is very fast and was agreeing to it right away. He confirmed, we would get the machine, and I said yes.
And, we also agreed to pay the difference in water. My memory of water was that it was the least costly utility. He said then do we have a deal. I said yep. That would do it. He said he would write it into the contract right away and send it out.
Rich had said the first few months in the problem that what we needed to get was a standup washing machine and dryer. He was saying that we had to do something different, because the clothes were costing $30 a month to clean. I didn’t know how long we were going to get by with that. I can’t imagine that the laundry is going to cost $120 a month … I know that whatever the amount is that it means that we’ll be paying a higher amount, but then the apartment with this accommodation of a “hook-up” is going to pay for itself … There are not many apartments as nice as ours with this connection. Usually a third bedroom, 2nd bathroom, and laundry hook-up is what pushes an apartment up to that $1600 range. I’m hoping for no more than $40-60 … but, we’ll wait on the contract to see if it’s going to be fair.
For now I don’t want to worry about all that. I did give Rich a call right a way … he said we could talk about it later, but at the time he was in the middle of something. I hope he gets time in not too long. I guess I was just expecting him to be as exuberant as us. But, I said huh? That’s what we wanted, right? Your nice bedroom, the balcony, the living room, and now laundry! Are you crazy?! Well, no, I didn’t say that, but that was what we were thinking. Oh my God!!! Being able to wash clothes again?? I explained to Mike carefully that I couldn’t stand for more than 5 minutes and I think beside seeing the advantage of it for them, he might be a little concerned too about us and having our business. Man – on my grounds that makes us like a life tenant until someone has to drag me up those stairs. We thought also that we should ask for handrails, but we figured we better just ask a little at a time. I will eventually want rails all the way up … now I think they are on the right side just for the first floor, maybe the second. But, we’re going for both sides. Better wait until we get the machine up.
As to paying for the washing machine we’ll wait until things get hooked up and then wait a bit until Fishyman stops wanting to run up and down the stairs. I think the machines are about $800 and that’s about the cost it would have been for Rich to hire the movers, so we’re going to settle in and make do. I don’t know though what I’ll do if Rich says that it’s too much or he can’t do it. I think right now he’s down on money, but he’s expecting a big check soon.
AHA! It’s 4:15 now … got some stuff done … mostly co-worker stuff … it’s good do stuff like that every now and again. Well 4:30 pm … just got my shorts on.
We talked to Rich in the meantime … He called from the parking lot at Bass Pro … his partner was in the store getting a part for his motor. *Sigh* I think Rich sees this and says, maybe I shouldn’t get a boat. We’ll see, we’ll see.
Anyway he seemed ok with the idea of doing the washer and dryer. I’m sure its going to take all his extra money. We are going to need being conscious of that. I think he’s going to want to take charge and coordinate this with Mike … I’m going to go for that.
Anyway starting to lose concentration even for the writing. Joe and I’ve been Iming. We are going to see him do point sparring. He sent me a note saying 2007 North American Grand Nationals … and just to keep it close it.s at South Beloit High School, 245 Prairie Hill Road, South Beloit, IL 61080. AND, its at 11 sharp. He wanted to go up on his own because he’s going up from Dekalb, and he’ll want to drive home directly. So. Have to figure out a way of handling the wheel chair on our own. We’ve been practicing at Dr. Marvin’s though … so just have to give it a try. It’s Sunday … and sits on the Wisconsin boundary … fortunately its on the IL side so the pda will work. Pshwoo. Ok, give it a break. Time for us to get some dinner … bbl.
posted by Ann Marie @ 10/03/2007 04:51:00 PM
Comments: 1
