Wednesday, March 23, 2005  11:11 am  <|>
<213> Finding Your Place: So today is Wednesday and that marks the middle of the week, though really in terms of work the middle was yesterday, because I have off for Good Friday. This is fine with me of course any time, but alas I cannot start my day off by sleeping in because I must go have an MRA (similar to an MRI) scan done to check my kidney. Nothing serious... they just want to check to make sure the lines that connect it to the rest of my system are not narrowing (which is apparently common and not a big deal to fix if there is a problem). They think it could be the reason why I continue to have problems show up in my lab work, but they aren't really sure. It's more of something to go do and get out of the way to rule out yet another possible complication. So that supposedly only takes a couple of hours, so we'll see how long they can drag it out since it is the hospital afterall.

In good news, we signed the lease for our new apartment on Saturday! We got the place on 8th & South that we put an application in for a couple of weeks ago. We were beginning to think they didn't want us, because they didn't call back for a full week after we had turned it in. I finally called them to check and they said they'd have to wait a few more days to let me know. Turns out someone was flying in from Boston to look at the apartment too and so they felt like they had to wait to give him a chance or something. But it doesn't matter now because the place is ours!

I'm really excited about moving there... we have a month overlap from our current place, so that will let us take our time somewhat in moving. We're also hiring movers this time around for the big stuff, so that will hopefully make things run even smoother. This place is a large trinity (3 floors). The first floor is on street level and has a kitchen, living room, and half bath. The second floor is an open floor, like a second living room and door to a private deck outside. Then the third floor is where the two bedrooms are plus a full bathroom. Also, on the first floor is a backdoor with access to the garage - yes it has a GARAGE and that I may be the most excited about because I can finally bring my car into the city. I've owned my own car since high school, but I haven't been able to drive it almost at all for the last 3-4 years between being sick and being in Philly with no access to parking (at least not affordable parking). It's a remote access two car garage shared with the unit next to us. Actually, the whole block is made up of similar apartments with garages in the back. It's really nice actually and I'm looking forward to hooking up a basketball net to the back of the garage maybe like some other people back there have done! ;)

With the good comes the drawbacks. One, this place is more expensive than where we are living now and we have to pay all utilities (we have heat and hot water included in our current rent). The good thing about paying for your heat though is you have control over it. Right now at our place it's about 80 degrees all the time and we can't do anything about it except open the windows real wide, which doesn't really help the room much and only makes you freeze if you stand next to the window. So that we're looking forward to getting away from. Another thing is that 8th & South is not quite within the same walking distance as 18th & Spruce where I'm currently at.... so walking to work isn't really an option anymore. I probably can manage my bike if my energy level (which has been getting better by the way) continues to go up and if I get back into the shape needed to ride my bike. That works ok for decent weather in warm months... but past that I'll have to figure something else out.

Going along with this, I've been hoping for some kind of raise in the near future. I put in for one a little while ago so hopefully I'll know something soon. It's not that I'm trying to be greedy, but to live in this city is just SO expensive! We could have a mortgage in the suburbs for less than what we have to pay a month to live here, not considering the downpayment we'd need of course, but more importantly I'm paid about $12,000 under average for my job. My starting salary hasn't changed much in the year I've worked here and I was hired without being a college graduate... so even with just graduation it should have changed. But too many things were happening at our company at the time and things just got drawn out from there. I really just need to be able to make ends meet. I realize taking on a more expensive apartment might not be the best solution to that when it's an issue, but I've discovered there are few material things that really matter to me, but where I live is definitely one of them.

I've had to deal with this issue a lot though lately. For Dan it must be hard to deal with me sometimes, because he'd live wherever, in whatever pretty much, as long as he had space to paint. That's not to say that he doesn't like nice places, but he looks at money first and I think sees little else after that. That does make sense, but I am pulled between these two worlds again... one of the artist and student that is "supposed" to live in somewhat poverty and do nothing but work and that of a professional and business woman I guess you'd say, who has a salary and benefits and does have a starting career (whether I follow it through or not) and can technically afford "nice" things and such. It's a weird place to be pulled between though, when all your friends, for the most part, are artists and students. Even my friends who are older than me, I find I'm moving ahead on some career paths because that's what I choose, not because I'm anymore skilled to do it than they are... but at the same time then I have to feel kind of weird that I live in say one of the nicest apartments of those people I know, in the middle of Center City which is one of the most expensive areas to live in the city. I can rationalize it all and I know I probably shouldn't feel guilty, but I know that's what Dan feels when he sees where we live compared to some other people. But for me, there are just certain parts of Philly that I don't feel safe visiting, let alone living there, that Dan sees as perfectly fine. I take into account I might be overcareful if we can assume he might be a little under. For me though I can't wake up one day and find I don't feel comfortable where I live, afterall it's where I'm supposed to call home, and I want to enjoy being there, especially given I'll be spending a lot of time there next year I think.

Regardless, Dan and I are both overall happy that we got this place. I really think it's going to be so nice to live there and have the space to work with, since we'll have room for Dan to have a studio and me to have a separate office too for my computers and other equipment. And, with my car in town, I can go to real stores when I need to and go visit my parents and help with their house when needed as well. We'll figure more money out, especially because Dan just got a new job and like I mentioned before, hopefully I'll be getting a raise (or a new job if not! ;) ) soon too. I've already started packing. Ahh, now we just have to wait for May to come!

One more thing, I want to recommend a program that I've just started using. I've been looking for something like it for years, literally, to manage/organize my media collection - you know DVDs, CDs, Books, etc... iMediaMan (for Windows... check out DeliciousLibrary for Mac), which is not only well designed, but FREE too, is my new can't live without program. I've already entered all 153 DVDs in from our collection and I'm in the process of entering my books as I pack them. The shelf view feature is pretty cool, though it takes a little longer to load than the regular media lists. You have many options to look up your item, by title or ISBN to name a few...  complete with Amazon.com linkup for info and cover art. You also have the option to enter or edit info manually, upload your own cover art, or even to look up items by taking a webcam photo of the book's UPC bar! I haven't tried the latter feature yet, but judging by how well this program has worked so far, I have little doubt that will work well too. Good thing I just bought a new webcam last month. Anyway, definitely check this out and if you have any need for being organized at all, this will probably come in handy.

I finally got my stickers delivered for Sticky Art. One half came yesterday and the other today, so I have a fun-filled night ahead of me to inventory and organize them. Hopefully things pick up from here, but that means I'm also going to need to start devoting my time more carefully to my project again. Not that I mind, I love it... but I have been able to do nothing for the last few weeks while I waited for things to be delivered and now that time is over. Here's hoping once I announce them as available people actually still want to buy them! :) Until next time!