easy... part two

Remember yesterday what I said about "easy"? And ... I tried to put my usual positive spin on the place I looked at yesterday and pretend that it was easy. When... the only thing that was easy was getting to see it.

My brother mentioned these apartments that are off Duncan Bridge Rd (which will only mean something to people who live in this area) right across from "the Gourd Place" (again, only to people who have been here) and right behind Brad and Cassie Abernathy (which will only be relevant to people who go to our church). I meant to check them out yesterday but by the time I got there I really had to go to the bathroom and ... well, I was just hot and tired and wanted to get a shower.

Today I went and checked them out. Keep in mind that apartments HERE are different from your average, run of the mill "complex". It's more like quadplexes (if that's a word) built in a row. These are up a dirt road in the middle of the woods. Seriously remote... we're talking bears... wilderness! I drove by and the handy man was out cutting the grass. I was feeling a little shy so I just copied down the number and waited until I got stopped somewhere (else) to call.

I bonded with the owner right away. We had a nice long chat about my situation and what I was looking for. She gave me the specifics, told me about the neighborhood... very quiet... people grow vegetables in between the buildings and leave their extras out for anyone who wants them. They have neighborhood cookouts. It's a small "complex" ... I think there are about twenty units total.

I drove back to the apartments... flagged down the handy man and told him I wanted to see the units that were available. We had a great chat... he's a Vietnam vet with a ponytail and a sixteen year old daughter... he keeps a close watch on things... knows the names of all the neighborhood pets... has a three legged cat they call "Scooter"...

The apartment is basically the same size as the duplex we had. It comes with all appliances (except washer and dryer). It is one HUNDRED dollars cheaper per month... closer to my office... closer to Jim and Angie... free wi-fi... water included... it's a bottom unit underneath the handy man's apartment... the patio looks out into the woods. It's cool and quiet and clean. CLEAN! It's move in ready. It's going to save me at least $250 a month from what I was paying between the utilities and the rent... not to mention gas... not to mention, getting Austin away from the unpleasant element.

Just have to find a washer and dryer... and the handy man said, "we do a lot of wheelin' and dealin'... we'll find you something..."

I called back to the owner and said, "I love it... what do you need from me?" I'm going to meet with her tomorrow on my lunch hour to sign the lease. She just has to verify employment. As soon as our stuff is ready, it can be moved directly into our new space. She said, "I think you are a perfect fit for our neighborhood" based on the conversations we had...

I've got to make sure I've got money to pay the deposit and pet deposit (which is only $50)... I'm so relieved... I mean... if you think about it... basically I was able to reduce my expenses AND get all of our stuff packed, cleaned and moved at no cost... and all I had to do was have a little faith and survive a stressful week. I think that's pretty awesome.

It was so easy.