APARTMENT:
2pm. i show up on Morris Drive. the whole block looks very brickbuilt but old, yet not exactly unkempt. it’s fairly run-down, but not so much that you worry about the kind of people who live in the neighborhood. these folks are halfway between poor and doing alright. kids run around in the streets, but they’re not wearing rags and they look content. all the windows along the street are intact.
Jim shows up; he’s not the landlady. the landlady is busy and sent him. he does some work for Debbie and her husband, who own the building, and has known them for a number of years. at first, i am wishing that Debbie had shown up, so i can get down to brass tacks with her and ask all the important questions. after a while, though, i’m glad that i got a perspective on her from Jim. he let on that Debbie may trust people a bit too much (yay for me – i’m trustable of course, but i don’t actually have a job just yet, so it may help).
the place has 2 bedrooms and a huge shared basement. the next-door neighbor, whose name is either Lathan or Latham (or something like that), is a kid in his early 20s and may be a bit slow. i haven’t yet met him, but he’s apparently real jovial. so that’s good. good neighbors are every bit as important as a good place and a good deal. he has his own washer and dryer in the basement, and we might be able to work out something with him on that front.
tenants are responsible for the lawn, but Debbie pays for indoor repairs, and is apparrently quick about things.
hardwood floors. a fridge and a stove. gas heating. upstairs (the whole floor). place seems pretty roomy; even the kitchen isn’t cramped. parking is excellent, as the neighbor parks out back, and we can park in the drive or even on the street.
it’s rustic, but solid. $400 + $400. i think Debbie might work with us on the deposit. she sounds really down to earth, which i like a LOT.
JOB:
i called the temp agency (not Adecco, which has thus far failed me in almost every way). Casey there was real nice and sounded like she understood that i’m a call center veteran. i think i answered her few questions fairly well; which is to say: not incredibly professionally, but nonetheless human, respectfully, and most importantly, likeably. i have an interview on Monday at 2pm. the location is in Dayton, and the pay is more than adequate, though not quite what i would like (it never is, as anyone knows).
so things are, inconceivably, looking up.
