The New Place and Suck to Come

The place I'm looking at is 34' by 9.5'. It's wide, or if you turn 90 degrees, it's kind of long. From the three steps you take down through the private entrance, you're met by a basement room that's pleasantly cooler or warmer than the rest of the house. The farthest 20' by 9.5' is the bedroom. It's curtained off, has a bed, desk, and in-room closet. Soft diffused light amber light emanates from the wall. The foyer is 14' by 9.5', perfect for a parking your bike and slipping off your shoes. The tile flooring chills your soles, so I'd like to spread the small, tacky 80's art deco area rugs to cushion the feet, maybe ask around for some carpet samples, too. I'm looking to make the most of my space, so instead of furniture I want to have general purpose cubes. Made from milk crates, they could be used as seats or small tables.

There's a 9' by 9' bonus room that branches off the foyer. It's mostly going to be a kitchette--did I mention there's a mini fridge, microwave and hot plate? Sorry, no sink, counter, stove or oven. I wouldn't have much left over anyway since the room is half how much I make in a month. But there is a price for privacy. Given the frequency of horror stories (almost 1:1 with success stories) I'll live knowing that I'm paying to have the room all to myself.

It's the small things, though, that I hear I'll miss. One time purchases like a pot or silverware. One-off emergencies like needing a pair of dress slacks or changing a bulb. The staple bills: rent, utilities, food, and gas, those don't leave a lot of room for allotting to emergencies--and even if I do, it'll probably never be as close to reality as I'll need. 10% of my paycheck isn't enough of a safety net.

That's what my girlfriend says will make me depressed. Not having conveniences like being able to buy anything when I want to. I'll be a slave to my paycheck. Maybe I have some money saved up for a rainy day, but when the budget's tight, rainy days will probably come more often. I'll be under the same pressure of sticking to a routine as keeping a weekends-only relationship fresh.

Still, I want to stay true to my word: if you learn to deal with things the hard way, then everything else is easy. If I can manage to not scream my brains out in the first three months (assuming I get this place), then I think I'll be OK. Incidentally, the next three months involve me taking on another large chunk of work responsibilities and directing the fights for Shady Shakespeare. So yes, any night where I don't cry myself to sleep and curse my choices, that day will be considered good. But I don't like settling, so here's to great days.