Bloomington

Well, once again, here we are in Bloomington, trying to find a place to live next year. We came up a couple of weeks ago to conduct a preliminary sweep and it was deemed necessary to come back. It has been a bit frustrating, as it seems the rental season here is very early and we are looking quite late. But there are some options...some better than others in some ways, and some better than others in other ways. It seems like we can't quite find the right combination of better ways, but I think we've come close with at least one place. We're just a little baffled by the "no instrumental practice" clause that seems to pop up in the leases around here. Hmmm.

Anyhow, after a rather frustrating morning of looking at two places (it was supposed to be three, but the landlord never showed up at the last one...something that has happened to us twice now...that and NEVER calling us back -- I'd imagine that landlords do not have to work very hard to find tenants around here, so common courtesy flies out the window) we went to Bloomingfoods for lunch and then Neil had a massage "audition" and it seems that he has been offered some part time work! Hooray! Then, we went back to Bloomingfoods and bought Fischer Farms ground beef and some deeeelicious green tea, which is being rapidly consumed (green tea makes everything better). Now, we are currently making chili for dinner to thank our friend CD for hosting us during our several stressful housing searches. She has been amazing and I am so very glad that we are going to be able to spend more time hanging out with her.

Funny thing -- at the 2nd place we looked today, we walked into the office of the apt. complex and the woman just looked at us like, "Who let you in?" like we were intruders. We told her we had an appointment to see an apartment and she seemed so put out. She asked what we wanted to look at. Now, all the other places we had been had a routine: we'd walk in, say who we are, they'd say "oh! you are interested in the two bedroom, right? Ok. Let's sit down and do a little paperwork" or "let's go take a look at it!" or "this is what we have available in your time frame, and this is how much it costs." but this woman? No recognition, no friendly greeting, no information offered. She said, "just follow me" and then we all stood there dumbly before she motioned for us to leave the office first...which was weird and awkward. Then she took us outside and she got in her car and told us to follow her. So, we followed her to the apartment and while in the apartment, I asked, "so what is the rent?" (as she had not explained any of that before pushing us out the office door) and she actually said, "For what?" Ummmmm......are we standing in an empty apartment or are we on the moon?! (I think I actually had to pick my jaw up off the floor). Too bad the office didn't inspire much confidence because the place was pretty nice (albeit a little too expensive).

The driving-in-the-car-to-the-apartment thing was particularly entertaining because when we looked at a different place a few weeks ago, the girl who showed it said, "we'll drive because it's kind of rainy and nasty out" (which it wasn't really...it was cloudy and occasionally barely sprinkling)... then we drove a distance that was the equivalent of crossing the street. We could hardly contain our eye rolling and giggling.