big changes. i mean, BIG!

Looks like it’s time for a monthly update! Ha! Seriously, I don’t want to give up blogging but I don’t think I’ve ever felt this overextended in my grown up life. I really hope that once I’m done with my job, I’ll at least feel less stressed out because I won’t be dealing with it emotionally and mentally, and my blog will once again becoming interesting. Actually, I have an interesting plan for it. We shall see.

Meanwhile, here’s what’s been going on…

Remember this post about my failing body? Well, the adrenal gland problem has been fixed – I’ve been taking the supplements that my lovely boyfriend bought me and am feeling a HUGE difference. As for the eyes and skin… that basically continued, on and off (but mostly on), until like… oh, it’s still happening. But last week I finally went to see an allergist (again, at the insistent urging of my lovely boyfriend) and did a skin scratch test, which diagnosed me with severe allergies to cat dander, dust mites, and grass pollen, along with other milder allergies to trees, pollens, and some fruits. The cat dander and dust mites meant that to live peacefully ever after, I’ll have to find somewhere to live that is not carpeted and does not have pets (or their hair lingering in the floor and air and common areas).

So the allergist wrote a note for our landlord saying that it is medically necessary for me to move elsewhere. And we presented the note to our landlord and we are being let out of our lease with no penalties. And so… the search is on for Portland residence #3. In some ways, I feel a bit ridiculous because we haven’t even lived here a year and we’ve already burned our way through two neighborhoods/places, but I’m trying to remind myself that it’s out of necessity. I need my eyes and my skin and my livelihood back. (Dramatic enough? Hehe)

ANYWAY, in the past week or so, we’ve seen enough places that I can’t even remember all of them right now. I’ve made Brian sit down and list his priorities in apartment features/amenities, as well as neighborhoods, multiple times. We’ve re-evaluated multiple times. We’re negotiating with ourselves and each other on our price range. I am really worried that we are going to make another hasty and not well thought out decision and end up in a place that does not work out for us for the duration of our lease term.

These things have interfered with my work, my social life, and my sleep lately, because I’m just so worked up about it, turning it over and over in my head, and thinking about how this move is going to affect all of my summer plans. Oh, right!

So on top of this whole we’re-moving-in-the-next-few-weeks business, I have decided that I need a car. And not just borrowing Brian’s truck (if I ever master stick shift), but my own wheels under my own registration and insurance. I didn’t think I would need one, and my stubborn New York City-ness kept insisting that I could get by on public transit alone, but Portland is a completely different kind of city. It’s much more spread out, much more neighborhood-y, and much less underground. Buses take a lot longer to get places than the subway because of a little something called traffic. And stoplights. And the sheer number of stops. Currently, I spend eight and a half hours a day in one place, then usually just go home, or somewhere close to home and stay in that area for the evening. The bus and light rail get me by okay. But come summer and fall, I will need to be gallavanting all over the city on a regular basis. Nannying, classes, errands. Once I start school full time, I’ll be doing at least one placement a week at a school somewhere in the Portland district, or maybe even a suburban district, and depending on my employment situation I may be nannying, babysitting, or tutoring in people’s homes. If I’m doing these things, especially in the evening and far away from home (wherever that may be!), having my own vehicle will be a huge benefit, and possibly open up a lot of options for me.

I’ve been checking out used car listings on Craigslist, and luckily for me it seems like about 300 people a day in the Portland metro area try to sell their late 90s model cars for under $2,000. Sweet! Brian knows cars inside and out and will be able to help me find a a vehicle that won’t kill me. I’m hoping to be able to make this purchase sometime in July… maybe even earlier if I can. What a relief it will be!

So there you have it. New place, new ‘hood (possibly), new (used) car, new life. All happening within the next month!! No wonder I can’t sleep, or breathe!!