The Move.

Fulfilling my obligation to write on the subject.

Where to begin?

Several years ago, my company (who has a half dozen largish sites in the greater area) announced that they would be shutting down the location that I worked at to consolidate it with one of the other locations.

Short term, no change.

But as time went on, my division hadn't picked up many new contracts, and they were in the position of deciding whether people get laid off or get lent out to other business areas. I was in the latter group.

At first, it just meant walking to the next building for meetings, etc. No big deal.

Eventually, the wheels of progress hit, and that project moved to a further site. I can't complain too much on that, the concession/recognition is ultimately good for my career.

Either way, it meant getting swept up in the site consolidation, and my 6-7 mile commute turned into a 22-mile commute. Half hour to get home, hour to get back.

The frustration of this coincided with the end of my lease. Paid the ridiculous month to month rent for this month, gave notice in a timely fashion. Had paid rent for the 5+ years I'd lived here, never once them complaning about noise, not a bad tenant, really. But, at the beginning of april they decided to reward my paying rent on time with a 3-day pay-or-quit notice (which they later tried to explain as a courtesy (which they later tried to explain as a mistake))

I spent april spending a lot more time on the road in traffic, kept watching gas prices increase, and kinda waffled about finding a new place vs. just paying the extra hundred bones.

April 21st rolls around, the deadline for signing a new lease. Half-heartedly resolve to pay a month or so of the ridiculous rate while getting serious about looking for a new place. Come home the next night with a lease on my doorstep to sign and a deadline extension of a week. Huh.

So last week, gas hit $4/gallon here. That means it costs five or six bucks every day I have to go to work. Paid the ridiculous month-to-month rate on May 1st and gave notice to the complex of my intent to vacate. (Had to stand in line behind the other people giving notice. Curious...) The leasing agent asked why it was, and I laid out the trifecta of 1) Gas/Commute 2) Rent 3) Getting served notice due to their incompetence (for those that think "So what?", the 3-day pay-or-quit notice is the beginning of the eviction procedure.)

I know the way I am. Given an open-ended deadline, I'll find all sorts of things to work on instead. But now, I had my deadline. Be out by June 1st.

So on the second, I started a mad internet search for finding a new place. I'd poked around a bit before, but this demanded the deep Google-fu.

Let me tell you, Craigslist here sucks. Nearly all spam.

And for that matter, internet apartment reviews are also a toxic stew of useless.

May 2nd, I'd developed a short-list of places I would seriously consider. Toured on May 3rd. Deposit in on May 4th. Lease signed May 5th.

Roughly the same size as the place I've been, but with a washer/dryer in the unit. garage insted of carport. $50 more than what I've been paying in rent, but $50 less than what my rent would be to stay. A lot closer to the ocean, so it should be far less miserable this summer.

Three miles from work.

Oh, and due to a move-in special, the first two months of rent are free.

So now I have to go figure out how to get all my crap moved in the next few weeks...