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dolariI had an appointment with my new HR head for a drug test yesterday. It almost didn't happen, though, thanks, again, to this house.
The plug in all the rooms are super loose, and plugs have a nasty habit of falling out of them. In order to keep my alarm clock plugged in, the tines on the plug have been pushed wide apart. But not so wide that it can't be plugged in. I went to bed at 4, hoping to be up at Noon.
When I woke up the clock was off, and the plug was out of the socket.
I checked the clock on my computer (it stays on all morning to record shows) and suddenly I panicked. It was 12:40, and my appointment was at 2. It takes about 45 to get to San Marcos. I hadn't even taken a shower. I was doomed.
But, seeing that being late was a terrible first impression, I ran into the shower, and took the quickest one I'd ever taken, hoping my hair looked okay, I just shaved and got out. Where my glasses promptly fell on the floor. And broke AGAIN.
My glasses are being held together by superglue and spit. I only really have half frames, and the frames are held in place by wires at the bottom. The wire on the left is broken. Without them, I'm blind as a bat. At this point, I seriously begin thinking about postponing our meeting, but here I was, finally, fully dressed at 1:10. If I sped I could make it. I couldn't find any superglue anywhere, especially not being able to see. At 1:15, I gave up, and left. Heaven help the splotches of color called cars on I-35.
I like to go easy on my poor old truck. She's got a good heart and a good engine, and she doesn't show any signs of strain other than an oil leak. I'm very easy on her, though, easing her up to speeds instead of gunning her to 60 right away. I want to make sure that good engine stays good for a long time. I never thought my 15 year old truck could still do 85 without any trouble.
I got there about five minutes early, and met with the HR person. True to her word, she had given me all the info I needed on housing in the area. I filled out all my forms, got the instructions for where to go for my drug test, and a had a nice good long talk with her. She even found some superglue to hold my glasses together!
The drug test was really really weird. I showed up, filled the forms, and peed in the cup as per instructions. You never realize how much you pee until you have to pee in a cup. Anyways, they take the cup, seal it, and send if off to crime labs at the FBI or CIA or somesuch. In this case, he simply marked off some tics on a paper, and poured it right back out. I guess they didn't need that much info.
From there, I hit all the apartments (well, most) that I was given. I spent so much time running around San MArcos that I ran out of business hours. I've pretty much boiled it down to two complexes. One is a small one bedroom for $569 a month for 510 or so square feet. It's just a quarter mile from work (walking/biking distance!), all bills paid except electricity and phone. It will be available in mid August. The other is $450 a month, for 450 square feet. It's a studio efficiency which, believe it or not, is just right for me (I lived in an efficiency when IW as younger, and it was perfect). Again, all bills paid except electricity and phone. It's a mile and a half from work. PRolly not walking distance, but definitely biking distance. My money is on the first one. I can live with he second one easily - but I'd prefer to be very close to work. Biking makes me healthy, and again, saves wear and tear on the truck.
Some of the flops I decided were flops were the apartment complex that was offering a 444 sq ft studio, no bills paid, for $700 a month. This place had STOPLIGHTS in the complex. I could afford it easily. But I don't need Swanky DJ Pool Parties every Friday and "Valet Garbage Service."
The other ones I turned down were pretty reasonable if I wanted a four bedroom apartment with roommate matching service. I guess it IS a college town, they're more dorms than apartments.
There were a few more places that I wanted to look at but were closed by the time I got there. However, I've pretty much boiled it down to these two, and would only need to look into another apartment if the two I wanted were filled. ("WE NEED YOU TO SIGN UP NOW! THERE'?S ONLY ONE LEFT!" "EVERY place I saw had one left.")
With heavy traffic, it takes an hour to get to San Marcos. On my way back, I timed my alternate San MArcos-Austin route. One hour and ten minutes. IT's not I-35 at all, and has a few more miles and stop signs tacked on it, but I'll take a ten minute extension of the clock if it means getting around traffic.
And so went my day! Things are looking up. Anyone got $1200 for the first few months of rent? :D
The plug in all the rooms are super loose, and plugs have a nasty habit of falling out of them. In order to keep my alarm clock plugged in, the tines on the plug have been pushed wide apart. But not so wide that it can't be plugged in. I went to bed at 4, hoping to be up at Noon.
When I woke up the clock was off, and the plug was out of the socket.
I checked the clock on my computer (it stays on all morning to record shows) and suddenly I panicked. It was 12:40, and my appointment was at 2. It takes about 45 to get to San Marcos. I hadn't even taken a shower. I was doomed.
But, seeing that being late was a terrible first impression, I ran into the shower, and took the quickest one I'd ever taken, hoping my hair looked okay, I just shaved and got out. Where my glasses promptly fell on the floor. And broke AGAIN.
My glasses are being held together by superglue and spit. I only really have half frames, and the frames are held in place by wires at the bottom. The wire on the left is broken. Without them, I'm blind as a bat. At this point, I seriously begin thinking about postponing our meeting, but here I was, finally, fully dressed at 1:10. If I sped I could make it. I couldn't find any superglue anywhere, especially not being able to see. At 1:15, I gave up, and left. Heaven help the splotches of color called cars on I-35.
I like to go easy on my poor old truck. She's got a good heart and a good engine, and she doesn't show any signs of strain other than an oil leak. I'm very easy on her, though, easing her up to speeds instead of gunning her to 60 right away. I want to make sure that good engine stays good for a long time. I never thought my 15 year old truck could still do 85 without any trouble.
I got there about five minutes early, and met with the HR person. True to her word, she had given me all the info I needed on housing in the area. I filled out all my forms, got the instructions for where to go for my drug test, and a had a nice good long talk with her. She even found some superglue to hold my glasses together!
The drug test was really really weird. I showed up, filled the forms, and peed in the cup as per instructions. You never realize how much you pee until you have to pee in a cup. Anyways, they take the cup, seal it, and send if off to crime labs at the FBI or CIA or somesuch. In this case, he simply marked off some tics on a paper, and poured it right back out. I guess they didn't need that much info.
From there, I hit all the apartments (well, most) that I was given. I spent so much time running around San MArcos that I ran out of business hours. I've pretty much boiled it down to two complexes. One is a small one bedroom for $569 a month for 510 or so square feet. It's just a quarter mile from work (walking/biking distance!), all bills paid except electricity and phone. It will be available in mid August. The other is $450 a month, for 450 square feet. It's a studio efficiency which, believe it or not, is just right for me (I lived in an efficiency when IW as younger, and it was perfect). Again, all bills paid except electricity and phone. It's a mile and a half from work. PRolly not walking distance, but definitely biking distance. My money is on the first one. I can live with he second one easily - but I'd prefer to be very close to work. Biking makes me healthy, and again, saves wear and tear on the truck.
Some of the flops I decided were flops were the apartment complex that was offering a 444 sq ft studio, no bills paid, for $700 a month. This place had STOPLIGHTS in the complex. I could afford it easily. But I don't need Swanky DJ Pool Parties every Friday and "Valet Garbage Service."
The other ones I turned down were pretty reasonable if I wanted a four bedroom apartment with roommate matching service. I guess it IS a college town, they're more dorms than apartments.
There were a few more places that I wanted to look at but were closed by the time I got there. However, I've pretty much boiled it down to these two, and would only need to look into another apartment if the two I wanted were filled. ("WE NEED YOU TO SIGN UP NOW! THERE'?S ONLY ONE LEFT!" "EVERY place I saw had one left.")
With heavy traffic, it takes an hour to get to San Marcos. On my way back, I timed my alternate San MArcos-Austin route. One hour and ten minutes. IT's not I-35 at all, and has a few more miles and stop signs tacked on it, but I'll take a ten minute extension of the clock if it means getting around traffic.
And so went my day! Things are looking up. Anyone got $1200 for the first few months of rent? :D
