She had four 2-month old kittens. Two met us at the door: a spunky orange kittyboy (I can’t remember his name) and an independent black kittyboy (Mensch). A cute black-and-white kittygirl (Audrey) hid for a few moments and then came out to play, and a little black kittygirl (Emma) stayed hidden until almost the end. I have always had a kitty who stayed under the bed when guests were over, and I really wanted a kitty who would come out and meet my friends. (I want a slut kitty.)

Since we can only get one, Judy recommended Mensch to us, because he was the most independent out of all of them. The orange boy is spoken for; he’s going to a home where he can be rambunctious and play with the kids and maybe dogs. Audrey and Emma are both a little more clingy and like to play together, so she really wants to adopt them out together. But Mensch is content to play on his own and do his own thing, yet he is still really sweet and affectionate. He was the runt of his litter, and he’s got a little bit of an inferiority complex, and when he plays he’s got a very serious “I can do this!” attitude, like he’s trying to prove himself. LOL So she thinks he’d be good for going solo, so he won’t have another cat he feels like he has to prove himself against, and just rule our household.

The second she said the word solo, I remembered my book Solo’s Journey by Joy Smith Aiken, which was one of my favorite books as a teenager. It’s about an orphaned black kitten named Solo who was the runt of his litter, living with feral cats and trying to prove himself among the toughest of them. He grows up to be a seer and a leader and leads the cats away from human habitations to live in the mountains, and even frees some cats from an animal testing facility. Anyway, I instantly knew he was my Solo. Dan and I still really love the name Mensch, so I want to keep that too. His name will be Solo Mensch.

I played with them all, and it was really interesting watching all of them interact. The orange boy, Audrey, and Solo all kept their eyes on the toys, but Orange would take over and play, and if he was busy, Audrey would take over, leaving Solo to play when neither of them were playing. Through all of this, Emma was just watching all the other cats and the people around her with wide eyes.

If I could have, I would have taken home both Solo and Emma. Emma was so skittish and afraid, but at the end I started scratching her ears and she just flopped down on her side and started purring like crazy. I was falling in love with her, but knew Solo would be a better fit for us, so I went over and started petting him where he was resting. I was stroking his little paw and suddenly he put his paw in my hand. That did it…I was totally, utterly, and completely smitten at that moment. Judy said he is a little quirky…he does a few things in his own particular way. He likes to “hold hands” like that, and he likes resting his face or head on your hand while he sleeps. As we were getting ready to leave he was starting to fall asleep, and I was petting him, and he moved his head so his face was resting against my hand. Awwwwww. And he was purrrrrring. <3

We went to the animal shelter, filled out the paperwork, paid for his neutering, and he officially belongs to us now! He is going to recover in Judy’s care, and since we’re going out of town next weekend, we’re going to pick him up afterward. 8D

I miss him already.

And I’ve always wanted a black kitty. I wish I would have brought my camera. But I’m sure I’ll be taking plenty of pictures when we bring him home…I’ll be sure to share! He’s so cute and tiny! Only two months old!!

He kind of looks like this little guy:

So in case you didn’t already know, that last apartment I was so excited over fell through. I was totally bummed…it kind of ruined my whole week!

We looked at another place a couple of weeks ago that was really nice and told the landlord we were interested. I tried not to get my hopes up this time or think about it too much.

This afternoon we found out we got it!! We’re going to sign papers Wednesday night. I’m so … shell-shocked! LOL I am very happy, but it just doesn’t seem real yet! I kept myself from thinking about it for so long that now it’s a habit to dismiss it from my mind as soon as it enters it. XD

But I can think about it now! I can ponder it! ;D

Going back to my pluses and minuses list, I’m going to list the things that are different about the new place. It is very similar to the other place we tried to get. It is only one block behind the other one; so pretty much the same location! The floor plan is almost exactly the same, except slightly better.

Actually, I’m just going to copy the pros and cons of the place we didn’t get, and then edit them afterward so that they match the new place. : )

Pros of New, New Place
A very nice view
Up off the ground level, secure entry
Has a balcony
Less south light -> won’t be as hot
Probably less spiders coming in (windows have screens!)
Kitchen has entry on both sides, so it’s more easily maneuverable (New new place actually has bigger kitchen!)
It has two bedrooms, and they’re large!
They have large closet spaces
Extra storage in the basement (Actually this one doesn’t have extra storage, but I think there’s plenty in the apartment itself!)
Living area is very well lit
There is room for a cat!
Two flights of stairs do not wind me (There is only one flight of stairs!)
Overnight guests would have more privacy
The bathroom is larger
We will still have a view of 4th of July fireworks (maybe even a better one)
Much closer to the water (1 block walk to Lake Union, a block or two more to a waterfront park) (Two block walk to Lake Union!)
Balcony means grilling! We can finally learn to grill!
The nights will be dark and quiet!
We can put planters on the balcony.
We’ll be able to see sunsets and mountains better
Faster walk to bus stop for me
Private parking space, although tight (This place has a parking garage, and a good amount of street parking)
Also plenty of street parking (Yeah.)
Seems like a less prowly neighborhood for breakins and such (although a crazy guy who hears voices lives a few blocks away LOL) (I think if anybody gets prowled it would be the people who own the houseboats)
There are houseboats a block away! (Two blocks away! :D)
Really gorgeous neighborhood for walking around in
It’s very clean and well-kept
Closer walk to Sitka & Spruce, chiropractor, video store, grocery store with huge wine selection, and a coffee shop
And there are more pros!
The laundry room is on the same floor as the apartment.
The landlord is really really nice!
The appliances are all newer
There is a gas fireplace in the living room!! It’s not hooked up, so we’ll have to look into that.

Cons of New Place:
Not as attractive exterior (It’s more attractive than the last one.)
Dark bedrooms (small windows) (doesn’t really matter too much for master bedroom, but may need extra lamps for making art in the other one) (Actually the new new place has regular windows, so the bedrooms aren’t dark.)
Wood paneling on some walls (in both bedrooms and in living room, but we plan to cover the latter with bookshelves) (No wood paneling!)
There is carpeting most places (we’ll have to get some rugs, esp. in the dining room) (This is still true.)
3rd floor instead of 4th, view is less vat (2nd floor, but the view is almost exactly the same as the 3rd floor view)
Someone will live above us (still true!)
I’ll only have access to the 70 and no longer the 49 (I currently have both options)
Won’t really be able to walk to Le Fournil anymore
No elevator (not a big loss considering we’re only two flights up) (doesn’t matter)
Only one washer and dryer for seven apartments to share (still true)
The 25 is currently re-routed because of construction, so I’ll have to drive Dan to Montlake the mornings when I have the car (which doesn’t really bother me…I actually kind of like the idea).
One new con: It’s more expensive…meh.

So…yeah! There are more pros, and less cons. :)I still can’t believe it’s real. We don’t have a move-in date yet. We’ll be hiring packers and movers so it can all be done in one day.

This:

To this:

Mostly pluses, I think.

I just feel like making a list of the pluses and minuses of our current space versus the new space.

First off, I’ve always named the places I lived on my own, until we moved to Seattle! I just realized that we never named the place we currently live, so Dan and I came up with a name today. The first apartment I lived in when I moved out of my parents’ house when I was 25 I named Deep Space 25. Then when Dan and I moved in together, we named our place Utopia Planetia. (It wasn’t really a Utopia. I was just so excited to get married, LOL.) When we moved to Seattle, a Star Trek name didn’t really feel right anymore, and I forgot about naming our place. Over brunch we decided that it needed a sunny name, since it’s so damn full of sunshine all the time (mostly a blessing but in the summer it kills, it KILLS!) so we’ve named it Sunspot. Now we have to come up with a name for the new one. It has one south facing window, so we will get some sun all day, but not to the extreme extent that we do now. The view and the windows are mostly west-facing, so I want to name it something with “West Waters” or “Westwaters.” But I don’t know yet. Maybe I need to hang out there more to get more of a feel for it.

We’re only getting one kitten. Dan’s not used to animals, and has never had a pet, so I should be gentle on him. I’ve decided to maybe wait until the end of spring quarter to get a kitten. That will give us time to get settled in and organized, and plus I’ll have a lot more time during the summer to play with it and give it loves.

Pros of Sunspot:
Lots and lots of light
Hardwood floors
Cute layout
Very clean
Gorgeous view
Neat apartment building
Quiet neighbors
Multiple washers & dryers in the basement
Up off ground level and secure entry
Extra storage in the basement
An elevator in the building
Really gorgeous neighborhood for walking around in
Managers really good and prompt about fixing problems

Cons of Sunspot:
Too hot during the summer
Lots of spiders come in the windows
Very small
Very noisy (next to the freeway)
Bright street light shines in bedroom window at night
Tight kitchen, hard to maneuver in there
Not enough room for a pet
Small closet space
You can’t use the elevator for moving, anyway.
Overnight guests have to sleep in the living room
The bathroom is difficult to turn around in
Vagrants from under the bridge break into cars at night a lot

Pros of New Place:
A very nice view
Up off the ground level, secure entry
Has a balcony
Less south light -> won’t be as hot
Probably less spiders coming in (windows have screens!)
Kitchen has entry on both sides, so it’s more easily maneuverable
It has two bedrooms, and they’re large!
They have large closet spaces
Extra storage in the basement
Living area is very well lit
There is room for a cat!
Two flights of stairs do not wind me
Overnight guests would have more privacy
The bathroom is larger
We will still have a view of 4th of July fireworks (maybe even a better one)
Much closer to the water (1 block walk to Lake Union, a block or two more to a waterfront park)
Balcony means grilling! We can finally learn to grill!
The nights will be dark and quiet!
We can put planters on the balcony.
We’ll be able to see sunsets and mountains better
Faster walk to bus stop for me
Private parking space, although tight
Also plenty of street parking
Seems like a less prowly neighborhood for breakins and such (although a crazy guy who hears voices lives a few blocks away LOL) (I think if anybody gets prowled it would be the people who own the houseboats)
There are houseboats a block away!
Really gorgeous neighborhood for walking around in
It’s very clean and well-kept
Closer walk to Sitka & Spruce, chiropractor, video store, grocery store with huge wine selection, and a coffee shop

Cons of New Place:
Not as attractive exterior
Dark bedrooms (small windows) (doesn’t really matter too much for master bedroom, but may need extra lamps for making art in the other one)
Wood paneling on some walls (in both bedrooms and in living room, but we plan to cover the latter with bookshelves)
There is carpeting most places (we’ll have to get some rugs, esp. in the dining room)
3rd floor instead of 4th, view is less vast
Someone will live above us
I’ll only have access to the 70 and no longer the 49 (I currently have both options)
Won’t really be able to walk to Le Fournil anymore
No elevator (not a big loss considering we’re only two flights up)
Only one washer and dryer for seven apartments to share
The 25 is currently re-routed because of construction, so I’ll have to drive Dan to Montlake the mornings when I have the car (which doesn’t really bother me…I actually kind of like the idea).

I can’t really think of anything else! Well, that was a lot of fun!

Dan and I have been looking for a larger apartment the past several weeks. With my art supplies and finished paintings creating massive piles in our dining area, and difficulty in finding a comfortable space for me to paint, we decided it is time for us to have a 2wo-bedroom apartment so I can have a studio. The places we found were all out of our price range, though, since we have been spoiled by our wonderful view, and have difficulty settling for anything less.

Today we found a place that has everything we want in an apartment. There are a few things we’ll miss about this place…the awesome hardwood floors and multiple washers and dryers in the basement, and the view isn’t quite as spectacular in our new place. The new place has carpeted floors and only one washer and dryer for the seven apartments in the building. BUT they also have a balcony, a damn fine view, a kitchen that is easier to get in and out of (though about the same size as this one), and two bedrooms! The bedrooms have a ton of closet space, plus there is a nice large storage area in the basement as well.

They allow pets (I hope they allow two cats, as that is my preference), and we met a guy today who knows a lady who raises kittens from shelters and adopts them out. Apparently she sleeps with them at night and spends a lot of time with them, getting them used to being around humans and making them extremely affectionate. Plus she lets you go over and visit the kittens and get to know them before you make your choice (or more accurately, before the kittens choose *you*). She sounds awesome!

We called the landlord today to let him know we’d like to go ahead. Haven’t heard back yet though! We’d better hear back from him soon or else I’ll start to worry, LOL. It’s only a few blocks away from here, but down closer to the water, and on the third floor instead of the 4th (hence the not-as-spectacular view, but still a great view!). We plan on moving within three weeks of signing the lease, and having it ready for Cady and Rob when they visit. How nice it will be to be able to offer a private room to visiting guests! We won’t be putting a bed in there because of the easel and paintings I plan on putting in there, but we can fit air mattresses in easily enough. : )

Here are the directions:
Q: Type in “[your name] needs” in the Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] looks like” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] says” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] wants” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] does” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] hates” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] asks” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] likes ” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] eats ” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] wears ” in Google search.
Q: Type in “[your name] was arrested for” in Google Search.
Q: Type in “[your name] loves” in Google Search.

I added my responses and impressions afterward in italics.

1. MEIA needs to know how money from a trust is spent to decide if this money should be exempt …
O_o

2. Meia looks like it’s pronounced “May-ah”
Then why do most people pronounce it mee-ah?

3. The MEIA says Positive and the ELISA says Negative.
Yeah, so my name is also an acronym.

4. Meia wants to change her photo but doesn’t want to download anything from MySpace.
Hahaha yeah that’s actually one of my own myspace status updates.

5. MEIA does expect a child’s parent(s) to contribute to the child’s care.
Yes she does! *seriousface*

6. Meia hates to wear glasses.
I admit I’m getting more and more annoyed by them by the day. Mostly when I try to put makeup on.

7. Meia asks you to find the Stone Tusk she threw over the waterfall.
Please?

8. Meia likes to stare people talking more than she talks.
What? That makes no sense.

9. Meia eats only when necessary, and hardly ever for pleasure.
Wot? That’s sure as hell not true!

10. Meia wears civilian outfit instead of Miriam uniform whenever she passes by CCHQ.
*scratches head*

11. Meia was arrested for…
No results.