this popsicle stand

So on Sunday I went up to Seattle to check out some apartments, and, due to the fact that only a handful of the fifteen or twenty apartment managers I contacted actually got back to me, I only ended up having two appointments to look inside the units. The first was in West Seattle, right on Beach Drive, across the street from Alki Beach. The location was absolutely adorable and ideal (albeit a little far from campus), but the apartment itself was tiny (400 sf) and rather dingy. I proceeded to do several drive-bys in West Seattle, South Seattle, First Hill (one was literally right across the street from SU, but of course no one called me back), and Eastlake. The one in Eastlake was great, and also an ideal location, being about a block away from Lake Union. Unfortunately, though, I wasn't able to see much of any of them, just the exterior and the neighborhood. My second appointment was supposed to be at this brand new apartment complex in north Seattle, but when I got there, they told me that they couldn't accept full-time students as residents, unless they have dependents. No one said boo about this to me when I set up the appointment, and it was not indicated anywhere on the web listings. So, that pissed me off because I took the time and gas to drive up there, and also, talk about discrimination! By the time I got done there, I was pretty much sick of driving around and not getting to actually see any apartments, so my aunt (who came with me) and I got some cheap cheeseburgers, fries, and floats from the Dick's in the U District, and headed back south. We took a scenic route through Ballard and Fremont, then Queen Anne and Belltown. It was a nice day, so it was cool to drive around all those funky/hip neighborhoods and see Seattleites in their natural Sunday habitats. Then, trying to play it smart by catching 99 south from downtown and avoiding I-5, we realized, too late, that they had closed off all the freeway entrances down there, and traffic was backed up like crazy. I got stuck on lots of near-90-degree hills in a standstill, which is always fun, knowing that when you have to accelerate, there's a reasonable possibility you will roll back into the car behind you or otherwise burn rubber trying not to. Anyway, we finally got on the road and headed back to Olympia, where I had a low-key night at my aunt and uncle's house.

Monday morning I got up bright and early (well, wasn't so bright yet) so that I could drive a good hour and a half back north for my interview, which was at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood (about 20-30 minutes north of downtown Seattle). Traffic was pretty much abysmal at that time of the day, but I still made pretty good time (thanks, cruise control and traffic-weaving skills!) and got to Lynnwood about an hour and a half earlier than my interview time. I decided to try and find a Starbucks, since Lynnwood appeared to be prime suburban location for that, and in the process realized that Lynnwood is one dreary and miserable town that I certainly wouldn't write home about. It reminded me of the ghetto-est parts of Gresham or Troutdale, except maybe worse. Not only did it possess 0% of the Seattle culture and charm, it wasn't even nice by suburb standards. All I saw, lining the major arterials, were used car dealerships, automotive repair shops, and sketchy Asian restaurants. Oh yeah, I think I also spotted a casino and an oversized family fun center, too--I guess that's the local entertainment. I decided to just find the college and kill time there, since there was clearly nothing worth exploring elsewhere. The campus was decent, considering the rest of the town, but it too seemed a bit sleepy. I tried to solicit a visitor login at the library, so I could use a computer while I was waiting for my interview, but they told me there was no such thing. So, out of sheer boredom (and a dead cell phone), I just hoofed it to the Developmental Learning Division office, which houses the position I applied for, figuring I would risk looking too eager in lieu of being bored to death for another half hour. Fortunately, they gave me a list of questions for the interview that I could use for brief preparation, so I used my best extemporary skills and came up with some answers that I thought were specific and relevant. The position is along the lines of customer service and student services, both of which I have experience doing, so it wasn't too hard to talk about why I'm a good fit. I felt really good about the interview; they seemed to like me, and they were also very nice and professional, which was a relief after not getting a great impression from the commute, surrounding town, or campus. They told me they would make a decision by tomorrow, so I sent a little email of gratitude today, and now I'm just crossing my fingers that it will work out. I don't want to live in Lynnwood, so I'd have to commute if I got the job, which sucks, but at this point I haven't heard back from any other potential employers, so I'll take what I can get. The pay isn't bad, either, and I would have a three-day weekend every week!

So, now I just get to play the waiting game. Waiting for a job offer, waiting for an opportunity to see more apartments, waiting for school to start, waiting to get out of Vancouver and start something new. I appreciate everything I have here, but I'm uber restless right now. I've also had too much time on my hands this summer, working only halftime most weeks, and the boredom is really getting to me. I'm starting to get really irritable with family and friends, which probably wouldn't happen if I was busier. Boredom causes me to have less realistic expectations of those around me because I can't fathom why they don't have as much down time as I do. What's this? People work full-time? What a concept! Anyway, with all due respect to my Vancouver-PDX family, I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand! Until next time...