Spring is for Moving

Where do I even start?

How about, do I even blog anymore?

I know.

2016  has been pretty crazy so far.  I started the year by teaching two courses at the same time.  That was a first for me.  Yeah, its not like what regular tenure track faculty deal with (because they do it year round), but was a big deal- since I still had all my regular work duties to do.

I also had a perfect storm of things come together right at the end of the quarter: two work trips with prep for a conference sandwiched in between.  It was pretty crazy.

We're also moving.

The moving bit is bittersweet for me- mostly because it means we're leaving our neighborhood, which we like.  We like being as close as we are to Nico's best friends (and soccer).  But the neighborhood isn't ideal.  Despite the fact that we live in a city with good public transit, we rarely take it.  It is actually more of a bother to take it than it is to drive.  Plus our neighborhood, while great for families and friends and soccer, isn't great on other things (like being close to coffee shops and public transit).

Also, our house is kinda shitty.  Let's be honest, friends who have actually visited it- it is kinda shitty.  Like most landlords (as it seems), ours isn't really interested in keeping the place up.  The windows are old and drafty, the ac is weak, the floor in the basement is a mess, the dryer just developed a *new* squeak.  We try to get the handy man guy to give the place some attention, but he doesn't respond to our texts.  It also doesn't have a dishwasher.  And our landlord raised our rent by $100 this year.  That is huge.

So we started looking in February and found a place last month.  We have paid the move-in fee and are going to sign the lease next week.  Its in East Rogers park, just north of Loyola University.  Rogers Park has some tough spots, but it looks like they are mostly west of where our place will be.  Its a definite bump- I think I will be able to take public transit to work almost every day- which gets me reading and knitting more.  In the summer I will mostly be commuting by bike- which will likely be easier.

The place is in a multipurpose building.  Some shops are on the first floor, then apartments on the second and third.  All the places for shops aren't filled up yet- I am crossing my fingers that one will become a coffee shop, quilt shop, craft shop, candy shop, stationary store, or crossfit gym.  That would make this place perfect.  As of now, there is a boutique pet store/salon(?) and a massage therapist place.

The actual living space is a 3/2, all on one floor.  It is smaller- it looks like I will be losing the girl cave.  But it has more closets than the place we have now.  And a dishwasher.  At the age of 36 I will finally have a dishwasher.  What will I even do with my life???  Nico's school is a magnet school- so it won't matter that we are moving (since we are staying in the city).  Which is good- we are kind of in love with his school.

So now, we're just packing and thinning out the stuff.  That takes a lot of time.