Life's Bittersweet

I generally try to find the silver lining when not so awesome things happen. Sometimes there isn't one, and that's when I use the spiritual beliefs to justify my misfortune. This isn't one of those times that I have to think about what the greater powers have in store, and it does have a silver lining, but it's kind of just a bummer.

This past weekend I had to make the decision to give up moving into the basement apartment in my grandmother's house. She would have had to charge me rent ($700 for a 1 bedroom, a STEAL for the NYC market) because she only works seasonally as a seamstress and my grandfather is retired, and this their only source of income while she isn't working.

Their current tenants applied for Section 8 housing (their rent is based on their income and the landlord is subsidized by the government), and were supposed to move out June 1st. They signed a lease and payed money and everything, but since the building is new construction there were some problems with the contractors forgetting to install things like the sidewalk and the meters that measure how much electricity each apartment uses. READ: CORRUPTION. So they've finally moved out, however just in time for my student loan grace period to end.

As if starting to pay student loans and rent on the same day wasn't a bad combination already, add in the fact that I still haven't been employed in a position with a salary. My ushering job gets me about $100 a week, and a little more money will come in once Macy's starts paying me, but it still isn't enough. I will continue to live in my tiny bedroom at my grandmother's, fortunately, rent free.

The reason I'm most bummed about not being able to move into the apartment, besides my independence and my own bathroom (I am 1 of 6 people living here with only 1 bathroom), is that my creativity is being stifled. I've had a whole bunch of projects in mind for the apartment. I'm not very picky about apartments, I don't care that my appliances aren't stainless and that my closet isn't walk-in. It's a combination of my independence and the fact that I will probably never be able to afford a one bedroom apartment by myself in this city. A studio, yes. But a studio is a big bedroom with the other rooms combined.

I've been bitten by the interior design and flea market bugs and it's starting to itch! I'm going to share some of my project ideas with you in the next couple of posts because I just can't hold it in anymore. Also, my birthday is in 2 days, and the only thing, other than student loans, I'm going to spend my money on is a copy of Flea Market magazine. I'm sure that will help the itch.

Toodles!