2004-04-12 - 12:03 a.m.
I am currently consumed with real estate, and let's face it, no one wants to read about real estate. It's funny, though - people in NY talk about real estate ALL THE TIME. Rents, costs to buy, maintenance fees, condo boards. The odd thing about this, I guess, is that it's about money. And people don't really talk about money so much - I mean, you don't talk to strangers at dinner about their salaries, or what they paid for their homes. But here, you do. It's almost a requirement. Also a nightmare. I'm not looking seriously, but we got a notice today that our rent will go up when our lease is up in June, and really, they can kiss my ass. The rental market is soft right now, and we're already paying top dollar - I am expecting that he will waive it (it's only 2%, but it's the PRINCIPAL) but am filling my arsenal right now by trolling the real estate sites, in preparation for my discussion with him. And while I'm at it, I'm looking at places for sale, because who the hell knows what we're doing right now. See, I said no one wanted to read about it, but I talked about it anyway. Heh.I've been writing entries in my head for weeks now - on the way to work, standing on the corner, riding the subway. But then I don't get them down, and by the time I finally sit here they've lost their immediacy.
So for the sake of immediacy, I spent the holiday weekend in NJ, at my parents. My mom kind of guilted me into staying for the weekend, and she's extremely stressed out taking constant care of my grandmother, who insists on keeping her house although she's too old to take care of it, she can barely get around in it. June Cleaver is at the end of her rope, she snaps at my grandmother and huffs and rolls her eyes every time she says something. I feel for her, I do, and I try to do what I can - I see her at least twice a month, I try to spend the day with her or stop in so my Mom can get a break, and take her grocery shopping or whatever. But as usual, I'm torn - I feel guilty for not being closer, for not doing more. However, I do have my own life to live, and I have a feeling that some time down the road my turn will come, and I will be responsible for my own elderly mother. *sigh* Other than that, it was really a nice weekend - the boyfriend came on Friday, and we had dinner with one side of the family, including some cousins I haven't seen in years, with their children that I haven't seen ever. I got up on Saturday and made the gravy for my mother, and did some other prep, and then went antiquing with two of my cousins, came home, took a nap, and then had dinner with the girls at a little Italian place. We caught up and laughed and talked, and flirted with the boy waiter, who started it anyway by asking for a glass of our wine (it's BYOB) - he feigned shock when he found out we were old and married (or about to be) , and hey, I appreciate a little smoke blown up my ass these days, so I gave him the big tip he was angling for.
And then dinner tonight with the other side of the family, where we caught up on my cousins (big) wedding plans, and saw my goddaughters new car, and played three games of E1oise with my friend Ken's daughter. So it was a good weekend overall, and we got home fairly early and hung out and watched the S0pran0s, and I'm going to post this quick so I can have SOMETHING up this month. Must work on the immediacy.
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last five entries:
done - 2005-09-16
playgroup, my ass - 2005-09-15
late, but heartfelt - 2005-09-13
she lives - 2005-08-18
cheese me - 2005-05-20