10:00am I sit on the couch, a pile of newspapers covering my legs. Apartment hunting, there are three or four in our price range. Then I find this little piece buried in the black and white:

A 2 Bedroom apartment that is in a newer
building. This apartment features all appliances
with washer/dryer in unit. Garage with opener plus
lots of storage. No pets. References, security deposit, and lease requiered. $560/ month

YES! Call. Nice enough guy. Appointment made to see this place this afternoon.

I just can't stand the neighbors anymore, I just can't stand living in a place my children have no room, where I am constantly throwing them in time out for just playing. My first responsibility is to my children, not to my neighbors. My kids cannot thrive in a place they cannot run or play. I need to feel comfortable in my own home.

1:00pm It is quiet, oddly quiet.

My brother got his truck buried in the snow at my mom's. So Riley went to visit with grandma while Jim gets Jon unstuck. Torrie is content washing her barbies with the dishtowel, strange, but content.

This is nice, I could handle a bit of this quiet more often.

So what do I do with this quiet, mellow time? Do I get some housework done? Do I take down the Christmas tree? Do I do some laundry?

No. I log on and catch up on my daily reads.

I am not the great time manager am I?

4:00pm The four of us are freezing in the van waiting for Mr.Rentguy to show up. 3:30 is when we had set the appointment for. Enough is enough, we take our blue selves home and give him a ring.
"Oh, I had to go take care of a maintainance call."
reasonable excuse
"So when could we schedule another time?"
"We could meet in a half hour."
That is fine.

So a half hour later Jim meets him. I stay home because the kids are hungry, grouchy, and rowdy. So Mr.Rentguy shows Jim around, gives him an application. Just as Jim gets into the car, Mr.Rentguy starts telling Jim that no one under the age of 50 has ever been accepted for the apt. certainly no children have ever lived there.

Why couldn't this man have said that this morning when I told him we had two small children? Jim had to work tonight and stayed up just so we could go see this apartment. So I ask Jim about the other three people living there, thinking that maybe the guy just didn't like the looks of Jim. Everyone was old, in fact one of the ladies poked her grey head out every time they passed the main door.

I am NOT sad we won't get this one.

7p.m. I will be sitting completely nekkid in my bath. I will have bubbles up to my chin, my son will be trying to sleep in his bed. Torrie will be fast asleep, dreaming of cleaner barbies. Jim will be just starting his long night at work. I will close my eyes and daydream of warmer weather, a smaller me, a nicer set of neighbors, and the cup of cocoa that follows the bath.

Of course this is all hoping the next half hour goes as planned.

Signing off at 6:30, yours, Brittly

On my fridge: Wind and snow, ho he ho.

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