I Have a Theory About Match.com....

Ok, disclaimer - I COULD be wrong.  This is JUST a theory.  However....

My theory is match.com (and quite possibly quite a few other dating sites, but who knows) purposely show you 'non-matches' at first.  This way (I'm not sure the exact term for this, but I'm sure there's some psychological term for it) when they show you actual matches, they seem better by compare/contrast factor.

When I very briefly did match, I only put in a couple requirements - within 10 miles of my zipcode (Chicago), 24-40, never married, no children.  This should, in theory, fit a lot.  Yet I didn't feel I got that many matches, and I felt I kept getting quite a few men outside these parameters.  Divorced dad in Plainfield, age 45.  Not so much.  Anyhow.  I am not sure, exactly, if the people at match are purposely doing something funny, but I have my questions.

Also.  I remember the first time I went out and about looking for an apartment in Chicago with an apartment finder service.  The first couple units they showed me were tiny holes in the wall that were way over-priced.  They then showed me something decent that was much more competitively priced - which, comparatively speaking, seemed like an oasis in the dessert.  I almost wonder if these companies purposely rent and maintain crappy units just to show everyone first off the bat, so they are more apt to 'jump' at something decent available.

Anyhow.  I could be wrong.  I am curious if anyone else had similar experiences.  I shouldn't talk too much, though, because I may return to the world of online dating come January.  I figure it's like joining a gym - there's a time when there'll be specials, so I will, at the very least, wait for said specials.

Home Decorating - This is a Grown-Up Apartment....

....or at least I like to think so.

I have done some decorating this weekend.

a new vase....

and another - this one was only $7.50.  note the butterfly detailing.

a centerpiece - perfect for an Ikea coffee table

my aquarium is growing!!

How I Live

This is a single girl's apartment. No boys allowed!

Neighborhood Buzz

So apparently, Universal Studios is filming a movie in my neighborhood. On my street, in fact. I can't remember the exact name - three letters. ZJF? Something like that. I'll do research.

I know this because, tonight, after a long day, I had to park my car three and a half blocks away because there is no parking on my street for the next week. INSANE. However, I don't mind. I think I might have to come back to my apartment on my lunch break every day this week to walk up and down the street casually while this all happens. This could work nicely for the production folks as well, seeing that my appearance fee is minimal.

I clearly picked the right apartment. That, or these movie folks know where the action is. Or maybe both.

In the Market for....

...something for people to sit on when they enter my apartment. New. I do not want to think of what could have potentially happened on a used couch/loveseat, no matter how decent-seeming the previous owner is. Preferably under $300. Preferably delivered up to my third floor apartment (no elevator).

Anyone have any leads?

Juliet Balconies

Ok, I have one of these. It's basically a small slab of concrete the size of a curb and a (scarily short) fence.

I remember the first time I viewed this apt, the landlord told me there was a "little" balcony. Then she opened the door to it. My only thought was "are you 'bleepin'' kidding me"?

Ok, so I have, needless to say, warmed up to the apartment. However, I am not sure what to make of the balcony yet. What do I do with it? Romeo is not at the bottom waiting for me; I have already checked. (P.S. By the way, he is soooo not my dream 'prince charming' male suitor from a love story. But that's a whole other blog in and of itself.)

Anyhow. Does anyone else out there have a Juliet Balcony? What should I do with it? What do you do with yours?

A New Way of Life....

So, as most of my readers know, I recently moved. Very recently. As in this past weekend.

Anyhow. That is partially my excuse for not blogging. I had to pack up, move all the stuff to the new apt, clean out the old apartment, unpacking the stuff in the new apartment (well, this hasn't been done yet).

Today was a milestone. Today I got internet, cable, and, for the first time in my life, DVR. I've been told my life will be forever revolutionized.

On the "To Buy" list - plates, bowls, utensils, food, a couch, a rug, a table, a bathmat, a shower curtain...hey, this is my first time living alone.

Anyhow. So far, so good. Pretty soon, I'll be back to my normal blogging habits. Stay tuned.

P.S. A certain unnamed building management company better give me and my roommate at least 90% of our security deposit back...or ELSE.

Moving!!!!

So, as most of my loyal readers know, I am moving. Out on my own. For the first time. Eek! I can't wait!

I know for sure I am painting at least one wall purple. I am not sure what my other color is going to be - I am thinking about maroon, maybe because, for the first time in like 7 years, I won't be living with a Sigma Kappa so I might start going through withdrawals.

Anyhow.

It took me a long time to find the right apartment. I must have looked at practically 10 different units. In the end, I ended up going with the first apartment I looked at - go figure. In the process of finding my new digs, I found that finding the right apartment can be like finding the right man.

--Some that aren't taken aren't taken for a reason
--One must realize that no one would ever be perfect and meet all of her needs
--The questions 'should I take something tolerable or hold out for what I really want' and 'what if I don't find anything better' arose multiple times
--Sometimes, the right one was there the whole time, after all

Anyhow - I'm super excited about this new place. A week and a half from now, I'll probably be complaining about it for one reason or another - again - kind of like with a man. I digress. Pictures of the new apt to come soon.

New Home?

Ok - so so very very very sorry - I know I am way overdue to update this blog and that I have not done a good job this past weekend. I have been apartment shopping - in my defense. It has taken up a large quantity of my time. In my defense, I have somehow unfortunately missed out on a lot of the things that take up my time - refreshing facebook compulsively, emailing Emily, checking up on celeb gossip, etc. So it wasn't just this blog that got neglected.

However, fingers crossed - it looks like I might have a promising lead. It was, ironically enough, the first apartment I looked at. I guess, after seeing what was out there, I didn't realize how great it was. Anyhow, somehow, it was right there waiting for me. It's like running back to your first boyfriend or something crazy like that. The more I think about it, it was perfect in every way (price, location, size), but I'll probably have some complaints about it in nothing short. Anyhow. The right one was there the whole entire time - funny how it works out that way sometimes. Sigh.

Apartment Shopping....

So when the going gets tough, the tough get moving. And I'm moving. Well, if I find the right apartment, that is.

I think Carrie Bradshaw may have, at some point raised a similar question to this - but, in apartment shopping, and dating (and, I suppose, life), does one hold out for what she really wants, or take something that is simply 'good enough'.

Now, I know signs point to an obvious answer on this one - however, take this into consideration - I NEED an apartment (homeless is the alternative). Time is of the essence. And as I pass some up, the good ones are getting taken.

Anyhow. I am actually not considering loosening my dating standards. But I am for my apartment standards. Should I compromise? Here is what I want:

--South of Irving Park Road, North of Wellington, East of Ashland, West of Halsted
--No stupid 'move-in fee'
--No garden apts
--One bedroom or a studio where I can partition off an area as the bedroom separate from everything else
--Rent under $850
--Decently clean
--Bathroom with a shower one can stand comfortably in
--September 1 rental

Is that too much to ask? Based on what I've seen so far this weekend, it looks as though the answer is yes.