Seek and Ye Shall Find
Where have I been? I went apartment hunting this week. Fortunately, the process turned out to be a huge success and I now have an actual address to move to. Whew!
Given that I’m loading up the truck just five days from now, you might imagine that this development is quite a relief.
I’ve never had quite such a housing challenge as this, however. Which means, I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach the whole apartment-search scene in Marin County…until Craigslist was suggested to me. (As I now know, this online service began and is headquartered in San Fran, so, from what I can determine, its popularity seems to be especially huge there.) This turned out to be a really valuable piece of advice, though the sheer number of possibilities soon proved to be overwhelming. I started reading the North Bay rental listings on Memorial Day weekend and promptly discovered that there were lots and lots of available places; for example, there were over 200 new listings in the North Bay area posted on Memorial Day alone. However, from my frame of reference, by anywhere-in-Oregon standards, the apartments were renting for exorbitant prices.
Well, I just decided to keep breathing…and to keep reading. My plan was to show up in Marin directly after my last day of work in Oregon…which meant finishing up my job here on June 15, then immediately driving down to San Fran.
Prior to the trip, I constantly checked for new postings online; I did this practically hourly for over two weeks. It was very easy to fall behind in my reading, but by regularly checking in, I felt I was pretty much able to track the kinds of, and locations of, the openings that were being announced. At both work and home, 24 hours a day, I had one browser window opened to the appropriate Craigslist page and another opened to a Google map of the area.
Now, in case you don’t know, most Craigslist ads are pretty much slightly-expanded versions of what you’re used to finding in a classified section of a newspaper (you know, the old fashioned way of doing things). They give the price, number of beds/baths, the location, and whatever other info the owner thinks might attract the interest of prospective renters. However, an ad that caught my eye fairly early on was the one written by an individual who wanted to find someone to take over his apartment so he could escape his lease. Instead of giving just the basic information about his place, he provided a short, rather-compelling essay, which I quote in part, directly and without permission, here:
This is for all of you nature lovers who like to feel like you are living in the mountains. The apartment is surrounded by trees, and the sound of wildlife. It even smells like the mountains, yet you are only a 25 minute drive from downtown SF, and minutes away from main highways, ferrys, and towns. And even though you are so close to these centers, you can’t hear them or see them. It is really the perfect balance for us “over the mountains, but want to live by a city” folk.
The apartment is up on Mt. Tam, and has a wonderful view of the Kentfield/Ross Valley. There is a large sliding glass door that leads you from the living room to the deck overlooking the view. On hot summer days, I like to keep the door open and let the warm breeze through the apartment. Sometimes I eat out on the deck. At night, I like to sit on the deck and watch the twinkling lights of houses across the valley, and the stars above. Even in the winter it is nice, since there is a deck above me that keeps the rain off of my deck.
The living room is spacious, and has an operational fireplace that I use all of the time. The fireplace fills the entire room and dining area with light from the fire, and in the winter, it generates enough heat to be able to keep the central heater off more often.
The kitchen is cozy, but functional. I love to cook, and it has served me well. There is plenty of cupboard space.
The bedrooms are both good sized. The master bedroom is large enough for my queen sized bed, a couch, my piano keyboard, large computer desk, dresser, night stand, guitar amps, and recording set up, while still leaving an 8X8 foot open floor area in the middle of the room. Plus, there are large walk in closets in both bedrooms with ample space for storage and clothes.
The bathroom is good sized, and has a shower/bathtub. There is a secondary sink right outside the bathroom in case two people want to use sinks at the same time, or if someone is taking a shower, and the other person wants to get ready to go somewhere.
There are 2 large closets in the hall way and entry way for storage.
There is an additional storage facility available for tenants.
There is one designated parking spot for the apartment which is covered, and plenty of communal parking if you have a second car.
There are 3 pools, laundry facilities, a gym, and hiking trailheads in the parking lot.
Pets are not allowed.
Water and garbage are included. Utilities you would be responsible for are gas, electric, and anything else you add on.
The apartment is in a complex, however, it is very quiet here and people pretty much keep to themselves. I have never had any problems whatsoever with noise or annoying neighbors. It is so quiet here that you can hear your heartbeat at night... The neighbors above and below are all wonderful, and welcoming. http://www.skylarkapartments.com/ is the website if you would like to see photos, and other details.
The apartment is roughly 900 square feet, measured roughly by me... If you count the deck, it’s probably about 1000 square feet, which is strange to me because this apartment feels bigger than that... Probably because most of the wall in the living room is windows. The master bedroom is about 13 X 15.5 feet, and the second bedroom is about 13 X 13 feet, not including the 5X5 walk in closets in both rooms…
He then went on to give some personal information about himself and why he was leaving his perfect living space.
Well, on the basis of this ad, I became pretty interested in this complex, especially because it was only about a mile from my new campus. I wasn’t particularly interested in his place, though; as (described) it was sandwiched between two other apartments and I have a strong preference for the top floor. However, I contacted the managers by email and was informed that there was going to be a 2 BR upper unit becoming available around July 1 (my target date).
Well, nothing is ever simple, I guess. When I arrived there last Sunday (a week ago today), I was informed by the assistant manger that they had nothing open. “July 1?”, she asked. “I don’t think so…”
Disappointed, I began my search in earnest. I had come prepared with printouts of over 40 places to check out, so I started exploring the addresses on my list. I drove round and round, searching for another 8 hours that first day. Unhappily, nothing really appealed to me that much. Everything I looked at seemed to be missing one or more really important elements that I look for in a place. Of course, the key criterion is the absence of noise. I went to bed in my hotel room that night fairly discouraged.
Come the next morning, though, I called the Skylark Apartments first thing. I had remembered that the first time I inquired about an apartment at my current (Roseburg, OR) address I was told there was nothing available, only to get a call the next day to the contrary. I had not left my phone number with this management, though, so I called with that in mind…and the minute I identified myself, she asked “are you the one that was here yesterday?” When I indicated that I was, the reaction was, “oh, I am so glad you called…when we talked yesterday, I had totally forgotten about a unit that we have coming available soon that you might be interested in.”
I replied, “I’ll be right there.”
I took a look at the apartment, and even though it was undergoing renovation and was not really in move-in condition, I could tell it was almost exactly what I had been looking for. The manager agreed to hold it for the day while I continued to search, and I spent another entire day looking and driving, driving and looking…but I went back late in the afternoon to put my money down.
The apartment itself has two bedrooms, two baths, and is almost as big as my three-bedroom house in Portland was. The most spectacular feature is the view out of the large living room windows. I can see, among other things, San Francisco Bay, the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and San Quentin Prison. It’s actually, from what I can tell, virtually perfect. (If we don’t count the outrageous monthly rent!)
So, yes, I now have an address to move to. In Larkspur, California. I don’t know much about this little (pop: 11,724) city yet, but one of the obvious landmarks as I drove through the downtown area multiple times was a one-screen movie theatre called The Lark. I’ll be learning a lot more about Larkspur, Kentfield, San Rafael, and all of Marin County soon.
Stay tuned.
[Oh, and thanks go to Matthew for composing that little essay on Craigslist. Mr. Cello Man: I hope you found someone to take over your apartment!]
Update on June 24, 2007:
So, in case you’re interested…
I sent this blog entry to Matthew, and he writes back (in part):
“Wow. I am happy that I had an influence in your life. You will love it here. The Lark is nice, but more so the Larkspur Theatre Cafe for live shows…It’s awesome here, and I am sad to leave. I will be back I am sure…Be well – ”
Toys & Transitions
If only I could report on something other than the mundane! I would so like to share some deep personal insight. Some profound philosophical thought. Some meaningful analysis of current affairs. Some evidence of critical thinking. Perhaps even something bizarrely irreverent and/or outrageously funny.
Ah, but I’m sorry: my life is mostly focused on an ambitious to-do list that seems to govern my existence.
Foremost on my mind is making this next major transition happen.
It was exactly a year ago that I posted an entry entitled The Cardboard Jungle. I was living in Portland and about to make a move from the house I’d inhabited for two years. My dwelling was a maze of moving boxes as I was preparing to depart the city. Even though it was mid-June, and I needed to be out of the house by the end of the month, I was still unsure, at the time, where I was going. As it turned out, I interviewed for and accepted a temporary position here in Roseburg , and this is where I’ve been for about 11 months now.
However, it’s time to move on. Again.
I’m needing to entirely change my life. Yet again.
As you know, I’m headed to the Bay Area of California. I’ve accepted a new job down there and given notice on my Roseburg place. I’ll be packing up the truck on June 29. However, it’s total déjà vu as I’m living, once more, in a sea of cardboard. I started the packing process this weekend by retrieving my healthy stockpile of flattened boxes from storage and distributing them strategically around my current abode. I know I’ll basically be living out of boxes and suitcases for a couple of months now. Which I really, really hate.
There’s just something about walking into an apartment that is in total disarray and smells of musty cardboard that is quite off-putting to me. Once the boxes appear, the living space ceases to offer any kind of sense of comfort. I feel like I’m homeless and camping out in a garage. Which I sorta am.
This whole situation creates a familiar sense of anxiety because even though I’ve made my moving plans, I really don’t know where I’m going: I don’t have a destination address yet! And I won’t be able to start apartment hunting until next week. My plans are to drive down to San Rafael this weekend and start looking around on Monday morning. Well, they physical part of looking anyway. I’ve made daily visits to Craigslist and, by now, am quite familiar with the virtual apartment-hunt. I’m very eager, though, to check out these places in person and put my money down on something. I want to be able to have a picture in my head of where, exactly, I’m next going to call home.
Now, speaking of driving there…
One of the things on my totally unmanageable to-do list, associated with accepting a new job and anticipating a move, was to get a new car. My trusty 1999 Subaru Forester, my entirely-reliable vehicle for the last 8 years, was showing, at 110,000 miles, some signs of aging. And I wanted a new one. Well, not necessarily a new Forester, but a new vehicle. (More than likely a new, small SUV.)
So, nine days ago, right after I finalized the job offer, I went car shopping. (Only after I took some time to do a little research, though: I signed up for access to the new- and used-car reports at ConsumerReports.org.) I had discovered that the Toyota RAV4 is currently the most highly-rated small SUV. The Honda CRV is also right up there. The Forester, my old and trusted friend, is still satisfactorily rated, but no longer quite at the top.
So I went shopping thinking that I might end up with a RAV4 this time. I wanted to drive one of the more-gutsy V6 models (with the same gas mileage as a four cylinder) but the Eugene dealership did not have one available when I was there. (I did drive a Prius for the first time and learned a little bit about hybrids, though.) Then I went down the street to drive a fairly-snazzy CRV. Finally, I took a spin in a 2007 L. L. Bean Edition Subaru Forester. And I was hooked all over again. I loved the leather interior, the power seats with lumbar support, and the familiar feel. So, I ended up making a deal for a new one. There wasn’t a red-colored one at my dealership, however, so I had to wait a couple of days while they had one shipped down from Olympia , WA . This particular car had a Sirius satellite radio already installed, and it only took me another day to decide to activate a subscription for myself. And, while thinking about navigating the unfamiliar territory of the North Bay region, it took just a couple more days after that to decide that I wanted a GPS as well. So, this last weekend, I went to Circuit City and purchased a Garmin nüvi 350 for the new vehicle, a portable “personal travel assistant” that tells me where I am, plots out my route, and tells me where to go. Literally. Constantly.
So, as of right now, I have three days left at my current place of employment. I go home to utter chaos every night. I am scheduled to drive down to the Bay Area this weekend. And I will continue, as best I can, to make steady progress on my overwhelming list of tasks as I face this next big transition.
My hope is a better life awaits me in California than the one Oregon has offered me in recent times. With a new job, new car, new car toys, and soon a new place to live…I’m ready!
(Keep breathing, TechnoMonk…)
A Farewell Message
Here is the email message I sent out today to my community-college-administrator colleagues in the state of Oregon…
Greetings, all…
I know many of you on this listserve will remember me from the seven and a half years I was a regular participant in your quarterly in-person CIA meetings. During that time, 1997-2004, I held the title of “Director of Community College Articulation” with the Oregon University System. I was honored to have been included in your circle even though I was from “the dark side.” Of course, I ceased attending your meetings when my employment with OUS ended three years ago as a result of the Chancellor’s Office reorganization.
Since July of 2004 I have still been among you, only less visibly. During 2004-06 I was the Interim Dean of Science & Technology at Mt. Hood Community College and this last academic year, 2006-07, I have been at Umpqua Community College as the Interim Division Director for Math, Science & Liberal Arts.
I was inspired by Reine Thomas’ recent “departure decision” message to let you know what’s going on with me. (Oh, by the way Reine, your decision sounds exceptionally healthy and wise. Like everyone else, I wish you Godspeed!)
So, my news: I have recently accepted a position with the College of Marin (just north of San Fran) as their new Dean of Math and Sciences. You’ll note the absence of the word “interim” in my title this time. Yes, after a three-years-long transition period from Chancellor’s Office policy wonk to community college dean, the metamorphosis seems to be complete. My last day here at UCC is June 15th and I begin work at COM next month.
After 37 years of calling myself an Oregonian, I’m sure it will feel mighty strange to take on the identity of a Golden Stater. And, of course, it will be agonizing to leave behind all my friends in Oregon higher education. But, the opportunity is too golden, and the location too amazing, to pass up.
As I leave, I wish you economic prosperity and an enlightened Governor, legislature, and electorate that will support your endeavors here to serve Oregon’s postsecondary students. I wish you individual health and happiness. I wish you, all, only the best.
Sincerely,
-jim
Flowers In My Hair
Precisely forty summers after the Summer of Love, here I go: I’m moving to San Francisco!
The short version: The job hunt is over! I have accepted the position of Dean of Math and Sciences at the College of Marin! I will be moving down to the Bay Areavery soon.
The slightly longer version: On April 27th I traveled to the Bay Area to interview for the position of Dean of Math and Sciences at the College of Marin in Kentfield, CA…a short distance from San Francisco, a small town up in Marin County, a little bit north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Given the proximity to San Fran, former home of the Grateful Dead, and feeling extraordinarily good that day, I wore one of my many colorful Jerry Garcia ties for the occasion. During the process, one of my interviewers asked me about my attire and I admitted the neckwear was, indeed, a J. Garcia, adding that “well, you know, I was thinking ‘San Francisco’ when I got dressed this morning…” We all chuckled a little bit over my comment.
The whole time on campus that day had quite a comfortable feel to it, and I spent the afternoon in two long interviews which, at the time, I believed, went quite well. But the days, and then eventually weeks, went by and I heard nothing…so I was starting to put this job possibility out of my mind when, a week ago Friday (May 18th), I received a call from them seeking permission to contact my references. Well, yeah, please do!
So, during the following week, they made their calls until, finally last Friday, Ireceived a call offering me the job. Ohmygod, I thought, this is really happening! The job search is over!
Today we came to agreement on the terms of employment and, so now, having the deal in writing, I will be packing up my stuff here in Oregon (where I’ve spent virtually my entire adult life) very shortly and moving down to the land of earthquakes and extremely (obscenely?) high real-estate prices.
I feel very fortunate that I have been offered this position, one of the most attractive I applied for this (or any other) year, and in a location that, I believe, will suit me just fine. I can’t wait to be a Golden Stater, actually…and to live so close to the city that I’ve been drawn to ever since my first visit there in 1971.
It’s been three long years now since my departure from the Oregon University System and the beginning of my quest to re-make my life as a community college administrator. It’s looking like things have worked out after all!
For those who have been there to support me through the thin and thick of this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
[Oh, and by the way…here’s a suggestion for where to be on September 2nd: http://www.2b1records.com/summeroflove40th/]
If you’re going to San FranciscoBe sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you’re going to San Francisco
You’re gonna meet some gentle people there…
[San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair) – Scott McKenzie]
War Is Over! (If You Want It)
What better topic for a Memorial Day entry than the U.S.’s current foreign-policy debacle?
In late March, having participated in a peace demonstration in downtown San Francisco earlier that month, I wrote “Peace Now!” In that entry, I lamented the utter lack of passion evident in the peace movement these days and hypothesized that a big difference of then (Vietnam) vs. now (Iraq) is the absence of a draft.
What explanations are there regarding the American public’s apathetic stance toward this war? For although we’re showing an approval rating of our president at the 30% level (according to the latest CBS News/New York Times polling data), and an approval rating of W’s handling of the war in Iraq at 23%, this fiasco continues to go on and on and on. How can this possibly be? This week, the prez signed a bill authorizing more expenditures for the war after the gutless Democrats caved in and, basically, gave him what he wanted in terms of financing. The insanity continues!
Why can’t we just admit that we’re in another Vietnam and why can’t the American public, obviously and massively against our involvement in Iraq, insist that we be quickly extricated from it? The difference in military conscription policies notwithstanding, I believe that the comparisons are striking between the wars in Vietnam and in Iraq. And that we need to leave this ugly, costly and deadly mistake behind us. Now.
Of course, not everybody out there agrees with me. In response to my aforementioned “Peace Now!” entry, a reader wrote in to criticize my views and take me to task for making any such comparisons. Now, since this respondent chose to send an email rather than post a comment here on the blog, I’ll respect the implicit request for anonymity. However, here is a little bit of what this individual wrote:
Iraq and Vietnam are not the same. Not even close. We could leave Vietnam and not worry about the “enemy” coming to our shores. We leave Iraq ...? And don’t give me that crap about Iraq is not the enemy, or Bush Lied, or any other anti-war slogan. We want to hear a Plan B that we can get behind and support, not mere finger pointing and blaming. This is NOT Bush’s war. This is our war. Backed by majority vote in both Houses, and 14 UN Resolutions. The fact we (and everyone else) had bad intelligence dating back to Clinton’s term does not make Bush a liar. We remember how this war started. It didn’t happen the way some are trying to re-write history…
So, we leave Iraq, do we move those troops back to trying to find bin Laden? Do we bring them home and put them on our borders and at our ports? Or is the plan to do nothing? Just wait to see where they are going to hit us next, and then wing it? We’re not criticizing any of these options right now, we just want to know what is Plan B, if we don’t like Plan A.
Well, dear reader, simply put: you have your head up your butt on this one. It’s not only me but many others out there in the world, most much smarter than I, who are comparing our current involvement in Iraq to the quagmire we found ourselves in during Vietnam.
According to what they’re saying, here are some (a sampling only) of the most obvious similarities…
The lies. The Gulf of Tonkin incident and the subsequent resolution. The certainty about and dangers of WMDs. Both wars started (and continue on) under false pretenses.
The legality. Both wars were/are illegal acts, undertaken absent declarations of war by Congress and unsupported by international law or world opinion.
The locations. We did not understand the cultures (including, and especially, the religion factions in Iraq) — and we neither spoke/speak the languages nor knew/know the lay of the land.
Democracy. Supposedly we fought, and are fighting, to “preserve democracy.” In truth, Vietnam’s elections were staged and controlled by Americans. Iraq has had one election, reportedly casting ballots in order to get the U.S. to leave.
The noble goals. In Vietnam, we had the crusade against communism and, in Iraq, we have the front for the global war on terrorism. Questionable justifications, both.
Prisoner abuse and murder. The torture of Vietnamese prisoners in “tiger cages.” Mi Lai. Abu Graib.
The absence of a front line. In both wars, the “enemy” attacked/attacks anywhere at anytime.
The goal of “-ization.” In Vietnam, we were assured of the ultimate success of Vietnamization: that we could/would leave when the South Vietnamese troops had been sufficiently trained. These days, we’re told that we’ll be able to withdraw when Iraqi troops are able to fight for their own freedom.
Expansion. Although Nixon had a secret plan to end the war, by the spring of 1970 the war had expanded into Laos and Cambodia. Today, we have the troop surge.
The toll on civilians. “These things happen during war”: Here’s a well-known photo from Vietnam. And another (lesser known) one from Iraq.
Of course, there have been many more, and more elegant, comparisons between the two wars. (I’ve included a few references at the end of this article in case you want to do some more reading on this issue.) My point is: we ultimately needed to abandon our involvement in Southeast Asia as our policies had failed miserably and it’s about time we do the same thing with respect to our situation in Iraq.
So, exactly what am I proposing? My one and only Plan A: get the hell out. For example, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards has put forth a plan that calls for complete withdrawal (with a timetable of 12-18 months). While I believe that even Edwards’ proposal lacks a certain degree of ambitiousness, I support his specific plan for removing us from this terrible, terrible mistake. Let’s declare peace and leave. Immediately.
Yoko Ono and John Lennon. Photograph by Frank Barratt - Getty Images.