Be Brave Project: Day Nine--Recouping

A lovely, summery picture here. . .beautiful and full of natural ease--everything I am currently not feeling. Taken at my Aunt's house upstate this last weekend, before I received The Lease Offer.

Just like yesterday I am still reeling. A 66% rent increase in 2 years.

Reeling.

But, in the spirits of my rules of the BBP, I have rallied by following through on several previous projects: One, I wrote to two brokers upstate to follow up on house viewings. Two, I finished my application for Healthy NY Comprehensive Health Care through the Oxford Plan. The application (with first monthly check) will be mailed today.

Today my Brave Thing will be to write the Evilly Grasping landlords suggesting that they perhaps adjust their reign of terror to something slightly less egregious. I will suggest a $150 rent increase, and mention that I am planning on being here just one more year. I shall also ask, if they refuse that, to see any other one bedroom apartments that are in the same area.

Last night looked at shares (which would mean all my stuff goes in storage), and also at apartments in Inwood, way the fuck uptown. There are some nice little 1999 prices up there still, and I need to consider that. Just look at myself as a commuter--buy a monthly metro card with the $900 p/m I could save living up there, and travel down to Columbia for my gym and library access.

Yesterday had lunch at Blossom, a vegan organic place that's new on 82nd and Columbus. Veganism clearly agrees with their very fetching waiters, who all have that hungry waifish NYC Adiran Brody look that makes me want to feed them beef stew and then, with rough girlishness, throw them up against a wall. Maggie--who looks like a beautiful version of Hillary Swank-- has had one of those usual thrilling/disappointing NYC romances, with a guy who sent her flowers and poems and promised the moon, the stars, and regular tickets to Symphony Space. . .but who kept another woman in the background. Sort of an heir and a spare situation, but of course Maggie renounced her crown once she found out. Now the guy's emailing her constantly, but she's too hurt to resume the old glamorous rendezvous. I've been in similar situations, of course (though the bad behavior was regrettably often mine, due to drunken idiocies and insecurities), and I felt for her. At the same time, I'm ashamed to say, part of my mind was thinking-- there are romantic problems and real estate problems, and real estate's more serious.

That sort of thinking is a sure sign you've been in Manhattan too long.

Ugh. I think I want to look at the pretty picture again.