I’m Torn… (A Rant About Homebuying)

Today M and I met with our new realtor.  (Our new new realtor… yeah, we burn through them)  We saw a bunch of houses, most foreclosures.  We saw one that could be the one, but needs all kinds of work.  The basement is a giant cave of mold, and I could hardly stand to be in there for more then 2 minutes.  Another house we saw was a foreclosure, again, but was still a little bit of work.  It had alot of potential, though.  And would be more money.  I guess thats what you get when the house doesnt look like absolute crap.

My issue is this… for 300k, in this area, you’re not gonna get much house.  Which is bullshit.  In the middle of the country, I could buy myself a fuckin McMansion but in the DC area I am lucky to get a townhouse that doesnt have pee on the carpet.  It makes me mad because if we do the responsible and adult thing and buy a house, we will be taking a major step back in terms of comfort.  We live, right now, im a pretty luxury apartment.  It has two full baths, both with the giant soaking tubs, brand new appliances and carpet… its luxe.  And if we buy a house, not only will we get shit, but shit that we have to fucking polish.  And even then, it wont be as nice as renting.  Am I missing something?  Where is the incentive?

I’ve worked hard to make money… M too.  We are at a place where we can afford nice things, and goddamnit, we should get them.  I’m not saying that I deserve my parent’s house.  I’m just saying that I shouldnt have to settle for the lesser of two polished pieces of crap.

Now, we have a good 2ish months before the lease here is up and we absolutely have to move, and lots of houses to look at in the meantime.  But, seriously… I’m slightly depressed at my options, here.  Thats understandable, right?

Tongue Thingy and my New Lens

So, today at work I realized that my tongue hurt.  I didnt bite it, so maybe it was a canker sore.  Hmm, nope.  Canker sores aren’t solid masses of OW on your tongue.  And they’re white.  Nope… this is something else.  And its killing me.  Nothing will numb it, not even orajel.  I cant talk, because it hurts.  And anything I eat cant have too much salt, because then it stings and burns.  I learned that the hard way with a bag o chips during lunch.  This sucks.

What rocks?  My new lens.  Yes… that motha is fantastic.  The 4th was fun, hanging with friends and family.  My friend Meta brought up a cake from Charlottesville.  M and her collaborated to get the cake the way we had it for our wedding.  It was the first time I’d tried it and it was amazing.  So yummy.  So fudgey. 

So, below are some shots from my new lens.  Yaay for zoom!  (although, now I have to be at leat 6ft away from my subject or else it wont focus… this is gonna take some learnin)

Mmm, guava ribs!

You can just feel that condensation

Day of Friends (and other stuff)!

Today M and I drove around looking at houses to possibly buy.  It was a pretty productive day and we came away with a really decent realtor.  Alot better than the fucking mindless twat we had before.  Its getting close to the end of our tenure here at the apartment we rent.  So, its time to start getting serious.

At noonish we had a lunch date with a friend from M’s work.  She’s an awesome chickadee.  We ate at Heebeen, which is a Korean buffet.  I used to go there more often when I worked in Springfield, and then I got sick with TB, so I couldnt go.  Today was great, except that the ladies kept forgetting that we existed and it took 2 and a half hours before we left.  Good times, though!

After leaving Annandale, we headed back out to Fair Lakes and I got myself a new circulating polarizer for my brand new lens.  Ha.  You shoulda seen me trying to attach my 55 diameter filter to my new 62 diameter lens.  I didnt think it was gonna be a different diameter.  That taught me something.    I was also gonna get a lens pouch for my kit lens, but I forgot. 

Then we came home, chilled, I took a nap, and then it was off to see another friend from college!  We ate at a Red Lobster (and, zomg, they have this new dessert thats a giant chocolate chip cookie with hot fudge in the middle and ice cream on top) and talked about times past.  Caught up.  We’re gonna see her when we go up to New York in a few weeks.  Yaaay!

So, thats been my day.  Its been an awesome day, and now its time to sit around and vegitate next to the tv.  Tomorrow?  Party!

I haz new Lenz!!

Yesterday, after M told me that he was picking some stuff up from Amazon.com, I picked up a new 75-300mm lens!  My current lens only goes 18-70mm, so this will be a good zoom.  It’s a Tamaron with great reviews, so I decided to go for it.  I wanted a new one, anyway.

Also, yesterday, I got my new book.  If I do say so myself, it looks fan-fucking-tastic.

Yep, thats all I really have to say.  Carry on!

Bulgoki, I Love Thee

A while back I documented my love for the many countries I’ve lived in.  Today, after coming back from Harper’s Ferry in West Virginia, M and I decided to stop by the new Lotte grocery store.  Back in Korea, Lotte was a major company that was everywhere and had an amusement park.  Here, they run a number of Korean food grocery stores.  Yeah, its also a major international food hub, but its mostly Korean in nature.

I love love love it.  Love it.  I love it.  Tonight we had bulgoki, which is basically thin cut steak marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and sugar.  There are a few more things, obviously, in the mix, but thats the basics.  It is incredibly yummy wrapped in lettuce with white rice.  Sooo good.

I took a few pictures.  Mmm, yeah.  That is all.  Carry on.

Deeelish yummy drink that I used to have alot of, back in the day.

Onion Rings. Like Funyuns, but 10,000 times better. And with MSG.

Whatever…

Obviously… if I didnt post yesterday on the outcome, it was either a bad outcome or there was no outcome.

There was no outcome.  Basically, I met with the people, dazzled with my personality, and they all said that they were gonna forward on my info to their respective bosses for final approval.  Really?  REALLY!!?  Ugh.  I mean, yeah, at the very least, I’m pretty sure that I’m gonna get the job thats here in DC.  The Charlottesville job mandates deployment… and um, thats not an option for me.  The England dude basically told me that I had no real skills for the position that I was interviewing for, but I did for other positions within their org.  So, thats still on the table.

Ugh.

I hate not knowing things.  Especially for something as large as a trans-Atlantic relocation.  M has to look at schools, apartments need to be investigated… blah blah blah.  But, yeah.  Even if we stay in DC, I need to know that, because we want to buy a house/condo.

No news is never good news, its just no news.

Tomorrow Is The Big Day

I’m doing my interview(s) tomorrow for the three positions I mentioned before.  I’ve already spent $500 on getting the kitties “England Ready”, so we’ll see if my preperations are all for naught.  If anything I’m pretty sure that I’m going to get a job with this agency.  Whether I move to England, or Charlottesville, or stay here in Fairfax, I’m fairly certain that I’m gonna be quitting soonish.

I’ve prepared for tomorrow by finding my “good pants”, my “good shirt”, plucking my eyebrows, and drying my hair straight.  Its usually wavy/curly/unruly and I dont like having to deal with blow drying it all the damn time.  Tonight I made an exception.  I never realize just how long my hair is until I comb it out straight.  Damn is it long.  I remember when I was a little kid and it wasnt longer than my ears.  Yeah.  Dad loved that.  Since then, I havent substantially cut my hair.  It reaches down to the middle of my back, and hangs over mah boobs.  Thats pretty long.

Tomorrow I’ll throw my good clothes into the dryer so that they’re somewhat straight (no need for an iron when I have to sit through 6 hours of work before the interviews), and try to dig out my ABCD leather folder that I was given on my first day.  Oh, and I should also bring a book.  Definately.  I should definately bring a book.  Definately.  Its gonna be a long enough day without sitting around with my thumb up my ass, bored a shit, biting my way through my index finger while I wait in various hotel conference rooms for my next interviews.

I am really looking forward to this.  Things change tomorrow.  I am super excited.  Im gonna have to practice my answers to the stereotypical questions, “Why do you want to work for us?/What do you think you can bring to our organization?”.  I tend to practice my answers ahead of time so that I seem to be quick on my toes… its silly, but it also focuses me.  Makes me feel like I have any control over the situation, when, really, I know that I’m a windsock in a storm.

Anywhoo… here we go!

Are things looking up?

New Book!

Yep.  I put together a new book last night, so I could enter it into the Photography. Book. Now. contest that blurb is running.  There are a few things I have to get done… like setting up the whole “Buy Online” thing for my website, and ordering business cards.  But in the meantime, I’ll throw my lot in with some contests.

Another contest I have to submit for is the PhotoWeekDC stuff.

Did you know that you have to pay to submit to real contests?  Didja?  I didnt… I do now.

Anywhoo… I’m off to get dinner at the Whole Foods.  Neither of us feel like cooking, and we’re josing for our favorite dishes.  When I get back, more speculation on England.    In the meantime, I leave you with another picture from Saturday.

Lady from the protest...

I Have Returned

This was a much more respectful protest than the ones I’ve done before… seriously.  People would stop and let me photograph them, or if they didnt want to be photographed, theyd asked me nicely.  The people were, for the most part, kind.  There were skirmishes between ideological peoples, and I got those, but generally folks were calm and quiet.

All pictures available on flickr, but I’ll post my favorites here.

This lady was very disturbed by what this man was shouting.

She's feeling helpless

During the march

One of the first people to arrive at the White House

Obligatory Iranian Election Post

Only, mine isnt about whats happening.  Mine is about the protest thats gonna go down in DC today.  It starts at 11 at the friggin Naval Observatory.  No effing metro there.  So I’m not gonna go to the head.  I’ll be waiting down Wisconsin, because they have to come down Wisconsin, and then march from there to the White House.

I dont know how I feel about the people of Iran and their election woes.  It wasnt really a surprise for me to find out that it was stolen.  Its Iran… duh.  But it is good to see that the people are trying to do something about their corrupt government.  Whether it works, who knows.

So, thats where I’ll be today.  With my camera.  As always.

Police from the IMF protest. I think there will be more for this one.