The Garden of the Blind

I saw an episode of Gilmore Girls a short while ago (it was the second that I had ever seen, for those who may mock me for watching a chick show, even if its dialog is pleasantly similar to conversations in The West Wing) where two characters decided that a good way to spend an afternoon together would be to go window shopping. They got themselves all worked up, only to find that window shopping was dreadful. And it got worse once they went into the stores.

I bring this up because I have begun shopping for an apartment. Theoretically, it sounds like a fun thing to find a place that will be your home for the foreseeable future. You get to explore the maze of rooms, closets, and cupboards, all the while trying to picture how it will all look once you’ve moved in and integrated your life into it. Well, it turns out that this is almost true, but whatever joy comes from that is overshadowed by the work it takes to track down a decent place, concerns with the apartment (or its location), and everything else that is leading up to your eventual move.

The apartment I visited today looked like it was built in the 70's, and had not been improved much since then. The colors were hideous (I was born in the 70's, and now I understand why I have no sense of style). Parts of it were falling apart, and perhaps the most charming feature was a small bathroom that consisted of a toilet and a door that hit my knees when it was closed. Still, it had two levels, and I thought that was neat. Oh, and the traffic was awful. Next please.