Finding an apartment

Well, let the adventure begin.

I went to Miami this past weekend to look for a place to lay my head at night. I need a place to live if I'm going to move to Miami. I started looking at apartments on the internet but it wasn't even a tip of the iceberg. Nothing moves fast in Miami especially my friends.

I went down early, early Saturday morning and Nancy and Mary Ann picked me up. On the way home, Nancy drove through and descrbed a bunch of different neighborhoods. Right from the get-go my head was getting too full with information that was completely out of context. We went and fetched Suzanne, went out to lunch and finally got underway to look at apartments. We never actually managed to see an actual apartment on Saturday but did a good neighborhood search and took down some numbers.

Sunday would prove a more fruitful day. Oh but wait. Let me not forget dinner at the Reno's on Saturday night. Yes, that's right those Renos. And I was worried that I was leavng all my glitz and glam behind. I may have miscalculated those Florida friends. At one point Janet C. turned to me and asked if I was comfortable -- as I was sitting in Janet R.'s chair from when she was Attorney General. I can honestly tell you that its been a while since I've had mashed potatoes up my nose. It was a lovely evening.

Sunday dawned early and we had to hustle to South Beach for our appointment. The apartment location was unbelievable. Smack in the middle of South Beach. It would be like living at the corner of Wisconsin and M in DC -- the heart of Georgetown. the building has a pool and literally backs onto the ocean. It is nestled between the Loews Hotel and the Ritz Carlton. It has two balconies -- one of which if you lean out just a bit, nothing precipitous -- you can see the ocean.

they don't take pets. Not even a little geriatric kitty. All in all, though, I think its for the best. It would have been great for guest -- and a do want guests -- but I think it would have gotten a little old, not to mention noisy, crowded, and somewhat freaky after a while. I did look at other apartments in South Beach, but with the beach at your backdoor, there's no reason to have a grungy apartment and battle every day for parking. then there is the place much farther up Collins Ave. It had an amazing view of the bay with a slip for visiting boats. The apartment, however, just wasn't up to the view. 2 bedrooms, 2 baths was the good news. The fact that BOTH bathrooms were covered, and I mean COVERED in mirrors -- all walls and ceilings -- was just too much. Drag queens? Diva elderly? Both. it gives me the willies just to keep thinking of it.

Then Nancy and I went up to Aventura to meet with our funder. Wow. That's an area. I saw a yacht bigger than my current apartment building. Our funder lives in an apartment I could only dream of. First of all she has an elevator that goes to her apartment. Not a hallway, her apartment. How TV! The 40 ft wall of windows on the 17th floor was nothing less than amazing. I didn't see much else as I was mesmerized by the view. Nice.

After a great meeting (and some really good food) we went back to the apartment hunting. We visited a place in Brickell (downtown Miami) an awesome place in Coral Gables, and a cheesy place advertised as the edge of the Design District but more like the center of Little Haiti. Somthings are the same no matter where you live. If its to cheap to be true, then its too cheap to be true. the good news was that I was figuring out that I can live there and there are things in my range. Good news since I've given notice and all...

Monday brought another business meeting about the clinic and more apartments. Nancy handed me off to Janet and we were like the blind leading the handicapped. I'll be the blind. Despite Nancy's best efforts all weekend, I just couldn't get my bearing. East, West, South, huh? At one point Nancy suggested I look at the shadows to figure out where the sun was. What is she, a campfire girl? I'll learn. Just point me to the ocean and while soaking in the sun and beautiful water, I'll figure it out. Maybe I should sit on the beach awhile while I ponder it.

Miami calls and I'll learn soon enough.

Just think... soon I'll have a new job, an apartment in a whole new city, AND 2 Senators. Its more than I ever could have imagined! Let the adventure begin!