I have a job and am no longer in Eugene

[algeh]

I've been crazy with the packing hell lately so I haven't been writing in here. Anyway, I finally got a call back from one of my interviews (I went on a total of 4 different interviews and got two different job offers as a result) and I have a teaching job, which starts Monday. It's in a really small town, and for now I'm not going to mention which one in this journal in an attempt to not come up on searches for [town name] math or similar. It's near enough to Portland that I'll be more-or-less around and will probably start coming to meetups again. I'm keeping my same cell number for now.

I have moved out of my Eugene apartment. I am trying to find a rental in Small Town but it is not going well so far. They don't have any non-cruddy apartments that I've been able to discover (or, for that matter, any vacancies at the one out of three that looked likely enough to ask), I didn't want to live in the duplex after the other tenant told me how the landlord treats women, and there don't seem to be any other rentals advertised. On the various bulletin boards around town, I found two other people posting notices looking for places and no places advertised. I've got a lead on an old lady who rents out a one bedroom cottage on her property, but she needs to get it cleaned out and get her kids to agree to let her rent it out again.

This is driving me crazy. I feel like I've finally got a good, steady job, and I want a NICE FUCKING APARTMENT, not the kind of crap I had to choose from while I was a student. I want to have my own parking spot, at least 2 bedrooms, air conditioning, a dog, and a reasonable belief that the landlord won't take an unhealthy interest in my personal life. I have not found an apartment offering anything approaching this combination. I think I may have to live someplace cruddy for a few years while I save up to buy a house, and I just want to feel settled sooner than that. Bah.

Anyway, the upshot of it is that I've moved back in with my dad in Aloha for now. This also doesn't offer most of the amenities I'm looking for, but it is free and I didn't have to sign a lease so I can move as soon as I find something better. He'll probably even help me.

Also, on an unrelated note, is it safe for little old ladies to take Greyhound by themselves these days? We're trying to figure out how to get my grandmother back from Idaho. She seems to think she'll be fine because "if anyone tries to take my purse, I'll hit them with my cane" (I have an awesome grammy). She hasn't ridden Greyhound in about 25 years or so (probably longer, but that's how long she thinks it has been) and I'm looking for more recent stories.

Comments

[akilika.livejournal.com]

The last time my sister took the Greyhound, her main point was that she ended up sitting next to a very smelly, obviously homeless fellow who had his glasses taped to his face and obviously had for some time. (I can't remember the other details.) I don't believe he ever became threatening, though.

[clipdude.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the job! Hopefully, you can find a place to live in the town soon.

Maybe your grandmother should take Amtrak instead. I haven't had any firsthand experience with Greyhound, though.

[zind4gi.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the new job.

[giapet.livejournal.com]

I, too, offer my congratulations AND sympathize on trying to find decent housing in small towns (even if yours is even smaller than mine was). FG had the advantage AND disadvantage of being sort-of a college town; lots of housing geared at students, but that means it's crappy student housing. My place was really one of the best places out there. @.@;;

So good luck!

[qousqous.livejournal.com]

Greyhound is rarely pleasant and usually quite safe. Sometimes nutjobs go try to decapitate the driver or stupid stuff like that, but I think the Greyhound is sort of a neutral ground for sketchy people, who, despite their smell and their assault conviction, just want to get somewhere like everyone else.

Yay job! You should tell us in a friendslocked post or something what the town is.

See you in a few hours.

[joyquality.livejournal.com]

yay for job! good luck finding a place to live. looking can be sucky, but finding the right place is awesome.

[kinsugi.livejournal.com]

As an older, cane-carrying female who has traveled frequently on greyhound buses, I second qousqous's comment and agree with your cool grammy: I could do more harm to the weirdos than they could to me, should I feel threatened. (Though, being rather weird myself, I seldom feel threatened.)

And I don't even have a shillelagh... considered getting one, but they are heavy!