In the last 14 years…

1. Albion to Albion
2. Albion to Battle Creek
3. To Provo
4. To Battle Creek
5. To Provo
6. To Mesa
7. To Gilbert
8. To Tempe
9. To Show Low
10. To Chandler
11. To Mesa
12. To Chandler
13. To Battle Creek
14. To Provo
15. To Charlotte
16. To the Cruise Ship
17. To Provo
18. To Provo
19. To St. George
20. To Sevierville
21. To Battle Creek
22. To Provo
23. To Seattle
24. To Redmond
25. To Redmond

The above list consists of all the moves I’ve made since January 1996, when my family moved out of the beautiful, amazing 4,000 square foot, 1914-built, pre-Art Deco house on the 1.5 wooded acres with a river running through it in which we had lived for the previous nine years.  Since then, I apparently haven’t been able to put down roots anywhere.  And, to that list above, we will shortly be able to add #26: "To Redmond."  That’s right folks, on February 6th, I will be moving AGAIN!

When I first moved to Redmond, I found an 1,000 sq. ft., 2 bed/2 bath apartment at a very pretty little apartment complex by the lake.  I was paying $1320.  Then, the next year, after my first lease was expired, they jacked up my rent by $220.  I stuck with it for a while, but I felt like I was throwing away my money.  (Not that paying $1300 a month for 1,000 square feet that you don’t own isn’t throwing away money too, but, you know…).  So I decided that it was time to downsize.  I made some Goodwill runs, rented a storage unit, and moved into a nice little 1 Bed / 1 Bath apartment for which I was only being charged $1,120.  A $400 savings is nothing to shake a stick at.  Of course, I didn’t save that $400.  I instead used it to purchase stuff I didn’t really need.  But financial self-flagellation is a topic for another blog post.

I like my apartment well enough.  It’s got laminate floors, which is good for cleaning up after pets–although probably not the best on Luke’s joints, the way he scrabbles all over the place when he gets excited.  It’s on ground floor, which I like, and it’s got a nice layout. 

However, it’s cold, very dark (it’s hidden behind bushes on a shady drive), and very, very small.  If I didn’t have a recording studio setup or ever use a computer, or want to cook, it would be a pretty usable size.  It also has the problem of being on the main entry driveway to the complex, so when I’m recording I’ll often get automobile noise.

Monday I got a notice from the complex that my lease will be expiring in February.  With the expiration of my lease, I will have to sign a new one, and my rent was scheduled to go from $1120 a month up to $1145 a month…nothing too terrible.  But on a whim, I stopped by the complex office and asked what other units were available.  (Heh.  He said "unit.")  It turns out that, in the building next to mine, just across a small quad, there is a very nice apartment available for $1225.  It’s $80 more expensive than what I’m paying now.  However, it’s a 1,050 sq ft, 2 Bed / 2 Bath (both bathrooms are En Suite) ground floor unit with an attached storage unit, fireplace, laminate floors, stainless appliances, 2 HUGE walk-in closets, and it gets a lot of light.  (It’s on the Western Side of the building, and there aren’t any trees blocking the windows).  Plus, with all the extra storage, I can close out my $55 a month off-site storage unit, so really, when all is said and done, I’d only be paying about $25 a month more for the giant two bedroom than I would for my dark, tiny 1 bedroom.  And best of all, I know the person who will be living above me, and she isn’t a thoughtless jackass who considers it appropriate to sing traditional Hindi music at the top of her lungs at 2AM on a weeknight…not that I’m bitter or anything.

That’s a bargain in any language, as far as I’m concerned. 

So, on February 6th, starting at 2PM or so, I’ll be starting the process of moving all of my stuff from my old apartment in building G to my new apartment in building I, 50 feet away.  I’ll be providing free pizza for anyone who wants to help me move my stuff.  I can’t imagine that it will take more than a couple of hours…I’ll have moved most of my stuff myself earlier that day. It’s just the big stuff that I’ll need help with.  And if we don’t get it all, it doesn’t matter, because I don’t have to be out of my old place until the 18th!

Maybe this time I’ll stay put for a little while.