Anything VIII

[Wizz]

I've moved. Went from Hayward to Fremont, about 6 miles from where I lived. When dad passed away, I became sole owner of the mobile home my parents bought, oh, 28 years ago. Hard to believe how much stuff you can accumulate in 12+ years, but with a storage place, I managed to find a place for everything. 'Course, now I have to start thinning the stuff I don't need out of the places. It's an intrim measure, as I'm going to find a place a bit smaller that doesn't require yard work...I suck at outdoors maintenance. And, I tend to accumulate stuff and not get rid of what hasn't been touched for many years. So, hopefully when I find a good place for me, I'll have thinned things out so I have a place for everything. That's if everything goes according to plan...

See, this place is a mobile home park for senior citizens. And while I believe I'm the oldest in the "group", I'm not 55 yet, so it may be a "you can stay for only one month" type of thing. Oh...Turns out that they have to have 80% of the occupants over 55, not 100%, but inheiriting the place doesn't grandfather you in. On the other hand, as I was on the title as joint tenant (made the transfer of ownership much easier), I might be able to claim I'm grandfathered anyway...don't know. Can't find out what the current percentage is, either, but it will have to come out eventually. That's item #1.

#2 is that there are signs that say at every entrance "No Motorcycles". Now, I've ignored those signs with no reprisals since I've had a motorcycle (three years). Haven't been parked here daily, though. Someone told me that there was a court case that ruled that you can't prohibit tenents from owning a motorcycle and keeping it at your place, but nothing in Google so far has given me a case to cite (should it come to that).

So, the manager needs to speak with me, and I'll find out just how far I can bend the rules. Just have to figure out if I need to be my charming self, or Mr. Confrontational.
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Polly, good luck with becoming a "bureaucrat". Gov't pension, retirement...all good. Just remember your friends around April 15th.
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Bmat, just tell the class that only the ones that show up and have a chair can participate. That you'd be glad to have more join in, but the facilities are limited. There's no way you can do two classes, which the facility folks may be hoping you'll do, so let the extras that show up approach the facility people and they can resolve it. Probably end up with people bringing their own chairs, though...best of luck to you, too.

[Wizz]

Well, my charming self won out. Good thing, too. "We'll just keep the age here in the office". Ok, no problema. "As long as the motorcycles park in the parking area close to the entrance, we don't have a problem with them. We just don't want them going through the community." Darn. My driveway is closer to the entrance than the afore-mentioned parking area. No problema #2. Guess I can unpack some of these boxes after all. [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img]

[AsIs]

Wizz, congrats! That is good news. [img]smile.gif[/img]

*hugs*

[QueenGOP]

In honor of election day, check this out.
http://i.euniverse.com/funpages/cms_...nrhapsody3.swf

[Nommy]

LMAO , QGOP! Loved it

[PollyMath]

Three cheers and a hip, hip, huzzah!

I got the job. I'm moving to DC sometime early in the new year. Must finish this semester (3 finals, yikes!) first, but then I'm packing up and moving. Not everything is finalized yet. I have to provide documentation to justify a higher step level within my job grade, and I have to pass the initial part of the background check (evidently they do the rest after you start work).

I will be working in the Exempt Organizations Division of the IRS, so no April 15th jokes please. I won't have anything to do with looking at any of YOUR tax returns. Maybe the occasional information retun of a charity, but no individual people. They are even excited about my computer background (I was a programmer before law school) since they are working on projects to get some of the forms turned into forms that can be filled out directly on-line.

I will have been out of work for almost 23 months when this nightmare ends. I think I am going to crawl inside this government job and not come out until retirement. There were times when I never believed that this journey would have a happy ending. I sure hope it has now.

Best of luck to everyone who might be in a similar position. It sounds like a cliche, but you just have to keep going and going and going.

So, now, where the heck should I live?

[ProfCrash]

Pollymath,

Where are you going to be working and how long a commute do you want?

Personally, I am in a one bedroom a partment about 3 miles from my office building. It is more expensive then living in the burbs but my commute is 15 minutes when there is traffic.

If you want to live near DC, I would suggest that you look in Arlington or Alexandria in Virginia. Bethesda Maryland is good. You can find realators here who will show you apartments and condos for rent.

Driving in this area during the week sucks. Like all major metropolitan areas. The Metro is a good option but has been a bit cranky of late, it seems like every week there is something that drops one of the lines down to one rail. Also, the Metro is not as extensive here as it is in NY. If you want to metro it in, that is easy enough to do but I would look to rent or buy within a 1/2 mile of a metro station since the Park and Rides fill up really quickly. The bus system in this area rocks.

If you choose to live further away there is a great option available called the slug line. Essentially it is an informal carpool system. 66 is a dedicated HOV lane during rush hour traffic, you can only drive it with 2 people in the car. 395 has dedicated HOV lanes that require 3 people in the car. If you have enough folks to drive them, your communte drops from 90 minutes to about 45 minutes. You can do a google search for slug info. There are dedicated slug lots where you can park your car and get into the slug line. Certain slug lines go to specific drop off and pick up locations. You hop in line and adrive picks you up. You drive to the drop off point and out you go. You do not pay the driver, they get to work more quickly and save on gas which is why they drive. If you want to drive you drive to the slug lot and get in the driving line and pick up folks. An easy way to do it is to go to the Pentagon (busiest slug line) and then take the Metro into DC.

Any way, email me if you want some help finding a place or advice on getting around.

[AsIs]

Pollymath, that is awesome news! Congrats. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[PollyMath]

Thanks, Asis.

Crash,

I'm going to be working at the IRS main national office - 1111 Constitution Avenue (between 10th and 12th). Federal Triangle is the nearest metro stop and it is very, very close, so I guess I should look for something near the blue or orange line. I have to believe that parking right on the Mall in the middle of everything would be a nightmare. Are there really places you can park right downtown? I don't know much about the DC bus system, but I guess that would work too.

And, while 15 minutes sounds like a nice commute, I don't expect it to be that convinient. Half an hour to 45 minutes would be my goal. I could live with more, especially if I could sit on a train or a bus for a chunk of it.

So, any ideas based on that info? I was sort of expecting to have to pick Maryland or Virginia. I'd like a one or two bedroom, one bath, available parking spot (outside OK), and preferably a washer/dryer in the apartment (at least in the building) and a gym in the building.

I may not be able to afford all that, but it would be very, very nice.

[sindatur]

Congratulations Polly, I knew you'd get in (nice to know too, since my fingers have been crossed so long, they were beginning to cramp up, LOL)