New Job and Moving Update

[nemorathwald]

I almost certainly got the part-time web dev/design job in Ypsilanti which I applied for. J took an excellent job in Denver, which will let her work remotely from here until she moves out there in December. I'm staying here to finish my web development certificate, which will finish in May. Five months is a long time, so I won't prepare premature plans past that point.

J spent a few weeks in Chicago, interviewing with a different company every day. I was really rooting for Chicago to win. I would have been happy to move there with her. Chicago is in driving distance of Madison WI, Cleveland OH, Lansing MI, and here-- where people are located who I know and want to spend time with. It has SF conventions and fans who I know. It's within driving distance of Penguicon, ConFusion, U-Con, GenCon, Origins, and Buckeye Game Fest. It even has Chicago Toy and Game Fair and a game publisher who wants to look at my board games for publication.

I spent a day in a Motel 6 in Denver once. It is a 24-hour drive from here, each way. It is within driving distance of nowhere. I know exactly one person there, who I only met once. For calling upon the powers of my social network to help me, that is like Kryptonite.

I have been considering an offer to move to Southfield, MI in December, a few miles north of where I live now. An elderly lady would like a roommate to do ten hours of chores per week in exchange for free rent. That's an appealing prospect, because I would live within a mile or two of many of my friends, and I could put the rent money in the bank to more easily pay back my student loans.

The downsides would be, in descending order of importance:
1. She holds a bible study in the apartment every week.
2. Limitations on visitors. I currently enjoy three or four game nights per week in my current home, and a woman can stay the night in my current home without feeling super-awkward about my roommate.
3. Due to a severe allergy, no latex or soft rubber of any kind in the apartment. (Rubber bands which hold my game boxes together. The grip of my drawing tablet pen. Condoms.)
4. No ice cream in the apartment.

That sounds workable, if I can find someplace else to be during the bible study. On the one hand, she seems like a very friendly and accepting person on the phone, and happy to find workarounds for problems. On the other hand, it also sounds like the setup to a sitcom, doesn't it? "One is an itinerant, sexually-active, vocally-non-religious technophile who can live under any domestic conditions! The other is a fragile elderly churchgoer! What could possibly go wrong?"

Do not misunderstand this to be an act of desperation. I am able to pay rent with my student loans. I'd just rather leverage my advantages:

1. No one depends on me.
2. I have very few possessions.
3. I have no domestic needs beyond broadband internet access, running water, a fridge and range, a cot, and a door or curtain for privacy.

So, why not put rent money in the bank? Is it smart financial planning? Or setting myself up for tension? What do you think?

Comments

Avoid it, man

[claydowling.livejournal.com]

Given your very strong views on religion, I think you're setting yourself up for disaster, that will probably wind up costing you more in the long run when you need to find new living space in a hurry.

[pstscrpt.livejournal.com]

There's no commitment with the little old lady, right? You could always see how it works out.

Is she aware you're an atheist (agnostic?) and not just non-devout?

[lintra.livejournal.com]

Great way to save money. If she isn't going to want to direct your cleaning efforts (beyond a list of requests) I'd go for it. You could limit interaction with her, and yeah, coffeehouse for bible study time.

As far as the ladies go, you can keep some of that money you're saving for a 'romantic hotel trip' fund.

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

I would meet the old lady in person before speculating any further.

[twoofdtm.livejournal.com]

Do you have other offers we could compare?

I don't think this is a BAD-IDEA-TM kind of situation but it's definitely not what I would consider a Good situation. You have the added benefit of not paying rent but you have to clean/do chores to earn your keep. I don't know about you but I know how hard it is to keep up after my own standard of clean so imagining somebody doing it to that standard? Ha! Are the chores a set list? Dishes every day, mow/shovel when it's needed, air out the house, dust the curtains, tv, tops of bric-a-brac, vacuum once a day, take care of the pet, flip my mattress.... I mean, what is your level of "have to do" to not pay rent? What if she decides to change it once you move in?

Since you know she does a bible group once a week you can pretty much assume she's involved in her community. Do you think you could handle her lifestyle day in and day out for the next however many months it works out? Would you feel caged or censored in your own space?

If things go sour, would the friend you got introduced by be offended/hurt that you may offend or hurt her?

[cosette-valjean.livejournal.com]

Based on your recent issues with rage and depression, I see this going badly. Try to find some other place. People who think they are relaxed and non-judgmental, are not necessarily representing themselves accurately. If she cares enough to hold a weekly study, you are going to get on her nerves and vice versa.

[jodybrai.livejournal.com]

I need to tell you the story of my old roommate/landlady, Collette. She used a cheap room to attract and convert heathens, and decided I was a devil when her pastor died shortly after I moved in, after she had been badgering me about going to church with her. (I never met the man, and he was in his 80's) Shortly after, she called the police, threatened me with a gun, and demanded that I vacate the premises immediately, after trying to "confiscate" my computer and other personal items, claiming that they had come with the room.

All in all, not a fun couple of months. I'm not saying that anything like that is happening here, but the idea of little-old-lady-shows-kindness-and-converts-heathens isn't unheard of.

If that is what this person is planning, I'd say she is going to have a very rude awakening trying to deal with you! In some ways, I look forward to hearing about it if you do take her up, and if she does turn out to be an overeager evangelist, LOL. On the other hand, it could invite stress. . .

If you are so close, however, Nikki and I would love to play host to at least some of your accustomed game nights. That's what the front room is for, after all!

If you do end up there, just down the street, Nikki and I would be happy to play host to at least a few of your accustomed games. That's what the front room is for, after all!

[delosd.livejournal.com]

No ice cream in the apartment?!?

Since you asked...

[dawnwolf.livejournal.com]

The things you have to say about religion online are frequently disrespectful of others' feelings. And you said in a post awhile back that you're having issues with depression and anger. I don't know how you are with being able to respect people's religious views when you are interacting in person, but you might want to think about this in the context of your current mood and reflect on whether or not you'll be willing and able to keep from hurting this woman's feelings.

OTOH, you could use some of your savings to do the things that might help with those mental health issues...