grim little fun

Today the four of us went out in our daily search for rentals in Hoquiam.  Our criteria include factors like monthly lease amount, typical utility bills in residence, type of heating for the domicile, and number of cats fornicating in the yard upon our arrival (seriously, we almost didn’t get out of the car at that place on Wheeler for fear of being overrun – East Wheeler naturellement –  our asses won’t be affording anything on W. Wheeler).

Our house list included a batch from a rental agency we hadn’t worked with previously.  My husband and I noticed a sort of …  je ne sais quoi about today’s options.  Mostly, lots of broken glass in the yards and very thin,  threadbare and sad-looking carpeting in the empty rooms we peered in.  I so fiercely love shopping for anything with my kids – because have I mentioned how practical and smart they are?  At the Wheeler site Sophie said, “This place looks like it has rats!” and then, a few minutes later, “I’m not sure if this would be safe for Blackie and Mable …  there are lots of male cats around.”  What was kind of cool is we looked at places with standing basement water and creepy, Silence of the Lambs labrynthian basements (complete with decaying corpses) and at every moment the kids were quite measured and thoughtful about the qualities or lack of in any particular house.  Let me tell you, not one iota of snobbery exists within those kids.  Times like these I’m glad we have no television and are forgoing public school.

We looked at a total of five properties.  The kids preferred this little run-down four bedroom on the highway – they enjoyed the semi-fenced yard, a “tree house” (oh dear Lord if we do rent it, I cannot wait to post photos of this pathetic structure), and a covered bus stop directly in front of the house (Hogakids = public transit FTW!).  I peeked in and saw what was the ugliest kitchen I’ve (not yet but let’s face it, I’m going to be forced to live there) ever contemplated cooking in.  I figure we’ll do a walkthrough tomorrow.  And in the meantime, if anyone knows a very classy, chic way to cover up a cement-and-plywood sealed fireplace – let me know.

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