Sunday 19th 2006f November 2006

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Spending

A , posted by Anthony around mid-afternoon.

A lot has happened since my last blog. For a start there was Hallowe’en. It probably deserves a blog entry all to itself, but it was a long time ago now and I’ve forgotten most of what happened. I spent it in Brooklyn dressed up as Indiana Jones, basically wearing the exact same non-costume I wore back in 2003. A fun time was had by all. I was accompanied by Jaws, A jellyfish, A South American Soccer fan, Annie Hall, a lion, a witch and, most entertainingly of all, a wardrobe. There are pictures, but I don’t think I’d be thanked for sharing them, so I won’t.

I’m typing this on my new laptop, a Fujitsu P1610. It’s freaking awesome. It’s tiny and light, and I can use a fingernail on the screen as a mouse. It converts to a full tablet and does handwriting recognition and everything. It’s so cool! It’s a replacement for the one I lost a year ago. See? I waited a year! How fiscally responsible is that?

But the main thing that’s been occupying me recently has been my attempts to buy an apartment. I found one I really liked in Ditmas Park. It’s huge – one bedroom, 900 square feet. It’s on the fourth floor so the view out the window is roofs and treetops. Unobstructed! Light! The neighbourhood is gorgeous. No nightlife to speak of (too many churches, just like Harlem. Damn you, religion!) but plenty of other shops and amenities. It’s just two blockd from the B and Q trains, which means I can be in work in twenty five minutes. Just like Harlem!

So I bid the asking price. It had just come on the market when I saw it so there was no chance they’d be willing to come down yet, and I didn’t want anybody else getting it. The bid was accepted and all was moving ahead, until…

There was a mistake. The apartment listing price was too low. The wanted an extra $21,000. Nooooo! I was sick. My initial impusle was to swear loudly and walk away. But I had seen a bunch of places and there was nowhere as nice as this in my price range.

Was it still in my price range? I spoke to my mortage broker. She ran the numbers and yes, I can still afford it. So I sucked it up and bid the new asking price. Hopefully we’ll go into contract next week.

Maybe I shouldn’t have bent over and just accepted the increase, but I genuinely believe it was an error of communication and not an attempt to screw me. The price is high, but I don’t believe it’s unreasonable. The neighbourhood is one of the few in Brooklyn that’s still gaining in value, so I believe I’ll make a profit if I need to sell in a couple of years. The only thing that really would have stopped me from going ahead would have been my rage. But that’s not a sound basis for business decisions. Which I suppose this is.

Of course if they raise the price again on Monday I will hunt them down and kill them in the street like dogs. Wish me luck!

I’ve booked my flight home for Christmas. I’ll be flying in on the 23rd and leaving again on the 2nd. That’s actually a fairly long chunk. Hopefully my parents will have moved into their new house. I’ll get to see a bunch of folks, and of course my niece. Should be good. And hopefully I will be ableto move into my own new apartment early in the new year. It will have room for all my books! Hmm, I’d better buy shelves…

The hardest thing about apartment shopping is not getting ahead of yourself, I’ve found. It’s bloody stressful.

Comments on "Spending"

  1. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 29822

    At 4:53 am on Monday 20th 2006f November 2006, daragh said

    Spend, spend … You know you want to!
    Giz a shout to meet up when you’re in town loads to tell you.

  2. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 29853

    At 11:02 am on Monday 20th 2006f November 2006, D. opined

    How can it possibly be fiscally responsible of you to buy that expensive laptop computer? You survived a year without one thus clearly demonstrating that you do not need it.

  3. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 29857

    At 11:51 am on Monday 20th 2006f November 2006, JIMI, M.A PhD posted

    Hi Anthony. I hope you get the house. I just got the keys to my place on Friday. Will hopefully be fully moved in by the coming Friday.

    I never thought it would happen to us but it has. We’ve turned into bores. All I need now is a cardigan, a pair of comfortable slippers and the requisite shitty-nappied infant hanging off me…

    Actually, come to think of it, I already have the cardigan and slippers. Perhaps it’s time to start voting for the PD’s while I’m at it (for American readers that’s about the equivalent of voting Republican)...

  4. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 29967

    At 4:03 am on Tuesday 21st 2006f November 2006, daragh professed

    D knows best! Listen to your father Anthony!

    But its still great to SPEND,SPEND, SPEND!

    ahhhhhh feels so good!

    In no time you’ll be wearing the nappy James!

  5. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30247

    At 8:25 am on Thursday 23rd 2006f November 2006, Skeebag Spunk Bob Square Pants! announced

    Daragh’s right on both fronts!

    A – Knowing Jimi all these years since way back long ago when we were in the hood together I can safely say, he actually smells like a Nappy and has a fixation about nappies and will do anything to mention them which is why he did!

    And B – SPEND SPEND SPEND!!!!!!!

    Go for it Anthony, Don’t let it bother you that someone just said “Oh, the price was wrong” and you accepted that without so much as a second opinion or re-valuation! Sure it’s only money! All 21,000 Grand of it!!!

    YOUR BUYING THE BEER OVER XMAS by the way!

    (Daragh, why don’t we have houses too?)

  6. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30248

    At 8:28 am on Thursday 23rd 2006f November 2006, Skeebag Spunk Bob Square Pants! stated

    PS. Anthony:

    Where Am I?
    Sunday 05th of June 2005, 12:08 pm
    In a bar on Altair IV, which is in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, apparently.

    This is wrong…. Your website fails!

  7. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30276

    At 1:26 pm on Thursday 23rd 2006f November 2006, JIMI, M.A PhD was compelled to share

    Indeed…

  8. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30623

    At 4:02 am on Monday 27th 2006f November 2006, daragh asserted

    So many ‘Best Of’s’ out there at the moment – whats your favourite? Its no wonder they haven’t made a compilation of them – now that’s one i’d buy!

  9. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30646

    At 1:16 pm on Monday 27th 2006f November 2006, JIMI, M.A PhD posted

    For anyone who didn’t see Pat Kenny being rudely interrupted on the Late Late Show, you can find it here…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBbWf-aveR8

  10. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30649

    At 2:00 pm on Monday 27th 2006f November 2006, Anthony said

    Wow. What was that about? Censors?

    And Dean, I won’t have any money left for beer. I’m buying an apartment! I hope…

  11. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30749

    At 12:15 pm on Tuesday 28th 2006f November 2006, Vanessa proclaimed

    Hey Anthony!
    Spend, spend, spend… so when are you going to spend on a ticket to come and visit me in Portland??? Next year for sure… It’s a shame I’ll miss you in NY.

  12. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30766

    At 4:08 pm on Tuesday 28th 2006f November 2006, Anthony announced

    That’s a time thing and not a money thing, unfortunately. I’ve already dipped into next year’s vacation time for my Christmas trip…

  13. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 30931

    At 12:21 pm on Thursday 30th 2006f November 2006, Ivan channelled

    So did they gypo you on the price again? May be out your way before the feast of the virgin birth, don’t wanna jinx it with too much info tho.

  14. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 31752

    At 4:20 am on Monday 04th 2006f December 2006, JIMI, M.A PhD posted

    Anthony>> I think it was just about the fact they liquor the audience up before the Late Late….surprised it never happened before…

  15. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 31753

    At 4:22 am on Monday 04th 2006f December 2006, JIMI, M.A PhD asserted

    NEW BLOG!......GONE TO MOYCULLEN.....NEW BLOG!

    Monday, December 4, 2006.

    Er…moved into my new house on Friday. Chimney appears to be blocked. Major drama.

    NEW BLOG!......GONE TO MOYCULLEN.....NEW BLOG!

  16. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 31768

    At 6:00 am on Monday 04th 2006f December 2006, Skeebag Spunk Bob Square Pants! professed

    the Late Late party crasher is apparently upset about road safety or something. So yesterday, get this: he drove his car through the front doors of RTE! Niiiiceee! I say Buy That Man a BASS! He’s upset about something, (Obviuosly) but not sure what the real story is about. Something to do with Gay Byrne as new Road Safety ombudsman….. This country’s a load of bollox when Gay Byrne gets put into a job like that!

  17. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 31774

    At 6:20 am on Monday 04th 2006f December 2006, Skeebag Spunk Bob Square Pants! was compelled to share

    PS. Anthony, good programme on RTE last night (Yes, I know, how rare!). Twas aboot Video Games & their affects on teens and the escalation in teen murders. Kinda why Bully ddid’nt do so well eh? Have to say, naming the game “Bully” was hardly an intelligetn marketing strategy. As for the games, I disagree that games alone make kids kill people. They have to have it in them in the first place don’t they! However; some games go overboard on the old mindless violence, like one example where someone gets to pour gasoline over someone then set them on fire then piss all over them? How intelligent! Hmmm, I sound old. Discuss!

  18. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 31823

    At 12:21 pm on Monday 04th 2006f December 2006, JIMI, M.A PhD testified

    Enrique’s adventures continue…

    http://salsaland.blogspot.com/

  19. Gravatar

    Comment ID: 32755

    At 4:30 pm on Thursday 07th 2006f December 2006, Ivan started typing, with this result

    Had a pint with Hugh yesterday. Good to see him again, he was playing the part of ‘famous guy walks into a bar’ in a short I am shooting at the mo.

    oh, yeah, bed time.

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