| hell yeah |
[May. 18th, 2009|10:20 am] |
Bicycle to work day 1: success!
Will upgrade to Huge-Success when I find a less suicidal route.
Today's Route: Hollywood to Le Brea to Sunset.
Hollywood: Bat shit insane, will not ride again.
Le Brea: Nice.
Sunset: Mostly okay, sometimes insane but mostly okay. |
|
|
| Happy but Annoyed |
[Apr. 30th, 2009|02:23 am] |
I'm happy we have a place in NOHO as of the 15th. I'm annoyed because I said that if I came back to LA I'd live in DTLA, Santa Monica or Venice. Instead we're going to be in the Valley. How did happen? Money: We spent a lot of money in SF, both of us being unemployed will do that. Parking: Most of the places in DTLA only had a single parking spot and add'l spots offset the otherwise reasonable prices. Even when it could work for us there's the matter of friends. Location: It can be hard to get in and out of DTLA. Money-Part-2: I'm convinced that even if parking were a non-issue living in DTLA would turn lead to a higher consumption lifestyle and I want to go the other direction. Availability: Nothing of interest was available in Santa Monica. or Venice. Features: Parking, Washer/Dryer, AC, Heat, Gym, Pool, ... Compromise: ...
I understand the how NOHO won. We looked at lofts DTLA. Then we looked at lofts in NOHO. Then we looked at entirely too many old apartments in WEHO and surrounding areas. We had a list of five places we each liked. Everyone was running some sort of crazy deal or other. I build a nice spreadsheet to cut through the rubbish. To account for free-internet here, gas and water there, and every other permutation of things that would add to or subtract from actual monthly cost over the term: specials, inclusions, exclusions, vendor lock-in, effects home and auto insurance rates ...
The best deal was in NOHO. NOHO is cool in it's way but it looks to be more chains and fast food than the sort of awesome small restaurants I've come to adore in SF. Did I mention it gets hot? Like 110. It'll be like I'm back in Austin but more arid and the rent/taxes are much higher.
I know, I can prove -- I have the data -- that financially I made the right decision. I can't stand fast food or chains so we'll eat in more. The rent is lower. Our unit has a washer/dryer so we won't be wasting as much time or money at the laundry mat. That's several hundred dollars a year, like seven hundred. Auto insurance is about 30% less expensive in the NOHO than in WEHO or DTLA.
It doesn't feel like the right decision. Funny that making good decisions on one front leaves me feeling overly compromised on another. Non-financial pluses: The complex has a nice new swimming pool, I'll be swimming most days I expect. We're right next to the train, so I'll be able to train and bicycle to work. I'll be doing that most days I expect.
Some of the compromises were things Alexis wanted. Some compromises were things I wanted. It feels improper to say but sometimes I miss being purely self-motivated. Usually I don't, but sometimes, yeah. Also some of the compromises were to save money directly and indirectly. E.g. by taking an apartment rather than a loft I'm not compelled to buy hardware to partition "rooms" or acoustically suitable curtains for the partitions, or fancy couches to better use the available open spaces.
On that happy note, goodnight interjournals.
Maybe next time ... |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Apr. 29th, 2009|02:32 am] |
The LA trip has been exciting for the RX8.
1. On the trip down a small rock tossed by a truck chipped the windshield. $10 to fix.
2. A large screw to the front left tire. ~$400 to replace two tires.
3. The driver of a Mini Cooper caused ~$1300 in damage to my bumper.
I'm glad (3) is being covered by their insurance company. The Mini Cooper's driver was covered by Esurance. I have to say that so far I'm pretty impressed with them.
So you know, Yay. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Apr. 29th, 2009|02:29 am] |
Later today we'll have a place in LA.
Soon I drive back to SF.
Soon we'll have everything packed.
Soon we'll have movers.
Soon I'll start at Yammer.
Funny, I already miss SF.
 |
|
|
| next time |
[Apr. 24th, 2009|11:13 pm] |
|
Next time we look for a place, I'm going to hire someone to do the parts that I hate. What are those parts? First, since machines seem to be unable to do this for me so far, I'll have a monkey scrape Craigslist and a few other sites into a single coherent view of "stuff I might be interested in". Second, once I've reduced the set of places to just those that I'm interested in, hired-person will deal with scheduling appointments with the realtors. |
|
|
| on compromises: today vs. tomorrow |
[Apr. 23rd, 2009|11:42 pm] |
So, we're in LA staying at a friends while we're looking for a place to live. There are plenty of places available, it's actually a gigantic pain to sort through all the possibilities, especially when the realtors repost their adverts every few hours to every day. Lot's of noise. Anyway, I'm having an incredibly hard time finding a space I'll be happy with.
There are three points of interest are: Price, Quality and Location. I'm not sure what geometry best describes the problem but it's not the usual equilateral triangle. That would imply that there was some linear relationship between Price, Quality and Location where there clearly is not. Price+Location is erratic. Quality+Location is more erratic and Price+Quality is hilariously erratic up until about $3K where it starts to stabilize, but hello, not even thinking about $3K/mo for a rental space.
Quality of a space is an interesting thing. If you ask a realtor they seem to think that quality is related to brand or class of material, thus by installing a granite counter top or a subzero refrigerator the quality of the unit is increased. That's nice for someone I suppose but (a) I don't like granite and (b) I don't think subzero offers any value to a renter or likely even the owner. So, what's quality mean to me?
On the material side I absolutely hate carpet. When carpet is new the smell makes me ill and when it's old it is positively disgusting. Hardwood? Yay. Tile? Sure! Concrete? Why not! I don't care which but fuck I hate carpet. For appliances? I remember having a dish washer was nice, a garbage disposal was positively a luxury. I haven't had either in five years. Neither made my life much easier or saved much time. Funny! Hmm, what's left? Oh, a Washer and Dryer. That's is the money shot to me. Washing a dish after I eat takes all of 15 seconds. My laundry every two weeks? Huge sink of my time. *Hours*.
Staying on the material front, let's take a trip to the bathroom. I love taking baths, they're my #1 source of relaxation. Yet, most spaces have retarded bathrooms. The tub may be too small, or not shaped for a human body, or with one of those goofy glass rails takes the comfort and joy away from the bath experience.
Looking a little more abstractly at material, the room itself. I don't want to hear my neighbors above, below or etiher side. I don't want to hear them having sex. I don't want to hear them walking around. I don't want to hear them rocking out to rock band. I accept that if I open the windows I'm changing the game.
Summary:
+1 (concrete|plastic|tile|concrete),
+1 washer,
+1 dryer,
+1 functional-bathtub,
+1 sound isolation
To get these points, please add several hundred dollars to the base cost of a rental unit. Note these seem to be associated with "luxury living" and tend to be in places that also have services such as a twenty-four hour concierge, on site gyms and valet parking for guests. Or, possibly no parking at all depending on the Location axis. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Apr. 18th, 2009|03:39 pm] |
The job/project quest is over.
I'll be starting at Yammer.com in a few weeks.
In the mean time we'll be shedding and packing once more.
I can tell I'm going to miss SF a lot.
The food and the bright parts of the culture.
I won't miss the cold.
I won't miss the excrement on the streets.
Yammer is in LA/Hollywood.
I/we will take advantage of being in LA again.
I will learn to surf.
I will learn to snowboard.
We will have a surf and snowboard on the same day adventure.
Add'l ideas for LA adventures wanted.
That is all. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|11:30 am] |
Poll #1378030
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: AllIf I had a RSS feed of my friends page which included your locked posts, would that upset you? |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Apr. 3rd, 2009|08:09 pm] |
My paid account expires in a few days. I've been trying to decide if LJ still has enough value to justify $25. I'm leaning towards NO at this point. Is there some amazing value to paid accounts that I'm missing/forgetting?
Poll #1377778 Pay for LJ
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: AllDo you think LiveJournal is still worth $25/year? |
|
|
| book status |
[Mar. 6th, 2009|04:18 pm] |
I finished "Just a Geek" and "Sunken Treasure" last week.
This week I mode some progress on "Feasting on Asphalt" and "Intelligent Negotiator".
There were eleven books in the queue.
The queue is down to nine, with two almost popped.
Oy, then seven to go! I wish I could read the dry books more quickly. |
|
|
| (no subject) |
[Feb. 23rd, 2009|12:53 am] |
I've been buying a lot of books recently. If someone suggests a book, it's One-Click(TM) away. Now that I have Amazon's pile-of-money-for-them iPhone app, I can One-Click(TM) books from almost anywhere. I wait eagerly for the books to arrive, checking Amazon almost daily for UPS or USPS or Fedex updates. I run down stairs like a kid on giftmas day to greet the delivery agent, sign with my bicycle and then I'm back up the stairs. Box discarded part way between the living room and kitchen.
I put the book down sometime later and like a kid on giftmas, I move on to the next book. I have a stack of nine books I'm working on. I found them all around: in the bathroom, on my nightstand, under the couch [wtf?], and on my desk. Seriously? Nine books and that's not counting any that might be in transit. So, I took a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyinsimian/3298246581/ and posted to Twitter/Facebook that if I say I'm bored, if I say I have nothing to do -- please send that link back to me. Because clearly, there IS something I could be doing.
Tonight I picked up Wil Wheaton's Just a Geek [note: the link goes to Wil's website rather than Amazon]. I absolutely love this book. I can't believe I put it down and hadn't picked it up again. Well. I was flying to Austin when I started reading and found one of his stories so moving I put it down and wrote a letter to Wil.
Let me just say, JetBlue's trays do not provide nearly enough room for a 15" macbook when the large fellow in the attached seat decides to push the seat back as far as he can muscle it.
That's probably the best review I can give of the book. I have never once written an author to thank them for putting pen to paper and sharing. Much less at twenty thousand feet with the weight of a large man tenuously supported by a clearly over worked hinge directly in front of me. There you have it: It's a great book. I'm not done and maybe it'll turn out like a Neil Stephenson: awesome until you find your self wondering one of "where's the rest of the story?" or "why won't he stop writing! oh god, it hurts!". |
|
|
| on hotness |
[Feb. 22nd, 2009|10:47 pm] |
I'm surprised how much I miss the Austin Summer.
Or even the LA Summer.
I miss being warm.
I miss being hot without being cold. |
|
|
| Living? |
[Feb. 18th, 2009|04:45 pm] |
Why do you live where you live?
Why that state? Why that city?
Was it the weather?
Was it the location, high profile, low profile, comfortable, hip?
Was it the recreational opportunities, school, surfing, camping, skiing, swimming?
Was it the professional opportunities, lots of smart people, startups?
Was it the social opportunities, your friends are there?
Was it inertia, you went to school, then found a job, ... ?
Do you think about the opportunity cost being where you are? For example If you're in LA, you might talk about being able to surf and ski in the same day, have you ever actually done that? You're paying for the opportunity, have you ever taken advantage of the opportunity?
--
I'm thinking about all of these things right now, so I'm curious where all of you stand. |
|
|
| Funny Thing |
[Feb. 17th, 2009|09:37 pm] |
Funny thing happened today. It was very rainy in SF, so I decided to take a cab to my interview. The cab came quite early so I got to SITM a good 25min early. Nice to be early but I didn't want to be *that* early so I decided to head to the bathroom and take my time.
So I'm sitting there, uh, taking my time and woosh: the lights turn off. Now, SF is full of hippies, I figured maybe there was a motion sensor in the bathroom that I had failed to trip. Not so much as it turns out, but I spent entirely too long waving my hands around, trying to "trigger" the motion detector before I realized I could hear UPSs beeping in the distance. Then I could here people shuffling around. Yes, the power had gone out.
There I am, hanging out in the bathroom, without any light but my iphone. Awesome++.
The power eventually came back on, about two hours into my interview. |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
mhat's journal
6 (66.7%)
