I am no longer in danger of being homeless

The search is over! I got a flatshare! Wow, what a process. Seriously, I had no idea it would be that hard. I went through a period of about two weeks where all I did in my spare time was go to 1-3 flats a night to meet people and see the place. I schmoozed my ass off. I brought bottles of wine to callbacks. I dressed conservative, dressed funky, acted cool, acted crazy….anything to make people like me and offer me a room. Ironically most of them I didn’t even want, because frankly they were crap…but I have this unshakeable desire to have people LIKE ME….so I tried to get every room I saw. Well ok, maybe not all.

It truly is amazing how different one place can be from another, even within the same price range. From a teeny tiny closet room with a grungy shared kitchen to a palatial home with built in wardrobes…I saw it all. Near misses: lovely house share in Primrose Hill with three great people, amazing historic Victorian 5 story townhouse mansion in Stockwell with all original features/decorations and 4 fantastic roommates (they will invite me to the parties though).

But…

Here is what I did end up in: big room with massive closets in a 3 bedroom modern flatshare in Notting Hill two streets over from Portobello Road market! My bedroom window looks out on the private garden square behind the flat, I can walk to work, and the two other gals are fun and super nice – what more could you ask? Oh yeah, and once again, it’s Notting Hill. As in posh but cool very-much-like-Santa-Monica area….the place where everyone told me I would love to live, but it was probably gonna be too expensive. Funny how things work out, right? So as of Sunday I will be an official resident of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.



Hot damn.

flats, flats, more flats

I have nothing new to report right now. Yes, I started a three month contract at an interactive company...but seriously...all I can think about is flats.

All I do every night is go look at flats. Crappy flats with annoying flatmates, fabulous flats that go to someone else. Scary neighborhoods, great neighborhoods. Hauling my bag and coat on and off the sweaty tube with the huddled masses. Blah blah blah...FLATS! ARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!

Follow up to Grey's Anatomy ... AKA Brits like to drink

So I never did go watch Notting Hill or some other such movie that would serve to make me more flat jealous...but I did go check out a super depressing flatshare near Victoria station. This better change soon.

Flip side: went out with Hula Gunn from LRG and I now must add to my list.

* Staropromen Pilsner = good (thanks Brian and the Astoria Beer Garden)
* Young's Waggledance Honey Ale = good (thanks David from London Walks)
* Magner's Cider over ice = good (I am a slave to advertising and the London Lite free paper)
* Visiting German punk band members telling me how awesome Santa Monica is, and how they miss the Dragonfly bar in Hollywood = BAD cause it continues the homesickness
* Smoking ban in July = good, cause I reek like cigarettes

Why is Grey's Anatomy Messing with Me?

I'll post later about my visit from Brian and all the tourist stuff we did, and all the beer we drank....

Meanwhile.

So I am having a super hard time finding a place to live permanently. Talk to any Londoner about it and they all give this knowing look and make appropriately sympathetic noises. It's second to getting teeth pulled...who knew.

All of this is making me depressed again. I like to be settled in a comfortable place, and my surroundings are VERY important to me. I mean I came from Santa Monica....I need a nice place to live so I don't pine for it too much.

Today (until I go look at a flat tonight) I am doing nothing other than sitting on the couch and watching downloaded American TV, in order to stave off depression. I start work on a 3 month contract at a company in Notting Hill on Monday, and I am just trying to relax a bit and not dwell on being homesick. So I am watching Grey's Anatomy - and it's the episode where Dr. Addison is set up for a spin off by visiting her friend at an integrated medical clinic in BEAUTIFUL SUNNY SANTA MONICA, CA!!! ARRRRGHHH!!!

So on one hand I am uber disgusted by the stereotypical shots of gorgeous people/palm trees/waves/beaches/street signs, and at the same time it made me want to cry because I miss it so much. And I look outside and its raining. Great.

And to top it off, I actually liked the characters and the premise, so now I totally would watch the spin off, and each time I do I will be faced with the same shots.

Fuck you Grey's Anatomy spin off. I am going to go watch Notting Hill or Love Actually or some other London movie where everyone lives in gorgeous zone 1 flats and manages to take black cabs everywhere they go. Yeah, cause that's how it REALLY is.