Lili living...: ohmygoodness.

I've graduated, and as I hinted to, the up in the air "things" are now conclusive.

The place I had arranged to live in, which was to be ideal financially and otherwise, got smacked in the face with a brick. IE landlord/mom of roommate wanted to be more than a landlord (and more of an imposer of how/what I should do). There were also some problems with the lease. Well this offended me, so after some phone calls and some emails to try and work "things" out, it didn't work out. As I expected.

So, that's all fine and dandy, but I'm really big into having everything situated and organized and planned out well ahead of the necessary timeframe to which it pertains....

Me two weeks ago: hmmm I have no place to live come June 1, a temporary job with an unknown take-home income (serving) that I'm not too thrilled about, and a heaping tablespoon of schoolwork to finish. Then I'll graduate.

I couldn't devote all of my energy to finding a new place bc of that big fat nasty hairy capstone paper, so I had to put it off until after the paper was turned in. The paper turned out, or so I thought, great (I ended getting a B in class, so it obviously wasn't as great as I had hoped). Then I had to graduate. YAY?!?!

Here's blurry pictures. My parents have the good ones...

And the glory of your best friend having the same major as you is that you get to sit by each other at commencement.

The last week, I have tirelessly and endlessly and exhaustedly searched for that right place for a very picky tenant. My list of must-haves.

It be in Norman
It not be in a bad neighborhood
It not be completely trashy
It be under $500 a month (or under $650 if all bills paid, which is common in this college town)
It be available ABSOLUTELY NO LATER THAN JUNE 8. (I had a few people offer to let me sleep on their couch for a few days if it came down to it. I also had my piano-mom, Nancy offer me her guest bedroom with open arms, because that's just how nice she is)
It have a good landlord

My list of I-really-really-want-these-things-and-not-having-enough-of-these-would-take-it-off-the-list.

It be available May 30 to move in (yes, earlier then June 1)
It have w/d or hookups (you would be shocked at how many places DONT) or even an onsite laundry if I really had to...but I was not going to do my laundry at a laundramat.
It have 700+ sq ft. I am cramped in my 500 sq ft...really really cramped.
It have a porch/balcony of some sort
It have hardwood floors OR new carpet. I don't like other peoples' old carpet.
It have some cuteness factor.
It have new-er appliances and finishes.
It have 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom or an enormous enough living room to have the desk setup in there. I'm done with college, so I don't want my computer and desk in my bedroom any longer.
It not be on the east side of Norman at all even if it's in a good neighborhood.
It have fireplace. (This is not necessary at all, but I was constantly swaying towards places with a fireplace)
It have more than 1 parking spot per unit (Many of the "Apartmentalized Houses" only allot 1 per unit)
It allow for pets (I want to get a puppy very badly)

Yup. I'm picky. BUT. I found a place!!!!! Thursday morning, I went to go see a place that was owned by my friend Drake's landlord. Turns out, it wouldn't be ready until June 20. So, she referred me to her brother in law, who owns a giant lot near campus with 4 houses on it, each is "Apartmentalized" (self-containing, self-sufficient, no shared spaces like kitchens or bathrooms or whatnot, separate bills, etc.). I go to see two units (of 15!!! on the lot). One has no w/d hookups and is a bit tiny. The other one is PERFECT. And I love it!!!

It's in Norman
It's near campus (all good neighborhoods and streets)
West side!
It's freaking adorable
It's under $500 per month (not by much, but it's under)
It's available June 1
The landlord is nice
It has w/d hookups (my dad has been trying to pawn off to either Ryan or me my Granny's w/d from before she moved into a retirement community)
It is huge. Maybe 850 sq ft??
It has a fireplace
It has a private and lockable screened in porch off of the bedroom
Appliances are nice (stand-up shower only, but who cares)
Hardwood floors in living and bedroom. Tile in the kitchen and bath.
It allows for pets :o)
There are at least 30 places to park on this lot, most of which are in the back. It's insane because you would never know from the street that there is that much!!

I had a deposit down within an hour (I saw it with another girl needing a place, and I didn't want her to steal what I was already expecting to be my new place) and I move in on June 1!!!! Plus, my landlord where I currently live said I could stay until June 2nd to get everything out and cleaned without too much of a rush (best landlady in Norman...too bad I can't afford to live here any longer....). I am so excited!! The layout is a little weird, but I love the place!!

It goes something like this: walk in: living room, next room: bedroom (off of which is the patio), next room: kitchen, next room: bathroom/laundry room/biggggg closet (bedroom closet isn't so big). So, guests will have to walk through my bedroom to get to the kitchen or bathroom. Odd, but I don't really care.

I have some pictures, but I didn't take my usual 30 pic photo shoot when seeing a place because the girl living there now was showing us around. I didn't want to be awkward and take photos of all of her stuff.