A Refugee in Richmond

Tick...tick...tick...tick...tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-BOOM!!  I have started to see a trend in my lfe, that whenever I'm content and happy something always come up. I had been living in Newport News for about four and half months when a bomb was dropped on me.  Our land lord was kicking us out and moving in with his new wife.  That basicaly means, "Sorry, you need to find a new home in 30 days."  Jerk!  So, I lost my new home that I had worked so hard to make nice.  I didn't have enough money to find a place on my own in Newport News.  I didn't have a car.  My roommates left me all by myself.  What the heck?!  I had two options: one, move and figure something out, or two, put my head between my knees and kiss my townhouse goodbye!

Moving to the city that sleeps in...

The things I love about the city: the sky line, the architecture, the night life, and of course, shopping! Growing up near San Fransisco, I knew all about these things.  My expectations might have been a little too high when I moved to the sleepy little city of Richmond.  Since then, I have fallen into a deep love for my city, but it wasn't love at first sight.  Since I couldn't stay in Newport News, I found a  studio basement appartment which I described in the post "Mirror Mirror,"  on one of the most charming streets in Richmond,  Monument Avenue.  To the surprise of my friends, I had enough stuff to fill a small moving truck.  Not too bad for only four and a half months!  I had everything I needed except the keys.

November 1, 2009 was move in day. Emily, Lila (my new sidekick - a one year old Jack Russell Terrior), and I arived at the realestate office around 4:30 pm to pick up the key. I was so excited to finally have the key to my first place! Thinking about where I had come from only months earlier, I was feeling pretty good all the way to my new appartment. I had already drawn out my floor plan, and aranged all the furniture in my mind. We met my friends who were helping me move in at the new apartment and all went to the door together. This was it! I put in the key into the lock and,...What the $@*&!!!! (excuse my puncuation). The key didn't work! "Let me try." said Emily. Nothing happened. We continue to pass the key around and everyone gave it a try. Nothing happened again and again. By this time, all of my stuff was already unloaded off the truck and on the side walk, and it was getting darker. By the way, the office closed at 5:00 and no one would be back because it was the weekend. I had no way of getting in! Alas! There is an EMERGENCY number! I thought to myself. Surely, this is must be worthy of the title, EMERGENCY. Don't you love when you call emergency hotlines, they're almost always answering machines? How comforting. It makes me feel like they really care, you know what I mean? 
 
Four hours later, my friends were still there, and still no call back from the hotline.  By this time I'm sure they were glad to be getting rid of me.  One positive point was all the looks we got from people walking down the sidewalk.  Since we had no other choice but to wait, I figured why not set up places for my friends to sit.  So there we sat in our side walk living room equipped with a couch, two french style blue chairs, and a coffee table, eating a drive through dinner.  We looked like the most stylish bunch of homeless people you had ever seen.  With no call in sight, I had to call a lock smith.  When that man arrived, I have never been so happy!  I felt like I was touch by an angel.  My angel was a short greasy looking man, but non the less he was my salvation.  In about two minutes I was
 in!