whining about blogging and real estate

Wrote this post on Saturday morning; didn’t put it up, went out because I have learned to run out when sun comes, came home, had company was in a good mood and wrote the post that exposed my total lack of morals and values. Can’t remember if I put in my thing about the expression “uh” and how I over use it, and that’s fine because I over use it in real life, but I expect better from The New York Times, especially Joyce Purnick who I have always liked. Don’t really care, if I put it in or not already. It’s time to hang up the blogging pad–for a day or two, maybe even three. it’s now Tuesday night and my TV cable is out; the one program I watch”live” or when it’s on and not DVR’d is Boston Legal

I write for two blogs, duh, Courting and bring it on!

I feel very uh about blogging right now. Maybe everybody hits a wall or saturation point at certain times when blogging regularly. When I was a kid my parents couldn’t get me to write a thank you note to save my life, and sometimes it did feel that my life depended on writing that note.

Today going to other blogs feels like writing a thank you note used to feel; a dreaded chore though I had usually been given something great. When I graduated elementary school my mom probably had my poor aunt in Miami go all over town to find a copy of “Last Dance,” a compilation of the best death songs ever. I probably still owe my aunt, uncle and cousins a thank you for that one.

Honestly, it didn’t hit me until right now that my aunt hadn’t thought of that one on her own. We had been in Miami Beach a few months prior to elementary school graduation; my aunt might have had my cousins ask me what I want. But now that I have watched my friends in action re presents for their child(ren), I’m pretty sure that my mom suggested it.

I have reached the point where I find cleaning house preferable to blogging. That is sad. Sadder still I just looked at the real estate section of The Times and a one bedroom in my building, with river views and much larger than mine has an asking price of $995,000. It only has one bathroom but does have a real kitchen. And the bathroom is huge; it has much potential.

Yes damn it I find it sad. It’s a sponsor sale which means that a rent controlled or rent stabilized tenant died. When my building became a coop in 1989, it like the majority of buildings on the Upper West Side chose not to evict people who didn’t buy. That means that people can stay tenants forever or until they die, and if they’re rent controlled their apartment will go up seven percent each year; if they’re stabilized their rent will go up according to the guidelines provided by the rent stabilization board. This year it’s two percent for one year, and five percent for two years. While two percent sounds better, I can’t imagine the figures that they’re going to set in June so five percent is the much better deal.

The apartment listed in the paper has a monthly maintaince charge of $1440; I pay close to $900. That’s above and beyond the price of the apartment. Every year we have an assessment. I think that the one for next year has been set already but can’t remember offhand. Technically a coop can assess whatever they feel like for as many months as they feel like. Very few boards would as it would create even worse feelings in the building, and the coop board doesn’t get out of being assessed either.

Call me cynical as I am. The upside is that my building has so many of its own mortgages I get more tax breaks than I should as I paid cash for my apartment. It goes along with my no debt lifestyle which doesn’t make me feel all good and tingly inside because I’m reaching an age where I have to seriously begin thinking about the future. Actually, people should always think about the future but it’s hard to when you’re 30.

Who the hell is going to pay close to a mil for a one bedroom? A lot of people as my building only requires ten percent down. I can easily see parents buying it as an investment and for their kid to live in. Or parents gifting the apartment to their newly married kids. Cooper I exclude you from anything I might ever write about snot nosed kids and wish that you would ask your parents to buy the apartment for you. Though I would rather live downtown now, I’m glad I bought my apartment here so I wasn’t closer to the implosion.

Please understand if I don’t get to your blogs for awhile. Need to rediscover me for at least a few days. When I don’t listen to music that signifies that something is off. Know it’s a strange meter but it works.

Life’ll kill you
then you’re dead
Warren Zevon

I have to say I truly love Google’s spell check; no matter where I am on the Internet there’s a safety guard, a great spell check. Well it’s less depressing than thinking about the cable company, though they usually provide an amusing anecdote.