The end is near..

It seems as if my car/insurance company saga is almost over. I was in New Kingston last week doing some Redhat training and decided to pay my insurance company N.E.M. a visit to by pass all the BS my brokers feed me. They were really nice to me and my visit actually got something accomplished, repairs on my car got authorized that day so hopefully I can get it back before Christmas. Sadly, I took this picture the day before the accident. It is just a bunch of random things on my kitchen counter but captured my car keys and my beloved hydraulic jack (which I have yet to use after many months).

The end of the year is also upon us and yet again I am apartment hunting. My first lease was signed in December 2004 after many months of looking for the right place, December 2005 found me looking for a larger new apartment which I am currently happily living in and now December 2006 has me on the hunt again. Thankfully the pressure isn't on me as I am just helping out my friend. She is looking for a two bedroom apartment for herself and her mother with a somewhat limited budget.

She came over my house with her gleaner early this morning, made some calls and we were on the road. Out of all the calls she made, she only found two places within her budget and in her desired areas of town. The first place took us to a 1/2 house in Mona which was perfect for her as it was a 5 minute walk to UWI where her mother works. The place was acceptable and the landlady was this old (80+) Chinese lady who didn't know much english and reminded me very much of my mother. I told my friend that this was a good find and she should take it.

A small side story to this is that the old Chinese lady had a young girl, early twenties, as a friend living with her on the other side of the property. I asked the old lady what her name was and she couldn't remember, a very strange friendship indeed but they seemed to like each others company. I also wouldn't mind having this young fresh grad of UTECH as one of my friends too so I started talking to her while my friend was trying to finalize the deal. I didn't reach very far though before my friend came in on me and ruined my game, she came and asked for my assistance to finalize her lease on this place with the old lady so I had to leave Vanessa alone. At least I know her name, I left with 1 up on the old Chinese lady :-p

Anyway reality bitch slapped the taste out of my friend's mouth when the old Chinese lady rejected her as her new tenant for some other older lady that came after us. I didn't really expect her to close a lease on a place within the first hour of the first day she started looking for apartments but apparently she did as she was very disappointed and her mood changed completely after that place. Lets see what next week brings for her.