Adopt a Librarian: Garland turns me over to another friend...

As July came to a close, I still had no actual income. Temp jobs were few and far between, and my online librarian position hadn't started yet. Garland was ending his stay in Bloomington, and I was really stuck for what to do. In 2008 I couldn't get out of Bloomington quickly enough. NOW I didn't want to leave.

 Part of that is because I have a few friends here and can volunteer at the library. After a year in Colorado I never HAD been able to volunteer at either of two major library systems!! Having a small social network is a good thing. I've started over in new towns a few times, and it's hard. I had a few places I could stay, with family and friends across the country, but something told me I needed to stay here. (even though I miss my sister in Colorado)

Luckily, my friend decided I should stay with him for a month or two, while his roommate was out of town. I figured this would buy me another month or two to figure out my next step. Good plan!

I was only in the apartment for a month, though, since his roommate came back a month early. It's the newest, swankiest place I've lived. However, we spent most of the month fighting to get the internet connected. WHY oh WHY would you build a brand new property, advertise the cable/internet and then NOT LAY THE CABLE???  Why??  I am less than impressed, Choice Properties. Less than impressed.

His roommate returned a month early, so no sooner had I gotten a little settled then I had to find another place to live. LUCKILY, my hours at the online Librarian job had gone from 10 to 30, so I was expecting to have an actual livable income. I was only here for August 2010.

I've embedded a slideshow, but if you want to see bigger pictures, click on the title "Adopt a Librarian" and it will take you to the album.

GADD (Geographic Attention Deficit Disorder), 5 residences in 12 months

Well, this past year has given me many different experiences with housing. I never expected to be this 'ungrounded' and nomadic. My sister created a name for it: GADD (Geographic Attention Deficit Disorder)! I am truly grateful to people who have let me stay with them through this unemployment phase, and have learned so much about myself by living with different people. I thought I would share the different styles of housing, because they seem vastly different to me!

I am skipping my friend Doug's place, where I stayed for 11 months, because I don't think I have pictures. The same goes for someone's house where I stayed for 25 days, here in Bloomington.

1. Garland's Fabulous Apartment!

Garland took me in when my other friend said I couldn't stay. Everything for a reason, yes? We seem like unlikely housemates, but ended up having a wonderful time. If I ever have to go through unemployment, bankruptcy and food stamps again, I want my Garland there with me!! We spent a lot of time pulling each other up and looking forward. We also joked about his 'adopt a homeless librarian' program. Luckily, I was the only one he adopted. The apartment wasn't big enough for more of us!


The Wonderful Bed 

This made me feel like I was in a fancy hotel.
I felt like a queen, and it was also a good safe place to nurture my wounded ego from job hunting.    
I still can't believe Garland put me in his room and slept on the couch for a year. A year....wow.


The Fabulous Dresser

Style, baby, style. Well, maybe not with all those boxes..
There usually wasn't this much stuff on it. This was taken during packing up/moving time.
Usually it was just those fantastically happy red poppies!!!


Lynn Boxes in the Corner....

Nobody puts Baby in a corner....but my stuff goes there....

I did actually have the hall closet, but these were in the room.

I made Garland watch George Carlin's routine on 'STUFF'. Every time I looked at my boxes, I could hear George Carlin talking about smaller versions of your STUFF. I have stuff in storage in Colorado. I took the most important STUFF with me to Bloomington. Then I left Garland for 3 months to go to the alpaca farm, taking only the MOST important STUFF.

It's all just stuff. Too much stuff. Yes, Mike, I know..."garage sale"


The Famous Red Flowers

This was on the counter the entire time I was in Garland's apartment. Every person who came in commented on it. Very striking. Very bold. Very Garland. :) It makes me smile to see them again.

So Garland took me in for a little bit, as a temporary measure. A year later, he left Bloomington and returned to New Orleans. I did not really have a good backup plan, and no steady work. But that's the next chapter.....