Nah...

What a week I've had! The publisher in London contacted my agent in New York and it looks hopeful that I may be working on book with them... it all comes down to money at this point and if the offer will be attractive enough for me to do it as I'm also in the midst of finishing my own book proposal to my agent who already has a publisher who wants me to be one of their authors. On that side, it's just of matter of how stirring my proposal is and if it's something they want to publish because in this economy, it all comes back to money. In addition to books, which are exciting but equally a bit stressful, I've been spending 20 hours per week with my 200 students in our virtual classroom, another 20 hours on my blog (writing) and another 10 hours on overall business management of decor8 from emails to responding to the press and ad inquiries, amongst sorting through thousands of submissions. Then I spend another 5 hours on my work for Real Simple, some additional time on a small project I'm working on with a group of designers here in Hannover, 3 hours per week for time with my friends, 5 hours for cleaning and grocery shopping -- oh yes, I'm scheduled! But I'm happier than I've ever been! Funny how that is, you know? But I'm also a bit tired because amidst all of this, I'm viewing between 1-3 apartments per week and spending a few hours per week on searching for them, and though that doesn't sound like much, emotionally it is taxing. In my last post I wrote about one that we were set to see that my husband and I felt excited about. And we saw it and I loved it. I would have rented it on the spot. Each room had ornate moldings and plaster details, the kitchen had two closets and was completely installed so I would not have to "bring a kitchen" as is common in Germany, the windows were all brand new, in the front the windows were doubles, the entry door was massive with a gorgeous transom window over it, the floors were immaculate, and then it had 5 rooms, 2 balconies (1 streetside and 1 facing the courtyard), 2 bathrooms (one with a shower, another with a tub), a very long "L" shaped hallway, the heating system was brand new as were both bathrooms, and all of the windows had transom windows above so the light flooded this apartment. And it had a really great, positive vibe. The room that would have been the "decor8" studio room had this loft for storage and a large balcony overlooking my husband's grandmother's studio that she once owned and worked in. It overlooked also where his mother and her cousins played as children, his mother grew up in the other building next door as this apartment ended up being in the attached house not the original house where they grew up. Costs: Base rent 1,200- plus 150- per month NKM (hallway cleaning, hot water, trash removal), 200- heat/electric = 1,550 Euros per month or 2,149.49 USD per month not including phone/cable so with everything it would be around 2,300.00 USD per month. It was 145 square meters with 5 rooms, or to an American I'd say: 1,560.767 ft² with 3 bedrooms, eat-in kitchen, living room, formal dining room, full bath and guest bath, and 2 balconies in the best neighborhood in the city with the subway and shopping downstairs. But still, it was just lovely. Imagine having a balcony off of your work studio? And the view was beautiful. Did this place have my top 5? It had my top 55. Would you like to see it? Click here as I could not take photos because the space had furniture and such inside as the current tenants were in the process of moving out and they were not present during this viewing for me to ask them. I must say that the photos on that site are misleading. Those pictures must have been taken before the current tenant moved in because the walls and floors and everything else sparkle now -- and those pics make it look a bit unfinished and grubby. It wasn't at all. Will we take it? Most likely not. WHAT? You are saying... I know, I know... but the search continues and I'm guessing will continue for a very long time since property put up for rent now is not available in one month but normally in 3 because legally you must give your landlord a 3 months notice before you move. Sure you can move within those 3 months if your new apartment is available a little sooner, but you still have to pay on both properties if there is overlap. I'm frustrated with this process but I'm also hopeful so I'll press onward. And so, what about you? How is your weekend?