Dilemma du Jour

Okay, so back to the apartment hunt. After Zoe's brief visit, I swore that the next time she came to Pittsburgh she could have a room of her own, and not a makeshift alcove behind two curtains in the living room. I'm always on the hunt, and last week I came across a steal of a deal: a 2-3 bedroom apartment in Verona, just up the river a bit, putting us in tauntingly close proximity to Nicky's Thai Kitchen, our favorite Thai place in Pittsburgh (that's not even in Pittsburgh. Go figure). Rob proposed that we eat there on our anniversary if we're still in the area. Major splurge, as we haven't treated ourselves to a meal at a restaurant since we were in Maine. We went to view the place this evening, at 420 School Street. For the record, I'm not wild about the address, as all it does is call to mind all of those moronic stoner jokes - and a school for such things, no less! I won't be readily giving out my address should we move. But the residence was nice, and on a quiet, dead-end street. Lattice supporting a web of creeping ivy edged the front porch, whose pillars featured Victorian-style woodwork in the corners. I didn't bring my camera so I'm doing my best to describe the facade of the yellow house. We waited in the car for Jeff, the owner's son and most recent tenant, who is moving out due to his upcoming nuptials. Mazel tov, Jeff! He arrived and took us upstairs for the tour. I noted with approval the cleanliness of the carpet. I'm not a fan of the stuff, as a rule, but really appreciate when people bother to keep it clean. It makes all the difference, especially with a floor-bound wee one. On the second floor was a bathroom, kitchen (complete with washer and dryer!), and living room with a fireplace and - drumroll..... - an electric organ. Rob's eyes lit up like a toddler's on Christmas morn. "Does the organ stay?" he asked, his voice rising in pitch and anticipation. Yes, Jeff is hoping to rid himself of his late grandmother's organ onto the next tenant, and Rob has been itching for an organ, or anything on which he can make creepy music to amuse the Goon. Major selling point, that organ. The upstairs was like many other Pittsburgh third floors: vaulted ceilings in the main room with one or two smaller rooms coming off of it. The main room was cozy, and I don't mean that as a euphemism for confining. While not overly spacious, it just had a nice feel to it, like I'd want to retire there at the end of the day. On either side of the room were two smaller rooms - rooms that would make perfect bedrooms for our girls. Now, I don't mind too much sharing a bedroom with Goonie but, for instance, just a moment ago Rob went in to go to bed and the slight noise of him poking about in the inky blackness of our bedroom in search of the bed roused her from her light sleep and caused her to cry for a minute. All is well now, but you see what I'm saying? Ideally we won't be sharing a bedroom for too much longer, because we can't just unwind by going to bed with a good book. Man, those days are ovah. My reading happens either when I'm nursing her or when I'm waiting for the Khorey kids to get home, so I'm not getting through my reading nearly as quickly as I was a few months ago.

Why did I not scrawl out a check for Jeff right there on the spot? Did I mention that this place is $450 a month and that a better deal probably will not be found anytime soon? This is where my list of cons comes in. We Cramers are a one-car family, and Rob's new internship is 14 miles away on bike. To me, someone who would think nothing of taking off on a 40-mile spin, this seemed nominal, but then I realized that Google Maps' quote of 1 hour and 33 minutes is a bit much for a commute three to four days a week. I'd need the car to get to the Khoreys', who will no longer be .7 miles away. Do I drive my sweet husband to the aviary at 6:40 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, have him take the pricey public transportation, or tell him to be a true champion of the environment and be a cycling commuter? Also, this internship will only last a few months, so this quandary in which we're finding ourselves will not last long. When city folk move out to the 'burbs, I guess these are the things they must consider.

Any suggestions?