Thursday, June 28, 2007

Trailer Trash

I have a lead on an affordable rental. Granted, it is a dumpy looking trailer, but I am getting a little desperate at this point. The last 10 contacts I made to landlords (mostly via the newspaper) resulted in 2 appointments and 8 blow-offs.

Appointment # 1: The rental is a room in a converted "lodge"- ie: a 10-unit motel built in approximately 1959 that has been abandoned due to its depilatory condition. The man on the other end of the phone tells me to meet him at Quarter till Six because sometimes he doesn't get off work until 5:30 pm.
I pick up LB from daycare, drive the 20 minutes up the valley to where the "lodge" is nestled between a trailer park and a farm (must have been quite the destination location). All the cars parked in the lot are from out of state (hmm maybe it IS still a motel), and I don't see the so-called "landlord" anywhere.
After waiting for about 15 minutes, I finally get the nerve to knock on what seems to be the old "office" building. After a barrage of barking, a Mastiff and Australian Shepard come bounding towards the door, setting my 12 month old into a delighted "doggie dogggie doggie" and me into a startled backwards motion. A few seconds later, a man with incredibly dilated pupils struts to the door wearing nothing but a pair of ripped jeans.

Him: (yells at dogs) Don't worry, they're friendly.
Me: UH, are you Sean?
Him: No.
Me. UH, Ok.
Him: I'm sure he'll be around. We just moved in here too.
Me: Ok, thanks.

I retreat back to my car. Another car pulls in. Its two 20-something guys with a Michigan License plate. I assume they are a gay because they smile kindly at me and say "Awww what a cute baby." Trust me, 20-something guys traveling together, staying at a crappy motel and gushing over a baby are definitely not straight in Colorado. If they had been driving a Dodge Ram, I might have amended my bias, but I have pretty good gaydar. Plus I'm like world's biggest Fag Hag.

I wait. LB plays in the dirt. I wait. 6:20 pm. A hippie goes into one of the rooms, comes out and rides away on his bicycle, almost falling into traffic on the way. I wait. LB eats animal crackers. 6:30. I wait. LB gets fussy. I wait. 6:45. I give up and leave.

Appointment # 2: I walk towards the basement apartment of a nice looking home RIGHT in the heart of Durango. I could jog to work if I wanted. I wave to the landlord while juggling LB on my hip.

Her: Sorry, I just rented it!
Me: Thanks.

So this crappy trailer I looked at today is going for $550/month plus utilities and deposit. It is a 2 bedroom, and the previous tenants left the washer/dryer, so the lady says I can have them for as long as they work. Hmmm.

What's the catch? I have to make a separate appointment to look inside. Stay posted.

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