A Girl's Gotta Live

So I've been packing my stuff for a few months now with the intention of, if not finding a new job, at least finding a new place to hang my hat. Renting in Charleston is a frustrating process, made even more so by the fact that I'm a dog owner with no plans to leave my little muppet behind in favor of a nicer place. I didn't realize that being a single woman would make the process difficult as well. I've decided that I'm at a place in life where I don't want footsteps above me. I don't want to be awakened at 7 in the morning by my neighbor's bed squeaking above me during her "boyfriend's" regular visits (even if does only last three minutes, poor girl). Yesterday I phoned about a house with potential (3 bedrooms, wood floors, a fenced yard)and was met with suspicion. "Just you moving?" "Yes, ma'am," I said. "Just me and the dog." "Sure you're not going to have any friends moving in?" "I'm sure," I said. "Well, okay..." she said hesitantly before giving me the address. Upon drive-by I decided it wasn't for me, but the whole situation left me with a bad feeling. A few weeks ago I lost out on a house to a married couple. Undoubtedly it was their two incomes that made them better, safer candidates in the eyes of the owner. And having seen some of the tenants on my own street, I can appreciate that. The longer I stay in Charleston, the less likely I think I am to move. When I look at the cost of living elsewhere, that in itself is enough to keep me here. I've become more comfortable in my career over the last year or so (yes, after four years I'm finally getting the art of cat herding) and I think I'm starting to come into my own as an adult, as a woman, and maybe even as a spinster. But that's not what keeps me here. Tonight, as I was sitting on my couch (taking a short break from packing, I swear) I saw a man lurking outside my door. My good, no, GREAT, friend had read a status message I'd left on my Gmail expressing my desire for chocolate pudding. She placed a call to her husband who was at the store and sure enough it was him standing on my front porch with chocolate pudding. It was, without a doubt, the best chocolate pudding I've ever had. So while to a landlord I might be a woman living alone, I know that I'm anything but and that's what keeps me hopeful.