Adventures in House-hunting

(I'm not going to wait for someone to start a thread on my
house-hunting adventures.)

I've been toying with the idea of moving for the past year or so. I
love the area I'm in, but the commute is getting to be a little
much. Also, I'm tired of not having reasonable phone service and no
access to broadband and cable. "Toying with" has recently become
"Must move ASAP or I'll lose my mind."

So, I've been house hunting. House hunting in a college town is,
um, interesting. I was expecting that. The problem was balancing
what I need for my dog and what I need for myself. I just wasn't
finding what *I* need in any of the houses I looked at. I *did*
find what I need in an apartment, though. The only down-side is
that there's no fenced yard, but that's not really a big deal as far
as I'm concerned. Harriet and I will just spend more time walking.
It's on the ground floor, with a large patio that opens onto a
huge, tree-lined field. Harriet and I will have plenty of room to
play, and she'll be able to sunbathe on the patio. Plus, sliding
glass door=big-screen dog teevee. Any bets on how long before it's
coated with pupkis?

I'm also happy to report that there is no shortage of pet-friendly
housing here. The folks I'm renting from have no number, size, or
breed restrictions. The same was true of pretty much every property
management company I contacted (*one* had breed restrictions, to
which I said Thanksandgoodbye). This was *not* my experience when I
was in college. While there were a few individual du- and
tri-plexes that allowed dogs, none of the apartment complexes did.