Getting closer

I've been out looking at office spaces over the last few weeks. The first place was formerly a doctor's office. It had a nice skylight but way too much space, about a thousand square feet, and a desperately ugly carpet. Twice the space I needed. Much renovating would have been involved. It was at street level, so would have been accessible. But the amount of fixing&cleaning&painting, the monthly expense, the excess room made me feel lethargic about going after it.

The second space was undeveloped, an even huger retail space, about 1800 square feet. Elevator, public bathrooms.. lots of light. Way more square footage than I needed. Building practically empty. Creepy. Probably hideously expensive. I didn't even ask.

The third place was a second floor walk-up. About the right size, some nice east light, but dark dull carpet, dark dull wall board, and another occupant on the same floor who is a tattoo artist. I would have had to fight for street visibility, because the tat artist had his place advertised all over the glass door at street level. I hate needles, acupuncture, all that stuff. I've never wanted and never will want a tattoo. I don't know what I would have been charged. I didn't even ask. Twenty-two steps are too many for most of the old folks in this town to climb.

The fourth place.. it might be the right space. Just under 400 square feet. Used to be a barber shop. It has a bathroom with a rust-stained toilet which I'm told will be changed out for a new updated toilet. It has street level entryway, north window exposure, can be partitioned into a treatment room and a little reception room. The price is affordable, includes utilities (heat, light, air), a parking spot, sidewalk cleaning in the winter. Right now it has dark rubber tile and dark navy walls [/sigh]. It would look great with hardwood and light neutral walls and a beautiful blind to allow light in at the top but screen out peeping toms. Best of all, it's in a fairly modern building that houses seniors. Perfect. Excellent neighbours. Maybe future customers.

It's right downtown. It's near a fabulous old shiny white marble building that I remember from childhood. It's now a bank, but my childhood doctor used to have an office in there. I can see that building from the balcony where I live. It glistens in the sunset, it shines in the rain. The office would be only two blocks from where I live. How much more convenient could it get? Yeah. I think I'm ready to handle my life again. I think I have at least another 15 years of human primate social grooming left in me. I'll be 75 by then.

On other fronts, I met a couple who just moved here; the wife is a PT, with a secure job in a provincially funded rehab facility, who is trying to organize a teaching gig for me (something I cannot seem to manage to do on my own). The husband is a tech-savvy guy who is going to help me make an app. Another friend is helping edit/update my long-neglected manual. I feel things shifting, whether I'm ready for a shift or not. I'm never ready, but do my best to stay caught up to whatever is happening on whatever beach life washes me up onto. Until whenever the next inner tsunami comes along to wash me out of my comfortable rut yet again.