Ok, so I hope this doesn't turn into a rant against veganism again...sorry vegan folks, I hate constantly being on the offensive about this; but tonight, searching ads on Craigslist for possible housing situations...well, I came to realize a few things.
1) Radical collective houses with cheap rent tend to be "punk houses." Punk houses tend to be vegan houses, which means no tanning animal skins in the backyard; no cooking roadkill on the stove. People say they are down with freeganism; but, in fact, the most freegan meat in the world, that is, roadkill, animals killed needlessly by cars, are still a no-no to these folks. This, of course, is a generalization bore out of frustration; not all freegans or vegans are actually like this. Most, in fact, are more flexible then the rules they lay out in their Craigslist ads; but the ads make me frustrated and immediately turn me away.
2) Cheap rent in Portland means somewhere around $350 these days...and that is just renting a room in a house. A room! That doesn't include utilities! When I was paying that before, I was working my ass off just to make rent, get my monthly bus-pass and barely afford some food. I don't want to jump into that situation again. So I'm looking for a "punk house" I guess, but again, that leads me to #1.
3) Jobs in Portland all seem to require cars..even nanny jobs and housekeeping! I mean, what is up with that? I make it all over town, in a more timely fashion on my bike then I ever do in a car...why are cars seen as more reliable then bikes? Cars, in my experience, break down more then bikes ever do. I feel twice as reliable with my bike then with any of the cars I used to drive.
4) There must be a lot of infertile rich people out there....I couldn't believe the number of ads out there begging for surrogate wombs to rent and eggs from some healthy young college person....I mean, the shear volume of these ads makes me more sure then ever that we need to STOP HAVING BABIES. If the world is that polluted that that many people can't naturally bear kids on their own; well that tells me we really need to STOP HAVING BABIES! Disgusting that people rent wombs and buy eggs these days to fulfill dreams of offspring...are we morally fucked or what? Why don't you invite some cute little (already existing,) crack baby into your life, you selfish, disgusting yuppie-motherfuckers....sorry...I have strong options about this shit. This, to me, is the ultimate rape of poor, white college girls who just need a few bucks...anyway.
Anyway, what is a girl to do? No jobs, no housing that makes sense...and, once again, I've got the financial office at my school breathing down my neck for tuition money, which, of course, I don't have a cent of. And, I've got this questionable lump between my breasts that has been getting noticeably bigger lately...I think I've got cancer on top of everything else. And I couldn't even get laid at rice camp! Geezus!
Love ya,
Carrot
That was just a temporary house in Minneapolis I was staying at while working on the rice...now I'm back in Portland, staying in a tent in a backyard until I find a place. The tent is nice...for now, but the rainy season will be starting soon in Portland, and then, tent living will be miserable! I was wet enough as it was living in a house during the last couple of rainy seasons...if you travel by bike everywhere, rainy-season is a bitch. Anyway, I've only been looking a few days for a place....something will turn up.
Love ya,
Carrot
No, the punk house in Portland you were living in before you went to Minneapolis.
Like what you've read? Well, then here's more:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711
I don't remember ever having lived in a punk house in Portland...but then again, de-botchery sometimes gets the better of my brain...I do sometimes hang out at a punk house known as The Pink House, but I don't live there...oh yeah, I used to spend time at a place called The Derelict House too, slept there a few times, but can't say I lived there.
The Going Street house wasn't exactly a punk house and that was where I was living right before I went out to Minnesota...sometimes when I was washing the kitchen floor I'd bitch and say "gee, if I wanted to live in a punk house I'd live in a punk house..." but it really wasn't a punk house...there weren't ever 11 people and four dogs living there, there was never a metal show in the basement, there wasn't an abundance of rotten dumpstered food in the fridge...no, in retrospect, The Going Street house was pretty clean and orderly compared to most punk houses I've hung out in, especially The Shitbiscuit. The Going Street house has all new roommates and no room for me:(
Ah well, such is life,
Love ya,
Carrot
Sorry to pry, but what happened to the house you were staying at?
Like what you've read? Well, then here's more:
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711