Shannon and I agreed we wanted to cut our expenses, so we’ve been looking for a new place to live. It’s frustrating because we love our current place. All the other options look worse, but at least they’re cheaper.

Mostly the process isn’t very interesting. We find listings, ask questions over the phone, and sometimes go see the place. We’ve applied for two places right now, so perhaps our search is nearly over. It’ll be a relief to make a decision.

I’ve seen bizarre and strange apartments all over the East Bay area. But the funniest thing I saw was a place out in Castro Valley. It was a third-story apartment in a building that looked like it would fall sideways in a moderate-level quake. It stood right next to an off-ramp on the freeway. But the best part was the driveway. Due to one-way streets and a road barrier, the only way to get to your own driveway was to get on the freeway, drive to the next exit down, and take side streets back to your neighborhood.

No wonder it was so cheap.