New Appartement !!!

I can't believe it!

we found a GREAT apartment, really central,
HUGE (two floors, 100m2),
kitchen/bathroom renovated...
we just need to paint the walls and put in the floor!

Just in time as we need to clear the apartment we are in now
(half a floor, 40m2) by the end of march.

It went kinda like this:
Plan A was to move into a new apartment building on a new island (Ijburg, still belongs to city of Amsterdam) that was supposed to be finished by end February 2006...
HAH!
A few weeks ago we get called that due to 'frost' (pfffff) there will be a SHORT delay. The new date will be communicated to us soon-
turned out it was going to be end of May probably June... *gasp*
so no way for us to do that, unless we'd put all our stuff in storage, get a place somewhere, furnished, for a couple of months, and then move to our new home...
Terrible.
Not fun.
*iech*

So we started hunting again at high speed, and looked at places from an housing organization called 'woningnet'...
Now the thing is, that once you visited the apartment (together with 10 or more other house hunters with gleaming eyes and sharp teeth) and decided that this is a place you'd like to move into... you get to participate in the LOTTERY for this particular object.
Yes.
LOTTERY...
Now the idea behind it is that rich privileged people don't get... well privileged (duh), and everybody stands the same chance at getting this apartment that you find fit to move into.
Nice idea-
Devastating when in a desperate position like we were...
Not that we are rich and privileged or something, I was more planning on sobbing incontrolably at the real estate guy and handcuffing myself to the radiator until they assure us that the appartment is ours...
Well, we took a shot at it... hoping...

The phone rings .... the tension is unbearable.......
'We are sorry to inform you that someone else was picked in the lottery of the apartment that you bid on
-(argh! bright flashes of shopping carts, frostbites and cardboard-roofs flash before my eyes)- ...
BUT they are going on a 3 week vacation so, as you were second in line, we'd like to offer it to you if you'd be willing to move in this month?'
MUAHAHAHAHAHA! yes we take! yes *bamm* in your 3 week vacation face!
The apartment is MINEEEEE UAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!
...
So Friday we should be getting the keys, and then its painting, wallpapering, floor in put-ing :)
Quite some work, but sooo worth it! I am just so happy I have place I will be able to call home, and not on a time contract basis like last time, NO! If I wanna I can leave my stuff in there until it rots... or I start rotting... or both.
Aaaanyway, share the joy! I feel fantastic! (Until the day of the move and I will be stressing out like a complete mental person, ripping out my hair in big bunches)
...
And if you have time the first weekend in March... Wanna help carry some boxes?
You will be greatly rewarded with loads of gratitude... and beer :)


Here's a picture of the bathroom... only got that one right now- hm.
More will follow!