-Square One-

"..so you see, Benedict, we don't really make a lot of money from the rentals; the only reason why we took this one on was because of the exceptional quality of the apartment. It was perfectly restored, and completely updated." -Oh, I know..- "But when your employer didn't immediately return our calls and verify your employment, we couldn't hold off the other renter any longer." -Yeah, thanks for letting me know about the obstacle, albeit after you'd given the place away.- "New places are opening up all the time. So I recommend that you start looking in the paper, calling the numbers on signs.." -Wow, I've never tried that before, thanks!-

My irritation with the realtor and my employer didn't last an hour after I got the bad news Friday afternoon. Starting over? I can do that. But now I've got a more serious problem: my folks have contacted a family friend to get his input on buying, not renting. For all I know, he may be working on it now.

I guess this debacle did make me look like the amateur I am, but it wasn't nice of fate to point that out to the people around me. As a result, this is causing some contentious arguments with my mother. Refusing their aid isn't mature, she says. It's egocentric.

-Can't it be both?-