Just moved, not excited about it

[strave19]

So I just moved out of a house that my girlfriend and I have been renting for 2 years. She graduated with a masters and got a job 100 miles away. I still have a semester left to write my thesis and finish my MS, so I'm still in town finishing up. She also took the cat that we got together because I cant have a pet here (didnt stop us at our last place :nana I'm in a tiny 1 bedroom ~ 500 sq ft apartment now which is pretty depressing. Our house was built in the '40s and was really crummy too but I LOVED having a yard and 2 porches (for smoking and BBQ!) and living on a quiet street.
I'm missing the girlfriend (and feline) and trying to get work done but am just a bit bummed out. We can see each other on weekends and such which is awesome, but its a bit of an adjustment and I am sooooo ready to be done with school. I'm falling behind in my work too, but who doesn't when trying to finish up a research project?
The worst part (maybe not the worst, but annoying) is that I cant smoke here or in the common areas so I have to go to the street which is pretty busy. I have to walk 5-10mins to get to a decent place with trees and a bench to puff my briar.
Just ranting here, I'm not depressed or anything I just don't have anyone to talk to anymore so I'm turning to you guys! What do you folks do who live in a place that doesn't allow smoking?

 

[uberam3rica]

The worst part (maybe not the worst, but annoying) is that I cant smoke here or in the common areas so I have to go to the street which is pretty busy. I have to walk 5-10mins to get to a decent place with trees and a bench to puff my briar.

That sucks. When I'm home I can just sit/stand on the porch, sit on a picnic bench on the porch or sit at a table on the front yard. I can't smoke inside though.

 

[strave19]

Suck it up my friend and be grateful for what you have. You will soon be graduated!

Amen to that! You are very right. Sometimes you just need to vent though, especially when you've gone without a pipe for too long. ::

 

[tbradsim1]

Do a short timers calendar, every day cross off one day, if that don"t work, Suck it up my friend, as Dave says it could be a lot worse, believe me I know the old cajun

 

[cigrmaster]

If you are renting an apartment who is going to know if you smoke in it? Does the lease say no smoking? If it doesn't then fire up your pipe, even if it does, who is going to know? Buy some Ozium at walmart in the auto section, that will kill any smoke smell. What you do in your apartment that you are paying for is no ones business.

 

[reichenbach]

I am also one who really hates disruptions to my routine that I am not the direct cause of. I can sympathize with that but if you fall behind, you'll get stuck in that 500 sq. ft. no porch hell. Give yourself a kick in the ass and finish that thesis!

 

[strave19]

Yep, lease says no smoking or in common areas. I totally agree with you and I wish it were that easy, but neighbors will know right away and probably get me in trouble if I smoked inside. I'll probably end up going out to the walkway anyway.
I'd also like to say sorry for ranting about very "first world" problems. I really have nothing to complain about in the big scheme of things. Just a lonely guy who wants his girl, cat, and pipe ::

 

[rcstan]

Time will pass faster than you think. The process of passing might not be very enjoyable. Don't put down a 500 sqft 1 br, any place is a happy home, it's enough space for me, the wife, our daughter, two cats and a tortoise. Some people have to do with less or live on the street. It is what it is. Count your blessings and puff away ..... on the street on the bench. Pipes are have a lot more natural feeling outdoors IMO anyway.

 

[gwtwdbss]

Don't beat yourself up strave, its ok to feel sad and lonely sometimes. Everyday you get through though is one day closer to your graduation and your girl!

 

[reichenbach]

No one is coming down on you, you're just getting tough love here (although telling you defeats the purpose, I suppose!). You've done a great deal to get where you are, grad school is no mean thing to poo poo. If you and your girl have gotten this far while both staying on track earning your degrees, you're going to do great as a couple. The pipe part is going to be difficult but absence and abstinence both make the heart grow fonder!

 

[nsfisher]

Your doing this all wrong mate. Lease says no smoking, ok, you agreed to it, ok. If you smoke in appt. and get reported and get kicked out, so what!. You have 1 semester left, your landlord gives you an eviction, it is all the same time frame. Smoke, get evicted, by that time, school will be over anyway. It takes 1-3 Months to evict someone.

 

[papipeguy]

OK, time for a reality check. What's the plan after graduation? I assume you are a young man so you will look for a job to labor at for the next 40 years. Marry your girlfriend and settle down with a few kids and a $2,500/month mortgage? Work your ass off to send your kids to private schools and colleges. Figure on at least $500,000 per child to the age of 22. Maybe you'll get a pension but most likely not. You're on your own for a 401K and/or IRA. You'll be taxed to support old guys like me when I get Social Security.

This is the happiest you'll ever be so lighten up and light up and don't think about tomorrow.

This is all in jest, but..............

 

[mrenglish]

Can you cook in your apartment? If so, cook stuff that smells and smoke your pipe. Then use the Ozium cigrmaster mentioned and no one will be the wiser. Might not be something you can do everyday but you could get away with it.
Awhile back I was in California for business and every hotel room is non smoking with the threat of a huge clean up fee. I would put a towl under the door and a shirt over the smoke detector. Every night after work I would smoke a cigar then spray the room with something like Ozium and had no problems, even when they came in the next morning to make the room up.
What kind of tobacco do you smoke? I would stay away from heavy aromatic and english blends, but if you are into Virginia or VAPERs, then you could get away with it if you are careful.
Remember, it's only illegal if you are caught. :D

 

[strave19]

I just went for a nice long walk and had a cigar (Alec Bradley Tempus, maduro - quite good!). :D
Oh, and I measured, my place is closer to 340sq ft. Yikes!
I'll be graduating in December and I'm already about 30 months in so it is dragging! I designed my whole experiment from scratch and inherited the duties of a couple of others so its taking longer than most...
Not sure my plan when I'm done, we'll see what happens :: Kids don't need private school though, that's for sure! Nobody in my family ever went to private school and my mom taught in public schools so...
I might just try and smoke in here at some point, but we'll cross that bridge another time. I can get off my ass and go for a walk too but I sure miss firing up the grill and having a smoke and a beer with nobody around.
Thanks for the entertainment and advice tonight gentlemen, its been entertaining and encouraging.

 

[juni]

In our previous apartment I just opened up the window and smoked out through that. Then we bought a new place and I smoke wherever I want - usually on the sofa or if the weather is nice out on the balcony.

 

[philip]

When it gets bad, just remember, everything is temporary.
Before you know it you and your girl will be married and your kids will be complaining, "Why can't I even smoke in my own room? I can't smoke at school or anywhere! And by the way, can I have the keys to the car?"
You'll find yourself longing for the good old days when all you had was research papers to worry about.
Enjoy what you have while you still have it.
Best of luck with your paper.

 

[dochudson]

evidently a lot of you guys never plan to be a landlord. (I am not, btw) if you signed a lease that you knew said no smoking what's the beef with the landlord? same with hotel/motel rooms. I smoke cigars and pipes but walking into a hotel room that smells like cigarette smoke is a big turn off.

 

[goalee1]

Agree with dochudson. I've managed apartment buildings before and to a non smoker, they can pick up smoke that smokers would never notice. If the lease says no smoking then don't do it. You agreed to it, signed it so why risk losing your deposit over something that can be avoided completely on your part. Sounds like you're almost done and its summer time so yes it may be hot but at least you can go out, take a walk and enjoy a smoke. You'll appreciate the smoke even more when you have to set a time frame up to do it. Is there a B&M near you? I don't smoke in our new car so I take a trip to my B&M every few days to be sure I can fit a smoke in. G1