Peek a boo

I don't think I've described my housing situation since I've moved to Dream State. I'm living in what I've been calling corporate housing. What I mean by that is that it's furnished, it's well situated for my work location, and I'm on a month to month basis. What I was looking for was low commitment so that when PC did move up, we could easily find a place together between where we both worked, and so that I didn't have to move anything up with me.

I literally showed up to my place with two suitcases and a carry-on.

Perhaps this is how other corporate housing type places work, I don't know cause this is my first one, but this is how it works here: I searched for corporate housing, found something that met 90% of my requirements, and turned up no negative reviews via google searched. So, I sign this lease sent to me via email. I provide a credit card number in which they bill a reasonable deposit and a signature. They send back the lease copy and a combination code. I arrive to find a lock-box of sorts on the door wherein I enter the code, a little door opens, and I can get the keys that open the door. When it's time to leave, I give notice, clean the place and put everything back where I found it, return the box to the door with the key inside. Deposit is refunded to credit card when it's found ok.

It's brilliant really.

The thing is, I don't know if I'm just not smart, was tired, have little experience with lock boxes, or it was just plain hard...but it actually took me quite a while to get into that bastard little box. And, once you get it open and unlock the door, you have to catch the box because it's basically stuck between the door jam.

Having lived here for nearly a month, I've noticed the doors around me with similar boxes. Every day, I check to see if some the boxes come down, new ones go up. I've also started noticing there's a distinct noise when someone on the hall is going through the little lock-box game. I've also noticed, I have this nearly insurmountable urge to stick my head out the door to see who's 'moving in' to share a little comraderie with people that are also staying here temporarily for whatever reason. So far I've resisted. I wonder what I would have thought as I cursed the little lock to please let me have my key with all my luggage around me, having survived the seperation from PC, the flight, and the cab ride to my new 'home' if someone had poked their head out and said hello (or just took a peek as I would do).