asabrinao

Hi, Fellow Quilters,

This is one of those "out there" questions and I don't suspect I'll have much luck, but you never know until you ask, right?

I'm a college professor in Ohio. My longtime fiance is a journalist in Austin, Texas (we're logistically challenged). I don't teach summers, so I'll be spending the summer with him in the lodestar state. Here's the thing: my visiting professorship at the college ends after next year and in order to qualify for a permanent job I NEED to finish my book (the old publish or perish thing will be my downfall, I swear…). In grad school, I discovered that sewing helped me concentrate (go figure!) and the way I work is to have my sewing machine (Juki 2010q, aka "Wilma") set up next to my writing stuff. I write 500 words, sew twenty minutes, etc. I get a lot more writing and sewing done that way. I'm working on a theory as to why it makes me more productive. I think it has something to do with exercising different parts of your brain (I worked at a bread bakery in graduate school).

Here's the problem: my fiancé has a roommate and a small apartment. When I spent time in Austin over the winter holiday, I tried working at his place but there were just too many distractions. A coffee shop wasn't any better (although I did get a lot of hand-piecing done). I think I'll be a lot more successful if I have my own work space over the summer. And, so, this is where I turn to you, dear quilters.

I'm looking to rent an office space this summer and here's what I'm hoping for:

1) A "furnished" office space (be it an actual office or a guest room or a corner in your basement). By "furnished," I really mean a desk or table and a chair. If there are bookshelves and/or a couple of other side tables too, great. I can provide a folding table, if necessary.

2) I don't need internet, but if it's there, great.

3) I'll probably get to Austin sometime in the first week of June and leave by August 15 (and we will likely take a weeklong trip to Montana in July). These hours are negotiable, but, ideally, I'd like access to the space M-F from 9-5. I probably won't always make it by 9 in the morning (especially on Fridays, when I ride with a bicycle group until noon-ish) and I definitely won't be there after 5 or 6 o'clock in the evening. I generally don't plan to use the space on weekends.

4) I'd like to leave my books and notes and Juki in the space during the summer, so as not to haul them back and forth every day.

5) I was hoping to pay about $200 a month for June and July and $100 for August, but I'm not sure how realistic that this.

6) If this is a room in your house and you're interested in a cup of tea in the afternoon (and some quilting talk), I would consider that a plus.

7) I don't smoke or play loud music; I have no pet allergies and I'm obscenely tidy (though, I have been known to utter the occasional profanity when my quilting drags). My current landlady is one of my closest friends (I didn't know her before I rented from her). She converted her large, Victorian home into two separate apartments; she lives in the front and I live in the back and I bet she will attest to my general sanity and good (usually clean) humor.

If you're interested or know of anyone in Austin who might be, let me know via this thread or a PM and we can go from there.

Thanks, kindly,
Azita