Well, thanks for the replies.
wheel: my uncle is letting me crash at his place for free; the idea would be for me to find a job and then move into an apartment close to said job later (to make bicycle or walking commutes more feasible). But thanks for the suggestion
Roody: thanks for the encouragement. I just don't see the point in owning a car in a place like Seattle when they have a car sharing program in place. If I lived in, say, Fairfax, VA, then I'd keep the car (no offense to the carfree Fairfax people, but I didn't find the streets over there very friendly at all). By the way, I always enjoy reading your posts here, and I think my baby brother hates cars just about as much (or more than) you do. He has a driver's license, but virtually all of his personal transportation has been on foot, bus, or metro train. He's got a bike, but is too lazy to ride it
gerv: my mother had orthopedic surgery on her knee about 10 years ago. The only aerobic exercise she can tolerate now is walking (which she gets a lot of, by the way; she's far from being a couch potato when it comes to fitness), and even that causes a painful flare up on occasion. Spinning the crankarms is a lot worse for her.