Why must people in NYC bring their dogs to work and then bring their dogs in the elevator, thus causing all of the people to be squished up against the sides of the elevators, while the dog runs around freely?
Why?
Thursday, May 12, 2005
The Kid From Third Rock From the Sun....
... got hot.
I went to see Mysterious Skin last night.
It was difficult but good.
Prostitution on film is never easy. I was thinking, though, that there's this whole element of people who are into this sort of thing and I have no idea who they are or how they know about their options.
In movies, people always seem to just "know" who is a prostitute. And they're like "Hey, you, I'll pay $50." Like how do they know? Is it really just writing on bathroom walls? Is there some signal I don't know about it?
Nevertheless, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is beautiful. The movie was challenging. It dealt with a horrific subject matter in a non-melodramatic and interesting way. It was understated and sentimental without being cheesy.
I don't know if you should see it. It drains you. It hurts. It's lovely.
I am going to get my hair cut now so I can look cute for N's first wedding this weekend!
I went to see Mysterious Skin last night.
It was difficult but good.
Prostitution on film is never easy. I was thinking, though, that there's this whole element of people who are into this sort of thing and I have no idea who they are or how they know about their options.
In movies, people always seem to just "know" who is a prostitute. And they're like "Hey, you, I'll pay $50." Like how do they know? Is it really just writing on bathroom walls? Is there some signal I don't know about it?
Nevertheless, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is beautiful. The movie was challenging. It dealt with a horrific subject matter in a non-melodramatic and interesting way. It was understated and sentimental without being cheesy.
I don't know if you should see it. It drains you. It hurts. It's lovely.
I am going to get my hair cut now so I can look cute for N's first wedding this weekend!
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
There Are No....
... hipsters in my building!
In fact, there are no hipsters anywhere near my building.
My area is very old timey.
There are ancient, charming people who I imagine have many stories living in my building.
I love New York again.
In fact, there are no hipsters anywhere near my building.
My area is very old timey.
There are ancient, charming people who I imagine have many stories living in my building.
I love New York again.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Monday, May 09, 2005
I Now Live in Manhattan Part 3 - The Aftermath
3. The Aftermath
I actually feel quite settled.
I need many things, but all of the essentials are taken care of. Tonight I will go to Pier 1 to return the oversized silverware tray and will buy plates and bowls and glasses. I need a kitchen table and chairs and perhaps a love seat. I need a kitchen cart and a colander and a toaster oven. I need a more aesthetically pleasing alarm clock. I need tupperware. I need reasonable groceries.
I woke up early yesterday because I was excited. I made lists and unpacked shoes while D unpacked books and videos and CDs. His goal is to eliminate boxes. Whatever he wants is fine with me as long as progress is being made.
I took my first shower in the new apartment yesterday. It was an adventure. At first it wouldn't get hot, then it was too hot, then it was freezing. The shower curtain, which is too small, kept smothering me because I'd opened the bathroom window for a cross draft. This left me with about a millimeter of width in which to shower. Another good thing about being small is that you can take showers in ridiculously tight spaces. Although, I did drop the soap this morning and it was not easy to pick up, but I did not have to step outside of the shower to do so.
D and I went to Home Depot and bought shelving and brackets and other goodies.
We then went for breakfast at this adorable place on 9th and 35th that serves breakfastallday and had a special involving scrambled eggs with cream cheese and scallions! Yes!
We then headed out to Brooklyn to see the Basquiat show at the Brooklyn Museum. I was very tired and the show was overwhelming. Any Basquiat painting or drawing in a group of other work is a superstar. An entire show of Basquiat is a bit much to handle, especially when you're tired. You could look at one of his paintings for five hours. It's hard to digest 100 of them in an hour and a half.
After Basquiat, we headed back into the city where we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought more fabulous things such as a curtain and curtain rod for my bedroom, bathroom shelves, and hooks for the kitchen. I went to The Container Store afterwards, my new favorite place on the planet, and bought a reasonably sized silverware tray and some other space saving miracles.
After our errands, we saw Kingdom of Heaven at the 34th Street Theater, which is a 5 minute walk from my new apartment. Orlando Bloom. Yes. I said "If Orlando Bloom played Anakin Skywalker the world would be a better place." It was surprisingly good. I had no desire to see it but D, a fan of all movies epic, really wanted to. It is weird to me that back-in-the-day, kings would just fight battles with the troops, and seemingly without extra protection. I wish W had to do that. If he did, I imagine things would be very different.
Back at the apartment, we put up shelves and hooks and I cleaned the floor with the new wet-jet-whatever-thing (not Swiffer - I forget what it is) I bought at Home Depot.
We finished watching Star Wars while eating Mint Chocolate Cookie and then went to bed.
Phew.
Busy. But feeling settled, which is not a feeling I've felt since moving to NYC.
Tonight we will put up more shelves and organize books on them. If ambitious, we will hang things on the wall. If not, we will watch episodes of The Muppet Show on DVD.
Regardless, we will have fun in the new apartment because it is an awesome apartment. And it is all mine.
Mwa ha ha!!!!!
I actually feel quite settled.
I need many things, but all of the essentials are taken care of. Tonight I will go to Pier 1 to return the oversized silverware tray and will buy plates and bowls and glasses. I need a kitchen table and chairs and perhaps a love seat. I need a kitchen cart and a colander and a toaster oven. I need a more aesthetically pleasing alarm clock. I need tupperware. I need reasonable groceries.
I woke up early yesterday because I was excited. I made lists and unpacked shoes while D unpacked books and videos and CDs. His goal is to eliminate boxes. Whatever he wants is fine with me as long as progress is being made.
I took my first shower in the new apartment yesterday. It was an adventure. At first it wouldn't get hot, then it was too hot, then it was freezing. The shower curtain, which is too small, kept smothering me because I'd opened the bathroom window for a cross draft. This left me with about a millimeter of width in which to shower. Another good thing about being small is that you can take showers in ridiculously tight spaces. Although, I did drop the soap this morning and it was not easy to pick up, but I did not have to step outside of the shower to do so.
D and I went to Home Depot and bought shelving and brackets and other goodies.
We then went for breakfast at this adorable place on 9th and 35th that serves breakfastallday and had a special involving scrambled eggs with cream cheese and scallions! Yes!
We then headed out to Brooklyn to see the Basquiat show at the Brooklyn Museum. I was very tired and the show was overwhelming. Any Basquiat painting or drawing in a group of other work is a superstar. An entire show of Basquiat is a bit much to handle, especially when you're tired. You could look at one of his paintings for five hours. It's hard to digest 100 of them in an hour and a half.
After Basquiat, we headed back into the city where we went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought more fabulous things such as a curtain and curtain rod for my bedroom, bathroom shelves, and hooks for the kitchen. I went to The Container Store afterwards, my new favorite place on the planet, and bought a reasonably sized silverware tray and some other space saving miracles.
After our errands, we saw Kingdom of Heaven at the 34th Street Theater, which is a 5 minute walk from my new apartment. Orlando Bloom. Yes. I said "If Orlando Bloom played Anakin Skywalker the world would be a better place." It was surprisingly good. I had no desire to see it but D, a fan of all movies epic, really wanted to. It is weird to me that back-in-the-day, kings would just fight battles with the troops, and seemingly without extra protection. I wish W had to do that. If he did, I imagine things would be very different.
Back at the apartment, we put up shelves and hooks and I cleaned the floor with the new wet-jet-whatever-thing (not Swiffer - I forget what it is) I bought at Home Depot.
We finished watching Star Wars while eating Mint Chocolate Cookie and then went to bed.
Phew.
Busy. But feeling settled, which is not a feeling I've felt since moving to NYC.
Tonight we will put up more shelves and organize books on them. If ambitious, we will hang things on the wall. If not, we will watch episodes of The Muppet Show on DVD.
Regardless, we will have fun in the new apartment because it is an awesome apartment. And it is all mine.
Mwa ha ha!!!!!
I Now Live in Manhattan Part 2 - The Unpacking
Just got off the phone with worst health-insurance provider on the planet. In addition to the potential $850 I found I may owe for the kidney stone surgery I didn't have, I may owe even more money because they are claiming I have a pre-existing condition and that I was uninsured prior to having this particular insurance.
Obviously I was insured. Obviously I will be able to prove this, since I was insured.
It's just annoying since things need not be this difficult. And costly. I hate my health insurance. I hate health insurance in general. I hate that I have to pay all sorts of deductibles and for all sorts of procedures that were once covered by my monthly premiums.
Nevertheless....
2. The Unpacking
While I was meeting the piano movers, D stayed behind to hold down the fort and to do adorable things like unpack the kitchen boxes and move around the remaining boxes so as to clear an appropriate trajectory for the piano.
He couldn't put the bed together because the bed suffered a freight elevator-related injury. The frame was stacked against the wall, so that when the elevator went between floors it basically hit the wall, and, at times, got pulled up and nearly smooshed between the elevator and wall. I can't quite understand why the superintendent said "Grab your bed" instead of saying "Let me stop the elevator for a second while you grab your bed." I grabbed the pieces of the frame that I could and nearly broke my arm in the process. Luckily the frame (and my arm) didn't break. We both came away with cuts and bruises, and a piece of the frame got pulled off of the wood and all of the screws went missing.
D and I went to the hardware store to buy screws, a drill bit and sand paper. We then grabbed a late lunch and headed back to the new apartment, where D did things like sand down the bathroom and where I made the following discoveries:
1. Free internet! YES! I don't know the owner of the wireless connection I am using, but they are my new favorite person on the planet.
2. My clothes all fit in my closet!
3. My apartment has expanded in size with the addition of "stuff."
4. My stove is too small for the baking sheets I own.
5. My new silverware tray is too big for the drawer.
6. The Brita was too tall for anywhere in the refrigerator, although that was remedied by moving the refrigerator across the kitchen in order to remove a shelf.
7. My former kitchen shelves look perfect as an entertainment center.
8. My toilet is really low and my bathroom sink is really high.
9. My shower curtain is too short.
10. I am a much better packer than I give myself credit for.
When we got home, I did fun things like organize my clothes by color in the new closet. D, who slipped back into perfect-boyfriend-mode, sandpapered the bathroom and swept and unpacked boxes. Together we hooked up the TV and DVD player and VCR and stereo and Ipod.
Putting the bed together proved more difficult than we'd imagined. The preexisting holes in the frame were apparently drilled arbitrarily, which may or may not explain why my bed squeaks if you look at it too long.
Amidst the bed reassembly I realized I was completely and utterly exhausted. I couldn't function. My body was aching and I just completely shut down. As soon as we got the bed together, which took about an hour, I hastily threw sheets on it and we meant to take a nap.
D then went back to work on the bathroom while I dealt more with clothes and bedroom-related tasks. He left to do whatever D does when he is alone and I stayed behind and unpacked and organized kitchen things, bathroom things, bedding, and more clothes.
I then went to buy groceries which, in typical NY form, proved challenging. There seems to be only one market within a 5 block radius, and they don't have things like fruit. They don't have any cereal I like. They only have meat-flavored sauce. They do, however, have Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream, which I suppose is all that matters.
On my way home M called and left a message asking about the move, in which she said "You're probably asleep." I laughed because I really wanted to be asleep.
I got home and made myself a peanut butter sandwich which I promptly ate while sitting on the floor. I talked with my parents and was psyched that my mother received her flowers and candy while on the phone with me! Woo hoo!!!!
D came back and we unpacked a bit more, inflated the air mattress, grabbed some throw pillows and watched as much of Attack of the Clones as we could before passing out. The last thing I remember is "I killed them all!"
Obviously I was insured. Obviously I will be able to prove this, since I was insured.
It's just annoying since things need not be this difficult. And costly. I hate my health insurance. I hate health insurance in general. I hate that I have to pay all sorts of deductibles and for all sorts of procedures that were once covered by my monthly premiums.
Nevertheless....
2. The Unpacking
While I was meeting the piano movers, D stayed behind to hold down the fort and to do adorable things like unpack the kitchen boxes and move around the remaining boxes so as to clear an appropriate trajectory for the piano.
He couldn't put the bed together because the bed suffered a freight elevator-related injury. The frame was stacked against the wall, so that when the elevator went between floors it basically hit the wall, and, at times, got pulled up and nearly smooshed between the elevator and wall. I can't quite understand why the superintendent said "Grab your bed" instead of saying "Let me stop the elevator for a second while you grab your bed." I grabbed the pieces of the frame that I could and nearly broke my arm in the process. Luckily the frame (and my arm) didn't break. We both came away with cuts and bruises, and a piece of the frame got pulled off of the wood and all of the screws went missing.
D and I went to the hardware store to buy screws, a drill bit and sand paper. We then grabbed a late lunch and headed back to the new apartment, where D did things like sand down the bathroom and where I made the following discoveries:
1. Free internet! YES! I don't know the owner of the wireless connection I am using, but they are my new favorite person on the planet.
2. My clothes all fit in my closet!
3. My apartment has expanded in size with the addition of "stuff."
4. My stove is too small for the baking sheets I own.
5. My new silverware tray is too big for the drawer.
6. The Brita was too tall for anywhere in the refrigerator, although that was remedied by moving the refrigerator across the kitchen in order to remove a shelf.
7. My former kitchen shelves look perfect as an entertainment center.
8. My toilet is really low and my bathroom sink is really high.
9. My shower curtain is too short.
10. I am a much better packer than I give myself credit for.
When we got home, I did fun things like organize my clothes by color in the new closet. D, who slipped back into perfect-boyfriend-mode, sandpapered the bathroom and swept and unpacked boxes. Together we hooked up the TV and DVD player and VCR and stereo and Ipod.
Putting the bed together proved more difficult than we'd imagined. The preexisting holes in the frame were apparently drilled arbitrarily, which may or may not explain why my bed squeaks if you look at it too long.
Amidst the bed reassembly I realized I was completely and utterly exhausted. I couldn't function. My body was aching and I just completely shut down. As soon as we got the bed together, which took about an hour, I hastily threw sheets on it and we meant to take a nap.
D then went back to work on the bathroom while I dealt more with clothes and bedroom-related tasks. He left to do whatever D does when he is alone and I stayed behind and unpacked and organized kitchen things, bathroom things, bedding, and more clothes.
I then went to buy groceries which, in typical NY form, proved challenging. There seems to be only one market within a 5 block radius, and they don't have things like fruit. They don't have any cereal I like. They only have meat-flavored sauce. They do, however, have Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream, which I suppose is all that matters.
On my way home M called and left a message asking about the move, in which she said "You're probably asleep." I laughed because I really wanted to be asleep.
I got home and made myself a peanut butter sandwich which I promptly ate while sitting on the floor. I talked with my parents and was psyched that my mother received her flowers and candy while on the phone with me! Woo hoo!!!!
D came back and we unpacked a bit more, inflated the air mattress, grabbed some throw pillows and watched as much of Attack of the Clones as we could before passing out. The last thing I remember is "I killed them all!"
Random Aside
My new lab notebook's number is the zip code of the town I grew up in!
Will the insanity ever cease?
Will the insanity ever cease?
I Now Live in Manhattan Part 1 - The Move
Madness.
My commute into work this morning was 25 mintues. Only 25 minutes! I took my sweet time. Looked around. Looked futilely for a potential spot at which to buy groceries.
I shall divide this post into three segments:
1. The Move
2. The Unpacking
3. The Aftermath
1. The Move
At 7:45 am on Saturday, D arrived, focused, to take the bed apart. I began dragging things to the freight elevator. At 7:55, the movers I'd hired via Craigslist arrived. They proceeded to get lost in the building, as everyone does, and then appeared, ready for action. These men were the pinnacle of efficiency. Each would carry, no joke, 5 huge boxes of books at once. They couldn't even see what they were doing, yet they carried these boxes without drama. At about 8:10 Bench Buddy arrived, and I was like "Dude, we're practically DONE."
Two trips down the freight elevator and the truck was loaded. I think this entire process took 45 minutes. The superintendant was actually friendly, and informed me that we'd have been kicked out of the building at the end of July anyway. They are going to turn it into condos - gut out the inside and build an atrium so that all of the units will have windows on two sides, build a pool, a gym on each floor. They are also going to build 4 more luxury highrises on the waterfront. I am glad I got out of there before I was (a) kicked out and (b) part of this horrid redevelopment.
These movers were INSANE. They packed my stuff in the truck in the most efficient, organized manner. They compacted it to what seemed to be 1/10 the original volume. I thought "Huh, apparently I don't have any stuff."
We piled into the truck - D and I in the front with Bench Buddy between us, and the two movers in the back. We hit traffic. Lots of it. D was a stress case and I was worried about the dudes in the back, but soon we were at the new apartment. There was the part where my key to the building no longer fit in the lock and where I had a panic and started buzzing all of the apartments in the hopes that someone would let us in. Luckily the super was home (she is the most adorable little old lady you have ever met) and rushed me new key to the recently fixed lock in which most people's keys no longer worked. Within 45 minutes the truck was empty.
Two hours total. Two hours total, with a traffic jam! These movers reaffirmed my faith in the human race. They could have dragged the move out since they were being paid by the hour, but they didn't. They did a wonderful, efficient, stress-free job. I think I carried maybe a total of 15 boxes. D and Bench Buddy were very helpful as well.
It was awesome.
I was convinced, given how smoothly it went, that something would happen with the piano. "It won't fit. They will drop it. They will put it in the truck and drive off with it. It's going to be a disaster." I've been having such a string of bad luck as of late, so I knew something would go wrong.
I went back to Williamsburg and ran an errand, picked up Last Bagel from The Bagel Store, and walked back to The Loft. As soon as I walked in, I got a call on my cell from the piano movers who were stuck in the stairwell because they'd taken the wrong elevator. Immaculate timing. Five minutes later the piano was outside the building after being transported in the passenger elevator.
They said "We didn't have lunch. We want a bagel." I rode with them in the truck - sitting between them on the truck bed which was made of plywood - and went back to the Bagel Store. We ate the bagels in the truck and then headed into the city. Our plan was foiled by "No Trucks on the Williamsburg Bridge," so we had to take the Manhattan Bridge.
Our plan was further foiled by a flea market that was most likely not the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.
When we got to the new apartment, one of the mover's said "You want us to get it through this door?" when he saw the entrace to my apartment. I'd measured the doorway, but I hadn't accounted for the fact that the door doesn't open all the way due to a weird wall angle in the kitchen. I scrambled for the tape measure and said "Umm... I really think it will fit." He said "Well, I guess we'll bring it up and see what happens."
Of course. Of course!
I said "Hypothetically, let's just, like, pretend for a second. If it didn't fit, what would happen?"
They laughed.
These guys were great. They were hilarious and unique and told me all sorts of stories about piano moving and carried my piano up the stairs in about half an hour. There were grunts and screams and scrambling, but they got it in there and helped me decide where to put it. And also presented to me my next creative project, which I will begin as soon as things settle down in the new apartment.
And then it was finished, and D and I were left alone in the new apartment.
My commute into work this morning was 25 mintues. Only 25 minutes! I took my sweet time. Looked around. Looked futilely for a potential spot at which to buy groceries.
I shall divide this post into three segments:
1. The Move
2. The Unpacking
3. The Aftermath
1. The Move
At 7:45 am on Saturday, D arrived, focused, to take the bed apart. I began dragging things to the freight elevator. At 7:55, the movers I'd hired via Craigslist arrived. They proceeded to get lost in the building, as everyone does, and then appeared, ready for action. These men were the pinnacle of efficiency. Each would carry, no joke, 5 huge boxes of books at once. They couldn't even see what they were doing, yet they carried these boxes without drama. At about 8:10 Bench Buddy arrived, and I was like "Dude, we're practically DONE."
Two trips down the freight elevator and the truck was loaded. I think this entire process took 45 minutes. The superintendant was actually friendly, and informed me that we'd have been kicked out of the building at the end of July anyway. They are going to turn it into condos - gut out the inside and build an atrium so that all of the units will have windows on two sides, build a pool, a gym on each floor. They are also going to build 4 more luxury highrises on the waterfront. I am glad I got out of there before I was (a) kicked out and (b) part of this horrid redevelopment.
These movers were INSANE. They packed my stuff in the truck in the most efficient, organized manner. They compacted it to what seemed to be 1/10 the original volume. I thought "Huh, apparently I don't have any stuff."
We piled into the truck - D and I in the front with Bench Buddy between us, and the two movers in the back. We hit traffic. Lots of it. D was a stress case and I was worried about the dudes in the back, but soon we were at the new apartment. There was the part where my key to the building no longer fit in the lock and where I had a panic and started buzzing all of the apartments in the hopes that someone would let us in. Luckily the super was home (she is the most adorable little old lady you have ever met) and rushed me new key to the recently fixed lock in which most people's keys no longer worked. Within 45 minutes the truck was empty.
Two hours total. Two hours total, with a traffic jam! These movers reaffirmed my faith in the human race. They could have dragged the move out since they were being paid by the hour, but they didn't. They did a wonderful, efficient, stress-free job. I think I carried maybe a total of 15 boxes. D and Bench Buddy were very helpful as well.
It was awesome.
I was convinced, given how smoothly it went, that something would happen with the piano. "It won't fit. They will drop it. They will put it in the truck and drive off with it. It's going to be a disaster." I've been having such a string of bad luck as of late, so I knew something would go wrong.
I went back to Williamsburg and ran an errand, picked up Last Bagel from The Bagel Store, and walked back to The Loft. As soon as I walked in, I got a call on my cell from the piano movers who were stuck in the stairwell because they'd taken the wrong elevator. Immaculate timing. Five minutes later the piano was outside the building after being transported in the passenger elevator.
They said "We didn't have lunch. We want a bagel." I rode with them in the truck - sitting between them on the truck bed which was made of plywood - and went back to the Bagel Store. We ate the bagels in the truck and then headed into the city. Our plan was foiled by "No Trucks on the Williamsburg Bridge," so we had to take the Manhattan Bridge.
Our plan was further foiled by a flea market that was most likely not the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.
When we got to the new apartment, one of the mover's said "You want us to get it through this door?" when he saw the entrace to my apartment. I'd measured the doorway, but I hadn't accounted for the fact that the door doesn't open all the way due to a weird wall angle in the kitchen. I scrambled for the tape measure and said "Umm... I really think it will fit." He said "Well, I guess we'll bring it up and see what happens."
Of course. Of course!
I said "Hypothetically, let's just, like, pretend for a second. If it didn't fit, what would happen?"
They laughed.
These guys were great. They were hilarious and unique and told me all sorts of stories about piano moving and carried my piano up the stairs in about half an hour. There were grunts and screams and scrambling, but they got it in there and helped me decide where to put it. And also presented to me my next creative project, which I will begin as soon as things settle down in the new apartment.
And then it was finished, and D and I were left alone in the new apartment.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Smooth
I am posting this from my new apartment, wherein I am hooked up to a mystery neighbor's internet connection!
Life is good, folks.
Good good good.
The move went as smooth as it possibly could have.
D was a rockstar boyfriend.
I feel like this place is supposed to be my apartment.
I am not at all unpacked. Did some cleaning, put together the bed with much strife, basically assembled the bedroom, went grocery shopping for staples and realized that local "market" does not have staples such as any sort of cereal that I find edible, watched Star Wars Episode II with D, went to bed and couldn't sleep due to thinking about unpacked boxes and city sounds (note to self: purchase white noise maker) and things to do. So many things to do.
But I am in my new apartment, living alone, in Manhattan.
I'll write more later when there isn't much to do.
One thing, though. My apartment, thankfully, falls into the category of "Apartments That Seem Bigger With Stuff In Them."
YES.
You must all visit.
Life is good, folks.
Good good good.
The move went as smooth as it possibly could have.
D was a rockstar boyfriend.
I feel like this place is supposed to be my apartment.
I am not at all unpacked. Did some cleaning, put together the bed with much strife, basically assembled the bedroom, went grocery shopping for staples and realized that local "market" does not have staples such as any sort of cereal that I find edible, watched Star Wars Episode II with D, went to bed and couldn't sleep due to thinking about unpacked boxes and city sounds (note to self: purchase white noise maker) and things to do. So many things to do.
But I am in my new apartment, living alone, in Manhattan.
I'll write more later when there isn't much to do.
One thing, though. My apartment, thankfully, falls into the category of "Apartments That Seem Bigger With Stuff In Them."
YES.
You must all visit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
