Pulled the trigger

Well, I've done it. I've found the holy grail of New York living: an affordable, rent stabilized apartment. And I've moved into it.

See below for a window to window comparison:

After, in my (as yet packed up) one bedroom

Before, in my small basement studio

Those windows say a lot. Everything is bigger. Everything is brighter. And I'm still trying to get used to it; it feels too big right now. I've basically been existing in the living room on the (new) couch while the bedroom wallows in boxes. I've visited the kitchen, and even spent a morning there (Thanksgiving) but it is as yet a separate island. 

Eventually things will be unpacked and it will feel like home, but in the meantime, despite the sense of displacement, I'm enjoying having much more space.  I am worried about how I will change lightbulbs though. No joke, but even on a chair I can't reach the ceiling. I'm going to have to go for the expensive bulbs here so that they last longer, and I foresee changing them to be a furniture moving adventure. 

Also, if anyone wanders into this corner of the blogosphere who happens to have clever ideas of how to turn 1 electrical outlet in the living room and 1 in the bedroom into enough for an entire house, feel free to share. There are no plugs in the bathroom, and none visible in the kitchen (presumably there's one behind the fridge). Pre-war indeed.

As I get things together I may once again actually (gasp) post a recipe or two. Or photograph my attempt to highlight the very pretty picture frame molding that the apartment came with. Right now everything is painted the same off white/cream color so they don't stand out at all, but once I get myself in order that will change. 

In other news, right around when the apartment thing was coming together my 5-year relationship was sputtering to a stop. So that might also be contributing to the couch living. It's strange but it's always when there's the most chaos and disorder in my life that this particular relationship felt the most vulnerable.  Or maybe that's not strange at all; I guess that's how it goes. So that's happening and I'm kind of stepping back and trying to deal with it little by little. 

More pictures will be forthcoming when things are unpacked.  I will then be able to gloat more affectively about what a deal I've gotten.

To leave or not to leave?

I've been looking for a new apartment in a kind of half assed, lazy way for a while now. I figure when the perfect, amazingly priced gem of a deal falls into my lap I'll be ready. Those kinds of deals, as everyone knows, are many and frequent in New York.  But regardless, other than the fact that my apartment floods periodically, I had nothing really pushing this potential relocation other than my desire for more room and a window that actually lets in some sunlight. Little things.

But my ass of a landlord might have just kicked the search into high gear today. He came by to fix a leaky sink and toilet (BTW, things are always breaking here). In his honer I cleaned the bathroom. It might have been a ten minute speed clean, but it was a clean.  And what does he do?  He does the landlord equivalent of spitting in my face.

When he entered the newly tolerably clean room, rather than make a benign comment about the weather we've been having or maybe apologize for renting out a shit hole of an apartment where things are constantly springing leaks, flooding, or generally breaking down, he ran a piece of tissue along the dust on the side of the base of the toilet (Note!! Not the bowl, or the floor [which I mopped!!!!]) and told me that I needed to "keep up" the apartment because the toilet was "disgusting." Oh no he didn't. To my face.  Also, dude, it's a toilet. It's never going to be not disgusting, even if I steam cleaned it.

So to sum up, my basically clean toilet had some dust and cat hair on the side of it, and he decided to straight up try to shame me about it.  He also told me that a reason my apartment floods is because a small ceramic pot I have outside, which doesn't happen to have a plant in it this year (I do have tomato, basil, sage, and a rose plant in other pots) is creating mud that clogs the drain.  Yeah, that's the problem.  Not the wonky ass plumbing.

So furious. I may not be Martha Stewart (and I admit it) but if I'm going to make the effort to clean before someone comes over, I'd rather them not call me filthy. Yep, it's time to find a new place.

When You Assume...

I just put toothpaste on a cut thinking it was neosporin. Sigh.

Heat Wave

It's 100 degrees in Brooklyn right now, but it feels like 104. This isn't me being dramatic; weather.com says it feels like 104. Yesterday when I checked it was 104, felt like 113. That wasn't even the high, that was solidly in the late afternoon. In other words, my wish for some sweltering weather has been answered, about four months late. Thanks, February.

Not that I'm complaining. While it may be about 10 degrees above my ideal comfort zone, most of the winter was a good 50 degrees under it. So while everyone else swans around moaning, I'm keeping my bitching mainly internal. I don't want to tempt the weather gods! Warm is good, thank you, you can keep the freezing sleet. I'll even sacrifice something (a beetle maybe, they've been hanging around my apartment) in honor of that sentiment.

The cats might appreciate a cool breeze though. They've been in kitty comas in front of my only fan for the past few days.

In other news, my basil has been taken over by this little brown bugs that are eating it up. Any suggestions? I want to still be able to eat it myself, so commercial spray is out.

Cutest Fat Cats Ever

My cats like to coyly flop over to get their bellies rubbed, and have perfected the art of doing this.  It's a little ridiculous, but they are seriously cute.  They're such hos. Also, I had to look up how to properly spell the plural of 'ho.' For you.  Exhibit A:

I mean seriously. And usually it's both of them.

Now that I've distracted everyone (*crickets*) from how rarely I update this thing, I'm going to scamper off to waste more time while I wait for my ceviche to be ready. Yep bitches, I've got some ceviche cooking (marinating?) and it's going to be good.

Glass Half Full

I've been feeling a little bummed lately. Mainly about the same stuff I normally beat myself up about, nothing really new. I'm just down that I'm now in my late twenties and have this tiny little studio I'm crammed into. Down that I don't make more money. Down that I'm in a (in many ways great) long term relationship that has its own difficulties and compromises. Down that I'm not more outgoing and bubbly, but rather feel awkward and shy more often then I'd like.  Just the same old stuff but it still sucks. Add worry for various loved ones, for various reasons, to that list and it ends up feeling like a lot.

I don't know if this is a case of learning to just appreciate what I've got, or if it's a case of using these feelings as a kick in the ass to change my life. Both seem hard to do. The life changing one especially, since where do you start? It's not like I'm not trying already. But that's not really an attitude that will get me anywhere.

On the plus side I've got a freezer full of homemade sorbet and two purry cats.  While those two things may not contribute much towards an overall improved life plan (um, crazy cat lady, anyone) they do contribute towards an improved evening.  Maybe for now that's the best I can hope for.  Hopefully the rest will come.

World Traveler

I think this will be the year to travel to places I've already been.  I'm planning on visiting Florida and have already taken a (kick-ass) trip to Italy earlier this month.  I lived in both places for quite a while, so I'm not really going as a tourist so much as to visit friends and family.

Of course, I also took a little two night detour while in Italy to visit Morocco (Fez), which I haven't ever been to. Egypt is another dream, but I may wait for that pesky little revolution/riots/protest thing to die down before heading over (I'm not really up on the current situation other than that it's volatile. Slightly more informed about Libya. Slightly).  Plus, I've already sold off my kidney and lung for this last vacation. I need my liver. Who vacations without a liver?  You can get by without breathing too hard on vacation, but a liver is critical for all the obvious reasons.

Speaking of revolutions, an unnamed travel companion of mine was worried about Morocco exploding into similar political disarray but democracy managed to elude them a little bit longer and we had a lovely time.  Not that I'm valuing my vacation over life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness or anything. But I'm glad they held off so I didn't have cancel my trip/hear 'I told you so'/escape in the back of a turnip wagon to the American embassy.  It probably would have made a more interesting blog post however.

And the souvenirs I picked up are lovely. I now have a hand woven wool and cashmere blanket/rug/wall hanging thing that here would have probably cost me that liver I'm so attached to. There? $40.  I also got a traditional Moroccan dress which I've already worn once as a costume to my friend's party.  I wore it to the liquor store on the way to the party which was awkward because most Moroccans are Muslim and don't drink. I am not a method actress obviously.  But then, I also got slightly tipsy while actually in Morocco so....there you go.  Disrespectful on two continents.

Ok...I've totally lost track of this post. I'm going to end it now before I start rambling about donkeys or corn or something.