I am officially moved. I would like to be able to say that the move went smoothly, but that was not the case. The problem with living in 3rd floor apartments is they present a unique challenge with regard to hallway width and ceiling height. This meant that Dad and Teddy were unable to get some of my stuff into the new place, namely a sofa, my bedframe, and my computer desk. The sofa I could live without; I have a loveseat and an armchair, so no great loss. The bedframe ... It would be nice to have my solid-wood frame with the bureau drawers underneath, but I'd live. And besides, LindaTheMom was kind enough to take me out and buy me a regular metal frame, so it's not like I'm sleeping on the floor or anything. But the computer desk. Big problem. I'll sleep on nails and watch tv with my ass on the floor. But I am not going through life without my computer desk. The major problem with the desk was that it was too big to fit through the door in its assembled form, so Dad and Teddy left it in the garage. Orthodox methods of disassembling it weren't feasible, because when Xboy Rob put it together for me years ago, he reinforced all the wooden peg bits with wood glue. After my parents left yesterday, I thought about this for a long time, then decided that there had to be a way to make it work. After three hours of labor and few nasty bruises, I have come to the following conclusion: There are few obstacles that cannot be overcome so long as one has the following items: 1. A screwdriver with changeable heads A roll of duct tape wouldn't be a bad idea either. I removed screws, I swore, I got splinters, I nearly killed myself hauling dismembered desk parts up the stairs. But the desk is in. And reassembled. And holding my computer and all its peripherals, just the way God intended. I rule.
2. A hammer
3. An incredibly stubborn woman
posted by Kate at 9:49 AM link/comments
Friday, July 27, 2001
This just in from aforementioned officemate: One of the members of 'N Sync has apparently launched his own clothing line, and aforementioned 13-year-old daughter is beside herself with grief because officemate cannot afford to buy her a new wardrobe in said line. Good christ.
posted by Kate at 9:54 AM link/comments
Ahhhh...Thanks, Linda. I'm glad to know someone's still reading this thing, even if I have been slacking off. On a somewhat similar "Annoying Children" note, my office-mate has been bringing her 13-year-old daughter to work with her in the afternoons lately due to some extenuating familial circumstances. This is truly fine by me given what's going on in her life, but it occurs to me that there's a damn good reason why people are generally discouraged from bringing their families to work with them. The girl in question brings a friend with her, and they giggle. About boy bands. And argue about which member of 'N Sync is the cutest. Tonight is the last night I'll sleep in my housemate-filled home. It's all a bit strange. I understand the reasons why we're all moving to new places, and I think it's a good idea, but I'm going to miss it. Granted, my new place is within walking distance of the Melinda/Holly apartment as well as the Steve/Marc/Zack apartment, but it's still going to be a bit strange to come home and know that no one will be there when I walk in the door (except the cats, of course). On the upshot, I'll have no one but myself to blame when the toilet paper runs out.
posted by Kate at 9:52 AM link/comments
Kate - you'll always look beautiful to me. Maybe the prospect of being in a new place has lightened your aura?
Life here has been a round of work, work, work. Summer is our busiest time in the library. Some parents seem to think that the library is a good place for the little sweethearts to express themselves freely... I was hiding in the workroom this week, while a loud and obnoxious child made the rest of the place miserable. I happened to be reading a book (lunch time OK?), and one cop was saying to the other cop “Make her shut up. Kill her if you have to”. My thoughts exactly. GRRR.
The summer has been a real summer though – we thought that the great sunny week we had when Kate & Bill & Steve & Vanessa were here was it, but after two weeks of rain and fog another hot spell. Even I have to admit that when it’s 74 degrees when you get up in the morning it’s hot.
I am trying to lose weight and get fit before the big trip to Oz. The problem is I get soooo hungry. O, well, they’ll love me what ever I look like. (I hope).
What’s happening to the rest of you?
posted by lindathemum at 6:51 AM link/comments
Thursday, July 26, 2001
16 days and not a single post. Someone slap me. Work is insane, "home" doesn't really exist at the moment. We're all the process of moving to new places. I hate this between-abodes limbo where nothing's set up in the new place, and everything's been moved in the old place, so there's nowhere to be comfortable. Oh, well. After this weekend, I should be mostly settled. Looking forward to the impending visit from Dad and TedTheBrother and LindaTheMom, who will arrive in Cleveland on Saturday in Teddy's new F250 pickup truck with attached utility trailer. They're bringing me the furniture Mom bought in 1974 so I can have a living room. Hooray. Lessee...what else... I'm experiencing this weird phenomenon lately where I feel like hell but (apparently) look good. All this moving heavy things up and down staircases is making me sore and energy-less, yet assorted people keep looking at me and telling me I look great ... even a couple of random members of the opposite sex, which is shocking. I look in the mirror and see a person with a zit on her chin who needs a haircut and some spackle to cover up the dark circles under her eyes. Makes very little sense to me. I need to redesign this damn site, but I think we'll just stick with this bare-bones design until next week. I no longer have much goof-off time here at the office, and as for home, doing anything besides packing, moving, and cleaning for the next 5 days is out of the question. Pictures of new apartment will come soon. Over-n-out for the moment. And for the love of God, someone post something to this thing!
posted by Kate at 2:36 PM link/comments
Tuesday, July 10, 2001
Good news. My life is now filled with apartment goodness. I have skylights in my bedroom. Hooray!
posted by Kate at 9:26 AM link/comments
Tuesday, July 03, 2001
Last night went like this: Got home from work, threw my body on the couch, and popped in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Watched about 3/4 of the movie before losing consciousness. Woke about 3 hours later, oozed into the kitchen for some food, popped in Gun Shy (independent cop/crime flick starring Sandra Bullock and Liam Neeson), peeled myself off the couch around 11:30, then cleaned the ferret cage in preparation for landlord's bringing potential new tenants by the house this afternoon. Went to bed and had dreams that I was being held captive in a carriage house in Savannah, Georgia, forced to clean animal cages for Liam Neeson. I swear. I get to go look at two apartments today, the first of which is located in a giant, scary highrise building. I know it's not very counterculturalist of me to consider moving into a corporate-constructed giant apartment building, and I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm oddly comfortable with the idea of living there. Free heat, free air conditioning, free water, cable-ready, and gated with 24-hour security. Oh, and they have a swimming pool. I will be lulled into a dangerous, false sense of security and convenience. Strangely, I'm OK with that.
posted by Kate at 10:09 AM link/comments
In Tokyo.... everything is strange.... flight was long, but I am the KIIIIIINNNGGGG of exit rows.... got another one on the Sydney flight too... must fly, running out of 100 yen coins to feed this box...
posted by billyjoe noodle-bob at 4:38 AM link/comments
Monday, July 02, 2001
So all right. Here I am. Back from the depths. Here's hoping Jen and Paul's trip to the Upper Peninsula goes well. I only regret that I can't make it as I've rendered myself vacationtime-less with my recent jaunt to Maine. Carted Bill off to the airport this morning, which necessitated our rising at 4:30 a.m. Bleh. He should be on his flight to Tokyo at the moment. So life returns to normal ... whatever the hell that means. Only 2 and a half hours til I can go home and sleep. Whee. The latest in KateLand is that I'm looking for an apartment. The house lease ends in July, and members of the collective have decided to split up into different factions. One-bedroom apartment shopping is no fun. More to follow. I'm afraid I can barely keep my eyes open at the moment, much less muster any sort of witticisms. Until later ...
posted by Kate at 2:20 PM link/comments