very simple

Not a great picture tonight, because they took the bulb out of the light fixture and I wasn’t going to attempt to put it back. They’ve started installing the new drywall for the ceiling, and the wood bracing is holding it in place. I’ve got some concerns regarding the schedule, as I was hoping the tile would have arrived by now and that work could have started as well (and that their focus on the ceiling today would have yielded a bit more progress), particularly given my home away from home’s availability (or lack thereof) after next Tuesday,

Pretty sure my parents won’t actually kick me out if absolutely necessary to stay longer, but, well, you never know.

The contractors appear to have finished ripping out most of what they were going to rip out, and the drywall arrived today, so i think this is progress. Not sure they’re going to be done quite on schedule, but it should be hopefully far enough along to be able to move back in by mid-next week while they finish up details (provided the new tile and such actually arrives tomorrow).

In other goings-on, today was a complete clusterf*ck, transportation-wise. This morning I got on the 1 train only to realize I was sitting across from some guy jerking off. I was tempted to post his picture on hollaback, but I didn’t have the energy, so I just moved. Not an auspicious start to the day though. Then, on the way home, AFTER the doors shut on the shuttle, the conductor announces that there is no uptown service on the 1, 2, or 3 trains at all, due to a “sick passenger”. If I had known BEFORE I got on the crosstown subway shuttle, I could have just gone back upstairs and hopped on the bus, but no. We were trapped. Which meant I had to trek almost a mile underground in the most ridiculous transfer that exists from the shuttle to the C train in Times Square.

So I tweet about it, and, of course, this is the response I get from the MTA: Apologies. We had a young man killed while on the tracks tonight. A bad commute for you, a horrific tragedy for his family

which is awful, and now I’m clearly the worst person in the world too. Since I’m already going to hell, I responded that maybe it wouldn’t be so horrific if they had done something to address this issue the last 1000 times that it’s happened. For some reason, they didn’t respond to that one.

How was your day?

It had to happen, but it’s always a little disconcerting to find your toilet in the middle of your bedroom. Plus another vertical panorama, now that they’ve torn away the falling ceiling. Nothing like some 85-year-old masonry!

Hopefully the rest of the shower tile will be gone tomorrow, just in time for the new tile shipment to arrive tomorrow or Wednesday.

Tomorrow is d-day. As in, demolition day. Contractors arrive to tear out all of this classic New York City bathroom-ness. Black and white subway tile is pretty much the mark of a quintessential old-school NYC water closet. As much as I like it in theory, it’s not only dated, it’s worn out. Lots of cracks, a spot on the floor where the radiator was ripped out where the tile doesn’t match up, and, well, that hole in the ceiling (the underlying issue has been resolved after much agita and threats of liens from building management against my upstairs neighbor)

I am now safely ensconced at my parent’s apartment a few blocks away, and Sadie is ensconced in the kitchen, much to her chagrin.

I will post more pics when meaningful progress has been made.

I had to get a haircut today, on top of everything else I’ve got going on, so I hopped on the subway to go downtown to my hairdresser. Wherein I noticed this pair of sneakers sitting in the middle of the railbed. presumably someone’s feet are not happy about this development.

Post haircut, I wandered up to Madison Square for a manicure and some dinner at Eataly. It’s the first time I’ve noticed this sign, even though I lived around the corner for six years, and find it kind of hard to believe that it’s new. Plus, a cliche shot of the flatiron building – I was just struck by the magic hour light that was happening at the moment.

Part of the plan for the renovation is that, while I am staying at my parents’ place, Sadie stays here, locked in the kitchen (conveniently the only room in my apartment with a door that shuts). I took everything out and made a little room just for her, with her bed, food, water, litter and toys, but there was an underlying fear that after being locked in there for one day, she would hide behind the couch and I’d never get her back in there.

No worries though, as she seems to have taken to it – she’s not even locked in at the moment, but still willingly hanging out in there. It may get a little more complicated next week when she doesn’t get to leave when I get home at the end of the day, but this is one more item on my “things to be completely neurotic about” list that I can cross off for the moment.

Actual work begins on Monday, but my contractor dropped off his equipment today so that they could get started first thing at the beginning of the week. We were originally going to start tomorrow, but realized that it was kind of stupid to start on a Friday, and then sit for a weekend (essentially losing my ability to use the apartment for several days without any productive work able to happen). Sadie was fine locked in the kitchen, although she did manage to get inside my cabinet even though I had tied the door shut. Sneaky girl. She was fast asleep in their after pushing out a bunch of groceries to make room for herself.

Actual text from my contractor: “Mission accomplished. I know it looks like enough tools to build hoover dam but trust me I’ll use every one of them.”

It’s not particularly exciting, but I actually got out of work before sundown yesterday, so I took a picture.

Last night was another late night at work, and I got home about 10pm. Sadie gets very agitated with me when I don’t come home on time (it’s funny – as much as cats seem indifferent to their humans, she is much less high strung if I’m actually home all day), and I don’t even want to contemplate what the next two weeks will be like when she gets locked in the kitchen to keep her away from the contractors who will be redoing the bathroom. But the kitchen is much larger than the cage she’d be put in if I boarded her, and at least this way she’s still in a relatively familiar place, so that should temper things.

Anyway, got home last night and Sadie was doing an excellent impression of a whirling dervish. this is what happened when I caught up with her for belly rubs. Then she went completely berserk when I ordered sushi for dinner.

I know I’ve taken pictures of the helmsley building before, but I’m stuck late again in that office that is not my own but which affords me such a great view.

By the way – we’re three days from spring, and it’s snowing.