By my count, summer is officially here. I don't let some silly tilt of the planet dictate to me when "summer" starts. No, for me, in these post-collegiate days I'm reluctant to call "adulthood," summer starts when the streets start to stink, two-a-day showers, an uncomfortable hot apartment, and increased resentment over sitting inside all day. And all of these things are going on as we speak. So, summer it is.
Activities/undertakings of the last week or so in preparation for summer:
Bought a second air conditioner last week. This was long overdue. As much as I love my apartment, it's probably only totally comfortable, climate-wise, three months out of the year. Hot as Hades in the summer, cold as all get out in the winter. My aparment is like my favorite jacket that I can only wear at the beginning of fall and the end of spring for a few weeks. Looks great, but not terribly functional. So last week Miss Charming Melodee and I walked down to PC Richard and Sons on Atlantic Avenue and picked up a new A/C unit. I asked the creepy, skinny salesman with bad teeth and a lazy eye "How heavy is this, do you think?" and he replied "oh, not that heavy at all. Did you eat a good dinner? Feeling strong? You can carry it." Well, that was basically daring me to carry it home. What else could I do? He'd challenged me. In front of my woman, no less. Nevermind the fact that this guy looked like he'd fall over in a strong breeze. So I grabbed the heavy box awkwardly and stepped out into the misty evening, Miss CM walking cautiously beside me. By the time I got across Flatbush Ave, I'd realized I'd made a huge mistake. But I didn't want to hail a cab, since the rates just went up and we were only a few blocks away. It's funny how some costs are justifiable and other, more sensible and fairly insignificant costs, are ignored. Like, I paid $100 for this A/C unit, but I really wanted to save the six bucks a cab would've caused me. Even as I felt my spine collapsing, I didn't want to call a car. Regardless, the new unit is purring like a kitty. A window-mounted, cold-air generating kitty.Got the drastic summer haircut over the weekend while at home in PA. Feels weird. I hadn't really had a cut since November. Also shaved the devisive facial hair. I hadn't planned to, but after the hair was cut, Geoff said the only thing that would make the facial hair look ok was an earring. Anyway, the consensus was that after the cut I looked decidely less Mexican.
And now that the weather has finally reached a point of consistent niceness, I'm increasingly resentful at having to work so much. Luckily, at my day job I have a flexibile work arrangement, which allows me to work from home one day a week. In practice, it's a bit of a pain in the ass, since tasks that would take me five minutes at work take 15 at home. Of course, it's still better than going to the office. And during my lunch, I meet up with the unemployed Matt and play tennis in the park, which has been the most pleasant development of the early warm weather season.
I've really got to start getting out more. There's so little going on these days, it's scary how quickly that's become the norm. Just work work work. James finishes up his tour on Wednesday, with a homecoming show of sorts at Siberia. Though I doubt I'll be able to attend. Work and all. There should be some interesting subplots going on though, and it's free show I think, so it will be a good time should anyone decide to go.
One of the nicer things about working late is that my night time office moved recently, to Park Ave. South, which is a much nicer neighborhood than the Chinatown/Tribeca street we were previously on. It's less convenient to get to, but after work I've taken to walking the extra blocks down to Union Square. I've always liked that particular area of New York for some reason, and lately the nights have been cool and very pleasant, and it makes me glad to be in this damn city.
Of course, once I actually get to Union Square and go underground, it totally sucks.
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