serinde: (brew-up)
This one I snuck in right after work, because it is two whole blocks away.

Apartment #10, Second Ave. between 69th and 70th: Studio, for $TOOMUCH. (Actually, there were two in the building, but the lower-floor one was smaller, dingier, and looked out directly onto what will shortly be devastation for the Second Ave. Subway; not a contender.) So, a 4th floor walkup, looking out the back of the building; reasonable light, all things considered, not a great view. The main room is only about, mumble, say 10' X 12'. But! The kitchen, the other "half" of that room, was almost as big. As much cabinetry as our house's kitchen, I warrant; plenty of counter space, and a sticking-out-bit (peninsula?) that could either be acounter or a breakfast bar. And the whole thing nicely and recently redone. Very handsome indeed. The bathroom was also generous. The building itself is kind of meh, but you cannot beat the location, no, not with a stick could you beat it. TWO BLOCKS FROM WORK, d'you hear me? And there's lots of Stuff around; groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, you name it.

I think 10 X 12 is about the size of the room I'm in here at [livejournal.com profile] nedlnthred's. I seem to be bursting out of it and that's with all my books and the TV and Xbox and DVDs in another room. And I still have a crapload of stuff in [livejournal.com profile] sweh's garage (though a lot of it is kitchen-related, sure). I'm prepared to downsize, but that far? OTOH, it's probably a roughly equivalent amount of useable space as yesterday's contender, and it does indeed seem bigger because it's all one room. Wibble.
serinde: (maneki neko)
Looked at three more apartments last night. I intended to just look at the one I'd seen the post for, but there were two others in the same building complex available in my price range, so I permitted myself to be shown them as well.

Introspection goes here. )
serinde: (I see stupid people)
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: "SpaHa", forsooth.
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: I really want to start smacking people.
[livejournal.com profile] elibalin: Er? Where's that supposed to be?
[livejournal.com profile] elibalin: Really. I'm not sussing it out.
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: Spanish Harlem.
[livejournal.com profile] elibalin: Oh for gosh sakes.
[livejournal.com profile] elibalin: I would like to exile these people to the glamorous archipelago of StatIs.
serinde: (dancing zombies!)
...which perfectly sums up the New York winter experience. So, with no further ado:

Winter is icumen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damm you; Sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, 'tis why I am, Goddamm,
So 'gainst the winter's balm.
Sing goddamm, damm, sing goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.
-- Ezra Pound

N-GIP

Feb. 25th, 2009 10:15 am
serinde: (happyface)
This image is not, oddly enough, Pastede On Yay. It's from an art installation I entirely approve of.
serinde: (Sacred Chao)
So, coming to Chez Nous, one ordinarily takes the Dover train. However, my usual train home is not the 5:47 Dover train, but rather the 5:50 Gladstone train. I know this perfectly well, and yet, tonight, managed to have a brain fart and got on the Dover train. (Which I should not have been able to, as it was at that point 5:49.) I noticed this as I was on it & making my way forward to get a seat, when they announced it on the internal speaker; at which point I cussed, turned around, and started running back to the doors...which were already closed. And yet the train was not moving. The conductor said he could not open the doors and went on about how "they announced the train three times..." (WELL, ASSHOLE, I'VE BEEN ON IT UNDER A MINUTE.) Fine, whatever. I was increasingly peeved as we sat there for close on ten minutes, but phoned [livejournal.com profile] nedlnthred to find out where I was going. I figured it was not the end of the world, as one can generally change at Newark for a more useful train.

Much to my horror, however, this proved to be the express train. Which first stop is Maplewood. I didn't even know where Maplewood is. As we were discussing this turn of events, Captain Railway comes through again, taking tickets; I had out my monthly pass and just was holding it in the traditional Leaving Visible For You Whenever It Is You're Gonna Look At It fashion that is customary on NJ Transit, and eventually in the middle of my gibbering convo with Beth I realize that he's standing there looking at me. I have her hold a sec and ask if he's here for me, whereat:

Schmucky Conductor: "That'll be $1.75."
Your Humble Correspondent: "........what"
SC: "$1.75. Your pass is only to Brick Church"
YHC: "Wait, you're now going to charge me for getting on the wrong train?"
SC: "Yes, that's the NJ Transit rules"

Now, let me pause here to point out that the conductors have a lot of latitude. I have frequently seen them not charge at all, accept lesser zones to go to a greater distance, not charge step-up fees, charge random amounts of step-up fees...it's not like working retail where your register must be balanced at the end of the night. This clown knew damn well I was on the wrong train, didn't want to be on it, didn't want to be going where I was going, and he deliberately did this anyways.

I, of course, had no cash, as is often the case. (Somewhere, [livejournal.com profile] audiovile is chortling and having a giant I Told You So.) I was about to say "FINE PUT ME OFF ON THE NEXT STOP" when the fellow standing across from me said "Please, allow me..." and presented $1.75 to the Myrmidion of the Rails. Who had just enough cognizance to look slightly abashed, but took the money.

Naturally, I thanked my kind savior fulsomely, and we chatted for the rest of the ride. He did take the opportunity to mention his e-commerce web site, and gave me his card, but I think that's no less than fair. (He assumed that I was a lost City girl faring into the wilds of Noo Joisey, and I did not disabuse him of this notion, as it was far less embarrassing than reality.) We got to the station, Beth picked me up, and now there is fire and blackened salmon and what-not.

So, yes. Absolute fuckheadery, but an opening for an act of random kindness, which made me feel a deal better about the universe.
serinde: ("What fresh hell?")
[livejournal.com profile] nedlnthred and I went down to Nicole's for a stitch-and-bitch today, where [livejournal.com profile] briony530 and [livejournal.com profile] murieldechimay and others were already assembled; and by the end of the night, after I had been plied with hot 16th C. programming[1] and wine and food, I sobered up to find I'd agreed to teach two classes[2] at Hrim Schola.

what

Because, you know, I wasn't already reaching critical anxiety levels about everything else going on.

[1] "Dangerous Beauty" followed by "The Tudors".
[2] Specifically, "Beginner's Guide To Picking Fabric For Your Project", and "Cote-Hardie Engineering For The Large-Breasted". Now to see if anyone's already doing either of those...
serinde: (bowtie)
Anyone have crash space for two, for the weekend of March 8th?
serinde: (Default)
So I've looked at five apartments so far (there should have been a sixth today, but the super was MIA, so we shall have to reschedule), after a number of Craigslist and NY Times cullings; also (shhh) the use of a colleague's login on a listings accretion site. MORE EXCITING REAL ESTATE ADVENTURES!! )

Then we went to two museums and NJ Transit fucked me around and made me and all my clothes stink of burnt rubber and I'm really, really exhausted.
serinde: (on the short bus)
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: Scusi me, dov'e di uffizio postale?
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: LOOK I KNOW STUFF
[livejournal.com profile] dariodevil: Minchia!
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: ...as long as the post office is what I need to get to
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: What's that?
[livejournal.com profile] dariodevil: Penis!
[livejournal.com profile] dariodevil: Now you are smarter than you were before.
[livejournal.com profile] syringavulgaris: The prof said the first day, when he was going over pronunciation, that it's important to really roll with the double consonants, because otherwise "penne", a type of pasta, becomes "pene", a penis.
[livejournal.com profile] dariodevil: Well, yeah, "pene" is the medical term.
[livejournal.com profile] dariodevil: "Minchia" is the "Dario's people grab their groin and make this sound while waving their arm around and spitting on the ground while Malta scores a goal on Palermo during league finals" version.
serinde: (on the short bus)
So, I've registered for a class, which means I now have a bill. It's free for me, as an employee of a particular flavor, but until the papers are pushed the bill does indeed show my tuition. It also shows my application fee (they don't actually charge it until you're accepted and actually taking courses, which is unusually kind of them), and...the Student Technology Fee.

My salary is paid out of the Tech Fee.

I'm paying myself.
serinde: (Default)
I'm not ready to talk, or think, about Grandma just yet so I've been looking at apartments again. This is twitchy enough to make me start down other avoidance behavior roads, but I'm keeping mostly en point.

burble burble blort )
serinde: (MY CURSE IZ PASTEDE ON YAY!)
A nice side benefit or comfort item on this pilgrimage was that Mom got us tickets to see the Artistic Luxury exhibit (which is closing today) at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Description:

Just over 100 years ago, three of history’s greatest designers, Peter Carl Fabergé in Russia, Louis Comfort Tiffany in the United States, and René Lalique in France, were engaged in a spirited rivalry that drove each to attain unsurpassed heights in the creation of jewelry and luxury goods. In this opulent exhibition of more than 300 objects, see their greatest masterworks reunited for the first time since the legendary 1900 world’s fair in Paris.

Artistic Luxury offers a glimpse—through the stunning creations of these three great artists—into the world of the rich and famous during the years leading up to the First World War. Each designer was known for his own characteristic style and achievement, and the exhibition devotes a separate gallery to each jeweler, recreating the ambiance of the Paris world’s fair.


WHY NO THAT'S NOT UP MY ALLEY AT ALL.

Therefore, of course, Mom's car broke down this morning. The rental place nearest is closed Sundays, as is her mechanic. And don't even talk to me about public transit in these parts.
serinde: ("What fresh hell?")
Tomorrow, in Cleveland: "Cloudy with periods of snow during the afternoon. Dangerous wind chills may approach -25F."

Oh the things I do for family.
serinde: (job joy)
I have not moved off the Help Desk from 9am until after 6:30pm this week. I mean, not for lunch, not for nothing. We are shorthanded and we are flooded. Because why? Two reasons, chiefly:

1) Damn near all of the incoming students for this semester are in the Hunter systems, but have never been picked up by CUNY. For weeks. This means that none of them can register, as we just learned, since they are all trying to register and having (not unreasonable) hysterics when they can't. And there is nothing we can do about it.

2) Those students who DID make it into the Portal, through luck or timing or God-knows-what, CUNY's wonderful tangle of Java is not giving them the little module bit that has the link to eSIMS, the registration application. Each one of which must be dealt with by looking up the account and opening a trouble ticket at the Mothership. A separate one. Because heaven forfend they should say "gosharoonie, there's hundreds of people with this problem! Maybe we should make one all-around fix!" There is a work-around, but it's difficult to explain, especially to hysterical non-computer-literates.

And then there's the usual registration drama, which is never less than glorious. And one of my staff is away for two weeks, and one suddenly got accepted to nursing school, and we don't have enough for full coverage on hours let alone take care of the extra load (which is why I'm working the desk, and I drafted Hacker-Boy to do the same...and we're STILL not keeping up), and Facilities bitched up our moving date by the day before saying "oh er um there won't be phones there til next week sometime", and I don't have time to pull back or do anything but fight fires. And shout at people internally who Don't Get It. It doesn't help.
serinde: (self-control)
[livejournal.com profile] nedlnthred has been sick with death plague all week, and I thought I was avoiding it, but last night I was suddenly slammed by the Bus of Exhaustion; and this morning, though I slept tolerably well (there was one World War Cat taking place across my bed, and the neighbor started chipping ice off his walk at 5am), I'm feeling much the same. With a side bonus of throat tickle and swollenness! Whee!

I really, really cannot afford to be sick this week, which is going to be full of doom and wrath, so I'm trying to sleep it off. This of course utterly derails my plan of going to the Cooper-Hewitt with [livejournal.com profile] elibalin today to see the 19th-century interiors exhibition going away at the end of the month. grrrr.
serinde: (glamour)
While in England, I was seized & forcibly detained by a Clarks store, which had (surprisingly, as I'm used to thinking of them as comfortable-and-conservative) some deadly hot shoes at reasonable prices. However, we had places to be, and the place was completely pillaged due to post-Boxing-Day sales, so I thought, well, ah hah, I shall just hit one of the plethora of Clarks stores on this side of the pond.

Woe, alack, and alas. Apparently only the Brits get these, or these, or these. Indeed, it seems that they have an entire section, the "Smart" collection, available in the UK but not in the US. GODDAMMIT, YOU GUYS.
serinde: ("What fresh hell?")
It's a Sherlock Holmes film...

...directed by Guy Ritchie...

...starring Robert Downey Jr as Holmes, and Jude Law as Watson...

...currently filming in Williamsburg...

...with the antagonist being a Satanist peer.

what.

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