It Ain't No Origami | Main | Francis
May 9, 2005
Paring Down
On Saturday evening, I received a wonderful surprise by way of Dallas, via the Almost Husband�s disorganized company. It came in the form of my actual Almost Husband, shipped back to New York after only five days. The return, albeit temporary, made my weekend.
What can I do to make your weekend better, to make your workweek feel less crappy? he asked.
Why, take apart the cat scratching post couch!
Recently, I have been trying to pare things down. The reality of us merging households is getting closer. We have a library�s worth of books. He has a/v equipment. And we both have cats. Lots of them. Taking all of this into account, I have realized that much of my extraneous belongings must go. We are both fans of open, clean spaces and at the current moment, even with a giant, pipedream of an apartment, we would still be drowning in crap.
You would think that removing a couch would be a simple procedure. Angle it out of the doorway and then, with two people, maneuver it down the staircase to the trash. Yeah. Right. When I moved in, the movers had to remove my front door to get this love seat inside. Not wanting to face that upheaval (and misalignment of locks) again, we took to the couch with hammer and saw. Three hours later and an almost black eye later, we carted the couch carnage out to the curb, vacuumed and washed the floor, made a drink, and surveyed the new openness of my living room.
I have to tell you, by New York standards, it looks much cuter and a little wider. It could even house a new bookshelf, if I wanted to go that route. But honestly, right now it is all about making the house look sellable. Cute and sellable. And empty. And clean. Because friends, in three months the abode is going on the market. The Almost Husband and Almost Wife will finally be able to seek official cohabitation, four cats and all. I am so excited.
Now I just need a Dyson and a buyer. More about the Dyson and, perhaps, the Unfortunate Pigeon Pooping Incident, tomorrow.
Posted by callalillie at May 9, 2005 9:19 AM | City Life , Home Improvement
you should have thrown it out the window.
Posted by: tien at May 9, 2005 9:27 AM
yeah, right! my downstairs neighbor would have LOVED that one. let's put it this way...if it didn't fit through the door in one piece, there's no way it would have fit through the window.
Posted by: corie at May 9, 2005 9:33 AM
Yay for lex being back for the time being, and i do like your plant shelves.
Posted by: discostu at May 9, 2005 12:10 PM
whatever you do, dont get rid of that chair
Posted by: rachelle at May 9, 2005 1:04 PM
or.. get rid of that chair and give it to me!
Posted by: rachelle at May 9, 2005 1:04 PM
heh. the chair and the kitchen table are the only things that i would keep for life...been in the family for a while. plus, that is olive & irving's chair. where else would irving sit on his sister?
Posted by: corie at May 9, 2005 1:08 PM
Before your open houses, bake cookies - people love the cookie smell.
Posted by: Jen at May 9, 2005 3:54 PM
i heard that dysons suck, figuratively, at sucking, literally. do your market research because thats a lot of dough for a freaking vacuum. and your apartment has sort of a amish vibe to it, nice.
Posted by: Nancy at May 9, 2005 4:20 PM
Mmm. We like to eat cookies, too. In fact, we've been known to go to open houses just for the cookies :)
Nancy, for real? My parents swear by theirs. I saw a "refurbished" one on Amazon for half the price, though the whole thing stinks of collaborative wedding present.
Posted by: corie at May 9, 2005 4:51 PM
Amish Chic was so last year CFH. Honestly.
as far as cohabitation is concerned, I still can't accept it. You were supposed to be my urban sophisticated spinster NY hag! Now what am I going to do? I'm gonna be that old decrepid lonely homo, with a cigarette and a bald spot, down at the strip joint oogling the boys while they mock me for being old -- all alone!
Thanks a lot!
Posted by: jason at May 10, 2005 2:16 AM
my sister had a whole litany of complaints about the Dyson. I'll ask her what they were. In the meantime, I have a Eureka Boss SmartVac and it truly is boss, for both floors and carpet.
Posted by: Nancy at May 10, 2005 6:02 AM
oh and jason, it sounds like you're planning on becoming steve buschemi or something!
Posted by: Nancy at May 10, 2005 6:03 AM
How nice and charming your living room!
Posted by: Sonia at May 10, 2005 8:58 AM
Just got a Dyson this weekend, and it kicks ass! Have been pining for one for about 18 months now, and finally saved up enough dough.
Posted by: amy-from-the-bus at May 16, 2005 10:55 AM
