There are two three bathrooms, four tvs, a jacuzzi, mini bar, and gorgeous views from the 35th floor. Even the bathroom scale is nicer - it weighed me 15lbs lighter than the scale in the first room after I had buffet desserts (to which our VIP pass let us jump to the front of the 2 hour line, woo!).

Pictures I took, and a video from Rich:


The only lame thing is that there is no wifi, internet is not free, and an ethernet cable is $13. Guess I fail at NaBloPoMo this year as far as live updating. Still writing every day, just not posting it until I get back.

[x] 074. stay in a penthouse suite

004/101 completed

I am cleaning, mad cleaning to purge the toxicity. The deeper in I get, the more upset I become that the room is in this state, that it's gotten so disgusting.

There are sticky stains and handprints all over, needles, razorblades, condoms, and layers upon layers of dust and trash accumulated from the various past occupants. And I get mad all over again about the different people and situations and rent money that never turned up.

I am getting everything out of there, hoping to get it looking the way it did when we first moved in, then turning it into my art room like I've been wanting to.

I've cleared out the closet and floor, and set the actual stuff out on the curb. All that's left is the furniture (followed by on hands-and-knees scrubbing, and the walls). The badly assembled tables are definitely going, but I'm not sure about the bed. It's nice to have a spare/guest bed, but are new sheets enough to mask a mattress that's been lived on by 4 different parties, and who knows what else they did on there?

iPod, meet iDeath
My ipod died last week. That's 20 gigs of music lost, and I don't think I even listened to half of it yet.

Rain, rain go away (but don't really)
The ceiling was leaking again Friday, when there was heavy rain. And I think I got myself more sick when I went to work that morning, got soaked, then went home an hour later, getting even more soaked. Missed the 6A holiday party due to a mix of not feeling well and not wanting to make another trip into the city 'cause flooding.

My face is peeling
My skin has been extremely dry the last few days – I've used different moisturizing lotions, I've left it alone, nothing's changing this rough, dry state.

I went to look for breakfast, and found the bottoms of my bare feet wet. It wasn't from the rain outside; the window wasn't open. There was drip drip d r i p p ing from the ceiling, between the fan and fridge:


Naturally, I assumed that it must be coming from my upstairs neighbor's floor and went to check to see if his place was flooding. Completely dry. Must be something in-between then? The emergency maintenance line said they'd try to send someone over today, so we'll see. Right now, the floor is still getting wet since we don't have enough pots and pans to cover the splatter area.

update: The maintenance guy said it was a blocked up rain gutter, and that the dripping should stop shortly since he unclogged it. When I went back to the kitchen at 3, there was no more leaking. And the floor was dry. Did he clean it up?

I've lived on an island for most of my life. In Hawaii (Oahu) from the time I was 5 to 13, and then in Alameda since (minus the time I was living in Santa Cruz when I was going to school there).

Came home hungry, my nose hit heavy with a trail of deliciousness wafting down the main stairs. My mouth watering, I followed it up. Someone was cooking something I wanted, I could almost taste it on the tip of my tongue.

Unfortunately, when I opened the door to my apartment, it didn't lead to the source of the smell.

I'm annoyed that I can't sleep in on weekends anymore. When I try to after waking up naturally, I can't because the upstairs neighbors are stomping around. I don't know if it's aerobics or DDR or what, but it's loud and it's every weekend at 8am. Last week, when I first heard it, I thought maybe they were moving stuff around. But it's in sets and somewhat rhythmic. If it's still happening next week, I'm going to go and see what it is.

And then there's the cello player. That starts shortly after the stomping. It's lovely music, but not on a Saturday morning!

I miss sleeping in till noon (or past noon even). But on the upside, I have been a lot more productive. Today was laundry, then cleaning Round 2. ( and some other errands )

And here we are now. My plans for the rest of the night include a bit of work, and then either some Evangelion or reading Tourist Season. And then Blue Angels tomorrow.

Hi, I just wrote a totally long and boring detailed entry of my day. ohwow.

I got up this morning and spent 2 hours cleaning the kitchen. The floor still needs to be scrubbed, but everything else is spotless – the counters, the fridge, the stove, everything. A meth head would be proud.

And then I moved on to the bathroom
And after I was done there and had lunch, I started on the room. Picked up all the clothes that had been covering the floor, cleaned out everything that got shoved under the bed, stored away Mike's stuff in the hall closet, organized the games, dusted...

There's a little more that still needs to be done, but there's a floor again! And it no longer feels crowded, but spacious like it actually is. I hope when I get home tomorrow, I'm still happy that it's clean and not freaking out that it's empty.

I broke the door(knob).
How, you ask?
I don't know. I just did. J says I have super metal bending powers or something.
When he took it off the door, everything was still aligned the way it was supposed to be, except the middle part of the tumbler which I had twisted. And it couldn't be turned back. Even the maintenance guy was stumped. He eventually broke off my key. It couldn't be pulled out, even with all his tools.

We're supposed to get a new lock/knob tomorrow.

I don't like Greg. And I really don't like that he spent the night at my place without my knowing about it. That's not cool. wtf Virak. That's nice that you think of here as "home", but it's not.

I said it was okay for you to crash for the weekend – just for the weekend. That was 4 weeks ago, and I've been mostly fine with you being here since, but don't push it.

I thought you were getting better with this whole not letting others – especially Greg – push you around thing. It's so fucking stupid the way he takes advantage of you, that you can't just tell him to fuck off. Or even a simple no.

He doesn't even live far away. Yes, it's on the other side of town, but town is small remember? That's 3 miles away, if even.

It's his problem, not yours (and consequently mine) that his grandma told him not to come back after 1. He could have left earlier. I didn't appreciate being woken up at 3 (or 4 or whatever it was) either, or all the times you or him kept opening and closing doors. And who the fuck called you at 7 in the fucking morning?

J may consider you a really good friend now, but you're still just a guy I feel sorry for. And your being around is starting to get on my nerves, so really, don't push it.

Mmm... nothing like a good homecooked meal. Best pork chops I've ever had, biscuits, and a side of veggies. And the boys cleaned up most of the apartment yesterday.

I hope it stays clean this time.
I hope he starts cooking more again. (and we keep our fridge stocked)

How does no always become a yes? How does a few days turn into a whole week and possibly more?

He's not as bad as he was before; there is hope for him yet! He was better earlier on, but he's become a lot more talky again. And from what I've heard, he's actually stood up for himself; I'm impressed.

We haven't had any real food in our kitchen in months – the last time we went grocery shopping was in April, and it's been even longer since any real cooking was done in there.

So this feels really good, to have the fridge and cabinets stocked again, and a nice, full homecooked meal (instead of the bits and pieces we've been eating here and there). I did all the dishes (and I mean all our dishes), and he made dinner – steak cutlets with my favorite mushroom sauce, corn on the cob, and buttermilk biscuits.

I've really missed this; I just hadn't realized how much. And it's clearly evident in my mood too.

This was one of those mornings, the kind where I really, really hate public transportation/AC Transit, where instead of being on time and in intervals as scheduled, the bus shows up 15 minutes late – alongside the one that's almost on time and another that's early, getting me to BART a couple minutes too late. Or rather, in time for another 15 minute wait.

Mornings like this usually mean that the rest of the day plays out better. And it did, very much so. ( Undercooked food and all, but at least I got to ) spend more time with my guy!

I *just* put in a fresh roll of toilet paper before Mike got here. Fresh roll, unused. And now it's empty. What the hell was he doing in there?

And don't lie and say that you guess you used "like half a roll" when you were just told that 1) new roll, and 2) it's obviously now bare and empty. What the hell Mike?

Not cool. Especially since I'm a girl and I can't just shake it off after I pee. You're lucky there's another roll left and that I'm not on my period.

Now I know how guys feel when they first find that toothbrush that's not theirs, and other foreign toiletries in their bathroom.

I don't have a problem with having sex in someone else's place, but it bothers me when other people have sex at my place - even if it's in the other room and not on the bed I sleep on. Especially when it's loud sex like right now even though I have the tv turned all. the. way. up.

Oh my god her moaning and squealing and the slapping.

Why do I still agree to let people stay over?
I agreed to rent out an office, not a motel.

( boom. )

J left his keys in the apartment and couldn't get back in. There's stuff in there he needs before going to work. The apartment manager isn't home. We're on the third floor – there's no way I'm letting him climb in through the window.

So I suggested that he check the rental office, since they probably have a set of keys. And they did!

I am a genius :D

I did the dishes because it was bothering me. And I couldn't leave the kitchen while there were still stains on the stove. So I cleaned that too.

And then the bathroom sink. And cabinent.