Smallhouse Log

Thursday, fifteenth week after Pentecost

I discovered last night that I get great wireless connectivity out on the back porch, but that does me no good when it's pouring rain. I suppose I should be glad I got everything moved yesterday when it was dry. At this point, both the big bedroom and the closet are swept out, removed of cobwebs, nails, and other unwanted wall fixtures, and scrubbed down within reason. The lil' bedroom and living room need the same treatment, the kitchen needs a rather more thourough cleaning (for reasons both of health and of having so many shelves), and the bathroom and back porch are just filthy. The front porch has a bunch of stuff on it, but as it's also the back porch of our neighbor, I'll leave it alone for now.

Eric, our superhip landlord, has agreed to fix the existing doors, put doors between the bedrooms and between the lil' bedroom and kitchen, and take a look at why the tub seems to leak. Other than that, and needing a coat of paint, the apartment looks great, but it does have a few problems I only recently noticed: I knew the floor was uneven in the kitchen and bathroom, but I didn't look at it in the bedrooms. It turns out to be, yes, uneven, causing my bed to slant to the side and wobble, which drove me crazy at first. Then I broke the bed. Not permanently -the midbar just twisted and the slats fell out- but it was annoying. I spent the rest of the night trying to lie very still. In the morning I set out to replace burnt-out light bulbs, and discovered that a few of the light fixtures just don't work. One of the sockets in lil' bedroom, the entire kitchen fixture, and (unless it's controlled from within the front apartment, which seems silly) the front porch light. The former tenants seemed to be aware of this, as they left a helpful lamp plugged in next to the kitchen stove. A number of electrical outlets seem to be duds as well.

I hope I don't sound too down on this place; I love it, I really do. It's crazy cheap, and there's some degree of "you get what you pay for", but on the whole it's a great find: a big backyard we can garden in, modest but not cramped rooms, walls we can paint, beautiful (if worn and crooked) hardwood floors, good water pressure, fantastic air circulation, within walking distance of chinatown and pilsen, within blocks of the orange line, the halsted bus, all-night convenience stores, a produce market, a thrift store, a cool coffeehouse, and a couple nice looking take-out places. Now I just need to find a place to do laundry. Maybe I can wash it myself in the bathtub or something.

Comments have closed.

leah responded within a day.

isn't it a little late in the season for gardening, good sir?
Nemo responded within a day.

For planting, yes, but not for prepping. I don't think the yard has ever been cleared of rocks. I will build the cutest little wall.

Anna responded within 5 days.

It sounds adorable! Crooked floors add charm and easy fodder for party games. Though, I have to admit, it would bother me a lot if I had to lie absolutely still in bed. I'm a fidgeter..