23 Days Later

Crack the champagne: the installation of a washer/dryer today marks the day that the terms of our lease (September 1, 2008 – August 31, 2009) were finally fulfilled by the landlord. A brief history of this wondrous, tumultuous time:

Friday, August 29

Mallen shows up. No walls. "It'll be done by the 1st."

Sunday, August 31

No walls. Last day in old apartment; must move in.

Monday, September 1

Holiday. Move rest of stuff from old to new apartment. Neighbor calls cops on illegal construction. No progress.

Tuesday, September 2

Contractors busy. Scant progress.

Wednesday, September 3

Walls up. Sheetrock dust everywhere.

Friday, September 5

Walls plastered. Sheetrock dust not a problem—plaster dust way worse, and everywhere.

Monday, September 8

Williamstown for the weekend. Dust regroups, redoubles.

Tuesday, September 9

John & Mallen spend night in apartment; dust spends night in them. Landlord assures us it's fine.

Wednesday, September 10

Mallen makes first pot of coffee.

Thursday, September 11

I spend my 1st night; regret it.

Friday, September 12

Car towed from Columbus Ave. Tow + ticket = $157. Comcast installs internet—1 hour of installation, 2 hours of uptime. Landlord: "Washer in Tuesday."

Saturday, September 13

John's towel detectable at arm's length—by smell.

Sunday, September 14

Went to yoga. Laundry access: soon.

Tuesday, September 16

Internet fixed. Washer absent, but presumed functional.

Wednesday, September 17

Bedroom doors now swing outward, per blueprint; mine swings toward window, not per blueprint.

Thursday, September 18

Yoga again. Clothes from 9/14 yoga still in plastic bag.

Friday, September 19

"Either the stove isn't level or these eggs really want to be in me."

Saturday, September 20

Car returned to CT. Parking violations since September 1: $307.

Sunday, September 21

Me to neighbor: "Can we do a load of laundry?" Neighbor: "No."

Monday, September 22

Clothes from 9/14, 9/18 yoga extracted from bags and hung on railing outside. Odor: unreal.

Tuesday, September 23

Arrival of the Haier XQG50-11 Front Load All-In-One Washer/Dryer. 21 of 27 reviews on epinions give it 1 star. Landlord tries to level stove, concludes poured concrete floor must be 3/4 inch higher in back. Oven now leaks gas.

If the rest of the year is half this interesting, there will be blood, and lawyers.