I Ate Us

So I've been jobless a month now. You might have thought "OH BOY HE HAS NO JOB HE WILL BLOG ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT UNTIL THE SUN COMES UP" but you were wrong. I've had far too many other things to do like nothing.

Honestly, I have almost nothing to show for the past month except failed eye surgery and my surprising ability not to go over budget on unemployment. I've also done some sitting and thinking about where I want to be professionally and creatively. No conclusions have been reached. You guys, WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MYSELF!?

No it doesn't matter. For the moment I am very happy with no purpose. I'm seriously way quieter inside. I don't even get mad when people cut me off or block the subway doors, and it's not just because I'm no longer in a hurry.

Oh but do you want to hear something that IS pissing me off!? Yeah, this blog's new name is 'More Apartment Problems, Everyone!' because I have some major water damage on the ceiling of my kitchen and the backsplash. Wanna see?

Those pictures were taken Sunday, and it's much worse now. My building manager got a plumber here (in 2 days -- record time!) and apparently the apartment above me didn't know their kitchen sink was leaking water all over the floor. Because that's reasonable. Please spend all day dragging furniture around and dropping things on the floor so heavy that my lights flicker, yet fail to notice that you are swimming.

So everybody is invited to my party where I will have 16 sq. ft. of ceiling replaced as well as most of a wall and probably all of my cabinets and then a brand new paint job because this is exactly what I need to spend money on right now.

Shelves by Amalgam

Ok the big event this weekend was the completion of my giant shelving unit that I've been telling people about for ages. It's by Ben ("The Architect", who you know) and Adrien (who you don't) of Amalgam, based in Brooklyn. They did some sweet design work and a dedicated weekend installation which the following shitty iPhone pictures will do no justice.

In progress.

Computer sit part. That monitor will be on the wall soon.

Stables and wine rack detail.

Further wine rack detail. Note the felicity with which the wine bottles do not go crashing to the floor.

Millwork detail. This is the coolest part. The top 4 shelves have part of a Frank O'Hara poem etched into the bottom. You can read the whole thing while you're sitting in the chair.

and the little box is out on the sidewalk
next to the delicatessen
so the old man can sit on it and drink beer
and get knocked off it by his wife later in the day
while the sun is still shining

oh god it’s wonderful
to get out of bed
and drink too much coffee
and smoke too many cigarettes
and love you so much

The poem is a love letter to New York City, but it also reminds me of some important friends from the past, so it's a whole bundle of good feelings doing their best to make people vomit rainbow happiness.

So tonight is all about putting crap on them like books and stuff. I like the big spaces and am considering printing some photos and putting them back in there with some subtle lighting underneath. So that'll be neat.

If any of you want to commission your own totally awesome designwork from Amalgam (which I highly recommend), I suggest you contact them immediately because once all the celebrities show up at the housewarming party I'm finally having, they will be too busy making playpens for Angelina Jolie to be bothered with you plebes.