I Thought This Day Would Never Come!

I know there are certain...issues that come with living in an older, non-contemporary building. The appearance may be less than perfect because of its age, things may need to be repaired or replaced, amenities that may come standard in a newer building may require substantial time and money to upgrade to in an older building, and as things get worn out, they may just flat out break down. Such is the case with the elevator in my building...which I found out the hard way, after returning home from an extended stay at my parents' house in November. I was loaded down with a heavy overnight bag, shopping bags, and other things that I was toting up to my condo on the 4th floor of my building.

"Hmmm...what's this note say?...it's BROKEN? Oh no! Now what am I supposed to do??"

And I took the stairs, looking back at the elevator as if it was my best friend riding off into the sunset to a new house with her family far, far away. OK, a little dramatic, but I was sad. Then...a few weeks later, after looking at that same pitiful note on the elevator...a new note came. A part has to be replaced, but we should be back in business in 10 weeks. TEN WEEKS!?!?! Did that say 10 weeks or am I hallucinating?

Yep, 10 weeks.

Don't get me wrong...I feel it's a priviledge to be physically able to climb three flights of stairs. (And good thing too, because I have no idea what the physically challenged or disabled were supposed to do during this time). But it gets real old having to always live your life knowing whatever you took home, you'd have to tote up a rack of stairs. Or not wanting to have company because the last thing you wanted them to think was that you live in a raggedy building with a broke down elevator. Or to not be able to properly furnish your place because there was nobody at your disposal that could take sh*t up all those stairs. Or to not be able to clean your place out because you didn't want to take things one at a time, down a bunch of stairs, then go back up a bunch of stairs 4, 5, and 6 times. And when you (a) are a pack rat and (b) live in a fixer upper, not having an elevator can be a bit of a hinderance to your efforts to get things in order. Not to mention grocery shopping, regular shopping, the flea markets that I participate in. I do a lot of lugging for some reason, and I was always able to just put things on my wheely cart and get on the elevator whenever I needed, and without arranging for anybody to help me.

It's notable to point out...that one flight actually equals 2 sets of stairs. (ie., 10 stairs, turn, 10 stairs = 1 flight).

So...once the 10 weeks was up...or somewhere there 'bouts...a new note appears. The elevator has to be "modernized" (whatever the hell that means), a special part has to be manufactured (since the elevator is soooooo old, there is no place that has the required parts on hand) and just getting the part was going to take 10 weeks, and installing it would take another 6 to 8 weeks. At this point...I'm feeling like life with no elevator is basically what I'll endure until I finally move out or die. And the thought of moving with no elevator made me want to cry.

Climbing stairs got real old, real fast. Because it is a building with an elevator, the stairwell was not designed with actual climbing in mind. The stairs were steep, narrow, and hard to climb, not to mention the stairwell was just plain ugly.

The day finally came that we got the notice that the part was being delivered and the cars had to be moved from the parking lot so that the part could be lifted into the building through the roof. Aaaah what a great day that was. It fell on my Friday off, and watching them work brought tears to my eyes. Blake and I supervised from the balcony. BUT...we still had the 6 to 8 weeks to go while they installed the part and got the elevator up and running. Of course, that 6 to 8 weeks ran long, and what was not factored in was the testing and the state inspection. UGH!

But...the day finally came with little fanfare. From November to July...we had no elevator. I thought there would have been balloons and flyers and everything announcing the new, modernized elevator was up and running. Nope! I actually wasn't even sure we were allowed on it...but of course I just took my chances. The moment it took off, I felt like I was taking off in a rocket ship for territories unknown. Well...of course the territories were in fact chartered and known, as it was the 4th floor of my building which I'd seen many times. But never through eyes full of the joy I felt that day. I got off the elevator and walked down the hall to my door like it was the most normal act on earth. And now my life is back to the way it was. What a sigh of relief.

Happy Belated Birthday!

Boo and I had a nice 4th of July. We went to my sister's house waaaaaaay down in St. Mary's County, then went to my girlfriend's house. Sis's cat just had kittens so that was really cute to see them. There are 5 of them. One minute they were all curled up together sleep on a pink blanket. Next time we went to look at them, they were all curled up together on the black blanket. It was like they all got up and scooted over to the other blanket while nobody was looking and fell right back into place.

Then at my girlfriend's house, we had the chance to spend sometime with her new baby girl. She's only 8 weeks old and she's just as cute as ever. We also got to see my other girlfriend's little girls. They are 2 year old twins and they are just so so precious.

It was such a treat seeing everybody and enjoying the 4th with my sweetums.

Happy Birthday America!

The "etsy" bitsy website...

I can thank my good girlfriend Dianca for introducing me to the world of etsy (dot com, that is), which has come darn close to replacing my addiction to craigslist.

Etsy.com is this FABULOUS online marketplace for things that are handmade. From matchbook notepads to eclectic wall art to ipod cozies made out of recycled vintage blazers, jewelry made from unique beads, funky handbags, or trendy screenprint tshirts, it's on etsy.com. Whether your style is ethnic, vintage, chic, industrial, classic, whimsical or witty, there is a creator on etsy.com with something to sell to you. Because everything is handmade, a lot of items are one-of-a-kinds. People can ask you where you got it, but they probably won't be able to get one just like it. And the prices can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, so there is something that will suit every budget and style. And many times, the seller will provide the option for you to have something customized just for you just to suit your exact desires of the moment.

Etsy allows shoppers the opportunity to choose how they want to shop...you can browse by category, search for something specific, view sellers by location or items by color, shop by which seller has a birthday on that day, and one of my favorite search options is to "pounce", which is just clicking a button and seeing what they show you, three items at a time. There is also a showcase of the top sellers, which is refreshed daily. Each seller has their own virtual "location" on etsy.com. They can tell a little about themselves and their craft(s), and then shoppers can view all of the items that each seller is selling.

Even though etsy.com claims to be a marketplace for handmade items, they have a vintage section which contains items that definitely aren't handmade by the shop owner. And I suspect that some items are potentially not handmade...but cute nonetheless. So if you're ever looking for something that's unique, creative, or handmade, there's probably something for you on Etsy.

Etsy reminds us of how great it is to be creative and even better to support craft-making. Everytime I look around on etsy, it makes me want to go straight to Michaels and buy a ton of stuff. But for those that don't have that creative itch, you can appreciate and support these artists, seamstresses, and creators by buying their products. There is no fee to shop, and the fees to post are minimal.

Here are some things I thought were really cute on etsy.com:

Cute clutch:

Cute bag:

Matchbook notebooks:

Stand for Change Obama wallet: