Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Third houseguest in 10 days

Christopher Kelly and John Metz
My friend Chris, a gifted writer, is in New York to do gifted-writer things. We worked together looong ago, way back in 2009, at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Being a fan of all things narrative, he is planning to get us tickets to some sort of show tonight, which breaks my previous vow to wait until I had received at least two paychecks before blowing $70+ on theater tickets. But, eh, c'est la vie. Speaking of French, I think the show he wants to see is La Cage Aux Folles. Ooh la la.

The Queens apartment is fine for just me, but I have felt like a sub-par host when people have stayed over. The couch isn't great for tall people to sleep on, and I don't even have an extra set of sheets or pillows with me; those are back in New Haven. But, you know, you get what you pay for, so if people want to stay here for $0, then a small couch with no clean sheets is what they get. It's not like I'm keeping anybody imprisoned here.

Here's a quick look at 3 things I prefer about the Queens apartment I'm subleasing to my New Haven apartment, and 3 things I don't.

Queens apartment is better than New Haven apartment because:

1. There is fantastic water pressure. If there's one thing I hate about my New Haven apartment, it's that, as my roommate Matt put it, the shower feels like a you're standing next to a 12-foot-tall man peeing on your head.

2. There's an A/C unit in the bedroom. I haven't spent too much time in my New Haven apartment during the cruel summer months, but what time I did spend was not pleasant in the boudoir.

3. It's on a street with stuff. Below me is a diner, and within 10 steps is another restaurant, a wine bar, a dry-cleaner and a full-service laundry. In New Haven, nothing is next to my apartment but other houses.

New Haven apartment is better than Queens apartment because:

1. My belongings live there. Specific stuff I miss includes my coffee maker, my piano and, I hate to say it, but my TV. I didn't even watch TV much at all, but there's something about having a TV that makes you feel connected ... somehow a computer isn't a substitute.

2. The hardwood floors are beautiful. The Queens apartment has carpet, which is fine, but I think nothing brightens up a room quite like some beautiful floors.

3. Wonderful people live there! Nobody wonderful lives here but me.

2 comments:

  1. That's nice, John. You are missed here too.

    I agree with your points about the apartment's disadvantages. Here are two more:

    Advantage -- it is very cheap with three people living here.
    Disadvantage -- we live on the 4th floor. (The first flight of stairs is from the sidewalk to the entrance.)

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  2. I miss you too John!

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