2004-02-21 - 12:28 a.m.

So today I ran around like around like a maniac, spending all of an hour and a half in the office, and then went downtown to Robert to get my hair highlighted before my trip. It's funny, I can go to a spa and get a massage or a manicure and pedicure, and be relaxed and rubbery and want to stay there all day. But I don't know, there's something very non-relaxing about rushing around the city for personal maintenance. Too close to the street, or something, the life outside the windows intrudes. A full head of highlights, for the record, takes about 2.5 hours. 2.5 hours I don't give up happily. And no matter how good the magazines are, I start getting antsy right around the hour mark. But I'm leaving tomorrow, and so forced myself to sit through, and then went and got a manicure and pedicure, after almost succumbing to my inner sloth. I then went to the grocery store, halfheartedly shopping for dinner. I stood in front of the meat case, debating a steak. I WANTED a steak, even picked up a few and fondled them, but couldn't find one I liked ( I need the BONE in there, you know?) and I wasn't that hungry, thanks to the 5:30 pizza. So I opted for chicken, and I came home and ran downstairs to throw in some laundry, and when I came back up and opened the door, I was hit in the face with the smell of cooking steak. Must be from out the window. Weird. Maybe I should see if the neighbors will just give me a bite.

And speaking of neighbors, ours are actually a sublet, finishing out Brian's lease. They are a young couple, fresh-faced and nice enough, but they obviously do not know the rules here. There are rules, you know, for living in a city, or anywhere, really, those unspoken rules of behavior that keep things running smoothly. Like the umbrella rule. The umbrella rule, for the uninitiated, is that whoever is taller lifts their umbrella. When you're navigating a crowded sidewalk on a rainy day, umbrellas increase each persons personal travelling space by almost double. Therefore, you cannot pass someone with both your umbrellas held over your head. The rule is simple, no? You are taller, you raise your umbrella. If I raise mine, all it will do is HIT YOU IN THE FACE. If neither of us raise it, they will collide. You'd be surprised how many people flaunt that particular rule.

Anyway, the unspoken apartment building rule is that you do not leave your shit in the hall. The hall is shared space. Of course there are exceptions - when it's raining or snowing, it's acceptable to leave your umbrella out there, open, to dry. Or your wet shoes or boots. Until they dry, and then you bring them in. But these new neighbors, they don't know the rule. It's a studio apartment over there, and they are one relatively small couple. Outside their door, though, every night, there are at least 3 pairs of shoes, and sometimes as many as 5. This is driving the boyfriend to distraction. He spends far too much time trying to come up with some way to get them to stop doing it, all of which are complicated plans that need to be carried out late at night with a flashlight. And this has been going on for months now. So last night, boyfriend away, I decided to try something. Because I am a woman, something practical. I nudged the shoes until they were directly in front of the door, instead of lining the wall to the side. And guess what? Today, no shoes. And all without so much as a recon mission.

last - next