July 17, 2008
Clean Apartments Are the Best
There's nothing like coming home to a clean apartment after you've been at work. An apartment that is clean and where your feet squeak on the freshly cleaned floor. That's like the best thing in the world.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, NYC, Photos at 5:59 PM
June 3, 2008
CB2's Inline Vase
A couple of weeks ago, we got a CB2 catalog and saw these cool inline vases. As one of our cats broke another vase of ours around that time, we thought it would be a good time to get a new one at CB2. While there, we got the inline vase too. But it looks like I need to work on my flower arranging skills. I was having some difficulty cutting the flowers to the right length. I do see potential though (in the vase, not in my skills).
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Photos at 1:00 PM
February 27, 2008
Blooming Soon
I can't recall the name of this flower.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Photos at 5:36 PM
January 15, 2008
Testing Out the Deep Fryer
Way back in 2006, I was given a deep fryer for Christmas. Since then, it's been in our cabinet waiting to be used. Why hasn't it been used since December, 2006? Because Shannan hates the smell associated with deep frying. As she was away this past weekend, I seized the opportunity to fry some shit up! On the menu were fries, onion rings, and chicken wings (I was watching football).
I found that fries were the easiest (essentially all you do is cut and fry), followed by wings, and onion rings. It was hard to tell when the chicken wings were done, but otherwise they were easy. I think I liked the results the best with the onion rings, but my batter, while good, could have used some salt. I also learned that you can't put a whole bunch in at once because they stick to one another.
I think that everything I fried tasted good and seemed healthier than any fried food I would get while eating out. Maybe it's because I used fresh ingredients and knew what I was putting into/onto the food.
Given the results, I don't think Shannan should discourage me from using the deep fryer again. I think she would be pleased to eat the results.
Posted by tien mao in Food/Drink, House and Home, Photos at 12:29 PM
January 2, 2008
Douchebaggery to Start Out 2008!
There are these new tenants in my building (most units are owner occupied) that are young banker guys that like to party. I think they had 2 parties last year and another on New Year's Eve and well into the New Year. The parties are never quiet - doors slamming, people yelling in the hallway, loud music - but I don't think they've ever been as bad as they were the other night. It's like we were living in a frat house. Bottles were broken on the street and bottles left in the hallway, someone was banging on our window for us to let them in (this was after we got home from the night out), a fire extinguisher was knocked down, and someone puked in the hallway on a completely different floor. This of course is in addition to the loud music, door slamming, and yelling in the hallway.
This makes the rest of the building people sound like prudes, but we're not. We just dislike the lack of respect they have for our building. It's a small building, so it's kind of like a community.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Photos at 8:58 AM
November 15, 2007
An Attempt at Growing Paperwhites
Neither Shannan or I have green thumbs. It seems like every few months or so, we get some new plan and a month or two later, they're dead. We've got a few plants that have managed to endure our brown thumbs, but similar plants in the hands of my parents seem to thrive. With us, they just manage to stay alive.
The other day, Shannan brought home these paperwhite bulbs. If all goes well, they'll bloom into beautiful, fragrant flowers in a month. With our luck, in a month they'll be rotting bulbs.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Photos at 5:17 PM
October 15, 2007
Another Year, Another Soktoberfest
Ahh, October. When we combine socks and the month to create Soktoberfest. It's the best time to break out your fanciest pair of socks for a party at my place. After all, you gotta keep the floors clean. The parties keep getting bigger and better. And despite thinking that there was way too much beer, there really isn't too much left over at all.
Best costume (no, not required) clearly goes to Grego and Adriane (not pictured), who came in authentic (I think?) German outfits. And whatever Jake thinks, he didn't have the best socks. I think that goes to Miguel and Julia, who made their own fancy socks!
Final alcohol consumption totals: 115 12oz beers, 1 1pt 9.4 oz beer, 2 1pt 6oz beers, 1 1pt .9oz beer, and one 1.1 imperial gallon beer.
Posted by tien mao in Food/Drink, House and Home, Photos at 5:17 PM
January 17, 2007
Our TV Area
So we've had this TV for a little while now, but we just recently got the little "entertainment center" and finished the final touches. All we have to do now is reassemble our clean couch cushions. The "entertainment center" is some modular thing from Ikea (I hate Ikea) and the TV is a Panasonic plasma TV.
I could spend all day downstairs watching TV...
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:20 AM
July 20, 2006
New Plant Life in the Apartment
A recent addition to the home (my previously barren walls now have stuff on them) are these little pods that Shannan put together. I thought that we should have put little G.I. Joes or maybe some cowboys and Indians, but she elected to put these little plants in them. Of course, there's still space for little action figures. Then again, I also thought the picture frames would have worked well for the G.I. Joes. I suppose I was overruled. I think they're a nice touch though. Here's a wider picture of how the things look on that wall.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:59 AM
June 27, 2006
We Love the Roomba
The newest, and possibly best, addition to our house is iRobot's Roomba. Sure, Mortimer is great and Randolph is as well, but the Roomba is amazing. With the two cats, we need it even more than a normal apartment. All we have to do is press a button and our Roomba does all the cleaning we're too lazy to do! Unfortunately, the deal through Woot! a couple weeks ago was just for a cheaper version of the Roomba, but we still love it.
The big question for me is, what do I love more - the Roomba or the ice maker on my refrigerator. Such a tough decision.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:56 AM
March 23, 2006
Coming Soon - Pizza with the Freshness
There are many signs of a good girlfriend, like encouraging your boyfriend to do stuff with various books, kind words, stuff like that. Shannan does that and she bought me some fresh garnishes to use when I cook. While a nice gesture, I think she just wants me to cook more and make more pizza. I can see right through her dirty tricks!
Posted by tien mao in Food/Drink, House and Home at 7:30 AM
December 20, 2005
A Holiday Tree Grows in Brooklyn
We were toying with the idea of getting a tree for the holidays to spruce things up a bit (ha, spruce - too funny). Instead of getting a tree that was already cut, I thought, "lets get a live tree." Unfortunately, Shannan found out that they were being sold for $50, which is a little insane considering they will probably die anyway and most people in New York don't have anywhere to plant them. They're just something to you feel better about not actually having a tree chopped down for you. Well, the other weekend, we were in Target and we found a live tree for $20 something, so we picked it up. Considering how dry it was, the fact that it's still alive is somewhat of a Festivus miracle. Whether or not we can keep it alive until planting season would be another miracle.
Funny thing, I don't have a picture of the whole tree. Also funny, I don't know what kind of a tree it is besides that it's a Target tree. And the $20 we eventually paid is not nearly as bad as some prices I've been reading about. For god's sake, the trees are dead!!
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 8:06 AM
October 14, 2005
Mort Cleans the Floor
Sometimes it's good to have a cat. They can roll around on your dusty floor and act like a rolling swiffer. Then again, their fur eventually falls off and gets everywhere. I suppose it's not that good to have a cat.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Mortimer at 8:06 AM
October 7, 2005
Mort's Messy Desk
See that guilty look on Mortimer's face? That's because he made my desk all messy! It's all his fault. Not mine at all! He better be as good at cleaning desks as he is at licking his butt.
Oh, and those Wasa crackers are sooo good.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Mortimer at 7:51 AM
August 19, 2005
Mortimer Looking for Hiding Places
Since he's moved up from Virginia, I think Mortimer has explored every part of my apartment. As we move stuff around though, he's always nearby and moves into any newly vacated square footage. There, he surveys the empty spot then moves along as his interest fades. There are some spots that he likes though, like under the coffee table. Because the table is so low, he has to dip his body to get under. It's rather amusing.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Mortimer at 7:45 AM
August 1, 2005
Digging the New Digs or Just Confused By Them
Too tired to come up with a real post, but after a busy weekend and some crazed moments, two residents of Virginia are now in New York. Relief. No more moving necessarily. But there is now fun with cat hair and furballs. Joy!!
Posted by tien mao in Friends/Family, House and Home at 7:50 AM
July 28, 2005
The "New" Kitchen Lights
I previously mentioned how I was moving my old living room lights into my kitchen. Well, I've got to say, they look great. I actually like them more than the colored lights that I had before. The kitchen is now very well lit and the lights are actually at different heights. The tiered configuration, thought of by my mom, really looks nice. And it allows access to the cabinets above the refrigerator.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:53 AM
July 14, 2005
Parental Pond
Last year, my parents had a pond built in their yard in Pennsylvania. In my pictures from last Ocotber, you can see that it was pretty barren besides the landscaping around the pond. Now, there's lots of algae that has grown on the rocks, making the pond and waterfalls much prettier. And I can confirm that there are fish and they did survive the winter.
Posted by tien mao in Friends/Family, House and Home, Photos at 7:55 AM
June 28, 2005
Flowers with the 20D
Did I say that I really like the 20D yet? There are a few problems though. I don't need it, I don't have the money for it, and I don't need it. But when have need and money come into play in the past? (See four sneaker craziness.) My parents have been talking about getting a new camera and since they already have a lens for a Canon SLR, getting a Canon digital SLR would make sense. Then maybe I can permanently borrow it from them.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Photos at 7:49 AM
June 27, 2005
Curios in PA
Over the weekend, I headed to my parents' house in Pennsylvania with some friends. Yvan brought along his Canon 20D and I took the opportunity to take some pictures. I've got to say that it was very, very, very nice. The "film speed" and quality of the photos is great. It's almost like you can't take a horrible picture with the camera. That's not to say that I didn't take any of those.
Posted by tien mao in Friends/Family, House and Home at 7:42 AM
June 17, 2005
New Lights
Over the weekend, I obtained some new lighting for the living room in my apartment. I liked my old lights, but I guess there were some issues with the transformers. That and I broke one when I was changing the lightbulb. Besides, they aren't really all that different. After that, it became too dark in my living room and the other lights were no longer sold. So that's why I need new lights in the living room.
The lights that were formerly there will now go to the kitchen with the ones in the kitchen going...into storage? Follow?
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:58 AM
March 2, 2005
Who Needs Laundry Money?
I spent a lot of my night yesterday putting loose quarters into nice and tidy rolls. How fun! It's one of my responsibilities for my building and the first time I'm actually rolling the quarters. When I emptied the washer and dryers, they were actually overflowing with change. So much so that you couldn't even put money into the machine anymore.
If there is anyone wants to trade some $10 bills for some rolls of quarters, that would make bringing these to the bank a little easier. I've done over 40 rolls so far and think I can get to at least 55. Pity that I have my own washer and dryer, otherwise I would never have to scrounge for quarters again. Of course, these aren't quite as cool as having this - also not really mine.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 8:00 AM
January 8, 2005
The Winter of My Discontent
Damn DirectTV. It's sad. I love TV and this winter I might miss some because of DirecTV and the damn clouds over New York. For the past week or so, I've had some major issues picking up a signal on my TV. And when I do have a signal, it's un-watchable and without sound. God, what a fucking pain. Will someone please fix the cloud cover over my apartment? Thank you.
It's strange, it wasn't that big a problem earlier this year, but I guess there are more clouds in the winter or something. I think I need to call customer service. Now I really wish I had the option of regular cable service in my apartment.
I suppose it's not as bad as this, but at least he has a signal and can watch regular channels.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, TV at 9:55 AM
December 16, 2004
Semi-Fancy Fridge
The NY Times had an article about refrigerators today that was pretty interesting. The article reports that 10 million refrigerators will be bough in 2004 with prices from $450-$6,500. While my GE Profile fridge was expensive at $2600, I love it and it was one of the few side-by-side fridges that would fit in my space. It had the thinnest profile, if you will.
The thing I love the most about my refrigerator is the ice maker and water dispenser. I don't know what I would do without them.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 10:55 PM
December 5, 2004
Managing My Mess
Anyone who has seen my apartment, or my old apartment, knows that I can get a little messy. Now, I'm not dirty, just messy. It's a fine collection of clothes on chairs, newspapers from weeks/months ago (I plan on reading them!), and other random pieces of paper. I clean every now and then - like when I have a party - but even when I swiff, I tend to avoid throwing away papers. I just stack the newspapers in a pile (to be read later) and swiff around the pile.
My piles tend to develop because I get lazy. I'm too lazy to fold my clothes and put them back into my closet. I'm not motivated to read the whole weekend paper when I can just watch TV or play video games. I really need to get my ass in gear. My once pristine desk is covered with mail, Netflix envelopes, change, and junk.
I guess what I really need is a cleaning service.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 11:15 AM
November 22, 2004
The New Desk
Sometime last week, my parents got me a new desk from IKEA. When I went in September, they said they were out of the desk, the Gustav, in the black/brown color and said they would mail me a postcard when they got it in. Needless to say, I never got a postcard. Damn IKEA. For an IKEA product, this desk is actually pretty sturdy and damn heavy. Lifting and assembling it by myself was no easy task. Assembly also required a screwdriver and hammer. What happened to the days when you would get a hex key?!? Clearly, this isn't the IKEA I know.
I really like how the color of the desk goes with my computer keyboard. All I need now is some fancier white speakers. Hmm...Oh, and IKEA is still a pain in the ass. I think I'm missing one screw, but I think I can live without it.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:54 AM
November 16, 2004
A Serious Case of the Mondays
As if going home sick from work (which I never, never do) isn't bad enough, the ceiling started leaking. Apparently, when they did the floor on the 3rd floor, a nail punctured a heating pipe. Why did it just leak yesterday? The pump for the boiler was fixed last week and it was finally cold enough for the heat to be turned on. Some more drying and painting for me. Fun, fun.
And yes, I know what that looks like.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:28 AM
October 27, 2004
Farewell to the Hole
After being fairly certain that repairs to the drain were effective, the hole in my wall has finally been sealed. Sure, it's been a huge pain in the ass, but at least it's fixed. There are still some things to touch up with some paint, but at least all the holes are plugged. Oh, and there's the matter of cleaning. A minor detail considering I won't have to mop up rain water anymore.
And, I can walk around barefoot again.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:57 AM
October 18, 2004
A Weekend Away
Over the weekend, I took a trip to the C-House where my parents had a "surprise" for me. They told me about the surprise more than three weeks ago, but wouldn't let me know what it was until I actually went to Pennsylvania. My mind was wild with ideas, money, car, money, money and car (really, I'm not that materialistic, but what else could possibly be a surprise for me). Turns out, the surprise wasn't really for me. It was just a "look what we did" surprise. They built a garden pond.
Totally a surprise...just not for me. As if you need something to make the countryside even more relaxing, they built it. It's nice. Nothing quite like the sound of trickling water, mini-waterfalls, rocks, pools of water, and fish that hide when it's cold. Makes me want to pee just thinking about it.
Posted by tien mao in Friends/Family, House and Home, Travel at 7:41 AM
October 8, 2004
Why That's a Big Hole You Have
Hmm, there's nothing quite like three pictures of a hole. This, however, is a very important hole. At least it is to me. It's the hole outside my basement window. Hopefully this hole is fixed. Before, it was not. When my contractor went into the hole, opening it up, it was found that there were cracks in the hole and the pipe that had eroded the ground below over time. All that was left was an empty area with a pool of water. Hopefully, this is now fixed. With a new pipe installed and new cement work, the hole looks good. All that remains is a test with water tomorrow.
With this hole fixed (I'm knocking on wood as I type), I can then fix this hole and after that, I can clean some and have a party so I can clean some more and get drunk to forget this mess.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:07 AM
September 30, 2004
Might This be the Culprit?
So it looks like this pipe might be the issue that's been causing my problems. It's also possible that the water is coming from underneath the drainage area outside the window. We'll have to flood the drain to test it out. Things would be so much easier if it really were the pipe. That wall almost looks like an excavation site or something. Dram. The only plus side I can see to all this is having another party when my apartment is fixed.
Sorry for the boringness as of late, but I'm busy, tired, and...tired. Yikes.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:23 AM
September 29, 2004
Build Me an Ark, Because I've Got Some Flooding
There is nothing quite like rushing home from work and mopping all night long. Apparently that's what you have to do when you have a steady flow of water coming into your apartment from at least 2 sources. I swear that I must have emptied more than 25 buckets of water, if not way more than 25. I think my feet are finally dry.
Now I really want that weather shield to be built. At least my washer and drier are getting a good workout. Why? Because of all the towels that I have to wash every time it rains. I also went through my whole stockpile of newspapers to help soak up some water during the day. Good thing I had those down on the floor during the day otherwise I might have had well more than a 1/2" of water on my floor.
To think that New York City didn't get the brunt of this storm. Sigh.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:52 AM
September 19, 2004
My First Household Meeting
Yesterday, I participated in the first owners for my building since I've moved in. We were supposed to elect a board of directors, but never really got around to it. I was late to the meeting, due to some water issues, but there were some important issues discussed.
Garbage, extermination, mail, common areas, and the all important building of a roof deck. There are still quite a few things to get out of the way before we even consider building a roof deck (structure of the roof, water flow on the roof, size, cost, impact on tenants below, etc), but it seems like everyone is pro-deck. It might even become a communal building thing where we all arm ourselves with hammers, nails, and make a booze inspired deck. With that in mind, who would want to be on the deck?
I think we got a good number of issues out of the way, and hopefully, we can get some things figured out before the next meeting takes place.
Woo, roof deck!
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 11:45 AM
September 18, 2004
Rain, Rain Go Away
Water is a resource that people can't live without, wars starting over it and such, but it's something that I certainly don't need any more of. I'm tired of all the water that has recently flooded New York - and my apartment. All this water is arriving in the form of rain. For the second time in recent memory, there has been a shallow pool of water in one area of my basement. The most recent storm wasn't nearly as bad as the last - no flooding from the roof - but I still spent a good deal of time attempting to mop up the basement.
I think someone needs to build a hurricane stopping machine or mechanism. Sure, it's an impossible task, but if they contain and release enough energy to power the United States for a year, then there must be a way. Or maybe we can stop those winds from coming off of Africa that start the tropical storms. Cooling the waters in the Atlantic would also be a good idea. But seeing that these are more than likely to be impossible, I really need to get that basement fixed.
Oh, and the neighbor upstairs was flipping out again. This time, slamming on the door of the apartment above his at 7 AM demanding that the TV be turned down. Guess he chooses to ignore the fact that nobody is living in that apartment.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Rants at 3:14 PM
September 9, 2004
Those Lovely Neighbors Upstairs
I seem to have new neighbors upstairs and they are already on my bad side. First, I get a note from them asking me to keep the volume of my television or radio lower in the middle of the night because they "are unable to sleep with its current volume." What?!? My TV isn't that loud. And what is the middle of the night? 3 AM? 4 AM? Well, I'm never up at those hours, so that can't be me. And if 1 AM is considered the "middle" of the night, then they need to stay up longer.
Then, in yesterday's insane deluge, the "man of the house" pretty much went apeshit. He called the building super an "idiot" because he didn't speak English and was sweeping the water out of the hallways. Sweeping seemed logical since there was so much water that a bucket, which the goon was calling for, could never hold all the water. Then the jackass starts yelling, "He needs to call a construction crew, the fire department, anyone! I'm calling the police." Uh...yeah, I'm sure that's what you're supposed to do when there is water all over the place, call the police.
- "911, what's your emergency?"
- "Yes, my building is leaking, and the super is not putting buckets down."
- "Is your life in danger, sir?"
- "No, but my precious, precious walls. And he's just sweeping the water out of the hallways."
- Click.
- "Hello?"
Ah, gotta love it when people overreact.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 1:48 PM
September 8, 2004
Frances Hits Greenpoint
Now, I've had a "minor" leakage problem in my basement when it rains heavily, but this morning it was much more than minor. The remnants of Hurricane Frances hit my building and hit it hard. I woke up at 6:30 and heard that it was raining hard, so I laid down some towels in my basement. Then I hear a crashing noise and the sound of water in the building hallway. It seems as though the building was leaking as well.
After a little investigation (walking up the stairs), it was discovered that the water was pouring in from the roof. Apparently, there was so much water that the drain on the roof was overloaded and not draining properly. All in all, about 8-12 inches of water had accumulated. The building super fixed the problem, but the damage was done. Water was all over my side of the building and down the hallways. Obviously not a good thing.
Because the drain on the roof was now clear and gallons upon gallons of water were now flowing down the drain, my basement was quickly becoming flooded. A combination of water coming out of the shower and toilet (clean water from the roof, thankfully) and water coming in from my "minor" leak resulted in about an inch of water in one corner of my basement. This combined with water infiltration on the ceilings and walls of my first floor make for one huge pain in the ass. I wonder if there's any chance Pataki declares a state of emergency or FEMA comes to my assistance.
During this, I slipped more than once, falling once and breaking my cell phone in the process. Now I need to find the charger for my old phone. What a freaking pain. At least I'm not seriously injured.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:39 AM
July 25, 2004
Welcome to My Home
Last night, I had some people over to warm the apartment. Friends were brave enough to come all the way to Greenpoint just to see the place and to drink. I had a good time and I hope everyone that came did too. Only now am I getting to the mess that was left behind. I didn't get many pictures from the night, but I know there are some that might be floating around out there - including one with me getting my hair braided. Yikes.
Thanks to everyone who came, thanks for the gifts, thanks for the booze, thanks for coming out to Greenpoint. No thanks for the mess that I am now cleaning. Sigh...I hate cleaning as it is, and now I have to clean. That's what I get for having a party.
More information:
- Jake on "At Tien Mao's" (awesome photos of the evening)
- Joe on "Tien's Housewarming Party" (evidence of braiding)
Posted by tien mao in Food/Drink, Friends/Family, House and Home at 5:13 PM
July 16, 2004
Mao Enters the 21st Century
Say goodbye to AOL dial-up and connection speeds of 28.8 kbs; say hello to DSL via an Airport Card. To say that this is one of the best days of my life would be sad, but I don't know, I was pretty excited to finally have this connection up. After some issues in getting DSL service through Verizon, I'm finally connected.
My next door neighbor has DSL (yes, he does and I don't) and he was nice enough to share it with me. Even after moving my computer here and installing an Airport Card, I was unable to connect to his network. Except for a brief one hour period, I wasn't even close to picking up a connection. the instructions for the wireless card called for me to plug in an antenna that came with my G5, but I either never got it or misplaced it during the move (guess which). Thankfully, Apple sent me one after I called them and said it wasn't included with my computer and I just got it today - only two days after talking to them.
Never have I been so happy to be connected to the Internet - okay, there are times when it was better, but this was a damn good feeling. So sad, but so true. You don't know what you're missing until you try life on a dial-up connection after years of broadband.
What does this mean for you? Probably very little, except maybe some better, more thoughtful blogging.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Tech at 9:57 AM
June 25, 2004
Mixing it Old School
Now that I'm in Greenpoint, I've got to fit in a little. Short of learning Polish, which wouldn't be a bad idea, I have this fancy blender. This blender, full of 80's chic will allow me to blend in (har, har) with both the hipsters in Williamsburg and the older people in the area that still have these appliances.
The Osterizer has ten modes of Pulse-Matic goodness! I think it might be as old as me, I'm not really sure. Since the 80's look is in (or is it out again), I figure my Osterizer is good to have around.
I've got some rum, who wants to make some daiquiris?
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:07 AM
June 22, 2004
Oh Verizon, How You Toy With Me
It seems like my never ending issues with Verizon have ended, with no DSL service for me. After being rejected and then re-assured, I've been rejected one last time. So alas, no DSL service for me. I'm not going with satellite since there is an added cost, so I'm either regressing technologically to dial-up, waiting it out for cable, or sharing the connection of my next door neighbor. Obviously, I would like to do the latter - especially since he offered it about a month ago when the saga first started.
I kind of wonder why Verizon can't get their act together. I know sales, customer service, and DSL are all separate bunches of people, but would it hurt to communicate a little? You're one fucking company for christ sakes. I'm almost surprised the customer service person didn't say "why don't you try Time Warner?" after hearing of my troubles. They say the reason is that I'm on fiber optic and not copper wire, which is what they told me the first time too. But when I signed up the second time and changed my number, they pretty much assured me that I would be able to get it. Doesn't look like it, huh? Fucking bastards. Supposedly, they are working on fiber optic DSL now, which is a little crazy. What's going on in their heads? "Let's see, we have some old copper and this new-fangled thing they are calling fiber optic...and now we have this "Internet" thing with high speeds. Hmm...let's install it on the old technology as we upgrade everything else. This is a great idea!!" I'm sure it was probably just a way to get DSL out there to compete with cable Internet service.
Ho hum, looks like I'll be without a connection at home for a little bit. Must go talk to my neighbor. In the meantime, anyone want to buy an apartment?
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Rants at 8:38 AM
June 18, 2004
My Apartment is Taking a Leak
So yesterday after coming back from a spectacular dinner at Sushi Masa, I come home to see some shoes outside my apartment. Of course, this is all very strange since I wasn't expecting guests. Well, it was my parents who had come to pick up some empty boxes. They were in the cellar/basement and discovered some water. That's no good.
They had been there about 15 minutes and had already cleaned up most of the mess. The rug that I had was soaked with water as were a couple of boxes. It seems that the heavy rain last night caused some seepage from a few spots along two walls. This morning, there were a couple of moist spots on the newspaper that I placed along the walls, which could show the problem areas.
Lucky for me (or unlucky for me), my contractors are coming today to look at some other stuff. The forecast for today calls for some more thunderstorms, so I've got my fingers crossed and hope that everything goes a little more smoothly.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 8:39 AM
June 9, 2004
Verizon, You're Back in My Good Graces
Previously, I mentioned that I hated Verizon because they couldn't give me DSL service on my line. Well, there's some sort of justice in this world - after spending about 45 minutes on the phone with two different Verizon people, I am able to get it by changing my phone number. Simple enough.
The representative I was on the phone with was very apologetic for making me wait a lot during the process, but with results like this, who's to complain? Yes, I had to switch phone numbers, but since nobody had that number yet, it's not really a problem. The new number is also easier to remember. Verizon seemed to know that they could give me service because my neighbor has it while having the same phone extension.
My new apartment is now complete and I won't have to move. Now all I need is a desk.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 8:16 AM
June 4, 2004
Stupid Verizon and Your Stupid DSL Service
Yesterday, I was dealt a major blow to my grand apartment plans. Verizon said I can't get DSL service because I'm not on a copper wire, but a fiber optic one. Since I don't have cable access in the building, that leaves me with no recourse. Sigh. For an Internet addict like myself, this is a problem.
On the plus side, I can spend more time with my friend, television. I also called Time Warner again and they said that someone else called in about service and they might pull a line. That's the sweet to this sour story. It's only mildly comforting though. Nothing like a really nice computer with dial-up service. Woo!
And what ever happened to fiber optics being the wave of the future?!? Stupid Verizon and your dependence on old technology. Stick that copper wire up your ass! If you can provide me with DSL though, I'll gladly pull it out for you. Thanks.
Someone, please cry me a river.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home, Rants at 12:34 PM
June 3, 2004
Window Treatments Installed
Yesterday, my blinds from Smith+Noble were installed. With that done, I can now walk around in my apartment naked and the cops can't watch me. Then again, you can see through the shades and cops probably have special peeping equipment, so I may refrain from walking around nude...but at least I have some privacy now.
Looking at my selections of fabric swatches, it turns out that I only used one of those shown - the privacy one for the bedroom. The other fabric I wanted was actually discontinued right before I wanted to order - those bastards! That said, I'm very happy with the fabric I selected - especially since I didn't see the swatches in person first. I don't have the pictures of it just yet, but you can see the online swatch here. It has a 12% openness factor, but I like the fact that the blinds will let some light in during the day.
I've got to say that my experience with Smith+Noble was quite good. I got one blind within days of placing my order and the rest within a couple of weeks. Sure, you have to install them yourself, but I think it's better than paying a few thousand for a blind company to come out and do all the work. Customer service from the Californian company was also top notch.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:58 AM
May 26, 2004
First Night
I'm still in the process of moving a lot of stuff to my new apartment, but last night, I spent my first night there. With my newly assembled bed (started over the weekend and finished two nights ago), some phone service, and TV service, almost everything is set for my moving in. It's going to take some getting used to in my new place though. I have yet to learn the exact number of steps from bedroom to bathroom, bedroom to TV, TV to bathroom, and kitchen to TV. So many details to learn. I've also had my first run-in with my platform bed. I was warned that the edges were a drawback by several friends, but I'm glad I just brushed my shin into the edge and wasn't going full tilt towards the bed.
Because the phone line is finally working and connected, that means my DirectTV is also active. Excellent. No complaints about that yet, but I'm still working my way through learning the system. There is one thing I do know, I love TiVO! So far, I have set it up to record Seinfeld, The Simpsons, and Scrubs. It automatically recorded Finding Nemo for me, which was nice of it. I told the DirectTV people several times that I don't think I'll ever need to leave the house again.
In this process of putting together my bed, I also learned that man's best friend is not the dog, but the power tool. It made finishing up my bed so much easier. With about fifty screws to fasten, I think my hand would be pretty sore if I didn't use a power drill. Thank the inventors of the power tool, whoever they are.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 8:42 AM
May 25, 2004
The First Residents of Apartment 1E
Now that the apartment is virtually complete, the first two living residents are in the apartment. They lived with me in Murray Hill too, but don't have any names. One is a queen of thorns and the other is some sort of fig plant. They were in pretty bad shape when I moved out of my old apartment, but have since been nursed back to health by my mom. Excellent work mom.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 8:33 AM
May 23, 2004
Cleaning and Assembling
Yesterday, with the help of Christina and Shannan, my apartment is cleaner and I have some furniture assembled. There was already a lot of cleaning done through the week by my mom (thanks mom!), but there was a little more to be done yesterday.
The furniture that I bought from West Elm is now mostly assembled. My new coffee table was really easy to assemble, and the bed less so, but still easy. The bed also isn't quite finished yet. I have about 50 screws to tighten and I wasn't about to do that with a regular screwdriver.
The apartment is almost livable, all I need is Verizon to fix the damn phone line and to turn on the air conditioner.
Thanks again to Christina for her help yesterday, Shannan for her help yesterday and Friday, and my mom for her help the whole week (not to mention during the whole process).
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 10:21 AM
May 22, 2004
Movin', Movin', Movin'
Since the last time I went to my apartment, it was almost in move-in condition, naturally, it would have been wise to move some stuff in. That's exactly what I did (with help, of course) on Friday. I took the day off and moved all my stuff out of storage and finally moved my bed and coffee table into the my apartment. Some cleaning took place and lots of waiting for Verizon service (fuckers never came). As you can see, I also took the protective PVC off my appliances.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 9:41 AM
May 19, 2004
I'm Feeling Sleepy's
Last night, I went shopping for a mattress. Originally, I was planning on shopping around for a mattress with various stores including Sleepy's, 1-800-MATTRES, and Macy's, but I ended up just buying one on the spot. I went with Sleepy's because they cut me a "deal", selling an $800 mattress for $650. Someone in the Gothamist Forum told me it was difficult to price shop because the vendors all have different model numbers from the manufacturers, which turns out to be true, but I think I got a good deal. All I know is that I'm getting it on Saturday. It's a Serta Perfect Sleeper, which has all those cute sheep in their ad campaigns. (You can even buy sheep in their store!!!)
Of course, I had the jingle in my head while shopping, "We're the mattress professionals doing it right, call Sleepy's for the rest of your life."
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:34 AM
May 17, 2004
Virtual Move-In Condition
It looks like my apartment is ready to live in. All that needs to happen is a few minor touch-ups/changes and some cleaning (cough...cough...). I also need to turn on the boiler, the air conditioner, and the washer and dryer. I'm taking Friday off work to get some items out of storage and pile them somewhere into my apartment. Fun, fun, fun. I guess this saga is finally coming to an end.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:37 AM
May 14, 2004
Working Appliances...Excellent
Well, it looks like my appliances work. The fridge is pictured here, cold and empty. Those that have known me a long time see this as typical, but hopefully I'll have some stuff in it soon. If not food, then at least some condiments. One cool feature of the fridge is that I can adjust the temperature in both the freezer and the fridge part.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:42 AM
May 13, 2004
Lacquer and Stairs
Since my contractors weren't wise enough to cover the floor after they installed it, they applied a fresh layer of lacquer to it. It's very shiny in the photo above, but it was still wet. Hopefully it will get duller when it dries and over time. The stairs also have a fresh coat of lacquer as well as some additional work on the stair treads. It all looks pretty good right now if you ask me.
Rumor has it that my appliances are working too, but since the floor was wet, I could not confirm this. Perhaps another trip tomorrow.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 7:31 AM
May 10, 2004
Water, Water Everywhere...
Okay, so maybe it's not water everywhere, but my kitchen faucet is now installed. The showers are now working too. The stair treads were redone, so now all I have to do is move in, right? Bwhahahaha. You kid. But seriously, I hope that everything can be finished this week with final touch-ups next week. Some serious cleaning between now and then and some moving action.
Posted by tien mao in House and Home at 11:32 AM