The balcony

Well, the balcony has a surface again. It still needs paint, but at least there isn't a big hole. I watched them work yesterday on my cam. ( some screenshots )

Once it is painted I'll be able to put the litter box back out there and get it out of the middle bedroom - I'm sure Elisabeth and Drew will appreciate not having to share the room with the catbox when they come to visit.

Cell Phone Number Update

I have a new cell phone. My old number will be valid until October 5th. The new number is 778-838-4263.

The new phone supports SMS, so I've turned on text messaging on my profile page.

Ugly hours

Trish's recent post about Monday to Friday hours just got me to thinking about some of the ugly hours I've worked in my life. Of course there was basic training - up at 5:00 am, but that doesn't really count. I followed that up with a graveyard-shift 11pm to 7am janitorial job. There were the mornings I had to work eastern hours here in the Pacific time zone - showing up for work at 6:00 am sucks, but I didn't have to do that often. I certainly loathed those semesters where I had 8:30 am classes since it took me an hour and a half to get to school... but those would only be three days a week. My suburban commute last year meant getting up at 5:30 to be at work at 8:00. That was unpleasant. But by far the most insane hours I ever kept up on a full-time Monday to Friday basis for any length of time was when I was working two jobs and rowing competatively. Job number one was from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Rowing practive was 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Job number two was 11pm to 7am. I kept that up for three months before I cracked and gave up job number two. Looking back I can't even imagine how I kept it up for that long. On the weekends I'd sleep pretty much solid - unless there was a regatta. Utter madness.

Nearly a year later

The fire was October 18th last year. For the first time since then people will be living on the 4th floor again come this October. Nick and Sandi's old place, the one beside it and the south-east corner suite have been rented. The people who are moving into the southeast corner suite on the 4th floor originally put their deposit down to move in last November, just before the fire. They have waited this long to take the apartment. That, I think, really says something about how special this building is.

Water damage on Natalie's ceiling shortly after the fire.

The same ceiling as of August 16th (all the pictures from Natalie's old apartment were taken August 16th)

Natalie's bedroom shortly after the fire.

The same room August 16th

( Five more from Natalie's old apartment taken August 16th )

And then there is the fourth floor, where the fire actually took place. Looking around this afternoon I was surprised by how much actually has been salvaged, considering how badly damaged everything was.

The dome, just after the fire.

The dome today - completely replaced.

The living room wall and ceiling in Nick and Sandi's old place just after the fire.

The same area as above, today.

( Eight more of Nick and Sandi's old apartment, which will have a new tenant come October and the anniversary of the fire )

I have more from some of the other apartments on the fourth floor to post later. And, yes, I still have a ton of pictures to post from New York.