Laundry

We were overwhelmed with appointments this weekend. My son had his fifth doctor's appointment of the week on Saturday, and we had a special event to go to today. It was also the unveiling of the foot stone for my mother-in-law, who passed away almost a year ago. But the stone incorrectly stated the information for an unknown man who had passed away in 2006. How horrible! We trekked all the way out to the cemetery, along with several close family members, and then found the mistake. The whole thing has to be fixed and reschedued within the next two weeks.

But the laundry still has to get done. Between this morning before we left, and this evening, I ran about 8 loads. We're lucky to have a laundry in our apartment. Honestly, we wouldn't have chosen this apartment if it didn't have a laundry. The amount of laundry you do need to do for a family is exponential. Located directly in front of the half-bath, our laundry room includes a stackable washer and dryer, and a built-in cabinet for the step ladder, cleaning supplies, brooms, plastic bags, laundry detergent, etc. The cabinet also includes an upper area for tools and parts. Sometimes I call it the garage closet. Across from the washer and dryer is a wicker laundry basket and an ingenious folding/ expanding drying rack. I sort the laundry in the hallway, or in the kitchen.

Folding takes place in our bedroom, and I think that as I write, my husband is continuing to fold. Due to his superior folding skills, we call him "the folder."

Piano Lessons

My daughter is starting her 4th year of piano lessons. For 3 years, we made the trek to the conservatory (about a 30-minute walk away, shorter by bus). It was a beautiful place, and my daughter played a baby grand in a a private classroom. It had the sound of a music school, with notes flying everywhere. It was a beautiful setting, but when her teacher left on a year-long trip overseas, it was time for a change.

I heard my son's piano teacher play last year in a private recital at the Steinway showroom on 57th Street. Wonderful, inspiring! After hearing him and his colleagues play, I started to put together some of my favorite pieces from my days as a piano student (age 5-19). What's really nice is that my technique is still there, even if it does take a while for perfection. The new teacher teaches group lessons at the after-school program. It's a wonderful opportunity for the younger crowd. Private lessons can come later.

In the new arrangement, the teacher comes to our apartment. I never thought that I could see that happening. I never thought that it would be comfortable, especially now. We have a spinet piano that's about 40-50 years old, and it resides in our dining room, opposite the china cabinet. Our round dining room table needs to be moved toward the china cabinet so that there's actually room to sit at the piano. We also have 5 rather large dining-room chairs and Doug's desk chair, formerly located in the office.

So far, after 3 lessons, it seems to be working. She's concentrating on technique right now, and will soon move on to theory. The best part is that I get to listen in!

One white hex tile

On Monday, I drove to the hardware store to pick up the tile. It actually arrived as promised!

A couple of days ago, the bathroom tile was finished, and the toilet and sink were installed. The new crescent shower curtain rod was installed. At one point, the tile specialist came out to talk to me while I was working at the computer and told me that he was finished. I thought that he meant he was done for the day. I called my husband to tell him, thinking that we would be lucky to get the bathroom back in order by the weekend. This was not the case. This group actually works 8 hour days. Within about 1 hour there were 3 more guys working on the installations. By the time I came back from picking up the kids at school, they were almost finished. They asked for the remaining payment but I asked if they could come back the next day. I wanted my husband to see if there was anything I missed. He was extremely surprised to see the progress. And then just before we turned in for the night, he found a 1-inch white hex tile that was spun out of place within the platinum grout. I couldn't believe it. How was I going to tell the guys that this had to be done before they could get their money? But it was not a problem. The guy in charge came over to take a look and within minutes he was finished. What a relief.

What's left? New lighting fixtures, a new coat of paint on the walls and ceiling and a new vanity top. We have a plastic resin top right now that has to go. It doesn't look bad, but it's totally out of place. We'll probably search for a polished piece of black granite. Since the wall next to the sink wasn't squared off to fit a cabinet, we're going to have to have it custom cut for the space. What this bathroom really needs is a big pedestal sink, but then where would I put all of my stuff?

We also need to buy some towels. My husband brought home some lovely black tweed towels that looked good in the catalog, but not in person. Plan B is to go with a light green towel, but I think we're going to have to go to the store to see the selection in person. Shopping at large department stores -- with the kids -- oh that will be fun -- and the crowds....can't wait.

Garbage

Really, how much garbage can one family produce? Plenty, it seems. Each bedroom and bathroom contains a garbage can, and it's usually emptied twice a week. We were in the habit of using grocery bags as garbage bags, but when the volume of garbage increased, we switched to regular garbage bags. Before we renovated the kitchen, we had a space-saving container installed under kitchen sink. After the renovation, we graduated to a small stainless pail, and last year, I insisted that we get a larger garbage can to accommodate the mess!

We keep the cardboard and paper recycling in a corner of the half-bath, and sometimes it overflows. I also have a recycling bin at my desk, along with a garbage pail. My son's class is now collecting recycled boxes and plastic bottles for their invention box; they invent sculptures from the materials and tape everything together. Last year, kindergarten class did the same thing and for months, we gathered about 20 sculptures, which took over the apartment. The only sensible solution was to take a photo of each item before...recycling each one. I'll add the photos to my photo album. The same goes for all of the artwork. There's simply no place to keep it all.

The city picks up garbage on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, and we try to schedule our garbage removal from the apartment accordingly. However, nearly every morning, I send the kids down the stairs with a bag or two, usually kitchen garbage and recycling. We are zoned for intense recycling, which means we separate paper from glass and plastic and if we don't do it properly, our building can be fined.

The Parking Spot

It was very quiet on the streets when I drove back into the neighborhood after 10:00 p.m. last night. No movement. No parking spots! I drove around my block and noticed at least 3 half-spots, a 3/4 spot and a huge dumpster. I kept trying and drove around in a 3-block radius. Still nothing. My husband and I have had a theory as long as we've known each other (17 years) not to park in a parking garage. Tepper would be proud.* About 10 minutes later, I was lucky to find a spot. It was a close bumper-t0-bumper effort with several adjustments. Let's just say that's it's a good thing that I have power steering. I parked 8 inches away from the curb, perfectly within the 12-inch allowance. I stayed in my car long enough to practice the dismissive wave so many of us use to tell a fellow driver that we're not going out.*

When I took my driver's test so long ago, I almost didn't pass the parallel parking task. It's all I do now, and I'm quite adept at it. We need to move the car twice a week for alternate-side parking regulations, designed to allow free access for the street cleaners. Sometimes Thursdays and Fridays are all about the car because of this. When the kids were home with me, it was no easy task to get them out of the house on time. When I can't find a spot, I can parallel park next to the cars on the other side of the street, only between 11 and 2. The timing is very strict. A car left in a parallel spot after 2:00 will get a hefty ticket.

Thankfully I don't have to worry about it today. It's Wednesday.

*Tepper Isn't Going Out: A Novel, by Calvin Trillin.

3rd Floor Walk-up

Early this morning, I went out to do my bi-monthly grocery shop at Fairway. Up until recently, I've been a faithful food co-op member, but I have found that as my schedule changes, I need to consider how to spend my time more wisely. Shopping at the co-op involves working two work slots of about 3 hours in length. I work my husband's shift too. There's no question that the co-op offers the best food around (especially produce), but it comes with it's own set of circumstances -- no parking lot, for example. I always take a car service home with the groceries, and I've been kidding myself if I think that it's worth it. The $7 fare negates the savings I gain at the co-op. Fairway offers a bit more choice and convenience, although it's more expensive. My favorite Fairway experience is to grab a cup of coffie and step out onto the patio for an excellent view of the southern part of New York harbor. The Statue of Liberty is so close that you can see details!

When I got home, the fun began. I parked the car in front of a fire hydrant, which is directly in front of the house (risking getting a huge ticket!), unloaded the car, and then moved the car. Luckily there was a spot just a few cars down. Up the 2 flights of stairs and the stoop, I carried 14 bags of groceries, a huge container of laundry detergent, 2 cartons of juice drinks, 1 carton of milk boxes and a large tub of OxyClean.

And then I put all of the groceries away, squeezing them into any spot I could find. I really think that I buy too much sometimes. It was a relatively painless process, except for the minor muscle fatigue, sweat and thirst. However, everyone else in the family was out doing other things, and there were no distractions. Imagine what this was like a few years ago when the kids were little!

To the Family of Four:

Here's a post from a friend who opted out of the google sign up process:

“I am so impressed with everything that you do. Even if you have "accidentally" stayed in your home for over 11 years, as a real estate agent, I can tell you that you have created a FANTASTIC investment for your future and, should I say it, retirement someday...or, college for the kids, etc. How in the world could you beat that location. I have been there. It is great. And, think about it this way: If times get tough, you have lower costs. A new purchase could strain the 'ol pocket book in down times. Besides, if you just stay there "one more decade", the kids will be off in college, and you'll have the space down to "Living for Two"....until they come home to visit with their friends. Then, it is 16 dozen cupcakes a week again! Whew!”

Hunting and Gathering

I'm in my hunting and gathering phase today. After stopping at my daughter's classroom for the curriculum meeting, I walked a few blocks to the post office, then to the meat market and then to the farmer's market at the edge of the park. Stopped at home to put everything in the refrigerator and then went out again to hunt for that missing tile. I decided to go to a very nice tile store in my neighborhood because Lowe's doesn't seem to be able to get the black and white tile right away. That was another 6 blocks down the hill. The store couldn't help, so it was basically a waste of time. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few more things. I forgot to get turkey burgers at the meat market. We'll have grilled turkey burgers tonight to go along with the fresh corn. No, we don't have a real grill -- I really wish we did. I survive with an old George Foreman grill, which is difficult to wash, but it works. Now, I'm back at my desk to make some more calls to try to find the black and white tile at another tile store in the neighborhood. Then I'll go back out to drop off a registration form for a basketball clinic for my son, which will take place later on this fall. I think I'll ride my bike this time. Maybe I'll get back to my desk to do some work for a couple of hours before I have to pick up the kids from school.

Honey, We've Run out of Tile!

My husband called me a few minutes ago to explain that the floor tile we've ordered is on back order and not available until the end of October. This means that two strips of the bathroom floor will not be tiled, and our toilet and sink cannot be installed for another few weeks, unless he can make miracles happen.

It wasn't the only type of tile that we ran out of. First it was the black bull nose trim, then it was the white bull nose for trim in the corner areas of a tiny wall that separates the tub from the vanity, then it was the black trim that is placed next to the floor.

Our bathroom has been under renovation since August 6, and what we thought would be a short-term project under a strict budget has gone on for too long and has cost a lot more than we thought. Isn't this always the case with renovations? We should have known. Four years ago, our kitchen renovation stretched for three months. When you ask a contractor how long a project will take, I really think that they just make something up. There are no promises!

We had to fire our first contractor who worked very slowly and for only about three hours a day. He was doing the work for a rather low price, giving me a discount because he is the brother of a former neighbor of my mom. He had done some work for her, and we thought we'd give it a try. I made lunches for the first contractor and made sure that they had water or lemonade. But when he set the floor tiles incorrectly, ignoring the seemingly simple black and white pattern, that was it, we had to let him go.

I called the contractor who did the kitchen and within days, he had a couple of very talented guys on the job. They fixed the floor tile pattern, and manipulated the pattern to solve the puzzle. They were moving along beautifully, working a solid 8 hours a day, and providing their own lunches... until the tile ran out.

Slumber Party

Last night, we hosted a slumber party for my daughter and five of her friends. I finally have the apartment put back together again, with the floors vacuumed and mopped, and even some of the bedding has been washed. Yesterday, we cleaned up our 400 square foot living room and dining room and rearranged the furniture to accommodate 6 chairs around our round dining room table, 2 twin air mattresses and 1 full air mattress, plus the pull out bed from the couch. No one had to suffer with a sleeping bag on a hard-wood floor!

The girls made candy crafts, ate spaghetti and meatballs, and some of them liked the carrot cake that I made earlier in the day. They played game after game, watched two movies and ate popcorn. One girl painted her face with chocolate from the candy craft, and there were icing and sprinkles all over the floor. At one point, someone threw a pillow case into some spaghetti sauce, so I put stain stick on it and washed it. My husband and son were out for the evening, and I became the server and maid, but I didn't mind. They all had so much fun. In such a hurried world, where many of them complain that they don't have time, it was nice to have them all here for an extended party. I think that they went to sleep at 2:00 a.m. I was sound asleep when my husband got up to quiet them down. We woke up at 8:25 a.m., just in time to put cinnamon buns in the oven and get the girls up before their parents arrived. My daughter was the first to leave because she had a class to go to at 9:30 this morning. I felt bad making her get up for that, but it's just as well that the girls got picked up early. This way they didn't have time to get upset as the morning dragged on. Hopefully, they will all get some rest today before going back to school tomorrow.

During the past week, I have made over 6 dozen cupcakes, 1 honey cake, 1 carrot cake and several batches of vanilla, chocolate and cream cheese frosting. Two dozen cupcakes went to a parent, who won them as a raffle item that I donated last spring to my daughter's school.
3 dozen cupcakes went to my daughter's class on her birthday (in the pouring rain), and the remainder stayed home.

As much as I love to bake and cook, I'm looking forward to a little break from it this week!

Until next time.....

A Family of Four

Welcome to 1100 sq. ft., a blog created to explore the living arrangements of a family of four, living in an 1100 square foot apartment in Brooklyn. The cast includes Mom, a freelance coordinator in children's book publishing; Dad, a hard-working senior editor, our daughter and our son. The question is, can four people live in a cramped apartment without driving each other crazy?

We moved into this apartment almost 11 years ago, which breaks the record as the longest I've ever lived in in one place. Our long-range plans called for a move long before now, since the kids are now old enough to have their own rooms. But sometimes things don't work out the way you think they will, so we're staying put for now.

The real estate agents always say location, location, location. We've got that. We're near the park, we're in the historic district, and within walking distance of the subway, a good school, and shopping. We also live in Brooklyn, one of the best boroughs in New York City. There's much to enjoy here, but it's not always easy.

I've often said that living in this apartment is like living on a boat because it all works best when everything is stowed away. I could spend every waking moment cleaning this place up, but it's impossible to keep up with it. Things are especially out of sorts lately because we have moved our home office into the living room. It will probably take us another six to twelve months to sort through it all. My desk now overlooks the park, and we've added two large file cabinets to the desk area. To an already crowded dining room, complete with a spinet piano and a large china cabinet, we added two large black file cabinets. My scrapbooking supplies top the cabinets. Twenty-eight small white boxes are squeezed in wherever they will fit. More important, our son now has his own bedroom in what was our home office. It's cozy, with lots of bookshelves, with our books still on them. Our daughter is especially happy about painting over the pale yellow walls in her room with a purple and green theme.

We're also having our bathroom renovated. More on that another time!