The bed says, c'est bon la vie

It's been a slower process than expected, but the evolution of my bedroom that started in September with light-taming drapes, followed by a dope walnut writing, née computer, desk (in October), continued this past weekend. You see, a new bed is mine. And it's pretty cool..

And it's also pretty funny. You see, I've had the same bed since I moved here to San Francisco - over five years ago now: a twin-long from those Swedish purveyors of alternate (and under appreciated) sleep systems, Dux. Yes, it wasn't a typical bed, in size or form - for example, it was relatively low to the ground - but it served me well.. even if I, *ahem*, got made fun of, on occasion, for having such a "small bed". No regrets!

That said, my new - queen-size! - upgrade is welcome (and, well, I admit.. perhaps overdue). The icing on this tasty cake of interior design is that the bed fits into my room layout better than I was expecting. Very cool!

C'est bon la vie, it seems, awake or asleep.. or any place in between.

Ready for, and in control of, total darkness

As of yesterday, I'm a new man.

Yeah, I know you've heard that one before, but I'm a new man with drapes, or, I guess, with curtain panels; either way, I own a set of opaque indulgences, hung, and, um, ready for action.. though it makes me wonder who or what I'm hiding from, behind this new and heavy and Jacobean fabric. I, of course, remember quickly enough: I've been forever trying to escape from the light.. that is, when I'm trying to sleep (and nothing more sinister than that). You see, I am surely sensitive to the sun in both positive and negative ways.

The thin blinds that have been on the windows in my room reduce the light coming in, but when it's daytime, you know it's daytime; it can still be somewhat bright. And, as such, a quality 8 hours of sleep often eludes me, unless I've gone to bed at 9 or 10pm - a rare occurrence, especially when I'm enjoying the nighttime vices of the city. It's not that I can't sleep "in the daytime" when I'm tired, it's just that it needs to be completely dark in the space where I'm trying to do so.

For example, last time I went to the Art Basel and NADA art fairs in Miami - yikes, it's been a couple years now! - I got awesome sleep, even as we would go to bed with the sun fully up and folks already heading to the beach for a morning tanning session. The drapes on the large windows at our hotel blocked 99% of the sun coming in; and with the digital clock turned down, flat on its face - another (minor) source of light begone! - you *really* lost all sense of time. Waking up at 8am, noon, or (in this case) 4pm: they are basically all the same time of day from the perspective of your body.. an hour in which you wake up fully rested. A new day of art and inebriation (and skinny-dipping) is upon you!

So it seems that with my latest apartment upgrade, I'm fully in control of my waking life here in San Francisco, insofar as it is affected by the amount of sleep that I get on a daily basis. You see, my new curtains can be closed and my bedroom made ironclad against photonic attack. And if last night's 10 hours of blissful unconsciousness is any indication of future success, I'd say things are looking, well, bright.

Splash became hibiscus and jax (and splash)

Today, my kitchen is in the midst of a minor transformation, but one already paying dividends in the personal happiness department; it's amazing what simple pleasures can do for the psyche, huh? You see, I'm signing a new year-lease at my place on Monday and with that new permanence-ishness in mind, I'm doing a bit of reorganization, redecoration and the like (which will extend to my bedroom as well; we'll see about the other rooms).

I won't go into the details here because it seems a bit silly - beyond saying that I got a few new knives to hang on the wall; it's not like I'm constructing a deck or putting a urinal into the bathroom (which would be awesome); I'm moving shizz from one drawer to another, upgrading my bed, etc. But, suffice to say, there will be a party in a few weeks once the changes are in place and we (i.e. my new-ish roommate and I) are all settled.. if only because I haven't had too many parties at my place to begin with - I've been here at my "new place" a year already! - and, well, it's overdue. I just need to clear out my fridge (of good beer and local veggies) to fit a couple of cases of PBR in there. ;)

In semi-related news, I went to City Beer for the first time this evening with a friend, and, really, all I can say is that it was long overdue. Good scene; I brought home two bombers of the aforementioned Kill Ugly Radio from Lagunitas Brewing as a souvenir. And I can't wait to crack 'em open, tastefully, and one at a time, of course..

A new buffer to September; join me!

Ah yes, but before I forget, let me say that I've got a slight change of plan when I get back to San Francisco, late July. I was previously planning on moving out of my place at the end of that month, which only gave me 10 days to find someplace new! But my roommate and I formulated a much better strategy that will have me staying put through August.

That is, he is still moving to NYC at the end of July, but I'll stay on for another month to give me a bit more of a buffer. And so we'll need a subletter for August. And I'll have my moving date moving to August 31 or thereabouts. Any referrals for either - especially the latter need of new apartment (with cool roommates) - are greatly appreciated; all previous offers of reciprocation still stand!

Help to find subletter, then August 1st lease?!

This is a public service announcement.. as in, I need the services of you, the public..

I would like to have someone sublet my room (of a 2BR) for June and/or July (or any parts thereof, prorated of course) while I'm off adventuring. But I'm not putting something on craigslist, because I'm really only open to an arrangement with friends or friends-of-friends. While I have heard murmurings of interest, nothing is definite, so let me know if you've got anything in mind. The timing is flexible as is the furnished/unfurnished status of the room; I'm a pretty negotiable guy..

On a related note, I'll be looking for a new apartment FOR MYSELF starting August 1st when my current roommate moves to NYC for grad school (congrats Jason!). He's the main tenant (with me as a subleasee); I could renegotiate a new lease, I'm sure, but figure after a year here, let me try someplace new. So, if you know of anyone looking for a roommate in the city around that time, or are interested in finding someplace fresh with me, let me know..

I do have a couple of preferences for an apartment in terms of location and features, but none are set in stone, per se; it's really the total vibe of the place - including roommates - that will make something work for me or not (not to mention the need to go with whatever is available at the time). That said, I've got a pretty standard list: hardwood floors, open layouts, lots of natural light, a bit of storage for bikes, and some degree of outdoor space would be nice; I'd like to find this apartment pretty much anywhere in the path of The Wiggle and neighboring environs, from the Panhandle down to the Mission and then southward to Bernal Hill (including NOPA, Western Addition, Alamo Square, Hayes Valley, Lower Haight, Castro, Mission, SOMA, etc.).

Yeah, any leads for a summer subletter or (more importantly) for an August 1st apartment are totally appreciated. We could even work out a finder's fee; no cash, but it could be paid in alcohol, teas, dinner, music, or other tasty treats..