For about one month during the summer of 1994, in a brief break from living on Route 9, I was able to rent a room in a crappy apartment on Graves Ave. in Northampton. The street actually dead-ends near a cemetery.

Haven't given much of an update lately on what I've been up to.

The weekend before last my sister, Madeline, and Christian came up to visit. I met them downtown on Saturday and my sister took me to get my first ever professional manicure. I had a lot of fun and Maddie is a joy. She is so huge, though! I'd swear she was 10 or 11 if I didn't know she was 7.

Last weekend, invalid_userid came down for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release. purpleglitter, invalid_userid waited in the long line in Harvard Square. Usually waiting in lines is boring, but with the crowd I had a great time. There were a couple profiteers who got in the front of the line and walked down it trying to sell their books for $50. I didn't see anyone buying, but I'm sure they found someone when they got near the end (which rumor had it was somewhere in Watertown). I was very excited to get merryperseis's register when I finally got my books, I had thought the odds of that rather slim.

zarthon took purpleglitter, invalid_userid and me out to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the next day. Inevitably a lot of the book was left out, but I think enough critical stuff was missing that someone who hadn't read the books probably wouldn't be able to make much sense of it.

Sunday, we all went to the Museum of Science. The exhibits there have enough range to appeal to any level of scientific knowledge. We saw a demonstration of the still very functional original Van de Graaff generator built by Robert J. Van de Graaff in 1933, but my favorite part of the Museum of Science visit was the butterfly exhibit, where a large owl butterfly landed on my shoulder and sat there for a very long time just looking at me and occasionally stretching its wings. Looking into the butterfly's eyes made me regret all the nasty rhetoric I've spouted about exotherms.

Next weekend, our new landlord is coming to visit from California. She has not seen the building in over a year. I'm excited to meet her, she sounds awesome over the phone. She's trying to rent the unit next door, so if anyone is interested in a two-bedroom in Arlington, let me know.

At the end of next month, I will be heading down to see my sister in the Washington, D.C. area. My mom will be visiting there at the same time, so it should be a great trip.

As we'll be down two roommates, I don't foresee the house_of_clocks surviving. Hence, I'm looking for a room in or within public transit of any of the following cities: Boston, MA; Lowell, MA; Northampton, MA; Brattleboro, VT; Providence, RI; Portland, OR; Portland ME; San Francisco, CA; Boulder, CO; Seattle, WA; or Minneapolis, MN. I can pay up to $400/month and have two cats. Let me know if you know of any openings. Thank you.

As I stated in an earlier post: the old house_of_clocks, which due to its dilapidated condition was sometimes called the Crackhouse of Clocks, was completely renovated and turned into a condo a couple years after we moved out. purpleglitter and I went to the open house today to check the place out. The layout of the place was virtually the only thing that was familiar. The place is astounding, wonderful. I'd love to move back in if I could afford it. Even if I could afford it, however, the housing market is poised on the verge of a giant bubble burst and now would definitely not the time to be buying.


( tour of the renovated old house of clocks )

stolen from kyrene

I am the girl kicked out of her home because I confided in my mother that I am a lesbian. I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman. I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights. We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time. I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room. I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me. I am one of the lucky ones, I guess. I survived the attack that left me in a coma for three weeks, and in another year I will probably be able to walk again. I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear. We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men. I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me. I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman. I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman. I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male. I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men. I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that. I am the man who died when the paramedics stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual. I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didn’t have to always deal with society hating me. I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don't believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind. I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love. Repost this if you want to.

Did some catching up on reading my friends page at purpleglitter’s house. Haven't been able to read it much lately. I’ll try to keep up more regularly when my new apartment gets an internet connection.

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I went to the post office today, and found that the scanner borggrrl sent me had arrived. I haven’t had a chance to try it out yet, but I’m very excited to be able to scan again.

Thank you, borggrrl.

The staff has been much nicer to me today, even Jimmy. I seem to have made my point clear: my gender needs to be respected. Sometimes the only way to get through to the staff at a place like this is to throw a fit. Of course, if one throws too many fits they will end up staying in here longer. It is important therefore, to choose one's battles wisely.

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laurellily backed out of the apartment, meaning that if I'm going to be secure in having housing, I need to find a new roommate by the end of october. As I have mentioned in a previous post the house is amazing: hardwood everything, two full baths, bay windows, large bedroom, bus stop in front of house, ten minute walk to T, and you can see the water of spy pond from the sidewalk. It's in east Arlington and the room is only $400 a month. Anyone interested in taking it, please email me at room@neitherday.com.

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The food here is not very edible. I had eaten almost nothing today. Luckily, riga_mortia and purpleglitter came with lots of yummy food. I love them both.

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They are letting me out tomorrow.



posted by riga_mortia

At the end of this month, I am moving. I am taking with me the multitude of clocks that have given my current abode the name "the House of Clocks". I have been wondering about the name "the House of Clocks". Is the House of Clocks this specific apartment, or is it wherever my collection of clocks resides? Will it create confusion if I start calling the new place "the House of Clocks"? Will it feel false if I do? Will it feel false if I don't?

Poll #68997
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Should the new apartment inherit the name "the House of Clocks"?

Late last night, purpleglitter and I watched Gia. Wonderful movie. Angelina Jolie is absolutely drop dead sexy. The character of Gia reminded me of riga_mortia in many ways. I don't mean Gia's heroin use or the problems surrounding it, I mean she's like Gia in the youthful, take-no-crap, in-your-face, strong, powerful, sparky, sexy, sensual, outrageous, over-the-top, and simply amazing ways.

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I don't remember going to bed. purpleglitter told me in the morning that I was freaking out when I went to sleep. Probably one of the floaters went to bed. I remember when I was growing up, I'd be playing outside, then the next thing I'd know I was waking up in the middle of the night or the next morning, often on the couch. I lost a lot more time back then, but lately I've been catching up.

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merryperseis, pillowkisser, and I signed the lease this morning along with the landlord. All that's left is for laurellily to sign. Hopefully I can arrange that for Monday morning. It's been a chore getting this all arranged, but it looks likes it's working out. East Arlington, here I come.

Jude the applications for merryperseis, pillowkisser, and me. I think I have a copy of pillowkisser's application lying around the house somewhere, but merryperseis and I will have to fill out new ones.

It's walking distance to the T, with a bus that stops practically at the front door. Walgreens is a minute away and Arlington Center is 5. You can see Spy Pond from the sidewalk in front of the house. Hardwood everything. Beautiful lighting fixtures. Two large bathrooms. Every bedroom is huge with giant closets. Eat-in kitchen and superb livingroom. All for $1600!! Wow! Wow! I hope I'm able to secure it. I need to gather two definite yeses. Quick!

Anyone who would be interested in living in the house_of_clocks, please email me at roommates@neitherday.com, and we will discuss. The rent will be between $400 and $600, depending on the room configuration that is decided upon.

Victor is moving out, so we have a room available.
$500+
HUMONGOUS! GIAGANTIC! big.
Come live with us in the House of Clocks in fabulous Arlington Heights!! Available as soon as you want it.

I just created three new communities!

pauper - Living Poor
Welcome, fellow paupers. This forum is to discuss the issues surrounding being poor. Bargain hunting, dealing with slumlords, getting fired, finding a McJob, and trying to make ends meet are all valid subjects here.

spiralpauper - Poor and Mentally Ill
This forum is discuss the issues surrounding being poor and having a mental illness. Poverty and mental illness can feed each other, making it often difficult to escape either. Lack of money makes it harder to get the necessary care for mental illnesses. And, mental illnesses can make it difficult to make money, as it may be harder to get a job or properly budget. Dealing with public assistance, finding good low-budget therapists, self medication, self help, and just making ends meet are all valid subjects here. lovjad came up with the idea for this one.

transpauper - Poor and Transgender or Genderqueer
People in the transgender and genderqueer communities face unique challenges when they don't have access to financial resources. Transgender and genderqueer people have a tougher time escaping the trap of poverty, as we may face job and housing discrimination. Finding housing, dealing with discrimination, self medication, worrying about homelessness, and just making ends meet are all valid topics here.

Just had a visit from Mrs. Richardson, our landlady. We signed the new lease and she gave us the interest from our deposit (a much needed $25). Her husband just recently died. She's had a lot of deaths in her family lately. I gave her a wish pod for good luck. She's a little senile. She said we were her best tenants, and that she tells everyone how long we've been living in her buildings - "over ten years now". Ten years ago we were in high school in Missouri. I'm not going to correct her, if she wants to believe that then let her. We hugged when she left. She's a wonderful person, but she doesn't keep up her buildings very well.