Maison d'Etre

The Players: Emma the Cat

Just realized there have been references to Emma, and many of you don't know who she is. Emma is my loud, cranky rabbit of a cat whom I've just discovered I can drug with Benadryl to calm her down. Here she comes now...

We did a test run of the Benadryl because she's flying with me to Chicago on Sunday, and at the ripe age of 14, she's never been on a plane. She's awfully vocal--part Siamese--and I don't want my fellow passengers to murder me before I get to the Midwest. Thus, the drugs.

That's my mom in the background.

Problem #1: The "Fireplace"

I don't even live there yet and I already see how this faux fireplace is going to annoy me. I want to paint it white. Desperately. But I don't think that's going to fly with the landlady who seems a bit nervous.

Ah, to go from being an owner to being a renter. What's a renter to do?

The Apartment I Did Choose

I rented a new apartment. The second floor of this house. New Yorkers always told me to rent or buy in the eyesore building on the block, so you get to look out at all the beauty around you. I took their advice, and I know it. So don't say anything mean about the foundation.

People Like to Grill in Chicago

Just to get this out of the way--I did not take this lovely tree-house apartment.

And I'll tell you why. See this condo building across the alley in back? Come summertime, I hear the people on their porches and smell the grilling.

People like to grill in Chicago. I know this because every single apartment I looked at was assessed by the broker according to whether it had a place to grill or not.