In which I break my own contract...

I said that I wasn't going to complain over the course of NaBloPoMo. And I think I've managed it so far. But I am having some seriously bad luck with my apartment and it's really hard not to bitch about it. Especially right now. I just got home to the smelliest apartment in the world. It smells like a dirty fish tank and death all rolled in a smelly foot. It's so strong its palpable. And that smell? Wafting up from the bare, soggy floor - which after they pulled up the parquet looks like a dirty, muddy collage of old, rotty tile (and a layer of oilcloth - which is some old shit). I can't believe my apartment didn't smell throughout this whole mess. I wish you could take a picture of smell. It is SO BAD I sort of feel like vomiting. My sense of smell has been causing me much pain lately.

Tomorrow or next week (those maintenance men are slippery, I have no idea when this is going on) they are pulling my whole kitchen out. Stove, sink, fridge, everything. I don't even want to imagine what they are going to find. And I don't want to imagine where they are going to put the stuff, this is not a large apartment. I might just start crying out of frustration and anxiety.

I told my sister that this has been the year of justifying my fears. I have never stepped on grates/manholes. Justified this year (not my story to tell, but just take my word for it). I don't like deep water (I don't much like water of any kind, except for of the shower variety)....and now water is proving to be the curse of this apartment. Water that ruins the walls. That overflows from my upstairs neighbors bathtub. That is leaking from parts unknown to cause bubbling tiles, fish tank smell, my cat to act like she's high (she's eating an ornament cord like it's some kind of delicacy) and this...

this disaster...if the smell didn't make me want to yuker all over the place, I'd pick up those pieces of cardboard to show you what lies beneath.


Not sure how I'm going to manage to eat meals here for the next few days. For tonight, I'm getting out of here...