Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Entry #476

Time: 10:00 am
Location: Watershed Heights basement, in the nursery
Temperature: 21° Celsius
Humidity: 23%

     All of the seedlings are situated! They look so peaceful in their little nursery, all snuggled up under the peat moss and grow lights, with the plastic sheeting misting over ever so slowly as they breathe. The fluorescents flicker softly as I oversee the dozens of benches filled with child-plants. It's cozy.  
     I just hope they'll survive the transplant shock...I couldn't bear it if one of them died.

Time: 10:09 am
Location: Watershed Heights Basement, across from the nursery, in the remnants of the boxes
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     God, I hate unpacking. And I ran out of wood and screws building benches for the kids, so now I know I'm going to have to find a hardware store if I want shelving for books. On the plus side, I found a mattress. And a dresser. Who just abandons stuff like that? The mattress is only a little stained, and the stuffing is mostly in. It might smell a little funny, I suppose, but really. Cat pee is actually quite nice, once you get used to it.

Time: 10:31 am
Location: Watershed Heights basement, office/sleeping area, next to the remnants of the boxes.
Temperature and Humidity: Same

THINGS TO DO:
> Go to hardware store:
    - 16 8 foot 2x4s
    - 5 pounds of 3 inch deck screws
    - 1 1/2 inch sheet of plywood
    - humidifier
    - potting soil
    - compost bin
> Deal with...people
> Build shelves and finish unpacking
> Make posters

Time: 11:15 am
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     There. That's one item off today's list - I've made the reward poster, though it is a bit strange that it's written in blue magic marker. I think my black Sharpie was in the same box as my compost formula...yet another reason I firmly believe that undergraduate students should be left in the dark to rot. Especially helpful airport ones. 

Time: 11:17 am
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     Drat. I need more than one copy of that stupid poster, don't I? Now I'm going to have to get back on that damn bus to find a copy shop. Wonderful.

Time: 11:30 am
Location: Watershed Heights Lobby
Temperature: 23° Celsius
Humidity: 24%

     There's some crazy woman being eaten by an instrument in the lobby. I don't care if she waves at me, I'm not going to wave back. She could be unstable.

Time: 11:34 am
Location: Watershed Heights Lobby
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     I left a Bartlett pear (Pyrus communis) seedling and a note explaining the tree was intended to pay my rent for the basement on the concierge's desk next to the phone. I do hope she takes care of it.
     Calm down, Margie-girl. There's nothing to worry about. If the floor keeps going like it is, by the time that tree is big enough to transplant into another pot there'll be enough dirt on the black-and-white (is it?) tile to sustain it as a freestanding organism. 

Time: 12:45 pm
Location: The stop for Bus #73 across from Watershed Heights
Temperature: 29.4° Celsius
Humidity: 42%

     God, I'm so glad I'm out of that death-box. 

Time: 12:46 pm
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     I bought some tape while I was out making copies. That should work with the posters, if it doesn't rain tonight. I've already stuck one to the mass of fliers papering the outside of the stop...where to next?

Time: 1:20 pm
Location: Watershed Heights basement, in BED
Temperature: 21° Celsius
Humidity: 23%

     I am getting too old to be out wallpapering the town like this. My knees hurt, my there is sweat pouring from under my straw hat, and I just know I'm going to have to wash my hair tonight because my bun is completely ruined. On top of that, I'm going to have to call my stuck-up podiatrist because my orthotics are sliding around again. I don't need his smarmy, self-satisfied speech about how I really should take better care of my feet. For heaven's sake, I'm only 57! I'm not dead yet!
    Hmph. I'll stick around for another 40 or 50 years out of pure contrariness. That'll show him.

Time: 1:59 pm
Location: Watershed Heights basement, in bed
Temperature and Humidity: Same

    Oh dear. I must have nodded off for a moment. I might be a touch older than I thought...

Time: 2:18 pm
Location: Outside Stop-n-Shop Grocery


Temperature: 29.4° Celsius
Humidity: 42%

     Will God smite me if I steal a cart from the grocery store across from a synagogue? If I move fast enough maybe the lightning will miss me. Can I move that fast?
     Anyway, I'll bring it right back. I can't carry 16 2x4s and a sheet of plywood by myself. That makes it better, right?

Time: 2:42
Location: Nuts 'n Bolts Hardware 

Temperature: 23° Celsius

Humidity: 24%

     Hmmm. This place is...adequate, I suppose. They lack completely any sort of decent garden center - not a single package of blood meal, if you can believe it - but there were a few depressed tomatoes, and a selection of organic potting mixes. That said, they did have all my shelving materials in stock, and a humidifier, so it wasn't a total loss. At least it smells right - that perfect co-mingling of chemical smells, dirt, grease, and sawdust makes me feel right at home.
    But that doesn't change anything. The manager is going to get an earful just as soon as I get around to writing a decently comprehensive letter of complaint. This place is in violation of at least 37 hardware store requirements.
    (And don't worry, little tomatoes. I'll be back for you the second I get your home set up. Hang in there!)

Time: 3:00 pm
Location: Watershed Heights basement
Temperature: 21° Celsius
Humidity: 23%

    Where did I put that blasted saw? I know I packed one - it was in the same box with my power drill and tape measure. 

Time: 3:04 pm
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

    How the heck did it get under the mattress? I know I didn't put it there.

Time: 6:24 pm
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

    One shelf done! I think that's enough for tonight...I'm ready to fall over. Bedtime...

Time: 9:39 pm
Location: Watershed Heights basement, in bed
Temperature: 20° Celsius
Humidity: 21.5%

     What was that!! Someone is outside. They'll probably try to murder me in my bed. Where is my hammer? I need something to keep the potential rapist-murderer outside away from me.


Time: 9:42 pm
Location: Second step leading out of the Watershed Heights basement
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     There's a shadowy...something tapping around out there. I wish I could see better, but the streetlights are broken, and my glasses have fogged. Damn vision.

Time: 9:43 pm
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     Wait! There's a bus coming...maybe I can see whatever it is in the headlights. It might be the only useful thing it ever does...

Time: 9:44 pm
Location: Same
Temperature and Humidity: Same

     Oh. It's just the man who runs the old cinema. What's he doing out so late? No one in their right mind would goes to the movies at this ungodly time of night.