Yes, my side-eye muscles are getting a workout, these days. ;)

Hey, are you willing to share your management company's info with other NYC apartment-seeking folk (please)? Large and sunny (not to mention rent-stabilized) are verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry appealing... ;) And we're hoping to stay on the West Side.

"She gets really upset when patrons ask her what it is. I mean really, really upset and angry, like the diner has asked a really invasive, personal question."

Paging HR! How does this not qualify as harassment? Ugh.

I'm sorry; I can't hear you through the multiple layers of condescension in your comments.

We have friends who live above Panchito's (on Bleecker) in the Village, and while their rent is in the $2000s, their landlord has not raised the rent in five years. And there's no broker! You just inquire inside the restaurant (great frozen margaritas; skip the food). ;) Maybe do-able with a roommate? The apartments…

See, I don't know about the broker thing. After doing the non-broker search intensively twice now (once in Queens, once in Manhattan), I'm inclined to think that the brokers are sitting on the non-shitty rentals. That, or I'm just really, really over overpriced pre-war apartments where the freezer is held together…

Congrats on your star!

Hmm. Good advice! Thank you. :)

To be honest, I don't think you get over being really homesick. I mean, it gets better, but it's like having a chronic low-grade cold. It's always there. And the guilt about it (well, about being away from parents who are getting older) just makes me want to go crawl in a hole, some days.

Jesus, that's horrible. Glad you're ok!

I had some long, anecdata-driven comment, but the Jezemonster ate it, so I'll just shorten it to—sometimes you gotta listen to your body. Fruit is mostly water and sugar (the good kind, plus lots of other good stuff)—if I tried to start the day on that alone, my body would kick me in the ass. My go-to breakfast (that…

On the one hand, she's the bride, it's only x many hours, blah blah blah.

Only been through Rouen by car and train, never stopped. Now I need to go back and see both of these places!

Me, too! "Dance at Bougival" is my mental happy place. :)

Aw! That is a great book. :)

Redon is amazing. I never realized how much his stuff has in common with Klimt until you posted this.

I love Van Gogh, too—I saw "Bedroom in Arles" last year, after it had been restored, and it was incredible. Practically neon!

I don't know if I've seen this exact one, but I've seen the ones at the Met, the Orsay, and the Marmottan. Lovely.

This procedure is derived from common sense.