It's been freezing in DC this week, which is bad since my room in my apartment in Glover Park is practically a window box, just slapped on the side of an existing house. Not a lot of insulation there.
Joe's apartment is even worse. It's a great location, beautiful space - including granite countertops, which means you've arrived in the world. But virtually no heat. I guess because it's in the basement? My coat stays on when I visit. Gloves and hat sometimes too.
He also doesn't have a couch.
Just two battered Ikea chairs positioned in front of the TV.
I told Prudence and Luther this, and they said - "Does he really live there? Or is he a squatter? Is his name on the mailbox? Does he need to make a quick getaway?"
People aren't shocked by much these days, but the idea of someone not owning a couch seems to be surprising across the board. Joe and his roommate did have a couch, once upon a time, but it didn't fit through the apartment door so it was abandoned.
No couch, no heat. So when I go over there, I find myself sitting on the floor, wearing my coat. "Do you have any food?" I asked one time. "No," Joe said.
That was a bad day. Usually there is food. One day we ordered pizza. I went to the bathroom and came back - Joe and his friends were tearing apart the pizza box to use as plates. So they wouldn't have to wash dishes.
"Look, Adele, I saved you a nice corner of the box," he said.
Isn't that sweet?
Here I am, wearing my coat while eating off a cardboard "plate."
When I finished dinner, I said, "So does this go in the dishwasher, or what?"
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Silly me - I'm still happy to go over there. But I am angling for them to get a couch, any couch - here's where you can help, blogosphere! Here is today's poll question:
