half the strife is o'er

it's a done deal: amanda, hilary, and i are the proud renters of a pretty fuckin' sweet apartment at 33rd st. and broadway in astoria, queens. my rent in queens will be 95 dollars a month less than i pay in baltimore. ridiculous. amanda signed the lease yesterday and hilary and i will write her big, fat, meaty checks when she's here to visit on monday. what's funny is that we actually prorated the apartment for the rest of march to hold it--it's worth it--so the apartment's already ours. like amanda has keys. it's a very strange thing to sit here at a desk in baltimore, maryland, knowing that i have an apartment in new york sitting there, waiting for me to move in my ikea furniture and start using its kitchen and sleeping in its tiny bedroom. it's made this inevitible transition seem even sooner, but it's also made it much easier to be excited.

stephanie asked me yesterday what i wanted to do for my going away luncheon. i have no idea. i want it to be casual, and i want it to be cheap, and i only want my immediate office and the bosses to go. i'm thinking somewhere in fells point. arcos, maybe? suggestions?

as promised, here are pictures of the new apartment--more will follow once i have them (and blogger starts cooperating).