And a sweet one

[epershand]

I'm writing this post in the empty space that used to be my apartment. I'm sitting in the corner where there used to be a TV, using an internet connection from my cellphone because my actual phone and internet service have been moved elsewhere. I spent the last several hours repairing and disassembling furniture for pickup by a line of strangers who found me on Craigslist.

It is Erev Rosh Hashanah, the first night of the two-day holiday that marks the beginning of the new year. A block from here, my congregation has already wrapped up their evening service, a service I had a ticket for, but did not attend. I was here instead.

Symbolically, if not doctrinally, I have almost certainly spent tonight in the spirit of the holiday. Rosh Hashanah is a celebration, but it's also the beginning of the Days of Awe, the ten days when one is meant to clean one's worldly slate in anticipation of cleaning one's spiritual slate on Yom Kippur.

Here I am converting the rooms I lived in for three years from home to... not. Six blocks from here is another set of rooms, one that has over the last week rapidly become a home via a lot of laughter, many houseguests, many cuddles, a whole lot of booze, and Erik Lensherr's sharkface.

But in order to let myself be fully present in that apartment, I have to do this too, clear the way for the next person who will make this set of rooms into a home. I felt mindful of that tonight, which made the evening's activities--taking a part a desk; scrubbing a wall; poking ineffectually at the adhesive my landlords told me I wasn't allowed to put on the wall, feel like part of something bigger. The desk and the bookshelves I passed on tonight are moving off to new places and new people just as I am, and that feels really good.

But? If you happen to know any good ways to remove adhesive velcro from a wall without bringing the paint with it, could you let me know? Marcelino was totally wrong about rubbing alcohol.

Comments

[rhoboat]

If you have electricity still, maybe try blasting an extra hot hair dryer at it? When I worked retail, we used those heat gun thingies used primarily for shrinkwrapping to help peel off stickers.

[girlpearl]

Goo Gone. We use something called Detachol in the hospital, but it's the same thing, less the funky citrus scent...

[jesse_the_k]

That stuff is the bomb. It's also very aromatic and volatile, so open the windows. A little dab will do you, and they have it at Walgreens.

[tirial]

Depends on the kind of adhesive, and the kind of paint. If you are lucky, and the adhesive is oil soluble and the paint is latex based, acetone is your friend. Easiest way to get a hold of that is in nail polish remover.

[(Anonymous)]

I was totally going to say nail polish remover.

But yeah, goo gone is REALLY effective.

[militantgeek.livejournal.com]

were you listening to the song Old Apartment by the Barenaked Ladies while you wrote this entry :D Seriously though, isn't moving out of an apartment is strange. I drove by my old apartment in Williamstown last Fall and it definitely tugged at my heart.

[meloukhia]

L'shanah tovah!

And thirding the goo gone rec.