Self-Aggrandizement: Future Perfect

As I've mentioned before, Jess and I are looking to move. Over the course of the last couple of years, Times Square has grown and grown, increasingly eating our neighborhood, and - most recently - entirely taking over our corner. This time of year, I can barely push my way through the lines of tourists waiting for uptown double-decker sightseeing buses as I head to work. And, to add insult to injury, in a climate of downward spiraling real estate cost, our landlord is trying to raise our rent.

So, we're leaving.

Jess, however, already has. At least mentally. While we're still just knee-deep in the apartment search process, she's nearly finished decorating our notional apartment.

She has colors picked out for various rooms, magazine and blog photos clipped for layout inspiration, and a growing wish-list of replacement furniture and art, as much of what I own is old, well loved, and certainly ready to retire.

The problem is, Jess can't resist the siren song of an excellent deal. And, worse, she's a consummate deal-finder. So, though the apartment is still imagined, the furniture we've begun to accumulate for it is real. Real, and very large.

This past week, for example, she found a high-end, multi-thousand dollar armchair, at 90% off. Not long before that, she found a giant Ming lamp, similar to one they sell at William Sonoma Home for about $800, at an antiques warehouse for $10.

Fortunately, it all barely fits. At least until the new sleeper couch and recliner - both significantly discounted, and both delayed by custom upholstery - arrive.

The countdown is on.

Future Perfect Filed Monday, December 22 2008.

Future Perfect
Filed Monday, December 22 2008.