It probably goes without saying (which isn't going to stop me from saying it) that finding decent places to sublet is largely a matter of luck. Fortunately for myself and Mr, we tend to receive preferential treatment from subletters. Partly, as I've said before, because many Americans seem to save a little soft spot for the British and partly because we're in our 30's, so the assumption is that we won't want to rave all night.

This month pickings were a little slim, so when I found us a dinky little place in Park Slope, we jumped at it, despite the cost being closer to places in Manhattan than the Brooklyn prices we're used to (an area this twee doesn't come cheap). When I first came to see the place I noticed it wasn't that clean, but assumed that it would be tidied up before our arrival. The owner also has a gorgeous little dog. When I came to see the place I loved him so much and was so gooey, I didn't notice that he had a not so gorgeous smell about him. Mid length story, very short, we arrived with all our stuff to a stinky and grubby apartment. Hurrah. The comfy sofa that I had coveted had stained cushions which, when turned, revealed years worth of crumbs and nastiness. Needless to say, I did an epic clean before settling in. The who lives here seems really lovely, but cleaning up other people's grub isn't my favourite thing to do, I even did a couple of mini dry heaves (thanks to old plasters found stuck to the underside of sofa cushions. Urgh) As much as I'm a good cleaner, I'd be crap at doing it for other people.

The apartment is also in possession of some seriously old plumbing, mainly concentrated in a pipe by the bed, which bangs and pops hourly from about 6am. If that didn't make my husband grumpy enough, we also have a rodent problem. Happily, the rodents of which I speak are mice, rather than rats… even more happily, they aren't cockroaches (my personal worst of all nasty small things). Mice are a very confusing pest to me, I'm torn between finding them adorable, so wanting to tame them to make them my tiny little pets and being far too aware of just how incontinent they are and how much pee and poop they must be trailing all over the place. I also have late night concerns about them doing said trailing across my face as I sleep.

We have this apartment until NYE, but with Christmas coming up, I wanted to find somewhere for January sooner rather than later. This means that we've now lined up another place, on the next street from where we are now, starting ten days before we have to be out of this one. A little bit of an indulgence, but one that means we can get out of here sooner and we have somewhere to put up holiday guests. As long as they don't mind mice. Or banging pipes.

Look! I actually got a picture of this one. Yeah, I wouldn't have chosen that colour scheme either.

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