THURSDAY #7: And On The 7th Week, Tino Rested

Well, we're back for one last entry. Yeah, that's right, Pink's room is indeed "finished" and he has moved out of Thomas Mann Strasse and into Garten Strasse 8. Here's what the move looked like...

Pink says, "Choos, bitches of Thomas-Mann, I'm moving to Garten Strasse."

Walking up the front steps with all of Pink's Earthly possesions.

The key in the lock, not Pink's key, he doesn't have one yet.

Pink's excited, sort of, maybe, probably not. The final flight of stairs at the new apartment.

Unpacking in the new, finished room.

Tino proudly handing Pink his half set of keys to the apartment, still wearing dirty Argus gear as expected.

To celebrate, Lisa helped Pink and I move and grocery shop, then brought over her dog, Dina to help with the celebration.

Then Matt showed up and the party picked up...well, the drinking anyway even though he showed up empty handed (Lisa's fault...she promised a case of Pils then showed up with 6 Cola Weissens, aka Kinder beer).

Christening Pink's new room with drinking, smoking, and loitering.

And more of that.

A fitting end to this Blog because that's pretty much how I feel about this page about now.

When I asked Pink about his new room as he sat in it, he had this to say...

"i'm not sure i want to make a committment one way or the other, lets just say that i'm content at the moment...but its a little cold in here, it must be said."

Although Pink has a distinctive feeling that this isn't a one part saga, more of a trilogy, I disagree. Maybe we will see in 2 or 3 years. Who knows. Let's try it.

Thursday #6

Since all Tino's been able to accomplish since last Sunday was this...

and this...

...Pink, big suprise, still does not have a room to call his own which means this is not the last update of this blog which, frankly, I'm getting particularly bored of. Pink, after having had the luxury of a hotel room before our trip to Northern Africa, was demoted back to living room status. But as you all know, Korwin's abandoned Buehl due to a "serious" thumb injury and Pink is now squatting in his room while Tino finishes up. I'm giving it weeks now, as I've given up completely and just don't care anymore. Until next time, which might be never.

Sunday #5

You're right, I know, but I had good reason not to post on Wednesday...nothing had been done in the room. Tino was given a new "boss" on the weekend (who shall remain nameless) who was going to inspect his progress on Sunday evening. Needless to say, Tino was up all night Saturday and hard at work all day Sunday to get the room ready for inspection. And up until we left for vacation on Wednesday, he didn't step foot into that room again. Therefore, nothing to report.


So as we returned home from far off destinations, Pink joined me to check out the progress of his room. The anticipation was immense as we walked up the stairs to the apartment. After all we've seen in the past 4 days, this was close to the highlight of the weekend. When we arrived at the room, Tino and his new boss are hard at work and Tino says, "You're early!" So obviously, the room wasn't ready but it was pretty close. Here's what we saw...

No building materials on the landing...this was a good sign.

The entrance to the room...paint and a floor (one huge linoleum sheet of fake wood...classy).

This might be trouble...a nice draft was coming out of there...as well as some water (it was raining outside).

As you can see it's a split level, very nice. The window still leaks and is not so well insulated as the room was freezing.

Lovely new lamp and the bed frame that looks in need of some help...I' sure you noticed the mattress on the floor earlier, not really sure whats going on thereas Tino is not at the "ice hockay" game.

Desk, two colour paint job and some unfinished wiring/plumbing/I have no idea what.

The main entrance from the inside.

Pink will officially be moved in this Wednesday which means, sadly, the end of this blog (sniff, sniff). We'll post one last time on Thursday, a fitting end to a blog that started so very many Thursdays ago...

Saturday #4

Pink is in a hotel room!!
Pink is in a hotel room!!
I know, I know...this is BIG news. And he's also been promised his room by the time we get from our vacation next weekend. I actually believe the promise this time around, for many reasons which I won't get into here. So this strange and terrible journey/saga may well be over soon. We leave Wednesday for far off destinations and will be back Sunday...therefore, you can expect one more update Wednesday morning and another Sunday evening, and that may be it. I can tell you that Tino has been hard at work the last 2 days, but you'll have to wait for picture/video update 'cause I'm feeling lazy right now, plus I've had a few Heffe Weissens.
See ya Wednseday, kinder.

Thursday #4

Congratulations, Pink...you still don't have a room plus its the third week anniversary of the day Tino originally proclaimed the day the room would be complete. This would be the fourth or fifth time Pink's Room has been promised by a certain date that (was not /will not be) met because, seeing as tomorrow's Friday and the room still looks like this...

...I don't think he's gonna get that one night of sleep in there before the Freiburg game this Saturday.
This week, Tino informed me that his new work schedule (afternoons) is not good for working on the room, and that it is a bad thing for Pink. He gets home very late (midnight or 1 am) and is very tired and must sleep. He didn't mention the time in the morning before work which is probably set aside for log sawing. I did a quick check yesterday and half of one panel of drywall had been added to the ceiling.

So last night Tino came to me with a brilliant plan.
He said, "The problem with work is that I must wear a bandage and that does not let the cut (he cut his hand pretty badly last week if you didn't remember) close right. So tomorrow (this morning) I will go see a doctor and try to get the orange paper."
"Let me guess," I replied," that orange paper lets you to bail on work and you're gonna to spend the day working on Pink's Room?"
"That is my plan," said Tino with a grin.
Beautiful. Skip work to do work. So he worked on the room all day and when I got home tonight, I found an empty house. No Tino. I wander in the room and this is what I see...

Bucket of mud and Tino's workpants...I don't wanna to know.

A drywalled ceiling, a good sign.

Thr room is still a disaster. Notice the alarm clock on the desk...maybe this is the finished product. Pink, pack your shit and come on over. Also notice the light sitting in the shoebox. That used to be the main overhead light in Pink's Room. Now there is no light in the room which is why these pictures were all taken in night mode. Now Tino can't work after sundown...yet another delay.


The wall close to the door has also been drywalled. But notice the wall directly behind, not finished. The drywalling continues...

Notice the fine drywall work in the bottom corner of the room...I'm guessing we're gonna see a whole lotta mud in that area sometime soon, or maybe later.

That's about it as far as an update goes. I've added a day counter at the top right hand corner of the page counting the number of days Pink's been living in a living room so you can all feel very, very sorry for him.

Sunday #3

Yeah, we got our asses handed to us tonight, but that's besides the point. The real news is that Tino said to this to Pink tonight; "You will sleep in your room at least one night before the Freiburg game." Yet another new deadline, kinder. By the way, the Frieburg game is next Saturday. Again, this should be interesting.

Friday #3

I don't even know where to begin with this one. My last post mentioned that Tino might have been drunk when he worked on Pink's Room Wednesday night...well, thats been confirmed. Tino took a break from the room to go to the Greek restaurant, "and whenever I go, they make me drink 3 beer before I sit down." When he got back, at 12:30 am, he says, "I will go work on the room for an hour, then I must sleep." The next day at The Argus, we were talking about the night before and he said it was so hard working on the room that late, to which I replied, "Bullshit! You were hammered, you didn't care." And he responded, with a cheeky little smile, "Yeah, maybe a little."

That was Wednesday night, after Tino took a personal day off work to finish Pink's Room. Today I find out from Tino that the "higher ups" at the Argus were none too pleased because Tino took a day off work, even though they knew it was necessary to finish Pink's Room. This is not looking good for Pink.

Back to Thursday evening, which is a special evening because it is the 2 week anniversary of the date Tino proclaimed that the room would be ready by. Oh, and its Pink's birthday as well. So after Tino got home from The Argus, I asked him if he would join us at the Quetsch to celebrate Pink's birthday. He said, "No, I will work on Pink's Room...this will be my gift to him." That same night, Tino asked me to help him with Pink's Room and I reluctantly agreed...you see, it was my goal not to lift a finger on that room. So I held a flashlight while Tino messed around with the electricity. I thought for sure he was gonna get shocked and go flying off that ladder, but nothing happened.

Later in the evening, as I was heading out to celebrate with Pink, Tino tells me he is going to the Greek restaurant again because there is nothing he can do in Pink's Room at the moment because the "mud is drying." Right, what about the rest of the drywall, or the ceiling, etc, etc. Anyway, we celebrate Thursday night and that brings us to today.

Tino on the way to the Greek restaurant on Thursday evening.

A little of what went on at The Quetsch for Pink's birthday celebration. I'm sure one of the other blogs of the Buehl Blog Planet with produce a more thorough report of that night.

Friday afternoon, I arrive back at the flat to find Tino working in Pink's Room...after all, our deadline is tomorrow. I make some dinner and am eating a nice Steak Mexico when I hear Tino calling my name. I assume he wants help again and I wander out there to find him with his hand under running water. Clearly he is distressed and he asks me to get some paper towels for him. He honestly looked ready to pass out and blood was pouring out of a 3cm gash in his hand. Apparently, he was trying to cut a hole in some drywall with an exacto knife when the knife slipped and caught him on the hand, about 3 cm's away from his wrist. I said, "Let's get you to a hospital" to which he responded by bolting out the door and down the stairs. I asked him where he was going and he said to get the first aid kit in his car. 5 minutes later, I hear his car start up and off he goes. So there's Tino, bleeding profusely, trying to stem the bloodflow and attempting to drive a manual transmission car to the hospital.

Later, Tino returns from the hospital with a rather large bandage on his hand. No stitches, but he must rest for 3 days. As I am on my way to practice, he asked me to tell Pink that he's sorry because he thinks the room will not be ready by tomorrow because Tino has injured his hand. He was sincerely sad when he asked me this favour, I actually thought he might shed a tear or two. The he left to go watch a hockey game.

So thats it for today. There is no way the room will be done by tomorrow, or next Saturday for that matter, or the Saturday after that. Pink came by to see the latest and said, "if there was a four man crew working on it full time, it still wouldn't be ready by next Saturday."

Entrance to Pink's Room: Prelude to a mess

The scene of Tino's accident and the blade in question.

Large mess.

The rubble has not moved, in fact I think its been added to.

Some nice drywall work and the "mud" that needed drying.

Notice the snow on the always open 200 year old window. No wonder the flat is so damn cold.

The ladder I thought Tino was going to electrocute off of.

The untouched ceiling.

Wednesday #2 (late night)

Well Kids, its 12:41 am on Thursday morning...do you know where your Tino is? I asked Pink himself this very question and he came up with three possible answers...

1) driving the argus van to the gas station in search of a couple big pumps before he picks up nadia and natalie and goes to charlie's?

2) uh...F1...just shirt and ginch, in your chair, without asking?

3) in his room starting the chainsaw?

On any normal day, these answers would have covered it fore shure (thats how Korwin pronounces for sure)...but not today. You see, Tino had the day off from The Argus to work on Pink's Room today. So my plan was to go in there tonight to see what the bear had accomplished all day and gather some posting material. Unfortunately, I can't get in the room right now and that is where the answer to my question lies. Yup, thats right Kinder, Tino is in Pink's Room gettin' er done! After all, the new deadline IS this Saturday around 5pm. By the way, I'm pretty sure Tino's drunk right now.
Until tomorrow...

Monday #2

So I've become tired of watching this little project of Tino's come together day by day because the going is a tad slow. Therefore, I've decided not to check the room every day so that one day this week, say Thursday, I'll go in there and be like, "Whoah, it looks different in here." But fear not, I'll do my best to come up with material every day that has something to do with Pink's Room.

For today, you'll be reading an actual MSN conversation* that occured earlier this evening between Pink and myself after he put in a day of work at The Argus. Here's how it went down...(for those of you wondering and/or offended by Pink's MSN name, it is such because he and Matty are having an MSN name calling war like catty high school girls would do. They're such bitches, those two.)

Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
so tino comes up to me at the argus today
dante says:
uhoh
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
and asks me what kind of paint i want
dante says:
LOL
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
i said, so you're at the painting stage??
dante says:
keep going
dante says:
this is good material
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
he says...we'll no not yet
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
but i buy the supplies tonight
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
'so what colour paint do you want'
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
'i want you to finish the room'
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
haha
dante says:
what!?!
dante says:
lol
dante says:
he wanst YOU to finish the room
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
no
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
i told him i just want him to finish the room
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
nevermind the paint
dante says:
haha
dante says:
and his response?
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
but then after that, i ask him about F1
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
he says "I have no time!!!!"
dante says:
HAHA
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
and gets mad
dante says:
of course he does
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
so I say "bullshit, i know you played yesterday"
dante says:
i;d be mad if I had no time for F1 too
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
"well yes i played a couple races yesterday"
dante says:
hahaha
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
and then told me about two of the races as if it was real life
dante says:
hahahaha
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
told me about the corners and the competition
dante says:
yes!
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
and how he pitted at the right time
dante says:
i now have an entry for today
dante says:
of course he did
dante says:
strategy is very important for the F1
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
and how is was dante's fault about the race when he couldn't pit
dante says:
fuck off he didn't say that
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
he said
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
'well i was talking to dante and the turn for the rest was very difficult, so i go too fast and miss the turn
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
then i go in next lap and they wont give me gas
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
its bullshit'
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
haha
dante says:
yes!
dante says:
proof that he really did blame me
dante says:
awesome
dante says:
just what i wanted to hear
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
haha
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
oh yeah
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
and kendal was telling him to get me Pink paint
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
for the majority of the morning
dante says:
haha
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
'it would be a nce one'
Bajkov has a 'Blowjob Face' says:
haha
dante says:
good for kendal
dante says:
I'll keep up kendal's fine work
dante says:
from home

*The idea for posting an MSN conversation as a blog entry comes compliments of Caitlin Morrissey, Lyon St. Fons Volleyball Club, http://www.caitanimal.blogspot.com/

Sunday #2

Since I was forcefully dragged out to the Quetsch tonight, this update comes to you via video 'cause its the lazy way out...enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8MVtYYaNNg

Early Sunday #2 Morning

I know its been a day or two without an update and everybody's wondering what's up with Pink's Room. Well, I have nothing to offer you here except maybe some anticipation.

So we just got home from an East German roadtrip where we drove 5 hrs each way, slept in beds designed for kinder - bunks no less - and humiliated Gotha 3-0. And in about 7 hours from now, most of the team is going to watch KSC (local 2nd div. soccer team) play. Tino has decided that he will not go to the game because he wants to get some work done tomorrow.

And, as we arrived home tonight Tino said, "I have been given a deadline for Pink's Room." I asked when that was and he responded, "By the Russelsheim game." This game is next saturday, by the way. That's less than a week away. Therefore, this week should be an interesting one. Can't wait for tomorrow.
Night, Kinder.

Thursday #2

Alright, even though its technically past Thursday (for those readers on this side of the ocean) I've be coherced into posting.

I had an eventful day at The Argus and after arriving home I find Tino awake, but not in Pink's Room. I do a quick check and nada, he hasn't been in the room yet. He's doing stuff, normal Tino stuff, like taking a Tino and whatnot. Oh, and laundry. Big roadtrip this weekend, stuff's gotta be washed. So I go about my business making dinner and reading and I hear Tino leave his den and walk over to Pink's room. I then hear some puttering around and the banging of hammers. This is a good sign. But alas, I kid you not, 15 minutes later it all goes quiet. Tino's in the kitchen, making dinner and, you guessed it, settling in for a few races of F1. He's quite good, you know.

The F1

As I'm eating my dinner, I'm watching Tino race and am carrying on a conversation with him. Picture this. Tino in full Argus gear, driving an F1 car with one hand, the other munching on fish sticks, all while talking to me. Suddenly, Tino starts swearing, "Shit! Shit!" He missed a pit and although he didn't come right out and say it, I'm quite sure I'm to blame. This is not going to be good for his newfound career. Half a lap later he's DQ'd cause he's outta gas. He is not pleased. So his "team", Minardi, sends him an "email" and they are obviously not pleased - I'm not sure what it said as it was in Deutsch - but I know it wasn't good because Tino says, "Fuck you, Minardi." And with that, he grabs his dinner and dissapears into the den, I'm sure retiring for the night.

And I did go back into Pink's Room and I may have found some evidence of work having been done. The plaster was still wet therefore leading me to believe that soem plaster was applied today. Maybe you want to sort through some older photos and decide for yourself. It's become a bit of a mystery to me, but if its that hard to tell if actual work has been done, can we really say any progress has been made? I didn't think so.

South wall plaster work

Door frame work

More door frame

Also, it should be noted that today is an anniversary of sorts. A week ago today, last Thursday January 11, 2007, was the day Tino initially proclaimed the day that the room would be ready. So we're on 7 days (not to mention the 90 days Pink has already spent living in a living room) and counting.

Cheers.

Tuesday

Alright, this is getting a bit tiresome. Daily updates, its becoming increasingly evident, are not required due to the lack of work being accomplished. Therefore, this entry will be a bit off from the usual routine.

First, I'll get the room upate out of the way. Todat at "work" Pink and I took a "Tino" (a short break for a cigarette or in our case, coffee). We wandered over to Tino's work station with our coffees to see how things were shaping up with the room. Pink asked him how it was going in the room, and Tino said, "I think by next week," to which Pink reacted by laughing sacrcastically and elbowing me in the ribs a few times. After a bit of chatter, Tino looks at Pink and says, "But you have a new problem with the room. Last night I learned that I am very good at Formula 1." That's right. Tino had no qualms with telling Pink that his room may be even more delayed due to his newfound talent at racing F1 cars on PS2. Priceless. However, Tino did make his way to the room today, in between races, and here is what he accomplished.

He's put together Pink's new desk and is using it as a workbench.

Evidence of Tino having cut drywall. Pink's convinced he used a butter knife.

More drywall was put up in the corner. At least its something, kinder, whihc is more than we can say about what we accomplished at Argus today. But that's a whole different story.

Now on to less boring stuff. Last night, as was mentioned, we went out to the Quetsch, our local pub. After arriving home I decided that you readers deserve to see the way Pink currently lives and has been living for the past few months. You see, I've titled this blog "Pink's Room" but this is a bit off the mark. The real Pink's Room is someone else's living room. So, the following is a sequence of photos showing how Pink gets himself ready for bed each and every night after all 6 people that live at the hostel have gone to bed. Here we go.

First Pink has to draw the shutter, which is more like a giant, reinforced steel storm-window-type thing, by tugging on the giant seatbelt built into the wall.

It's a bit of a process.

Then he takes his mattress out of storage (lying against the wall in the hallway)...

...and drags it into the living room.

Next, Pink tries to drunkenly cover his mattress with his lovely, purple mattress cover.

Confusion sets in. He looks ready to give up.

And he does. After screaming at the pruple mattress cover, he falls, covers his head and seems content to sleep as is.

But Matty won't let him sleep like this, what a good guy. Look, I think he's fluffing Pink's pillow...GAY! GAY! GAY!

Pink's convinced. Attempt #2 is a success.

But this damn blanket.

Again, Matty is ready to help. A successful tuck in.

Pink's fired up about finally getting the process finished so he can get some rest...until 7am (about 4 hours away), when Korwin starts banging pots and pans around in the kitchen trying to get ready for "work."