von drove his parents to new york this morning, so i guess he must be on his way back now. i am off to the apartment of another grad student to dismantle this cabinet which i so rashly purchased. von, who believes in ruthless efficiency, says he will drive by when he returns, and i will rush out with the pieces of the cabinet, drop them all into the boot, and jump into the car, and be deposited at garden st. absolutely no parking or waiting, he says, and if he gets a ticket there will be more fuming and ranting than i can ever imagine, and yi dao liang duan-ing. no doubt i shall come home ashen-faced from a dressing down and lamenting our broken friendship, because i'm sure that when his furious honk is heard i will still be trying to wrench a nail out of the cabinet. i wish i hadn't bought it now. here i go anyway, with screwdrivers and allen keys in my backpack.