Check the Boiler

I live in a pre-war building in New York City.

A week and a half ago, we didn't have any heat.

I called my landlord (who is one block over) to say that our heat is off, and hasn't been on for 24 hours. "You might want to check the boiler," I said.

I became irritated when a man showed up to check my radiator. (I have two fucking heat poles, also cold. I've lived here 12 years. I knew the problem was not with my radiator, but the boiler.)

Eventually, he did check the boiler. And then when someone else called, they checked it again.

The heat is off again this morning (but the night setting is working,) so I'll once again have to go through the rigmarole of "check the boiler."

I'm writing to you because if you are focusing on a symptom, rather than a problem, you are the person who came up to my apartment to check my fully functioning radiator.

If your symptom is binge eating, or drinking, you can focus and busy yourself with it all you want. Keep tinkering with that radiator.

The problem is the boiler in the basement.

You can use any app you wish to track your drinks of your calories.

You can write yourself lists and read Atomic Habits and all of that shit, but... the problem is the boiler.

It isn't the radiator.

It's the boiler.

Check the boiler.

For the love of God don't make me call again.