Beverly, it's a reach in closet, not a walk-in, so walling in more of the opening will make it hard to reach in and access those areas of the closet. When I woke up this morning and looked at the closet, I couldn't help but notice the rod and shelf are hung rather simply. Couple 2x4's around the sides and back of the closet, with the rod/shelf hangers screwed into it. I'm thinking, screw the custom closet thing. I can raise the rod I have up, duplicate the set up lower, and have the double rod that I want. Then it's just a matter of some drawers unit in the closet. Home Depot can do the custom cutting of the 2x4's and rod (well, if they have a rod, I think they do). Doesn't solve the door issue. But I'm guessing the rod/shelf thing will save a good $1,000!

Sean, getting your license back would be awesome. By chance, is there a zipcar station near you? That might tide you over until you get a car.

omnis, how wide is the space you want to span? If it's wider than standard closet rod, you might want to go with permanent shower rod to avoid sagging with the weight over the span. We hung a rod across the 8'3" width of our old bedroom, slipped the rod through the top hems of a pair of rather dramatic sheets before we screwed the rod to the wall. Behind the curtain we did drawer units, ceiling-hung rods, and shelves. It worked out well, and we used Home Depot closet stuff, plus a stack of cedar drawers for sweaters and a thrift store child's dresser and another small drawer unit about the size of a night stand. Doing it again, I'd have included shoe racks for the floor, or a hanging shoe bag, because moving all the frakking shoes to vacuum and putting them back was daunting enough for me to chronically postpone the vacuuming.

We do want before/after pics, you know, however you solve your dilemma.

Sean, in the short term, can you start saving just a little bit of money each month to resolve the license issue? Even if you can't afford a car right now, I would think that getting your license back would be a good first step.

I need to find steady, solid good paying work to do that. I also owe the IRS a bit of money as well, and that's my first concern.

You can also work to get your apartment cleaned up so you can search for another roommate. It doesn't have to be fancy, just clean.

The issue there is less about the apartment and more about me. I can barely live with friends and/or lovers.

Sean, getting your license back would be awesome. By chance, is there a zipcar station near you? That might tide you over until you get a car.

Don't know. Once I can get my license back, that would be worth looking into.

Maybe you should get a steady, if boring, job for now to tide you over. I know UPS hires hugely for the holidays (not drivers but workers). Andre offered to hook you up with info if you need it.

I haven't had a dog since I was a child, though I love them. But the cat of my heart is back in NC with our son. I miss him, but his vet suggested he would likely not adjust, nor even survive the trip, so he's with his boy in his familiar home. StY says he still goes to the top of the stairs and bellows for Dad, though.

Oddly, I was the human of our Jenny cat's heart, and I loved her, but she wasn't my heart-cat. And TC *is* that heart-cat for me, and he loves me. But Dad is his human.

Sean, you've all my good thoughts.

We are going to be fostering one of the soon-to-be homeless German Shepherds/Shepherd mixes from Westside, looks like. We can't adopt another dog, but we can at least help one through the transition to a forever home.

And Sean, I don't mean to pester with advice. Mostly I just want you to know I care and am wishing you well.

And Sean, I don't mean to pester with advice. Mostly I just want you to know I care and am wishing you well.

I know. And that UPS info would be useful. Honestly I've been looking for steady work for some time. I love what I do, but it's become significantly less reliable than it was two years ago, and that's a problem.

OK, in order:

First, thank you all again for your wishes. I am stressed, but it's mostly about others. I just can't understand how they can live like that, in Gaza and in the south. I have a shelter and a nice alarm which gives me 60-90 seconds of warning. It is enough. But my friends who are getting called in, my friends who are in the south, the fact that we're wishing minimal to no damage to my sister's place in Be'er-Sheva, and most of all, on going blabber in the news (which is interrupted at times so much that they can't say three complete sentences in between automatic reports on alarms) - is very stressing.

Steph - wow. I applaud you and your mental health. Such an asshole doc!

Hil, I hope your back pain is better. Sean, I have no advice, but I do hope things will work out best for you.

I hated the war the second you had to take cover. Now I hate it even more. It got me thinking religion today, I will say that. So? If I pray for your well being, for you and your loved ones, is that then asking god to redirect the attacks away from you? Which would then cause pain to others I don't know. Which seems mighty selfish. So. I can't pray for that. But I want you to be safe. So, if I were the praying type, I pray for peace. I think it's the only non-selfish way about it. And if there is a god who actually answers prayers and stuff, I would think/hope s/he would answer the least selfish of prayers.

Amen, darling. And thank you for that.