For the past three years I have lived in a live/work space that has really been nothing but a drain on my energy, time and resources. We had a few high points, such as Momo's series of performance salons, but basically it's been a wash-out. The level of noise and activity has made me even more insane than before I moved in.

As I write this, someone upstairs is using power tools to grind away at something or other. I don't know what's going on up there, but I assume it's another of the endless construction projects that are always in progress. It seems that each month, someone new moves into a space somewhere in the building, requiring walls to be knocked down and new ones built up.

There's also a growing metropolis of telecommunications equipment right outside my window. T-Mobile has built a mobile phone tower on the roof, and every couple of weeks a new crew of workmen camp outside my window to install more gear.

At least twice each day, I'm jolted out of sleep or relaxation by a horrifying noise that Shaz calls the "lion shredder." We don't know what it is, but we think it might be a rolling metal door or some kind of industrial bulkhead that gets opened and closed every day.

A kids' playground has moved into the space next door. Luckily I don't hear the kids shrieking that much, but I do hear the telephone in the office next door. It wakes me up every morning.

Every morning and every night I have to listen to one of my housemates slamming doors, yakking and cackling up a storm. It's making me go absolutely mental. Plus, every time I want to use the toilet, shower, or kitchen, I have to check in advance to see if there's someone already there. If I want to make sure I'm not late for work, I have to reserve the shower the night before by leaving a note on the door. I come from a small family and am not at all accustomed to queueing up in my own damn home.

As if that weren't enough, some of the aforementioned housemates are complete and utter slobs. You should see the interiors of their rooms; they look like those photos on the Internet that document obsessive hoarding behaviors. The common areas are a constant problem. Despite the fact that I've hired a cleaning service, Shaz and I still have to clean up after other people on a daily basis.

When I walk out my door, I'm confronted with 18-wheel semi trucks lined up down the street, all idling their engines and spewing out diesel exhaust. They're here to pick up shipments of beer from the brewery next door.

The neighborhood itself is just way, way too busy for me. There's a steady stream of traffic, both cars and trucks, all day. The infrastructure is under constant flux. The department of water has been jackhammering the street outside my window, as well.

A home is supposed to be a refuge from the insanity of the city, but this place is very far from a refuge. Really, over the past three years I feel like I've been living on the street. The hustle and bustle never stops, the noise and hassle goes on all day. I mean seriously, it starts at around 7:30 am and goes until about 11:30 pm, every day and every night. It's actually WORSE on weekends when every housemate (and their guests) is competing for the same limited domestic resources.

So, the bottom line is, I hate it here and am going to move. Shaz and I are looking for an apartment together. If you know anyone who has a two-bedroom apartment available in San Francisco's Mission, Noe Valley, or Bernal Heights, perhaps you could hook us up?