Crystallized crap
I was cleaning last night and found dried cat poop on the copy of my lease I had left on the floor. Grand — I’m so proud of Maddie. She likes to shit outside the box, and always on paperwork she deems unimportant.
I was looking at ApartmentRatings.com all weekend to get feedback on places I like and others I want to contact. It’s pretty much a dumping ground for dissatisfied tenants, and you can tell that the glowing reviews are from residence staff members who do not identify themselves as such.
Just for a reality check, I looked up the reviews for my own building, where I am actually very happy with my experience. And of course there were all kinds of scary, negative things that would have kept me from wanting to live here, but I found an interesting review from someone whose username is, oh, the same as the business manager’s. I of course called bullshit on her in a comment I posted — if you work at the building, fuckin’ say so, mmmkay?
I realize I’ve lucked out in that I’ve had quiet people living above and below me — the thing that scares me in moving from a 1BR to a 2BR is not only affording the goddamned thing, but also getting people with kids who live above me. Gah. Tiff and I lived in this one place where I had to hear the bedsprings of the couple’s bed (which seemed to be directly above mine) from 8 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. every Saturday, before their little hellion child ran into the room at 8:30 a.m. and proceeded to stomp around for two hours. (Some of us work late, you freaks.)
Anyway, beyond that I haven’t had any problems, but loose floorboards in these old-ass buildings do worry me. Usually, I’m the loudmouth in the building, as I am up screaming at the cats all night (like last night, so be nice to me today ’cause I’m TIRED!), so I suspect that when I can’t identify the problem tenant, chances are? It’s ME.
It’s another interesting thing I’ve learned — the noise, drama and vandalism seem to occur in the “family” sections of apartment buildings/complexes. Sure, you expect pint-sized brats to create a fuss, but it’s the teenagers who are out roaming the streets and stealing cars and painting profanities everywhere. Look, you can deal drugs if you must, but I insist that if you are? You share. 😉
I was looking into what it would take to buy a condo. And it’s scary. Suppose your average 2BR/2BA condo goes for around $250,000. These realtors want 5% to 10% down. Now, they don’t call me Pittsburgh Barbie for nothin’, ’cause math makes my head swim, but I assure you I cannot come up with that many zeroes unless it’s in the dating realm. 😉
Speaking of zeroes (as in, zero dollars), I am down to my last eight bucks, so I have this crazy goal of coming home at a reasonable time to cook dinner this week instead of grabbing overpriced food and taking it back to my desk. Which means I’ll probably get fired or something, because every time I swear I’m going to scale back on my hours, chaos erupts and something goes painfully wrong. And I’ll be sitting there hungry ’cause payday’s a looong way away!
And I’m going to pay more in rent? Sheesh. 🙂 At this rate, I might never be able to afford furniture! And did I mention my beloved coffee pot just BROKE this morning?!?!