It would be an understatement to say not a lot is going on around here, because absolutely nothing is happening as us residents just try to make it through the Summer heat.
Complicating our making it through are various outages — heat related I assume.
One day it was the cable that went out, then it was cable and internet together.
Fortunately, power was restored within an hour both times. Except for the day my A/C went out on a day when no staff was on premise. Both the office workers and maintenance guys were away for meetings with Corporate, and inside my unit hit 95 degrees.
Head Maintenance Guy was quick to respond to the work order first thing the very next day, and able to repair what went wrong within minutes. It was already 90 when he showed up at 8:30 that morning, said because everything in the unit was now hot — the walls, the rugs, said it would take time to cool down and suggested it would be economical and comfortable for me to set the A/C to automatically run all day every day to stay safe.
Not a problem, thought I, because it’s hot all day every day.
So now that I’m doing that, I’m getting messages from the utility company that I’m trending towards a high bill.
You don't say Sherlock, but what can I do but run the A/C and pay up, if I don’t want to pass out from heat stroke.
This is far and away the worst Summer I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.
Then the garbage disposal malfunctioned and water in the sink backed up.
Assistant Maintenance Guy was quick to respond, said that if the disposal had to be replaced, I would be charged for the new disposal.
WTF!!!
Am I leasing this unit or am I in a rent to own situation?
If these fools think I was going to pay to replace a garbage disposal, which research tells me is between $200 and $500, they were going to have a war on their hands.
I already defied them once — didn’t pay, when told to "Take a check down to the office when you get a chance" to pay $15 for the ceiling light because I thought it ridiculous to charge me for a high/dangerous fixture that falls under their purview and which, I later learned, is illegal for the landlord to charge tenants in the State of California. So, if I defied them for a mere $15, you can imagine what hell they were going to go through to get "between $200 and $500" out of me.
So, I was already planning for a war, as Assistant Maintenance Guy worked on the disposal, saying I’d have to pay if a new unit was required.
Fortunately for Management and myself, it was a simple blockage which I thought to be the result of a change in water pressure that I'd reported. Instead of water flowing from the faucet, water now more or less trickles, which I thought wasn’t enough flow to push through the pipes whatever was in the disposal.
What Assistant Maintenance Guy found in the blockage was tiny bits of kale, carrots and eggshells.
"Here’s your problem", said he. "You can’t put eggshells down the disposal".
I took issue with that, thought he was gaslighting me because I’ve done so all my life, and for the 14 years I’ve lived here. I chalked the blockage up to lack of water pressure and cheap ass equipment.
That is until I later googled, "can egg shells go in the garbage disposal" and learned "No, you should not put egg shells in your garbage disposal. They do not break down into safe mush; instead, they create a sand-like grit that settles in your pipes, and their sticky inner membranes can wrap around the disposal parts and catch other waste to cause bad clogs".
Who knew?
So now I no longer put eggshells in the disposal, but I still think it's the lack of water pressure as there was never a problem until the issue with flow appeared; and now not trusting the water pressure pushing whatever through the pipes, I build up the water pressure by letting the sink fill sufficiently with water, then run the disposal.
I don’t imagine anything will be done about the recent change in water pressure unless and until an outside Inspector flags it.
The heat keeping me out of circulation around here, I figured I’d pop into this morning’s Kesha Tuesday — which, per the calendar was Crafts, to demonstrate proof of life, that I’m still breathing.
Not much of a surprise that Crafts turned out to be Kesha bringing in a bunch of artificial flowers …… that’s it …… artificial flowers …… no plan, no tools to do anything with them, no vases, no paints, just artificial flowers.
Crafty Lady was disgusted, went to her unit, brought down wires and tools and cardboard, showed the ladies what to do with the artificial flowers …… they made centerpieces.
Di was in the room, delegated to a table off to herself.
The ladies do Di wrong …… kinda sorta turn their backs on her, push her out of the circle because they have no patience with her, are done with her trials and travails which they say are caused by herself.
To me, Di is like the little Peanuts character Pig-Pen. Not that she's dirty, but that she constantly attracts clouds of despair.
I sat with her, listened as she told me someone had stolen her walker from its perch under the stairs by her unit and how she’s fearful for her life because of being instrumental in sending two women to prison, back in the day, for unaliving an individual.
Both got life, but one is being released.
I’ve never understood that … how a person can be sentenced to life and be out in 25 years.
Di is worried because the one being released threatened, if ever released, to unalive her in retaliation for testifying.
She showed me the letter from Department of Corrections, asked my advice as to how it pertained to her — should she respond. I suggested yes …… fill in the Witness portion, mention the threat, mail it back because it might make a difference is keeping the person locked up.
Will she do so? My guess is no; but if anything happens to her, I’ll know where to point the finger.
So, anyway, I told Di "You’ve had an interesting life" and praised her for having the courage to do the right thing — testify, even though she’d been threatened not to, had even gotten beat up and hospitalized over plans to testify, but still did what was right.
"There are eight million stories in the naked city, this has been one of them."
Gee, check the fine print on your rental agreement. Paying for break down of appliances isn't in most from the ones I've signed in the midwest. I think I remember the no chicken bones nor egg shells rule from my parents' dwellings. Could feed the egg shells all ground up to your Heavy metal Venus Fly trap. Or, at least I read about gardeners putting eggshells on plants. Poor lady in fear of her life needs to lock her walker like a bike if she's gonna leave it out. Most medical benefits cover one every so often. Lotsa Salvation Army type stores have some: just needs to be checked and sized for the person. Since my utilities are included in my rent (old nursing home turned into apartments for retirees) I usually try to help out by not running the AC in every room, just where I'm at and how the sun shines. Having nice window units in each room permit that kind of flexibility. In previous places, I determined closing vents in a room where AC isn't needed didn't save any buckeroos. A fan to push the cold air where you want it from the vent might help. A portable dehumidifier does wonders too. I'm warmer in the winter (do you have winter?) by running a humidifier in one room. Meanwhile, watch March of the Penguins to cool off. Hang in there. Linda in Kansas, with 114 degree heat index last 3 days.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that Di needed a lock to keep her walker from disappearing. If she gets another, she should put an air tag on it so, if stolen again, it can be tracked. I might look into portable dehumidifiers.
DeleteThere re 8 million stories made me laugh. I can’t believe it got up to 95 inside. Awful.
ReplyDeleteI had a flashback to an old crime story called The Naked City. It always ended with that line about 8 million stories. It seemed fitting to end this latest episode of the perils of Di. LOL.
DeleteI remembered the quote clearly (can even hear the voice) but I didn’t remember what it was from. In one of Liza Minelli’s shows, she described LA as I think “one city, four stories.”
DeleteShe's lucky if she was only aware of four, LOL.
DeleteI forgot to mention. I had always read and been told to put egg shells down the disposal because they help keep it clean. What the heck?!? Disposals are a rarity here.
DeleteWell, that's confusing about being told to put eggshells down the disposal, which I'd previously always done, and now to learn not to do that. I don't want to go to war with management over the disposal, so I just won't be using it for eggshells or anything else. Why are disposals a rarity in Spain?
DeleteMany people laugh at the idea of garbage disposals here and would call it a waste of electricity. They’re almost unheard of. And many old villages don’t have plumbing and sewer systems that can handle food waste in the pipes. Trash is separated and one bin takes only organic matter. Just compost it.
DeleteInteresting.
DeleteDo you have fans that can circulate the air? That would help with the AC.
ReplyDeleteAs for the garbage disposal, I'm thinking that if YOU pay for a new one, you should take it when you go. I mean, if corporate owns the building then they own the disposal hence they should pay for a replacement.
I got very little sleep last night but I could easily be persuaded to fly to California, drive to your place, find the office, knock on the door, and when whomever answers I bitchslap and say, "That's for Shirley."
And then I fly home.
My Hero! and the next time they try to make me pay for something I'm going to request signed documentation, between management and myself, that paying for it changes ownership, makes it mine to have removed at will.
DeleteI LOVE Bob's idea to take the appliance with you! Cool. Engrave your initials on it! Linda
Delete🤣👍
DeleteGlad to see you posting again. I’ve been wondering if you were ok. Ugh, so many maintenance type issues! I never knew about eggshells. Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteOld building, so things sure to wear out/break down. But to try to make us pay for it is criminal.
DeleteIt's so good to see you posting again, Shirley! This summer has been brutal everywhere it seems. I attended university in a notoriously hot, humid city and had no A/C, so I used to place a huge bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan for cool air and my pillow in the fridge so I could fall asleep on something cold. If only I'd known then of Mistress Maddie's tip to put underwear in the freezer, LOL!
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing Marilyn Monroe doing that freezer underwear in the movie Seven-Year Itch. Sounded uncomfortable back then, still sounds rather drastic, but pillow in the fridge seems doable.
DeleteIt's true, everyone has a story.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that they want to keep charging residents for these repairs is just crazy to me.
None of what they request we pay for is in the lease. They just make charges up as they go along and one day will get in trouble for it.
DeleteI would make it my job to make sure the office that oversees affordable rentals in your area is aware of what's going on.
DeleteFor now, I'm just going to document them.
DeleteThe heat is awful!!! I'm sorry your ac was on the fritz. I can't believe they would dare charge you for fixtures! That is not right. I will chip in for Bob's ticket to fly in and slap them.
ReplyDeleteI do feel sorry for Di. The group does seem pretty mean. She sounds like a lost soul even if some of what she worries about is her own making. I sure hope whoever they are thinking about releasing has bigger fish to fry than hunting down Di. She seems like she was pretty brave back in her day.
I don't agree that 25 years is life either. I think they hope the witnesses and family will be dead by then and they can release prisoners to make room for more.
Fortunately, the A/C was out only one day, is running smooth now. And 🤣for aiding and abetting Bob. This excluding Di is something new, started by Crafty Lady who is involved in Bible Study here and prays for the group at events. I don't respect her for posing as so fucking religious while being mean to Di and encouraging others to side with her in excluding Di. I told Di that years in prison probably gave the woman second thoughts about revenge and heading right back to prison. She's taking the attitude that "if she finds me, she finds me, I've had a good life". Sad, but I get it.
DeleteI am so relieved you got your AC fixed coz that was dangerously Hot. I've never put Eggshells down a Disposal, we mostly smash ours into fine Powder and put it in our Plants Soil, as it provides slow release Calcium. Otherwise just throw in the Garbage. I would have insisted Management pay for their own Units Maintenance and Repairs, you are a Renter, not an Owner. It's their responsibility as Landlord to make necessary repairs to make their Units habitable. It is too damned Hot, my Utility Bill last Month was bonkers, but, necessary, it's been consistently around 117 lately, so, whaddya gonna do?
ReplyDeleteHad the A/C problem been more than that one day, I would have had to go to a hotel. I know Maintenance and Repairs is their responsibility, they know it too, but don't seem to care about the legal implications of what they're trying to do. From now on, when Maintenance comes to repair something, I'm going to tape the conversation .... for evidence of their wrongdoings.
DeleteI used to love having a disposal. Until I destroyed so many over the years. Once trying to grind fennel. Once trying to grind potato peels and another time grinding egg shells. I no longer use my disposal at all. Everything goes in the trash now. Those things just break down too easily.
ReplyDeletePotato peels seem like a for sure disposal killer. I barely used it for anything other than eggshells and tiny bits of vegies, but now knowing the disposal supposedly is so delicate that it can't handle eggshells, I'm pretty much with you in not using it at all.
DeleteYes, egg shells are a disposal killer. I seem to remember that you use a lot of eggs, too. Potato peels are the worst for the plumbing, the pipes. Just makes a paste that coats the pipes and plugs up everything. And, yes, the garbage companies are required to provide compost services to all customers. We can put ours into our green can, along with yard trash. Our grocery stores provide the composting bags when you buy produce so it makes it convenient for us. I don't know if they have started fining customers who don't abide by the rule.
DeleteI've seen green bins near the dumpster but never bothered to investigate what they are for and/or what's in them. Wish we had a special bin to dispose of plastic water bottles.
DeleteI don't know how your local jurisdiction is enforcing it, but in California there is a fairly recent requirement to separate out organic kitchen waste and dispose of it in the organic waste stream (i.e.green waste, previously known as the yard waste bin). It also applies to multi-tenant apartment buildings.
ReplyDeleteBroad brush explanation is to reduce organic decomposition in the landfill and make mulch on the theory that this reduces greenhouse gas emissions..Some cities are also encouraging reducing the use of garbage disposals. This also results in petulant and cranky garbage disposals that refuse to run reliably like mine. I'm going to remove it and have the kitchen sink replumbed.
I suppose that you could offer in the spirit of compliance to bag up your organic wastes and leave them outside the Office door.
Will Jay
I've heard there's a compost thingie on the back end of the complex, but I've never seen it and, if I've seen it, I didn't know what it was. I don't think I generate enough waste to bother with separating organic kitchen waste, was barely using the disposal at all, except for eggshells. Removing your disposal is adventurous and I was thinking that if mine ever did permanently stop working that, with management wanting me to pay for another, I'd tell them I don't use it enough to care, so leave it broken or remove it. Of course, they'd later catch hell if an Inspector found it not functional, but that would be management's problem.
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