I get paid on the last business day of the month. I give myself a monthly allowance in my checking account, and on payday I log into my account online to move over anything that might be leftover in checking from last month's budget into the savings account. While I'm there, I take a look at whether/when the checks I've written so far have cleared. The one from the Embroiderer's Guild for my yearly dues hasn't cleared yet, but I'm not surprised. The treasurer must only go to the bank once a month or something. But another check cleared awfully late. I am surprised by it and a little bit angry.
My rent check is due to the office by the fifth business day of the month. Normally it clears by the seventh or eighth, right after it gets deposited. Both banks are local, and all this stuff is done by computer now, so it goes much quicker than it did when I was in high school--it's almost instantaneous, particularly if the check was deposited in the morning.
This month my rent check didn't clear until March 28. That's last Friday.
Good grief! Twenty-three days after I gave it to them they finally decide to do something with it? I click on the link from my bank to see a scanned-in PDF file of the check. Date stamp from the landlord's bank was indeed dated 3/28/2008, so it wasn't some computer screw up. Our guy never made it to the bank until the end of the month. Either that, or he misplaced my check for three weeks. He must have listed it in his records as received, because I didn't get any letters about late rent.
I guess this just emphasizes that the current management is slowly slipping downhill, and I really, really need to get out of here.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
How to lose a long-time tentant
1. Hire an incompetent who, even though he lives in the complex, can't make it to the office by the time it's supposed to open. Make sure he can't keep driveways and sidewalks ice-free, even though that means cars will have to take a headlong run all the way from the bottom of the sloping driveway in order to make it to the top and out onto the street. Stopping for anything (like pedestrians, say, or oncoming traffic) should result in the driver having to slither back to the bottom of the hill and try again.
2. Let said incompetent miss the deadline for writing lease addenda (they're usually on our doors by mid-February. It's now almost April).
3. This manager will then write addenda, back-dating them in such a way as to imply lessees were given a week to decide whether they were renewing or not. The addenda will be distributed the Friday morning of a holiday weekend in March, with a deadline of 12 PM the following Monday (not even two full business days). The manager will not be in the office that day to answer questions or field complaints, of course.
4. Then have the manager write threatening, frightening follow-up letters like this:
I just spoke to my upstairs neighbor. I was right. The [bleep] [bleep] [bleep]ing manager put the addenda, dated 3/17/08, on doors Friday morning (3/21/08). I was already gone for the weekend, and just got back at 9 this evening. My neighbor said she wondered why I'd left the thing on my door all weekend. I've been looking for the blasted thing to show up since the beginning of February, and the one week I go out of town it finally gets here.
I've called the office and left a message, signed and returned the addendum, emailed him (he left an email address on a sign at the office door), and will call again tomorrow morning to make sure he got the stupid thing. And then I am going to be shopping in earnest for an apartment or a little bitty house to rent starting August 2009. I have officially Had It With This Place.
Snarl. Now I'm going to fuss over a cat who's been trying to get my attention since I walked through the front door.
2. Let said incompetent miss the deadline for writing lease addenda (they're usually on our doors by mid-February. It's now almost April).
3. This manager will then write addenda, back-dating them in such a way as to imply lessees were given a week to decide whether they were renewing or not. The addenda will be distributed the Friday morning of a holiday weekend in March, with a deadline of 12 PM the following Monday (not even two full business days). The manager will not be in the office that day to answer questions or field complaints, of course.
4. Then have the manager write threatening, frightening follow-up letters like this:
Dear Resident:
As per your lease renewal, I have not received it as of today 12:00 pm Monday 3/24/08.
If you want to renew but have questions please e-mail or call and leave your name, apt number, and phone number. [No phone number or email address included in the letter]
I will return your call ASAP.
We are receiving 200 to 300 calls and or e-mails a day on people that want an apt at [complex name].
Please contact me no later than 9:00 AM tomorrow 3/25/08.
If I do not hear back from you I will have to assume that you are not renewing and will need to start showing your apt and leasing it for the date your lease ends.
Please note that it could be rented as early as the end of the day tomorrow.
I have closed the office tomorrow at 12:00 noon only waiting in case you for got to turn your renewal in.
I am in the office today and tomorrow but working on preparing to start showing apts. All calls are being screened but if you call or e-mail I will get back to you.
Thank You
[name deleted]
Manager.
I just spoke to my upstairs neighbor. I was right. The [bleep] [bleep] [bleep]ing manager put the addenda, dated 3/17/08, on doors Friday morning (3/21/08). I was already gone for the weekend, and just got back at 9 this evening. My neighbor said she wondered why I'd left the thing on my door all weekend. I've been looking for the blasted thing to show up since the beginning of February, and the one week I go out of town it finally gets here.
I've called the office and left a message, signed and returned the addendum, emailed him (he left an email address on a sign at the office door), and will call again tomorrow morning to make sure he got the stupid thing. And then I am going to be shopping in earnest for an apartment or a little bitty house to rent starting August 2009. I have officially Had It With This Place.
Snarl. Now I'm going to fuss over a cat who's been trying to get my attention since I walked through the front door.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Internal clocks and Easter weekend
I heard on the radio recently that the next time Easter will be this early will be in the year 2285. I wonder if humanity will still be around then.
Going to my parents' place for Easter. Will be returning Monday night. I might try to post while I'm home, I'll have to see. I don't think I'm taking the laptop, but who knows, I might change my mind in the next couple of hours. Depends on how unwieldy my other bag is, I guess.
It's quarter to three, and I'm amazed I'm awake. The time change has been wreaking havoc with my sleep cycle. I've turned off my alarm clock in my sleep at least three times in the past two weeks, and I was really worried I wasn't going to wake up in time for my bus. I think that worry is what got me up so blasted early today. I even did a back-up alarm--the TV has a timer feature, and I set that to turn on about 3:30. Don't need it. Didn't need the alarm, either. I just lay there in the dark waiting for it to go off. I'm gonna be a real live wire come two this afternoon.
Lolly is sitting right next to me with her back to me, tail twitching. She's been shouting at me for fifteen minutes, trying to get me to go back to bed I think. That didn't work, so now she's giving me the Cold Shoulder to show her displeasure. Wait until I start to pack, little girl. Then you'll really get miffed.
Happy Easter/Happy Passover/Have a good weekend.
Going to my parents' place for Easter. Will be returning Monday night. I might try to post while I'm home, I'll have to see. I don't think I'm taking the laptop, but who knows, I might change my mind in the next couple of hours. Depends on how unwieldy my other bag is, I guess.
It's quarter to three, and I'm amazed I'm awake. The time change has been wreaking havoc with my sleep cycle. I've turned off my alarm clock in my sleep at least three times in the past two weeks, and I was really worried I wasn't going to wake up in time for my bus. I think that worry is what got me up so blasted early today. I even did a back-up alarm--the TV has a timer feature, and I set that to turn on about 3:30. Don't need it. Didn't need the alarm, either. I just lay there in the dark waiting for it to go off. I'm gonna be a real live wire come two this afternoon.
Lolly is sitting right next to me with her back to me, tail twitching. She's been shouting at me for fifteen minutes, trying to get me to go back to bed I think. That didn't work, so now she's giving me the Cold Shoulder to show her displeasure. Wait until I start to pack, little girl. Then you'll really get miffed.
Happy Easter/Happy Passover/Have a good weekend.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Baggy britches
How's this for a reason to go clothes-shopping: my too-big-around-the-waist jeans are throwing off the count on my pedometer. I used to be able to hang it on the little coin pocket on the right-hand side of my jeans and get an accurate reading. Then I had to suspend it from the waist band somewhere between my hip and the button on the fly. As the weeks progressed, the counter has gotten closer to the button. Now I can't get an accurate reading anywhere. I take twenty steps, it counts maybe fourteen. It's telling me that today I've only taken 713 steps so far, and I know that's not true. It about 380 from my front door to the bus stop, and another 250 both to and from the place where I bought my lunch. That's 880, and it doesn't even take into account the walking around I've been doing today (from the bus to the coffee place, from the coffee place to my desk, back and forth around the office, to and from a meeting, rummaging around in the stacks the next floor up, etc.). I should be closing in on around 2000 by now.
Grrr.
Grrr.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Miss me?
My friend over at Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwiches just gave me an e-mail style poke with a stick to see if I was still alive. I am. I haven't had much to write about lately, that's all. Just trudging along, doin' ma thang.
I've lost eleven pounds (broke into double digits. Woo-hoo!), am progressing nicely on the 10,000 steps program--I have to find some way to get in 9,000 steps a day this week. That's a lot easier during the work week than it is on the weekends, especially on the snowy weekends like this one. It usually involves a lot of walking in place in front of the TV. I'm not really one for taking long walks outside in the muck or during snow squalls like we had yesterday. Crossing a parking lot to get to the bus stop with snow blowing directly in my face is not how I like spending my Saturdays. The hood on my coat was no help. I can't figure out those elastic thingies with the metal clips on them. How exactly are they supposed to keep your hood up? What happened to good old-fashioned cord you could tie under your chin?
I've gotten a bit done on my cross-stitch project, but then I got tired of making small X's and went back to knitting for a while. First project I did was using a pattern from knitty.com for a head scarf. It uses entrelac and variegated yarn to make it look like you've knitted all kinds of squares with different yarns. Pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Will post pictures when my camera battery finishes charging.
Now I'm working on a pair of pedicure socks with another knitty.com pattern. I wanted to make a pair for my sister 'cause she gets her nails done year round -- hands and feet -- and I've often wondered about how she gets from the shop to the car in cold weather while keeping her toenails from getting ruined. This is my first attempt at socks of any sort, so I'm making a test pair. I have one done and am in the middle of doing the heel on the other one. First one looks all right and fits my foot. Let's see if I can get the second one to look just like it. I will have to remember when I do the actual socks that Ditter's feet are a little smaller than mine and adjust accordingly.
I had an impromptu private lesson with my bellydance instructor last Sunday. I was the only person to show up to class. That might happen again this week, I think, because it's Spring Break right now. It was a little unnerving to have her full attention, but I liked it. Learned a lot, and increased my confidence a tad.
Speaking of bellydance, I need to go finish sewing the elastic on my zills. I finally got tired of holding them together with safety pins (after almost two years) and sewed the thumb zills on Monday. Got to get the ones done for the middle fingers before class today.
And that's it from over here. How are you?
I've lost eleven pounds (broke into double digits. Woo-hoo!), am progressing nicely on the 10,000 steps program--I have to find some way to get in 9,000 steps a day this week. That's a lot easier during the work week than it is on the weekends, especially on the snowy weekends like this one. It usually involves a lot of walking in place in front of the TV. I'm not really one for taking long walks outside in the muck or during snow squalls like we had yesterday. Crossing a parking lot to get to the bus stop with snow blowing directly in my face is not how I like spending my Saturdays. The hood on my coat was no help. I can't figure out those elastic thingies with the metal clips on them. How exactly are they supposed to keep your hood up? What happened to good old-fashioned cord you could tie under your chin?
I've gotten a bit done on my cross-stitch project, but then I got tired of making small X's and went back to knitting for a while. First project I did was using a pattern from knitty.com for a head scarf. It uses entrelac and variegated yarn to make it look like you've knitted all kinds of squares with different yarns. Pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Will post pictures when my camera battery finishes charging.
Now I'm working on a pair of pedicure socks with another knitty.com pattern. I wanted to make a pair for my sister 'cause she gets her nails done year round -- hands and feet -- and I've often wondered about how she gets from the shop to the car in cold weather while keeping her toenails from getting ruined. This is my first attempt at socks of any sort, so I'm making a test pair. I have one done and am in the middle of doing the heel on the other one. First one looks all right and fits my foot. Let's see if I can get the second one to look just like it. I will have to remember when I do the actual socks that Ditter's feet are a little smaller than mine and adjust accordingly.
I had an impromptu private lesson with my bellydance instructor last Sunday. I was the only person to show up to class. That might happen again this week, I think, because it's Spring Break right now. It was a little unnerving to have her full attention, but I liked it. Learned a lot, and increased my confidence a tad.
Speaking of bellydance, I need to go finish sewing the elastic on my zills. I finally got tired of holding them together with safety pins (after almost two years) and sewed the thumb zills on Monday. Got to get the ones done for the middle fingers before class today.
And that's it from over here. How are you?
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